#stepford wives au

[fizzigigsimmer]

I wish I had more time to write. I have so many fic ideas that live in folders that I am afraid will never see the light. After I finish my Big Bang fic I still have to finish To B With Love & All The Kings Men (oof poor baby has gone so neglected). So this brain bunny will sadly probably not see life until next years big bang honestly. But I love the idea so much and want to share it. All my love to @dream-about-dancing who helped me with my initial brainstorming and encouraged me that this wasn't too dark of an idea lol.

That said. Warnings ahead for some dark!romance as in, this is fucked up with purpose.

The idea came to me after the massive disappointment that was Don't Worry Darling. I just feel like the film missed a lot of the horror and emotional beats that make the original Stepford Wives so twisted and compelling.

So my idea for a Harringrove Stepford!Wives Au was born.

A secret government organization has given Martin Brenner funding for "The Eden project". The goal of Eden is to create an actionable community model that would end poverty, wealth inequality, crime, war etc in the western world. Their slogan is " take the first step to world peace. Choose Eden."

World peace is the surface goal, but we all know Brenner is a closeted sociopath - so naturally he's using Eden and the technology behind it to create a weapon that can control/erase/change the will of others on a mass scale. World peace through mind control in other words. Everyone in Eden is essentially a test subject.

Brenner finds volunteers by preying on fringe groups and people who are ostracized in society, because they can more easily disappear without being missed. Nobody cares if the guy dealing drugs out of his van stops showing up to the corner, or some "tranny" quits their job and moves without telling anyone.

Billy and Steve are college roommates, it's the 80s, and they're both deep in the closet. Billy struggles with his childhood trauma and Steve is there for him like no one else ever has been. Steve is exploring his own sexuality and trying to live independently of his overbearing parents for the first time and they form a very codependent relationship.

Steve's parents start to suspect somethings up with him and his roommate and start to put pressure on him to live up to his responsibilities (Aka join his father's firm and get married to a nice girl). It doesn't help that Billy is fearful and possessive of their relationship and generally just a giant redflag. Steve just wants to be with Billy, but he knows they don't have a future and he doesn't want to be the son who fucks up and ruins his family over something he shouldn't even want - so he breaks up with Billy.

Billy spirals. He completely ignores the part about Steve breaking up with him because he's an unstable mess lol and fixates on Steve's parents and the world telling them it's wrong to be together. He knows Steve was happy with him and that Steve loves him and is desperate to get him back.

He meets someone at a bar who introduces him to Project Eden and indoctrinates him into Brenner's circle. At first Billy thinks this sounds like some weird geek novel bullshit, but the idea of a safe world where he's not wrong for being the way that he is, and where Steve still loves him and he's powerful and successful and nothing can touch him? Appealing as fuck. Sign him up. He'll be a warrior for world peace.

Cue him literally abducting Steve on his wedding day and bringing him into Eden, where they become The Hargroves. They have the perfect life and the perfect marriage that the outside world tells them they can't have. Billy's the provider and each day he gets to come home to his blissfully happy and submissive husband.

He was afraid at first that Brenner's technology would take away what he loves most about Steve, but no he's still the same dork with the same fire. The only downside is Billy knows deep down that Steve didn't choose this and he lives in fear of Steve waking up one day and truly hating him.

The first crack comes when Steve starts to have upsetting dreams about the past, including the time his dad called him a slur and accused him of ruining the family and breaking his mother's heart. Billy tells him these are just nightmares but he knows they are really Steve's memories popping up where they shouldn't. He starts to panic and does everything he can to "fix" Steve, gaslighting him the entire way.

Meanwhile poor Steve is on a reluctant heroes journey slowly regaining his memories and his own mind. He starts unraveling the mysteries behind Eden with the help of Eleven and his friends, who are also fellow residents of Eden. Eleven is Brenner's "daughter" and unknowingly is a big part of how the technology works. Max and Lucas came to Eden together so they could be together without persecution. Heather and Robin were lesbians who didn't know each other and wanted a chance to experience being in love. Jason was a closeted man escaping religious trauma, but in Eden he's the perfect husband to Chrissy who isn't sick or being abused by her mother anymore, and Eddie was a poor social outcast who wanted the world to hear his music. In Eden he's a rock star and has a budding romance with Jason & Chrissy.

Steve agrees that they can't allow Brenner to use El and the Eden technology for what he's planning, but the more of the truth he discovers the more he wishes he'd never woken up. Because despite everything, he loves Billy and the life they have. Billy's very sorry of course. It was never his intention to hurt Steve. He just wanted to make things right for them. And it can all be right again if they all just take this little pill and go to sleep.

Decisions decisions.

#harringrove #plot bunnies #dark romances #twisted love stories #stepford wives au #the plot bunny vault #fic ideas #fizzi writes fic

[suchawrathfullamb]

no, I don't have first chapters of ten different fics waiting for god's grace to bless me with the will to actually proceed with at least one of them

#i have a nymph au i have a victorian au i have a stepford wives au i have a magic school au i have a greek deities au and i have a season 4 #one and I will probably add five more tonight bc my brain is sick #nbc hannibal #hannigram #hannibal #will graham #murder husbands #hannibal lecter #fanfic

[vegalocity]

If Spider Queen where to theoretically wake up fully in the Red Awakening ending, would she have problems wearing her old regalia like Spindrax would? Also what would the wife-ified Sanzang be like and what would his reaction be to his get up if he could wake up?

oh man if Spider Queen went lucid she'd be heading for the fucking hills man

she'd play along JUST long enough to 'be retired for the night' and fucking TEAR her regalia off as she just fucking runs away. She'd be desparate just to fucking get out of there, no plans no allies left that haven't been snapped up by the Prince, no clan to fall back on, she's fucking OUT of there. Her only hope to try and break through to would be MAYBE Goliath since Xiaotian didn't super care to do a lot of work on him where as Syntax Huntsman and Spindrax have all been under HEAVY conditioning, but she's GONE she's BOUNCING.

