#YAY SOMEONE ELSE ASKED FOR RECS

[fettuccin-e]

Peter Parker Fic Recs (Part II)

hello besties i am still not over tasm!peter he is the loml i have no idea how they made TASM and were like "here is andrew garfield he is a nerd and a photographer and a skater boy,, also he gets no bitches" like absolutely not!! so please give these wonderful authors some love Here is part I of my Peter recs! (also!! if you are one of these authors and you'd like to be removed from this list let me know!!)

I'm Just Saying You Can Do Better by @venus616

>> Peter's finally getting some well-deserved attention at college, and as his best friend, you're happy to see him thriving. Except, when Peter finally sees you with someone else, he finally understands what he's been missing out on. (best friends to lovers where half the fic is smut. gorgeous show-stopping wonderful)

Serendipitous Salvation by @maximoff-pan

>> A story in which Peter is finally able to tell you that he loves you, the one constant in his life and the one who has been with him through everything. (this story and the dialogue is so tender and lovely i was literally in tears)

1 Missed Call by @liz-allyn

>> After a fight with Peter, you go out with your friends, only for the night to go horribly wrong. Peter is there to save you, but he's nearly too late. Luckily, the two of you have each other to heal. (okay, this fic gets very dark, so pls heed the warnings. i'm talking explicit talk about and attempted SA, so PLS keep yourselves and your mental health safe. That being said, this is amazing hurt/comfort, so I rlly reccommend)

Husband!Peter Goes Blond ask by @withahappyrefrain

>> Peter decides to dye his hair blond again, just like it was when you met him in college. You may be older now, with a house and two beautiful children, but seeing Peter with bold hair again brings back urges you thought were long gone. (Reformed frat boy to domestic peter parker. Lord have mercy i am going to scream)

The Heat is On by @withahappyrefrain

>> The A/C is out in your apartment, and your roommate Peter is still a cocky asshole. Thankfully, that cocky asshole is also willing to take your mind off the nearly unbearable heat. (blond peter has me in a chokehold and he's such a dick in this but also kind of sweet?? i can't-)

In the Name of Science by @withahappyrefrain

>> Peter brings home some lab coats from work, and it gives you a really fun idea. Maybe it's finally time to play out one of his favorite fantasies. (More domestic peter and also can you tell that I am a big fan of withahappyrefrain these fics are the shit)

Stroker Ace by @peterthepark

>> You have a big fat crush on Spider-Man, Peter Parker has a big fat crush on you, his best friend. When he finds out about your fantasies about the web-slinger, he finally decides that it's time to come clean about his secret identity. (Straight porn but also friends to lovers hell yeah babey say LESS)

Red Light/Green Light by @webslingingslasher

>> You don't like to think of yourself as a jealous person, but Peter's new friend is totally hitting on him, and it's pissing you off. The worst part? Peter doesn't believe you. That's red flag #1. (big time angst but it ends so cute and happy!! Yay!!)

Full Circle by @stresslessbaaby

>> After a fight gone wrong, Peter thinks he's going to lose you forever. He couldn't be more wrong. (more angst but!!! happy ending with domestic peter!!! so amazing and lovely)

[intheorangebedroom]

Hello! Aside from your gorgeous amazing fic pleased to meed you, can you recommend some frankie fics? All kinds but angst is a preference 😌

Hey Nonnie! Thank you so much for your kind words and for this ask, I am insanely honoured that you’d ask me to rec some fics for our Pilot™️ ☺️🥰

I actually read very little for Frankie, because I have such a precise vision of him, one that I’m so insanely deeply in love with, I’m scared to venture into someone else’s.

This said, I do have some recommendations:

@frannyzooey Kelli’s Frankie masterlist has everything you need: girl dad /competent /sweet /confident Frankie with Weeknights, on-brand tender desperate filth with Box Set (I’m so fucking in love with Box Set Frankie it’s obscene. OBSCENE), and angst that will bring you to your knees with the one shots Listen and Need which HAVE. WRECKED. ME. Don’t forget to check her Pioneer Frankie and her Cabin Frankie (this one’s a menace, prepare to die).

@the-ginger-hedge-witch Ren’s Forest Ranger Frankie is my ultimate comfort fic. Rain will ruin you, I kid you not. It’s one of my all time favourite, so make sure to read all the one shots that follow to soothe your broken heart. And then, there’s the absolute ruler of my heart: Adversity Frankie. I would kill for this man. I adore him with everything I got. Adversity is a m/m/f that pairs Frankie with Ezra and it changed my life.

@fuckyeahdindjarin Cee has only one Frankie story (for now, but more is to come and I’m so excited for it!). Grays is a two part story, but there are also some goodies in the Fun Things section of her masterlist. Cee is so good with descriptions and characterisation, her Frankie is top tier and her readers are always a delight, Shiv from Grays being no exception.