Spider Queen is relatively low on the danger list if she goes lucid

Sanzang is THE most dangerous person to go lucid. the only person close to the same level of potential threat is Syntax, but that's mostly because he does ALL the personal tech work in the city. Sanzang is someone they 100% no matter what cannot AFFORD to even CHANCE going lucid. I was actually chatting about something similar with @unseelie-robynx and we came to the conclusion that Xiaotian would definitely be smart enough to identify that since Sanzang can UNDO his work that he really needs ALL the stops and ALL the failsafes in his head to KEEP him from going lucid. If Sanzang wakes up this whole thing is gonna go full nuclear bc there's no way he WOULDN'T not only contact EVERYONE in heaven that he possibly could, but ALSO undo as much to everyone around him that he possibly could.

So outwardly it seems like he has the least done with him, there's been a sort of cheeky 'breaking of his monastic vows' thing that happened early in since in the ending where Sanzang gets got the Cult has already been fully bought into by the rest of the 'court' so there's already plans underway for him to 'Join' them and he can't exactly still be a Buddhist monk while also being a god in another pantheon. But that was more of a 'something while he was still getting mentally broken' thing.

After that they let him keep basically the same personality and traits, both because with less behavior modifications it'll be harder for him even on a subconcious level to realize that there was something wrong, and also because Wukong LIKES him like this, and as we know an Oblivon Wife's entire life is in orbit around their Husband (heh) so he wouldn't want many behavioral changes anyway.

So to anyone looking in there wouldn't be THAT much different about him, other than that he just sort of changed creeds in order to 'be with' Wukong.

The only real behavioral change is that they basically turned his feelings for his monkey up to eleven and broke the dial off. essentially a mind control love potion, he's CONSTANTLY dizzy with infatuation in his ending. he can still DO other things of course, but it's REAL easy to just go full heart eyes over Wukong and get kinda carried away with it.

Yeah it'd REALLY fuck him up if he went lucid though, primarily due to the whole 'broke his own vows while under' thing, but the whole 'being dressed up like a doll' thing won't help either. I'm not entirely sure just WHAT would happen though, since he's the one with SO many failsafes in his head to ensure he DOESN'T go lucid, it's a statistical wonder if he does and suddenly EVERYTHINGS up in the air.

#the stepford wives of Oblivion deffo have brunch once a week (mostly so Red can 'check up on everyone') #And Sanzang and Shuyin are the only ones with enough braincells left to actually talk about stuff beyond gushing over their spouses #though they both do quite a lot of that as well lmao #Tyrant prince au #the Cavalry falls #letters to vega #suntang #but like a really fucked up one lmao #lmk Spider queen

[spatialwave]

❝𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐞?❞

notes: angus tully x fem!reader || college au word count: 2.2k warnings: slight nsfw, angst, arguing & name-calling

you loved angus tully. you loved him so goddamn much, but sometimes he made you want to rip your hair out and scream. the two of you were heading into your final year of university and had been dating since your second year. neither of you bit the bullet on moving in yet, but things were getting serious and you wanted to take that next step with him over the summer.

except you weren't sure if that was in his own plans. the moment you mentioned it, you felt him grow distant and cold. it was hard not to take it personally, to feel like you were taking things too fast.

was he not as interested as you? was he planning on breaking up with you? did he fall out of love with you?

these were the questions that haunted you day and night, even in those intimate moments when the two of you were hanging out at your apartment.

he was looking over a history textbook, face scrunched up as he scoured the pages as he hunched over your small kitchen table. you were sitting on the couch, a book in your hand with your eyes peering right over it and watching your boyfriend. he looked so cute when he was focused, his lips slightly pursed and fingers tapping along the wooden surface of your table.

he was so hard to be mad at, but it had been nearly three weeks since you brought up your... idea. three weeks of him distancing himself in the smallest of ways. choosing to study with his classmates or wanting to stay at his dorm over the weekend rather than with you.

you were usually a good communicator, but this worried you.

"you're staring," angus' voice broke the silence, you hadn't realized he'd been looking back at you.

your eyes narrowed further, the swarming of negative thoughts in your head keeping you on the brink of anger. it was easy to get like this when you were stressed, so looming finals were of no help.

keeping silent, you pulled your gaze onto the words on the page. however, the stepford wives was doing a horrible job at actually keeping you engaged. with a quick sigh, you snapped the book closed and your sharp gaze shifted back to your boyfriend.

god, you hated the way he was staring at you like he did nothing wrong–after weeks of feeling worried over the state of your relationship. your anger was palpable.

"did i do something wrong?" you asked, keeping cool on your tone of voice as you sat upright on the couch, soon moving to your feet. arms crossed over your chest and you kept your gaze firm.

"what?" he looked at you with a face of confusion, you could see his own guard coming up as he stood.

he overpowered you in height, but you weren't scared. you knew he would never intimidate you physically, but emotionally he was tearing you to pieces. whether he knew it or not. it wasn't your fault that you loved him with all your being.

"you've been distant for like a month now. this is the first time you've come to study at my place in over a week and you're not even sitting with me," you explained, one of your arms moving from your chest and animating your words as you spoke, "i feel like every chance you get you choose to be away from me. why?"

"listen, you're getting ahead of yourself," he warned, taking a step toward you.

"am i? it's a simple question, angus." you are steady in your voice, though, you can feel your hands beginning to shake.

"it's really not," he let out an exasperated laugh and it's that moment that sets you off. it's one of your worst flaws, when someone acts differently than your expectations it's enough to make you blow up.

"oh, come on. just tell me the truth," you groaned, pinching the bridge of your nose in frustration, "you don't like being around me anymore and that's okay, but don't lead me on like this."

"i never said that," he pushed ahead, taking another step as his voice rose. he hated your assumptions.

"well, that's what it feels like! if you had a phone in your dorm i highly doubt you'd answer it if you knew it was me! i've been with you all day and you haven't even kissed me!" you rambled and vented, your voice wavering as your emotions spilled.

he blinked at you a few times, but you couldn't tell what was going on in his head. you didn't give him a chance to speak.

"i just need to know what's wrong, what am i doing wrong? what can i do to fix this or is it too late?" you asked, "i'm starting to get scared about us, angus... is there someone else? another woman that caught your eye? i need you to tell me what your problem is so i can move on instead of living ever single day worried that you’re loving someone else!”

all you were doing was prying for an answer, something to ease your emotions that had begun to eat your alive. you needed to mend your breaking heart and the truth was needed to begin the process. you watched angus carefully to see his reaction, you noticed the way his brows furrowed. how his hands moved to his hips and his cheeks were red in anger.

you knew throwing that assumption at him wasn’t a healthy and communicative way to reach am answer, but these feelings had been bubbling for a long time now. you didn’t have the means to keep your bottle lid tight anymore.

a sharp exhale came from him, "oh, that's fucking rich coming from you," he spat at you loud and dramatically with a forced laugh, his arms crossing as he stared at you in a mix of fury and amusement.

"what does that mean?" you questioned defensively, you hadn't realized how loud your voice had gotten until someone banged on the wall, an annoyed neighbour. you lowered your voice and hissed in a stage whisper, "i've never done anything that should make you assume anything like that. you're being a prick right now."

"uh-huh," he breathed, unconvinced, "so when i saw you practically crawling over that douchebag from your statistics class in the library that was nothing?" you widened your eyes as he spoke, "i'm surprised you weren't fucking him then and there, so forgive me if i've been distant. i suppose i had a hard time swallowing down the fact that i've fallen in love with a girl who thinks it's okay to entertain other men behind my back!"

he had been stepping closer toward you as he ranted, his words sharp and leaving you stinging raw. his patronizing tone was hard to listen to and tears stung your eyes.

both of you were clouded over with stress and anger, riddled with worst case scenarios simply because neither of you could stomach a civil conversation. it was fear holding you two back, both of you assuming that the end of your relationship was near. that you both found love in another, someone better, smarter—more attractive.

"i need you to get out of my apartment." you tell him, sniffling as your nose got runny as you fought back tears, "i don't let men in my home who accuse me of being a slut."

"i didn't call you that–" he said, voice softening, but the frustration still noticeable.

"you implied it and that's enough, angus," your voice wasn't loud anymore as you settled into temporary silence, "i have no intention of leaving you and when i asked if you wanted to move in with you it's because you are the only person i imagine spending the rest of my life with," you say, losing your fight against the tears, "and since then, you've been avoiding me like the fucking plague!"

"i'm sorry, you know i didn't mean to," he stepped closer and you took a step back.

“out!” you hissed, pointing to your apartment door and unmoving until angus had started backing his belongings into his side satchel. you couldn’t even look at him.

you knew very well that you were both wrong with your assumptions of infidelity, there was no one involved in your lives but each other. though, you were far from the appropriate headspace to have a productive conversation and the last thing you needed was for this to end with more tears.

angus’ hand was on the doorknob when he paused, those big brown eyes of his wide and apologetic. his mouth parted to say something, but then he frowned and shoved his apology down his throat before leaving.

the sound of the door slamming echoed and you were left with a heart so fragile that it would break from a slight breeze. your apartment was quiet. you were alone and empty.

you’d only realized now that you and angus had never had an argument before. at least, not like this.

avoiding angus was difficult. anytime something came up, you had the urge to find him and tell him only to remember you were supposed to be mad at him! what kind of a boyfriend accuses you of being with another man just because you laugh at his jokes? but what kind of girlfriend accuses their boyfriend of cheating without even a morsel of evidence?

the entire situation reeked of insecurity and as much as you’d love to wait for an apology, you weren’t certain that the weight of it should be left entirely to angus. you were hurt by him, but so was he.

a week had passed and you'd just finished writing your first final exam, certain you aced it even though you'd been spending most nights crying versus actually studying. the fresh spring air soothed you when you made the trek back to your apartment, your textbooks clutched against your chest and angus' jean jacket shielding your body from the wind.

on the way home you had started creating scenarios in your head, trying to plan out your words for when you finally spoke to angus. you were so lost in your head that you hadn't heard the sounds of someone sneaking passed the front door of your apartment complex before it locked shut.

your finger pushed the 'up' button on the elevator passed the foyer and a voice coming from behind you nearly made you shriek.

you spun on your heels and saw your boyfriend, cheeks red and out of breath.

"what the hell, angus. did you run here?"

"i'm sorry," he cut you off, speaking through laboured breaths, "but yeah, i ran her, but that's beside the point," he rambled as you watched him, your eyes full of awe and heart full. you had been yearning to see him for so long now–you couldn't stay mad at him, "i was a dick to accuse you and i was an even bigger dick for not telling you what's been going on."

you let out a soft breath, "it's okay, angus, you don't have to apologize."

"i do, actually," he cut you off again, swallowing down a nervous lump in his throat as he focused on speaking between heavy breaths, "when you accused me of finding love in someone else i retaliated because it was easier to give up and end things there instead of putting everything into this relationship just for you to take my heart and smash it up into a bunch of fucking pieces," as he spoke, you could see the way the tension gave up in his shoulders, "i have trust issues if you can't tell." he let out an awkward laugh, feeling pathetic in front of you.

your eyes stung with tears again, but now for a reason that filled your heart with relief and love. the weight of the world lifted and you decided then and there that angus would be the man you would be spending the rest of your life with.