@charnelhouse Charnie ruined my life with Watch Your Step Frankie. Unfortunately, if you haven’t read it yet, you’ll have to wait for the book to be published (I cannot fucking wait). Her won’t you let me go down in my dreams Frankie is also a treat. Fuck, I am really in love with this man in every universe, am I? Do I need professional help?

@djarinsbeskar Talking about falling in love with the man in every universe, on September 22nd, Rachel’s A Sensual Summoning is coming out and I am soooooo ready! In the meantime, you can get a peek at her excellent Frankie with Lucid Dreaming, still ongoing.

@gracie7209 Last but not least, Gracie has a series called Amaryllis that she just completed (yay you Gracie!!!). I haven’t had time to dive into it yet, but I’m looking forward to!

That’s all I can think of for now, it’s not much, I’m sorry, I’m an obsessive reader who read the same stuff over and over until I get it all memorised…

Thanks again for your trust, Nonnie 🧡🧡🧡 Happy reading and please, come back to tell me what you loved!

[rhoorl]

Week in Review | Sept. 3

Happy September and welcome to another week in review! This past week had been circled on my calendar for a while. Do you ever have those weeks that you know are going to be an absolute cluster? Well, that was this week for me at work. On top of that, we had a hurricane to track...luckily we are all safe!.

I was so overwhelmed by all of the messages and comments sending good vibes my way this week. It seriously gave me some much-needed wind in my sails. Anyway, here we go to my fic recs and other fun stuff under the "read more" because I'm apparently super long-winded this week in everything I do 😆

Fics I read this week:

Three of my absolute favorite fics posted final chapters this week. Congrats to Megan, Mel, and Jo for wrapping up the main stories, and I'm looking forward to your epilogues and anything else you share! 

Frankie Morales

The Layover by @goodwithcheese - I’ve been shouting about this one for a while now and Megan just keeps knocking it out of the park. While I’m sad that this story came to an end, I’m so excited to reread it and for the epilogue. (I'm especially keen to reread that scene where Frankie and the boys clear the yard)! 😉

Shared Breaths by @frenchiereading - Another great Frankie fic that I’ve been following for a while! Frankie deserves the world and this story is just so sweet! The epilogue Mel posted was just … ugh so good! It made me feel every emotion. And she also posted a behind-the-scenes post that was so interesting and insightful. I love seeing how others organize and work on their stories.

Just a Number by @linzels-blog - There was a fun little extra published this week about a girls’ night that was especially fun! I'm loving Frankie so much in this.

The Pilot and His Girl by @avastrasposts - If you’ve followed me for a while, you know I love this TLOU/TF crossover so damn much. And with the inclusion of a couple of Millers into the story recently I’ve been over the moon.

Javier Peña

Late Night Texts by @mvtthewmurdvck - The concept for this fic is so good and I love how the relationship between these two evolved. I was an utter mess reading the last chapter. Bravo!

La Camisa Negra by @ramblers-lets-get-ramblin - I feel like a moth called to a flame anytime there is a mention of black shirt Javi … and now there's a whole one-shot dedicated to it 🫠. Speaking of Angela, she put together a compilation of her favorite Frankie fics and was sweet enough to include Delta Landscaping, so thank you!

It’s Never Too Late by @javierpena-inatacvest just gave us all of the content this week! Besides, the main story there was also this ask called Again that made me lose my damn mind! 🫠

Jack “Whiskey” Daniels

The House by @gemmahale. Chapter 3 was posted this week and it was a fun journey through time to see how OFC grew up going to her adopted grandfather’s farm which was located next to the Stateman Distillery.

Marcus Pike

Sick Day by @trulybetty - Our favorite FBI agent is under the weather. I just love the fluff and domesticity of this, there's nothing like someone taking care of you when you're sick. 🥹

Dieter Bravo

I am deep in my Dieter feels these days with Working Title and as a result, I haven’t been reading much with him. The only exception is  Destiny & Deliverance by @mysterious-moonstruck-musings - Ugh, this one is so good! Between all of the teasers and hints dropped along the way, I’m so intrigued to see where this one is going!

Benny Miller

I’ve been in the deepest of deep dives with all things Garrett Hedlund, particularly Benny Miller. I just have to show this post again and the photo that came out with Garrett and Charlie (and then the subsequent video of Garrett at the roller rink). I mean, sir, are you serious?! I’m still not fully recovered. Thank you @musings-of-a-rose for giving me a crash course in all the Garrett content I've missed … and for letting me run feral in your DMs about this man 😂 Also, today is Garrett's 39th birthday, so yay. I hope that he has a great day!