"you can trust me."

"i'll try."

when the elevator doors opened you pulled him in, arms snaking around his neck as your lips crashed into a kiss full of need and hunger. you'd never gone so long without his touch and you missed it, the way he tasted like cigarettes and coca-cola, or the way his hands always went straight to your back, hands sliding underneath your clothing because he loved the way your skin felt smooth against his hands.

"angus," you whimpered as your body rocked over his, straddling his hips as your head tilted back and exhausted eyes fixated on the ceiling. you were full of him, your body weak and tired but not yet giving in to release because you'd be damned if you'd let this moment go too soon, "i love you."

hands caressed every surface of your skin, fingertips tracing circles on your bare hips, hands massaging your breasts or wrapping around your neck.

"i love you too," angus groaned from beneath you, reaching a hand up so he could put his thumb on your chin and force your gaze down at him.

you moved slowly and effortlessly on top of him, relishing in the slowness of this moment and how perfectly your bodies moulded together. you'd never been so certain about love before as you stared down and smiled, looking into those brown eyes that pulled you in the first time you saw him two years prior.

"i trust you," he breathed out and you let euphoria consume you.

– @thekid-ofsteel sent me the best drabble ideas, though this one turned into a fic LOL. i'm not sure if i do angst well enough, but i tried. :')

#angus tully #angus tully x reader #the holdovers #the holdovers fic #angus tully fic #wordsbyspatial #dominic sessa

[necronatural]

Clockroach AU where Gregor and Dante meet when they sign up for a dystopian stepford wives 1950s arranged marriage which they immediately flourish in because they were genetically engineered in a lab to be in a boring midwest suburbanite couple with someone

#limbus company #clockroach #art #suburbia au

[ewanmitchellcrumbs]

I heard you're open for dark Billy requests? 👀👀👀

what about a dark Billy obsessed with Lana's best friend that has always been nice to him? like, she supports him whenever his (fucked up) parents belittle him and Lana doesn't notice him? the friend is there for him always

I was originally gonna post chapter two of Best Intentions today, but Bel posted her Stepford Wives AU, and I didn't want to crowd her Tommy fic with another, so that will wait until tomorrow.

For now, I am working on this for you my beloved Bru, and it will be up within the next 12 hours.

Lonely This Christmas

Pairing: Billy Washington (Trigger Point) x f!reader Warnings: Dark and obsessive behaviour, stalking, smut, dubious consent. Word count: tbc

Summary: On a rare occasion when her and Billy both find themselves home for Christmas at the same time, they admit they've always fancied each other. However, as things develop between them, she soon realises that for Billy it's something much more sinister than a harmless crush.

Full fic coming soon!

#asked and answered #lovely moots 💕 #ewan mitchell #billy washington #trigger point #billy washington x reader #billy washington smut #billy washington fan fiction

[f1-stuff]

Thank you for tagging me @c2-eh ! ❤️ Let's see if we can get @vegasgrandprix @penaltyboxboxbox @nottiinrosso and @ayceeofspades to do this 😁 (even if you only share 1 idea, I will Eat It Up...)

tell me about 1-5 ideas that you’ve not written a single word for yet. notes don’t count. (I have so many...this will be hard. All are charlos bc I have a problem.)

Last of Us AU - You know that episode with Bill and Frank? Yeah, that's where this idea came from. Carlos makes a fortress out of his Mallorca home after the apocalypse goes down, and finds Charles in one of his traps one day. Carlos hasn't interacted with a non-infected human in years, but he lets Charles into his home to shower and eat...and other things.

Stepford Wives/Inception AU - I had this idea of like charlos in the suburbs - married, white-picket fence etc. But actually, it's all a dream (they've been incepted) and they slowly figure out that it's not reality, and remember that they're F1 drivers who are not in fact married. The dream collapses and they return to their real lives, only to kinda miss being a married couple lol

Sex Competition AU - asfghfhsjgdk so this idea came to me like...what if charlos think they're both better than the other in bed, and the only way to prove it is to watch each other with the same girl and have her (after signing an NDA ofc) tell them who's better at sex. But then she says their better than each other in different areas. And this bothers them immensely. So they decide the only way to settle it is to experience for themselves what the other is so good at smhhh these IDIOTS

Princess Diaries 2 AU - Charles is Mia and Carlos is Chris Pine... Mostly bc I want that garden party scene where Nicholas kisses Mia mid-argument and then she somehow makes them both fall into the fountain. Also, charlos getting caught sneaking out of closets in the palace, and Charles is fuming like 'No, I hate him!! It's not what you think!' Also, Carlos Sr being mustache-twirly villain who's trying to get his son to steal the throne from Charles, and his son is like 'I know! I'll seduce him!' (Carlos Sr: 😕 'You'll...what now?') We talked about this extensively in the discord and it was sooo fun. I'm determined to write it one day if someone else doesn't do it first.

Stripper AU - I had two ideas for this: #1, they're both strippers at the same club, and Carlos does the more "manly" stripping (firefighter, boxer, construction worker etc.) while Charles does the more "twink" stuff (heels + lingerie, you get me). #2, based on this real story I read about, charles is a stripper who gets his own gigs on days off. Someone (Carlos) hires him to come once a week and clean his apartment in only his underwear, and that's it. At least, for a while...😅

#and there's sooo many other ideas i wanna write... #(girl dads fic pacific rim au groundhog day fic rbr!carlos fic fake dating au (inspired by that 'faux beau' hannah montana ep ashfgahdk)).. #but these are probably the most fleshed out ones lmao #tag game #fic game #rpf #charlos #c2-eh

[pagansphinx]

The Awakening Of The Forest (L'éveil de la forêt) • 1939.