Anyway, @wildemaven posted a one-shot titled  Supply & Demand that shows Benny at his best - sexy, charming, and sweet.

Things I watched:

I didn’t really get a lot of TV in this week that wasn’t the 100th rewatch of Frozen for my daughter. We have tried to sprinkle in some other movies like Tangled and Zootopia, but Elsa is her girl and who are we to deny her?

Last week, I talked about the method my husband and I use to go and see movies. This week, I went and saw The Curse of the Demeter. I know this is based on a chapter in Dracula, but I’ve never read it, so I can’t give any insight as to how true to the text the movie was or wasn’t. It was fine. Like, it was suspenseful…not super scary (I mean, you know it’s Dracula and he’s going to bite people). If I had to put it on a scale of 1-5, it would be like a 3. Perfectly fine movie, but there are other movies I’d tell you to go see first.

My husband went and saw The Haunted Mansion after I raved about it last week and he confirmed a lot of my thoughts, especially that LaKeith Stanfield is amazing in it.

Not in theaters, but I watched Mojave last night - that scoundrel Garrett Hedlund strikes again, but Oscar Issac is in it too! I liked it, but then again it may have been because of how hot Garrett looked and sounded in it! I mean look at this man:

Things I'm excited for:

Tonight I’m going to my first-ever Halloween Horror Nights event at Universal. We have a babysitter so mom and dad are ready for a date night! The only mission I have is to do the Last of Us house. There’s also some cool Last of Us-themed food that I want to try as well. I’ll report back and share some photos if anyone is interested. I'm sure to be channeling my inner Pedro-at-the-Beyonce-concert and saying "I'm fucking dying" at how amazing it's all going to be.

Fic updates:

Both WIPs had new chapters this week! I keep adding ideas for future one-shots and possibly a series, I’m not quite sure yet. I need to concentrate on the two I have going right now though! Thank you to everyone who has read and left me feedback and sent messages - it means so much!

Anyway, that’s all for me! If you made it this far, thank you for reading my ramblings. I hope you have a great week!

[khaleesiofalicante]

Dani, help me turn my new work place into something more 🌈?

I recently started working at a local bookstore. It's a small place, but very charming and inviting. However it's in a dire need of more LGBTQIAP+.

Since I'm also responsible for bringing in new books to the store, I already got the two TEC books, all 5 volumes of Heartstopper and the two books of Aristotle and Dante.

So, Dani. What do you recommend me to get? It can be any genre, really.

I just saw this! I'm sorry, it got lost in the ask box.

Congrats on your job and it sounds so cool and fun! And kudos to you for making the bookshop gayer yay.

Instead of recommending you specific books, I'm going to direct you with broader suggestions instead.

More Than Just MLM - Make sure to have more than mlm books. Most popular LGBTQ books are about gay relationships and it's important that we make books about other queer people accessible too - especially queer woman! For instance, check out Alice Osmen's other works. I'd recommend Loveless (about asexuality) among others. Here is a list of book recs about Lesbian and Bi women. A list of trans books by trans authors. A list of books with asexual main characters.

2. Pick Non-Famous Authors - Don't just have the famous books by famous authors (like Heartstopper or whatever else). Sometimes famous books are expensive and some queer people (Especially teens) have to buy these books from the money they've saved up and can't afford all of them. Make sure to have books by smaller authors who are also good because these books might be affordable.

3. Find Accessible Books - I'd also recommend that you find books that have audiobooks versions and for readers who are not comfortable taking a physical copy home. So even if they can't buy it, you can say 'hey you can look up the audio book etc). This is also important for queer people who are blind or dyslexic. Here is a list of queer audio books that are freely available on Spotify.

4. Looks for Writers and Stories from Diverse Countries - Make sure the books you have aren't just about white queer people. And no, I am not talking about something like firstprince where one of them is poc. Mixed race queer couple stories are becoming a trend (not a bad thing but I can and will write a thesis on it later) but what I mean is that we need to promote more queer stories that are about queer people who live in countries other than the US and UK. For example, a queer story from India written by an Indian author - not just 'about' an Indian. Similar, a queer story about a Mexican trans woman, written by someone from Mexico, etc. This is so very important! Here are some LGBT books published by different authorise from different countries.

5. Find Books For and About Adults - Don't just go for YA books. I know YA books are more popular in queer media. But sometimes older queer adults prefer to read about older queer people. Sometimes young queer people want to know what it's like to be an adult queer old. So make sure to branch out more than just YA books. Some of the lists I've shared above already has many adult books (when I say adult I'm talking R rated but rather it's about adults - not teens).

5. Don't Stick to Romance - Make sure to have different genres, not just romance. Not all queer people (or cisgender people) want to read queer romance. Make sure to have different themes and genres including mystery, drama, poetry, short stories, etc. Here's a list of queer sci-fi and and fantasy books.