Paul Delvaux • 1897-1994 • Belgian • Surrealist

Post #1

Paul Delvaux's canvases contain, among other things, a plethora of female nudes. Like classic nudes, they and their surroundings are painted with precise realism. Unlike classic nudes, however, the women are not posing as such but going about their business within fantasy-filled worlds. They stare vacantly toward the unknown and largely do not engage with one-another. It is as if they are captured in a moment in time. If one were to imagine, though, a Delvaux painting coming to life, these women might very well be engaged in robotic, ritualistic movement - the Stepford wives of a surreal canvas. At times disconcerting, the canvas sometimes include fully-dressed,voiristic men. Enigmatic as they are, Delvaux's women hold a beautiful, enigmatic appeal.

Delvaux's inspiration for his visual imagery came from books he loved as a child. Indeed, the painting above is a recreation of a scene from Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth. He also utilized his childhood fears and dreamscapes as creative material for his visual narratives.

Though not depicted in this post (perhaps next post) skeletons, trains and train stations, and architecture are common themes in Delvaux paintings.

La pause du jour (The Break of Day) • 1937 • The Guggenheim Museum. [This was the first Surrealist painting Peggy Guggenheim added to her collection.]

Below: Femme dans une grotte (Woman in a cave) • 1936 • Oil on canvas • Thyssen Bornemisza Museum, Madrid

La Sirène au claire de lune (A Mermaid in Full Moonlight) • 1940 • Southampton City Art Gallery, Britain. [ As a boy, Delvaux loved the story of the Sirens in The Odyssey.]

Le jardin nocturne (The Night Garden) • 1941 • Location unknown

Les grandes sirènes (The Great Sirens) • 1947 • Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City

Hommage à Jules Verne • 1971 • Fondation de Paul Delvaux, Saint-Idesbald, Belgium

La Vénus endormie (The Sleeping Venus) • 1944 • Tate Modern, London

#art #painting #fine art #art nude #bannedonpinterest #paul delvaux #art of the subconscious #20th century art #surrealism #belgian artist #metaphysical art #sirens #mermaid #fantasy worlds #oil painting #mythological painting #guggenheim #art institute of chicago #the metropolitan museum of art #delvaux foundation #jules verne #banned on pinterest #art history

[magicalrocketships]

Twenty Questions for Fic Writers

Tagged by @powerful-owl! (Em's answers are here)

1. How many works do you have on ao3?

170. Crikey etc.

2. What's your total ao3 word count?

2,698,478. That's a lot of words.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

At the moment I'm writing F1, but I haven't been able to write anything for quite a while, and I never put the lid on any fandom. I've got some outstanding 1D WIPs that are on hiatus.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Emperor's New Clothes (1D famous/not famous, NDA where there used to be a relationship)

Can't Fight The Moonlight (Harry/Draco accidental mpreg)

Truly, Madly, Deeply (10 Things I Hate About You) (1D high school AU, famous/not famous again)

Maybe This Time (1D age play)

I Had Rather Hear My Dog Bark At A Crow (tomlinshaw, secret relationship, watersports, resulted in some of my favourite saved screenshots:

hashtag never forget (my beloved)

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

LOOK, I want to, and I used to when I had a fic lj, but every couple of years I'd try to on ao3 and then I'd just be drowning in my own horror at writing "thank you so much!!!!" over again and essentially we hit a slump and I haven't in ages. I'm going to pick it up again, though.

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

oh god I hate a sad ending. I hate them!!!! I will only accept an ambiguous ending under certain circumstances, so I don't think I've got any with truly angsty endings. I've got plenty with very angsty middles. That SAID, I occasionally get hassle from people who don't think my fics are happy enough at the end because I don't like to tie all the ends up. I really, really hate pointless epilogues - NOTE, not all epilogues are pointless, and some of them I love - but the ones where it's just an unnecessary flash forward and all the problems are solved and they've got 2.5 children and a beautiful house and everything's perfect and it just feels like a horror story to me, like a fannish/romance novel version of the stepford wives. If it's an epilogue where the characters have had a bit of a chance to breathe after the main events, and they're happy, GREAT. If it's a cookie cutter ending then I'm out, so I guess maybe the end of Emperor's New Clothes where they're trying living together and trying to be financial partners in their relationship, and Not Your Fault But Mine, where Louis and Nick are together but it isn't obvious which route Louis is going to take back to university/he's still struggling with his mental health was still too angsty for some people. To me, both those fics end with them together and planning for a future so they feel happy to me.

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

I think all of mine are happy but maybe We Used To Wait is the most deserved happy ending, because it's the one where Louis was in an accident and a secret relationship with Nick, and he's in intensive care and his injuries are really bad, and the ending is him getting to perform again, and being out and being with Nick.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

y e p. Sometimes it makes me laugh because this fic very clearly wasn't For You, just press the back button, and sometimes it's more frustrating. Sometimes it's gross.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Oh yeah baby. My current fic is delightfully feral (to me) and I love writing smut. And then other times, I'm like... yes we won't be writing THAT right now thank you, no sex please we're British. Usually I have one week per month when I vastly prefer everyone keep their clothes on. Love a weird hormonal flux.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

I have in the past, but in general now I can't be bothered. I definitely wrote a Sharpe/Doctor Who one back in the day.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Yeah, a few times. The most egregious (and recent) was someone stealing We Used To Wait (which was Louis/Nick) and changing the names to Aaron and Robert, and amending various little bits to suit Emmerdale canon. If you're going to steal a fic, it's best to do it in a fandom I'm not in/I don't fucking read in, for the love of fuck.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes, I love having a blanket transformation policy on AO3. I'm always so in awe of people wanting to engage with your writing like that.