I know you can't get ALL of these - especially because it's a small place. But as I've said I can't recommend you which books to buy. (Other than Loveless hehe) But I hope these notes are helpful for you (in general) when you're trying to get more books in the future.

ALSO - everyone please reblog/reply with your fave queer books to help annie out 💙

[not-poignant]

Hi Pia. Do you have any tip or resources for writing traumatised characters?

I love how you write complex characters and the way you portray trauma in a way that feels so natural

Hi anon!

For resources, not particularly, beyond a bunch of books that I've taken photos of in this post here. But a lot of these books are expensive, and they're not written for laypeople, but they're also very good books on PTSD. They are not books on how to write trauma.

I'm an 'own voice' when it comes to writing trauma. I've had severe PTSD and C-PTSD since my 1997 diagnosis, and it's treatment-resistant (yay, my least favourite phrase). I've been researching my own trauma for literally decades in order to work out how to fix myself (hot tip: cannot 'read books' your way into fixing it). As a result, I just know how to write trauma. I've lived it, I've researched it for selfish purposes, and I write different versions of it for personal reasons that are very important to me. I like writing different types of healing as a way of living through different types of healing, but also finding it fascinating how all of us as people heal differently depending on our natures and the nature of our trauma.

This makes me actually not great for recommending specific resources like websites, podcasts, or links, because this is not where I learned about PTSD and trauma or writing it, and my research was also very hyperfixated and excessive, because I was learning about my own condition. I wouldn't expect someone else to devote hundreds or thousands of hours into reading something on trauma like I have, just to write a story, for example. So your path is not going to look like mine, anon.

It probably feels so natural, because I really struggle to imagine writing anyone without trauma, because that's completely alien to me. Catch me asking people 'how are you writing characters without trauma, can't be true, right?' So I just...don't really do that, or I make sure I give that character trauma, *waves to Eran.*

I'm very sorry, I thought about like, finding some links for you via a Google search but firstly I wouldn't have the time to vet them all and secondly, you can probably find better resources that specifically suit what you want to write this way. If anyone else has recs because they needed to learn about this vs. actually just living the experience 24/7 and doing very deep academic research on it, please add your recs!

That being said, I am a resource! Lol. You might also want to check out this post I've written on writing trauma and knowing how much detail to go into re: writing trauma depending on the stage in the story, and the character's position re: healing. How deep you go and what you show depends on genre, character's growth points, and what you're trying to achieve as well!

If you ever have more specific questions, I will do my best. But 'how to write traumatised characters' is a mixed bag depending on your genre, how deep you want to go, what sort of trauma it is, whether they developed PTSD or C-PTSD from that trauma (not everyone does), what kind of character they are, etc. and I cannot write you a novel! Lol, but I will try :D

[mercurygray]

How do you store/display your books. Any advice/recs for an apartment dweller with an extensive collection? I've donated a few boxes through the years. It doesn't help. Things are getting out of hand!

Yay small space living! I've been in my apartment for about five years, so this is not perhaps the best collection management strategy, but I think this comes down to what you have now, and your attitude about what's going to come in or leave later.

Some strategies I use for what I have now:

Double-shelve or stack your books. (The back row are things I want to keep but don't re-read often. I shelve intentionally so that books can be stacked on top of shelved books.)

Art installation. (Stack some stuff in front for visual appeal.)

Be thoughtful about your furniture. (I've been very intentional about my end tables so I can maximize storage space with them. I've also bought pieces for spaces other than my living room knowing I could store books there if I wanted.)

Once it's in your space, I think it's harder to make it leave, so when I buy books, I ask myself several questions:

Will I go back and read this again, multiple times?

Can I get this from the library?

Will I need it for long periods of time or at odd hours the library can't support?

Will this be difficult or expensive for me to purchase now, and will I feel bad spending the money later?

I also keep my de-accession strategy in mind:

How hard was it for me to get this book originally?

Could I replace it easily or find it at the library if I need it again?

Will I need it for long periods of time or at odd hours the library can't support?

Does this book have sentimental value to me?

When was the last time I pulled this off the shelf to use or read?

Is this for a hyperfixation or project I'm not coming back to?

Could I give it to someone who will enjoy it more?

Will I need this space for something else?

I buy almost all of my books secondhand, and I've built a lot of my library this way, so the answer to that first de-accession question is often, 'yes, this is the only copy I've ever seen' so those books stay. The only reason I currently own a copy of Band of Brothers is because there's a copy at every library book sale I've ever been to for $2 BUT I sort of need it right now. Most of the books I read for book club come from the library - I probably won't read them again or want to keep them.

[allwaswell16]

I was tagged by @magicalrocketships thank youu! ily!

Name: Anitra

Sign: Libra

Time: 1:47

Last movie: Oof I hardly ever watch movies. I think the last one I saw was Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse. I took my kids to see it and I actually really loved it. Do documentaries count as movies? If they do, then I just watched Class Action Park a few days ago.

Last show: The last one I watched was Barry. Still midway through Season 2 of that one.

When I created this blog: 2014

Other blogs: fades into the bushes like Homer Simpson, listen I'm always doing 50 things at once, okay?

@hlficlibrary - my Louis/Harry fic rec blog

@letsdocuboutit - my newest one! for my new podcast!

@1dmonthlyficroundup - where I roundup all the current 1d fics each month!

@louisrarepairfest - for the currently posting Louis rare pair fest I run

@soulmatesabroad - for a past fic fest I ran for 3 years and might run again

@1dbreakupfest - ran this fest once and might run it again someday

@podfic-pals - member of this one where we post 1d podfics!

whispers should I talk about the other ones? lol FINE

@louli5ever - dedicated to Oli and the Louli friendship, is it fairly extensive for something that's kind of a joke? maybe.

@hotguyluke - dedicated to Louis' hot friend Luke. Is this also fairly extensive for someone we rarely see? also yes. I don't do things half way, okay?

Let's pretend there aren't any more, okay? Those were the sort of active ones.

Do I get asks/may you ask me something: Yep! Mostly I get asks about fics, but sometimes I write silly things in the tags, feeling like I'm talking to myself and then someone will send me an ask about them and I'm like oh yeah you can all see these

Average hours of sleep: Sighhhhhhhhhhh. I try to sleep from 11-7. Do I sleep from 11-7? No. I probably get to sleep closer to midnight. And since June I have had nightmares almost every single night. Yay. They wake me up multiple times and then I go back to sleep to endure more nightmares before I wake up at 7. So much fun. Yes, I've gone back to therapy.

Instruments: I wish! My son takes drum lessons so I'm living vicariously for now.

What I’m wearing: I wear Louis merch almost every single day, but you've caught me on an off day. I have a pink sweatshirt on that's from my local zoo and some navy blue pants with a white graphic pattern on them and pink Care Bear socks. I have 3 types of hoodies...Louis, Chicago Cubs, and my local zoo. I do not know why I have decided these three things are my entire personality, but oh well.

Dream job: I used to say writer. But I don't know if I want to do that professionally anymore. Or at least I don't think I want to be a fiction writer as a job. And the reason for that is that I love it too much. I love writing so much and it has always been such a huge part of who I am. Do I want to make it into something else? Do I want it to be a job that I "have" to do? Will it still be fun? Will it turn into a chore? I can't stand the thought that I could lose that joy. This is going to maybe piss some writers off lol, but I've never experienced writer's block. I've never sat down and been unable to write something. I'm always writing the exact thing that I want to write in that moment. It's one of the luckiest best things about me. What I've kind of turned to now is podcasting because it is something that I enjoy that I think I'm kind of good at and that I could potentially monetize one day. And it does involve writing because I have to write up notes and talk about something. But that's not really the same as writing a story. blah blah blah sorry this was so long.

I'll tag: @dearlou @noellehenry-original @gaycousinlarry @fallinglikethis @ohharold @joliepetitelou @statementlou and anyone else who wants to do this just say I tagged you!

[sevicia]

give me the movie recs instead! scary is ok

LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Under a read more cause I looove talking, and the sections are ordered by like, priority of recommendation if that makes sense ... I also tried 2 actually rank them but I am not very good @ that LOL

Personal Enjoyment ONLY!!!:

No theme besides personal enjoyment "just for fun"/not relatable edition:

The Batman - I love it I just love it. I watched it bc my sister put it on and my pen's battery had run out. I was CLUELESS

Spree - That's my attention whore wife that would kill me for views !!!!!!

Jacob's Ladder - The best fever dream anyone could ever ask for !!! Everything about this movie is perfect. And this doesn't really matter TOO much ....... BUT …….. !!!! Tim Robbins in short shorts towards the end .......... save meeeee .................

Antiviral - I rewatched this one just before writing this LOL. It made me crazy when I first saw it back in 2022 and it makes me crazy now too!! The entire movie feels cold & sterilized but it's still Completely Sexual. Syd March I know what you are. OH also I like to think Mr. Cronenberg Sir is proud of his son bc this ruuuuules

Martyrs - This is like the ultimate "can't rec it as-is" movie bc of the amount of people that are genuinely disturbed by it & don't get me wrong I am one of them!! But there's just something here that has me thinking about it so often. The violence is amazing and the feeling in my stomach is horrible every time !!