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

Yes! A couple of short ones and then the delicious Sugar, We're Going Down which I co-wrote with my very dear Anonymous friend, and we didn't ever think we were going to share it when we wrote it (hence why my friend is anonymous on it!) so we just went balls to the wall feral with it.

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

I don't have an answer to this, but if I ever considered something my OTP I will go to my grave loving it. I love Louis/Nick so much, and each OTP before that. Right now I'm extremely focused on Max/Daniel and I don't see that going anywhere soon.

15. What's a wip you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

Nope, I have the I Had Rather sequel and Harry Styles Cooks outstanding but hopefully they'll both get an ending when the time's right, even if it's just me reading them.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Dialogue? Angst? IDK??!! Help!

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Oh, action and description for sure. I'm not a very visual writer/reader, I very rarely have a picture of a character in my head or the space that they inhabit. I know everything they say, though.

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

I'd be worried about fucking it up. If I knew someone who was a native speaker and it worked, then I guess.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Young Americans technically, then probably Percy/Oliver in Harry Potter and Dom/Billy for the Lord of the Rings films.

20. Favorite fic you've written?

I Had Rather Hear My Dog Bark At A Crow - I loved writing this, it came together in a few weeks, it made me fall in love with the pairing, legit changed my life for various reasons and I just enjoy it a lot.

Anyway, tagging @allwaswell16, @astorytotellyourfriends, and @junkshop-disco if you fancy it :)

#waffling on about fic

[wyrd-syster]

FANFIC ROUNDUP: 2023

LIST OF FANWORKS

POSTED

lend me some sugar (I am your neighbor) | Haladriel neighbors AU | E | 2/2

tell me something true (or tell me nothing at all) | Haladriel "This is How You Lose the Time War" AU | E | one-shot

it's a dangerous game | Haladriel Venetian-style "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" AU | E | one-shot | dead dove

dig up the bones (but leave the soul alone) | Haladriel canon divergence | E | 9/? (wip)

living la dolce vita (I’ve been saving all my summers for you) | Haladriel "Stepford Wives" cult AU | E | one-shot

take a chance and roll the dice (say it once, say it twice) | Haladriel Halloween-themed drabble collection | M | 8/8

there is a light (and it never goes out) | Haladriel Hanukkah-themed canon divergence | T | 1/2 (wip)

sugar and spice (and everything...) | Haladriel neighbors AU | E | sequel to lend me some sugar | one-shot

Total words: 127,458, almost triple my output from last year. I am flabbergasted.

UNPOSTED WIPS

oh boy. Not including wips noted above:

we were angels, once (don't you remember?) | Haladriel immortal soulmates au | M (probably?) | one-shot

break the lock if it don't fit (love sticks, sweat drips) | Haladriel "Ocean's Eleven" AU | E | one-shot (title subject to change)

and on the creature scratches (it doesn't know how to get out) | Haladriel mob AU | E| multi-chapter sequel to oh, can’t you hear that scratching? (there’s something at the door) 

Untitled third installment of the Haladriel like a good neighbor series

Untitled Haladriel Rumpelstiltskin AU

TOTAL # OF COMPLETED WORKS/FANDOMS WRITTEN IN

Six completed works written for the Sauron (Halbrand)/Galadriel (Haladriel) fandom, The Rings of Power

OVERALL THOUGHTS

it's like I can't consume media anymore without being like "*leonardo dicaprio meme* this could be a Haladriel AU!"

PERSONAL FAVORITE?

I'm going to say living la dolce vita (I’ve been saving all my summers for you), mostly because of the amount of work I put into it. Honestly, I never thought I'd finish it! I restarted this story six or seven times — I just could not find the voice. But I am so pleased with the outcome. I think of everything I've written this year, this story really underscored to me that, beyond "flashes of inspiration," writing is a lot of hard work that needs consistent attention and practice!

MOST UNDERAPPRECIATED?

I definitely think this one is it's a dangerous game, my Dr. Jekyll and Hyde AU. I initially started writing this for a Gothic-themed challenge, abandoned for a bit, then finished in a flurry for Haladriel Week. This fic is also a close second for my favorite of the year. I love a Gothic aesthetic and I made sure this story was chock full of it. I was also so purposeful with my writing voice for this story and, to me, it doesn't sound like anything else I've written.

MOST POPULAR?

Oh without a doubt, lend me some sugar (I am your neighbor)! 

STORY WITH THE SEXIEST MOMENT?

I mean, this is so subjective, but I think the somnophilia scene from it's a dangerous game takes the cake for me! I wrote it in one sitting during my lunch break and my god was it hard to go back to work after this...

An excerpt from the end of the scene: Instead, he adjusts her skirts and melts into the darkness, leaving her as he found her; boneless and wet, flushed with heat and ripe for the taking. 

MOST FUN STORY TO WRITE?

Fun is a strong word, but I was the story I felt was most fulfilling to write was tell me something true (or tell me nothing at all). I already had some of the template letter concepts in my notes from a twitter conversation much earlier in the year, and expanding on them, while building the scenes around them, was a really fun exercise.

HARDEST?

I'm not going to lie, most of them! I used to be the type of writer who would have one flash of inspiration, write it up at a mad sprint, then quit writing until I was struck with another mad idea. I wrote for so many prompt and themed challenges this year that I was required to be more intentional about story building and more consistent with my writing — even when it was hard, even when I hated everything I wrote down. Felt a lot like muscle training at the gym!

BIGGEST SURPRISE?

My output really surprised me!! I complain to my therapist all the time that I'm shit at finishing things, but it's hard to deny the truth when it's staring me in the face: six complete stories, two wips that I will complete! And not just the quantity of my output, but the quality too. I am proud of, and really like, everything I published!

I mean, don't ask me how my social life is going lol, but at least my writing life is going well!

DID YOU TAKE ANY RISKS IN WRITING THIS YEAR?

Dipping my toe into Dark Fics for sure, which is new for me. But beyond that, just engaging with the fandom as a whole! I firmly believe that writing/story-telling is a communal activity and I am beyond grateful to have found that community. It's the first real fan-space I've been a real part of, and it's definitely improved my writing.

MOST UNINTENTIONALLY TELLING STORY?

My life is too boring to translate to fic lol. But I did not have to dig very deep to write the depression beats in living la dolce vita (I’ve been saving all my summers for you). A lot of what Galadriel goes through — the listlessness, the anger, the selfishness — is stuff I also struggle with during depressive episodes.

FAVORITE LINES/SCENES?

I like them all lol but these are a few that I know others, including my fiancé, have really liked:

dig up the bones (but leave the soul alone): “My lady, if I had a dragon’s tooth for every time you told me not to worry while you went careening off into peril, I’d have a smiling crown for my troubles.”

lend me some sugar (I am your neighbor): And she shatters, then, like glass; a thousand glittering pieces sailing off into the light. Irreparably damaged, ground to dust — edges sharpening as they fall into a mosaic of destruction. There is no end and no beginning. A lifetime of little deaths folding in on themselves, one on top of the other.

tell me something true (or tell me nothing at all): I am drowning in this ocean of blood. And you — you are not here to pull me to the surface as you once did. How could you, when you are wave and anchor both?

there is a light (and it never goes out): She can offer him no words of comfort, no platitudes to ease his sorrows. But she can offer this. The soft touch of her lips to his, the gentle stroke of her fingers across his cheek. She cannot mend a broken heart, but she can hold it for a while, cup it in her palms and keep it safe. She can pour her light into his darkened soul, weave together a dream where they are bound and they are whole. If only just this once.

MY FAVE PART OF FANDOM IN 2023

Literally just having this fandom. Having this community of wonderful, kind, incredibly talented people I can talk to, get advice from, brainstorm with!! I have made so many wonderful friends and I will be forever grateful.

2024 WRITING AMBITIONS

I want to continue developing a consistent writing habit, preferably once a day. Ideally, I'll become to type of girlie who wakes up at 5am and writes for two hours before work, but let's be real, I'm way to sleepy for that!

I also want to focus on two specific things: writing faster and writing less. First, I am, in my eyes, a slow writer — without that "flash of inspiration," it can take me a few days to write a single scene. Mostly because I do not follow my own advice and have to get everything perfect in the first draft. Second — as you can see from this post!!! — I have always been the type of writer who goes "why use one word when you can use ten?" I want to be able to write shorter stories without feeling like I'm compromising on my vision.

2024 FICS ON THE IMMEDIATE HORIZON

chapter two of there is a light (and it never goes out) 

the immortal soulmates AU

dig up the bones (but leave the soul alone)*  (which I think will be on hiatus until I can get a few chapters ahead before posting).

Thanks to @liminal-zone for the format, @conundrumoftime and @thecoziestbean inspiration!

#fanfiction #personal #2023 wrap-up

[fizzigigsimmer]

Stepford wives??? Omg both excited and scared.

lol sorry this took me so long to respond. I think the tag search on my page is broken. Had to scroll back to like October to find the post I did on this HERE.

But the basic gist is Steve is a happy house husband who lives in a suburban utopia with his husband Billy. Everything is perfect until he starts experiencing strange visions and dreams of a life he never lived - a life where he and Billy had to hide their love and his parents rejected him. Slowly he realizes that these are memories and that the life he's living is an illusion.

#harringrove #billy hargrove #steve harrington #stepford wives au #fic ideas #fizzi writes fics #wips #answered asks #fwf

[suchawrathfullamb]

not me wanting to write that whole will trophy husband trope then suddenly I was writing a dystopian, stepford wives, blade runner AU. this is not what I intended

#writers problems #nbc hannibal #hannigram #hannibal #will graham #murder husbands #hugh dancy #fanfic

[abstractnaturaldisaster]

Steddie Warped Tour AU

January 2013

Steve was in the grocery store when he saw the magazine for the first time. After Robin dutifully blacklisted all related tags and users as well as blocked Eddie and his stupid band from every app on Steve's phone, Steve had been able to avoid the doe-eyed frontman successfully going on two years.  After not seeing Eddie's signature curls for so long, Steve found himself a little breathless when confronted with Eddie in all his rockstar glory.  He hadn’t known Corroded Coffin had gotten popular enough to be featured as “five bands to watch on this year’s Warped Tour.” Steve remembered Eddie’s first time leaving for the Warped Tour with a pain in his chest. He thumbed through the magazine while waiting to check out until he found Corroded Coffin’s feature. “Munson spills about hometown crush and getting the *$&! out of Indiana.” Steve slammed the magazine down on the belt, throwing extra Reese’s’ and Twix’s onto his already impressive junk food haul.

Steve had about an hour until Robin was supposed to get back from rehearsal. Robin had taken the college theater scene by storm becoming one of the best damn stage managers the school had ever seen.  Steve would help out occasionally with prop runs or set building but he’d opted out of working on the freshmen one-acts. As fun as it was watching the theater babies run around trying to figure out college life, Steve was happier to spend his winter intersession lounging around the apartment.  This term he’d taken up playing acoustic guitar after a fairly successful crash course during sophomore year.  A nasty stomach flu had ripped its way through the cast of Grease during tech week, which led to Robin begging him to learn some basic chords to fill in for one of the side characters.