No theme besides personal enjoyment mental illness edition:

Pulse (AKA Kairo) - Extremely close to my heart, the way loneliness relates to the internet & technology in general is such an interesting topic it would be enough to make this movie stand out for anyone, but I have such a personal fondness for it because of how much I felt it understood me. In a few ways.

Pearl - IDGAF how many people have gone "just like me fr" cause I am also one of them. I don't get the whole "female rage" thing that gets mentioned a ton (on account of me being some guy), but the theme of never being able to escape a life you hate ??? Absolutely fucking terrifying & hits super hard for me specifically

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? - The RESENTMENT, the ANGER, the DESPAIR !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It resonated w/ me a lot more in the past but not so much anymore, which is good LOL

HORROR!! YAY!!:

Horror SERIOUS edition:

The Thing - certified classic I legit think everyone should watch this one at least once in their lives. The practical effects r amazing, the story is GRIPPING & many of the actors r hot. Literally what else could u ask for…..

Hellraiser - Huge DUH ….. The short story is so good too Mr. Clive Barker I owe you my life !!!!!

The House That Jack Built - Pretentious, yes! But also really fun/satisfying to watch. I've seen some people comment on this kinda movie being typical for the director? But IDK who that man is & I don't care either. Like at all.

Ringu - Just a classic. So creepy I have to hype myself up to watch it LOL

Persona - INSAAAAANE INSANE INSANE. I saw someone say it's toxic yuri which like. Yeah I think. But also it left me confused in a rly good way

Noroi: The Curse - honestly should be self-explanatory @ this point. GENUINELY scared the shit outta me

Repulsion - Also a drama (besides a horror), the way the main character's paranoia escalates is just .... haunting, I think is the word. There's some degree of irony in here, because of who the director is, that I can't really articulate.

Gorefest / not too serious:

Creep - INSANE found footage about a guy making decisions that seem questionable if not stupid to most people, but not to me. I understand him. (disclaimer that this one could also go in the prev. category ..... I don't knowwww)

Intruder - I was on a slasher kick a few years back and this was one of the better ones. The convenience store setting is so much fun & something I'd never seen before! Or since.

Rec - SOOOO anxiety inducing, there's a lot of moments where people r talking/yelling over each other & the part towards the end that explains the whole thing is just. 0_0. to me. Bc it's among the top 3 things I do NOT fuck with !!! (same disclaimer as w/ Creep).

Hostel - I actually really like this one & don't understand most of the criticisms besides the obvious misogyny. It irks me a lot that it gets called "torture porn" so often when it's just … not that bad ? As edgy as that sounds !!

Cube - go there. in the cube? go in the cube.

The Poughkeepsie Tapes - Zero excuses for this one, you just gotta embrace your shit taste sometimes

Terrifier - Separate from the 2nd one cause that one is different in more than a few ways ..... but this one is just like charming to me in a weird way. It 's fucking filthy like, visually tho cause of the abandoned building & other such things ....

Terrifier 2 - This one I also enjoyed a lot though it IS really really long, I found it fun! The whole family aspect of it I liked a lot bc fictional siblings my beloved :3 though Art's backstory is still rly muddy (4 me at least) I do think it's like, a fun silly slasher if you've got 2 hrs and a lot of patience LOL

Just fun overall!!:

YAY!!!!!!!!!:

ROBOTS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - Oh my GOD I love this movie. I love this movie so much it's probably my favorite childhood movie. It's funny as fuck, really pretty AND has a good story. IK it may sound like nostalgia's involved but I just truly believe it's an amazing movie<3

Birds of Prey - This one is just a serotonin machine for me I love Harley so so muchh

Wendell & Wild - Visually insane I looove the look of this movie. It's also just rly enjoyable, I watched it multiple times at one point since it's on Netflix I think ? My mom got sick of it LOL

Bottoms - Absolutely bonkers it's such a fun movie. Gay and untalented and ugly and yet one of the most lovable movies I've ever seen ?? They need to print more of these

A Trip to Infinity - This one's actually a documentary on um. Infinity. Which is lovely because watching scientists be enthusiastic about their work and gush about it is just so good for my brain + it made me cry

The nostalgia I have 4 these ones is craaazy:

The Butterfly Effect - this was on TV SO OFTEN it was insane. I watched it so many times as a kid I always insisted on not changing the channel

The Voices - SO fun & silly I think of it so fondly .....

Paranorman - I love this movie so so much forever it's just so beautiful & funny

Zombieland - It's just fun man IDK what else to tell u

Sucker Punch - Another one that was often on TV, it's just embedded in my memory forever. I learned what a lobotomy was bc of this movie!!

MISC!!!:

These are dramas !!:

Parasite - Just watch it if u haven't. Everyone says you should watch it and they're RIGHT !!!