Safely back in their apartment, Steve put away his groceries and was once again confronted by Eddie’s too big smile and too bright eyes. He flipped back to the band’s feature, skimming through the journalist’s praise of the band’s offbeat sound and openly gay lyrics. Steve got to the questions about the band’s origins and almost passed out reading Eddie’s answers.

Q: Corroded Coffin came up from a small town in Indiana. What was it like breaking into the Warped Tour scene?

Munson: That first year was so f***in’ wild. Munson leans in to ask if he can curse during the interview, his playful smile and bright eyes teasing. I assure him my editor is fine with a few censored curse words. I’d just come out of a town that was so Stepford Wives and onto a scene with people of all different backgrounds and sexualities. It was an adult summer camp in  a very weird and fantastical way. It was overwhelming at first but I wouldn’t have wanted to do it with anyone but these guys. Munson pats his bandmates on their backs and gives their shoulders a squeeze with his hands, thin fingers covered in chunky rings.

Q: That brings me to my next question, you’re so proud of who you are in your lyrics. Were you out before your first summer at the Warped Tour?

Munson: I’ve never apologized for who I was. I had a small group of super supportive friends who had my back. There were definitely some assholes back home but our after school DnD club was a real safe haven to be whoever you wanted to be. Munson points to a small button on his vest with the words “Hellfire Club” printed in red block letters surrounded by tiny polyhedral dice.

Q: So we’ve seen Corroded Coffin write about pretty boys and getting up to some rather PG-13 activities but most of your fans argue you’ve never written a love song. Any plans to show your softer side this summer?

Munson: I can only write what I know, man. I mean the dating pool in rural Indiana was mostly closeted jocks so I can’t say that I’ve been in love in any meaningful way to write about. Not to say closeted jocks can’t be fun. Munson winks and his band-mate Gareth elbows him in the side. Maybe I’ll find my guy at the rock show this summer at the Warped Tour. Munson cackles at his own joke. His bandmates roll their eyes--they’ve heard this one before. Sorry for co-opting your lyric, Hoppus.

Steve sunk down the kitchen counter and pulled his knees into his chest feeling his throat catch on an emotion he’d pushed down since his last summer living in Hawkins.  He heard Robin open the door but couldn't bring himself to look up.  Robin saw the magazine and immediately joined Steve on the floor, legs outstretched, shoulder bumping up against Steve’s, letting him know she was here when he was ready. They’d developed their own non-verbal forms of communication over their long friendship.

***

some shameless self promo of an older fic that gives summer / warped tour vibes. read the rest on AO3!

#steddie fic #fanfic #steve x eddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #warped tour #summer vacation vibes #break up / make up

[goremances]

horror movies i think the barbies would watch

barbie - the stepford wives (i think she'd relate to a lot of it especially the themes of agency) or susperia (the original because it's all women and idk i can just see her vibing with it)

ken - men (from the title alone and he'd fall asleep five minutes in) or the sand (because beach and he'd probably have an existential crisis about the beach in barbieland wanting to kill them)

weird barbie - inland empire (honestly ANYTHING by David lynch but i really think she'd go for this one bc it's SO WEIRD) or hausu (another super weird but really compelling movie that i think she'd just love i can also see her wanting to make an outfit inspired by the poster but pink obvi)

allan - coraline (idk why but i can just see allan liking this one. he is aware of the real world so the two worlds in this might appeal to him) or halloweentown (mostly bc imagine an au where allan is actually in halloweentown and he's not a monster or anything he's just allan) asshole simu!ken - scary movie (he'd likely not realize it was a parody movie and walk around the beach thinking he was the toughest guy ever because he watched scary movie) or the human centipede (or something equally fucked up and he would HATE it and be terrified but he'd act like he loved it to everyone else to show everyone how much better he is than ken) president barbie - she'd accidentally put on the news and mistake it for a horror movie tbh physicist barbie - reanimator or frankenstein (honestly literally anything with science, except she wouldn't take it seriously and would probably spend most of it explaining how wrong it was)

writer barbie - crimson peak (bc she's a writer and idk i can just see her being drawn to gothic horror which might lead to her writing a book about a haunted dream house and scaring everyone)

that's all i can think of right now, trying to figure ones out for the other barbies lol

#barbie the movie #barbie #horror movies #!mine

[artsy-hobbitses]

HUMANFORMERS AU: does our favorite househusband, Starscream, go out of his way to look good for his wife the same a housewife wants to look good for her husband?

This is giving me somewhat weird 50s Stepford Wives vibes, but I'll give you the benefit of a doubt and bite; Scream strives to look On Point most of his waking hours, so it's actually the opposite when he's around Windblade in a home setting. On busy weekdays, she comes in looking like she's two espresso shots away from death, ink on her sleeves, a pen stuck in her hair she forgot all about and balancing five folders of documents while he's in trackbottoms and a tank top he borrowed from her drawer because it was laundry day with paint in his hair because an arts and crafts session with Galestorm went off the rails and sort of reeking of onions and garlic from dinner prep, and they'd still look at each other like a parched man in a desert looks at an oasis mirage.

It's sort of their thing! To dress up to the nines outside, but be completely chill and casual with each other (they do dress up for each other when they feel like it! It's just not a thing they feel is required to keep the flame going) at home. For Scream it's knowing that she loves him for him and not the perfect image he's struggled to cultivate to the point of making it his mask over the years. For her, it's knowing Scream adores her in her disaster workaholic mode with mismatched bunny slippers and a Totoro night shirt two sizes too big just as much as her does when she's the immaculate, radiant People's Politician.

#inbox #save for later #Windscream