The Devils - I love horny church stuff so much

Let the Right One In - fucking loved this one. Freezing cold, very pretty AND probably the best vamp movie I've ever seen. Though I haven't seen a lot

Girl, Interrupted - insane behavior from the girls here but they're literally in a psych ward so who cares

These r good but I don't remember them much SOB:

The Eyes Of My Mother - this one gets called slow/boring a lot but I really don't gaf I still liked it

Wolf Creek 1 + 2

The Descent

Phenomena - The 1st game of the Clock Tower series was based on/inspired by this movie! Nothing else 2 say I just think it's cool lol

American Mary

A Clockwork Orange - I watched this nearly an entire decade ago but it goes here because of the fact that sometimes I still hear that dumb cunt Alex DeLarge go "I've suffered, and I've suffered, and I've suffered!" inside my head a lot. Also I have to mention that he did look good beaten up despite everything going on w/ him.

[absolutebl]

Read your reply to my ask and damn you are so well versed in BL I would think you are in the film industry yourself! Also so nice to see someone else love Seven Days! Everyone keeps complaining it's ToO SlOw but so much Japanese media does that anyway...the long stares...the pining...the silent yearning...the drawn out confessions... Japanese BL, regular anime...even just straight Japanese drama... I believe in Seven Days supremacy anyway idc.

Haha anyway I forgot to add that I did watch We Best Loved and I really loved that one. I have watched HIStory Trapped too I totally forgot that I have seen BL from Taiwan.

Thank you so much for the recs! Going to watch them all and work my way up on getting a BL award from you too lmao.

(Also funny note I forced my mom to watch KinnPorsche with me... Her dialogue the whole time was practically "damn Porsche is so sexy I want to slap him - omg Kinn is so sexy I want to grab that ass - Vegas is so sexy - wait why is everyone gay? Yuki why is everyone gay? Pete is straight tho - Oh...he's gay too."

And here's a question for you! Out of Thai, Taiwanese, Japanese, Korean BL which do you generally enjoy more?

HAHAHAHAHA! I love your mom.

Yay! I am so excited you're gonna give some of those a go!

Out of Thai, Taiwanese, Japanese, Korean BL which do you generally enjoy more?

OOOOO what a doozie.

Japan is killing it these days, some GREAT stuff. It’s like they woke up in 2021 and were all ... “wait a minute, we started this, let’s show ‘em how it’s done, boys!” AND THEY HAVE. 

I’m nothing if not made loyal (Seven Days is my one true love). 

And when Japan is good it is really really good and when Japan is bad, it is sexy. But when Japan is really bad it is kissless or cockless, and that’s a rollercoaster that makes me scream. 

Japan just can’t be depended upon. Good for flings only. (Here’s me being silly about this: If You Dated BL) 

Korean BL is the most consistent, good production, great casting, and decent story (high concept for the win). It tends to earn over 7/10s from me, and also occupies the most 10/10 spots on my list. 

But the lack of high heat and any kind of queer rep makes me sad, and the treatments are, without question, too goddamn short. It’s past time they started giving us full length Kdramas. 

Taiwan is all over the place but for pairings and acting they tend to win hands down. 

They are the most queer friendly and have the most consistent chemistry, and if they only made MORE with better high concept stories, they'd be top of my list. 

But Thailand, they tend to produce the most and I have grown to really love the language. 

So if you FORCED me to choose, I’d probubly go back to my original obsession and chose them on the basis of quantity and range of offering, general rewatchability and those stellar kisses. We all got spoiled by Thai kissing.  

I did a country by country compare contrast thing here. 

(Meta post where i casually mention what I do IRL ;)

[allylikethecat]

hi ally!

as a fellow needy girl, can you do 9, 21, 26 and 59 for the know your writer

(as someone who is v whiny, i once again need to say how much i appreciate your whiny matty. hoping for sth w contemporary matty & g soon, kisses set in the current era plus the eye and ear infection fics were my fave)

(also if i ever get brave enough to come off anon - are you up for chatting 👉👈)

Yay! Needy Girls unite! 💪🏻 Thank you so much for sending this in! Also I am always down for chatting! I don't know if I ever have anything interesting to say but my ask box and DMs are always open 😊

I have a few more (new!) Kiss Prompts in my inbox (and am always open to more!) and I'm sure I will be writing more pathetic whining Fictional! Matty in the future - I really enjoy making Fictional!Matty suffer. I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed the Eye and Ear Infection fics and hope you enjoy the next installment in The Infection Fic Verse with the A&E Fic!

Get to know your fic writer!

9. Do you comment on stories you read?

I always try to! I know how discouraging it can be when you write something and don't get any comments, and also how absolutely exciting it is to get comments, so I always try and make sure I leave a comment when reading a fic - I always leave Kudos as at least a minimum though!

21. Would you ever collaborate with another writer for a story?

I would absolutely love to! I haven't had the opportunity to yet, but if it was the right idea and the right author I would love to have the experience. I just know I can be difficult to work with - I bounce around from idea to idea very quickly which I know can be annoying!

26. Which of your fics would you call your wildest ride?

Probably one of my older Hockey RPF fics - I was in college and extremely unhinged and the fics reflect that 🤣 Though I do have one I am still actively working on (Hurricane) that I came back to after a year and a half / two year hiatus. Everything Will Be Okay (which is one of my Top Gun fics) has also turned into a major trip - I will finish it eventually, but it got a lot of really lovely feedback from the fandom and ended up on a few rec lists and as a result I completely psyched myself out with it and haven't been in the right mental state to finish it (I will eventually though I promise!)

59. Does anyone in your personal life know you write fic? if not, would you tell anyone?

Lol yes. I met my Bestie my freshman year of college and our love of fic and fandom (even though we were in different ones!) was something we really bonded over and here we are nearly ten years later (which is SCARY) living on opposite sides of the country still talking 24/7 and obsessing over our fics (I am very excited I am going to visit her and we are going to see The 1975 in October - she also came out to visit me in March to go to the Eras tour!). I also make a lot of jokes about it to my other IRL friends - however they aren't really in fandom spaces (which is absolutely crazy) and I always joke that they are "outside people" who aren't really online and therefore, they don't really understand what it means or entails. They don't know what I write, where I post it or my username or anything, just that writing is something I enjoy and that I do in fact post it on the internet.

Thank you so much again for sending this in! If anyone else wants to send more of them that would be super cool and I would be so very happy. Thank you!

❤️Ally

[danpuff-ao3]

1, 8, 19, 28.

Hey Anon! Thanks for the asks!

1.) Describe your comfort zone—a typical you-fic.

Oh boy, here we go! Much angst. Complicated, messy characters & dynamics. Very intense people being very passionately (toxically) in love. Someone is a virgin. Ruthless highlighting of imperfections. Overly poetic eye descriptors. A recipe for pure self-indulgence!

8.) Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

Oh no. Dialogue is the worst!! Probably my proudest moments are the dirtiest or the harshest, no in between. Though I will say a lot of my proudest writing moments period were from Contempt. Dialogue included!

"A great love story, is it not? The gold digging whore and the cock hungry slut live happily ever after."

"What do you know about happiness? What do you know about love?"

"You presume --"

"You were obsessed with my mother! You're bitter she married my dad, just like you're bitter I'm marrying Ginny."

This is just a piece of it, but that whole back and forth between Harry and Snape is so fun. I tried to keep them both in character, neither really backing down. It begins with Snape lashing out, Harry tries to get his bearings, Snape twisting every new topic back around to wound Harry with it, Harry not putting up with any of it. It has the angst! It has the rudeness! It has my boys butting heads! What more could a gal want?

19.) Stephen King once said that his muse is a man who lives in the basement. Do you have a muse?

I do! She is a fickle creature. I've named her Renata. (Listen, my car has a name. My phone has a name. My laptop has a name. Why wouldn't my muse have a name?)

28.) Share three of your favorite fic writers and why you like them so much.

Oh yay my favorite one!! Let me see. I was talking to ripeteeth last week about beautiful prose, and how I like to pluck random lines and tuck them in my pocket to think about all day long; and how I love the taste of the words in my mouth, repeating them over and over. I'm such a sucker for beautiful strings of words, so my favorite writers are those whose works I read and I walk away with pockets full of gold nuggets.

@perverse-idyll, whose works I've loved the longest! I've returned to her works time and again for over a decade! She writes Snarry so perfectly in my eyes; crafts the characters so true to form, and their dynamic is just as dark and explosive as I love it. Everything that drew me to Harry and to Snape and to them as a couple, PI provides. I could cry at the perfection of it. And I've honestly not been able to stop thinking about the latest chapter of The Afterlight since I read it! I don't have words enough to express my love of PI's work, so I'm just gonna wave her own words in your face in the hopes that you might understand:

Sitting absolutely still, consulting instincts or morals or who the fuck knows, Snape levelled a long, narrow look across the table. Long and narrow like so much else about him, with the smoulder of a low flame just beginning to lick at spilled fuel. It could have been contempt or calculation, or the effects of drinking whisky that literally burned.

It could be that Harry had just lit a match. (The Afterlight, chapter 3)

@ripeteeth who is probably most definitely a genius. I will blind rec teeth to you. "Oh teeth posted a new fic I've not read and know nothing about? You should totally read it."; "Oh, teeth posted a fic for a fandom I've never even heard of? Cool. Count me in." They have such a fascinating way of looking at things, and they craft stories in such a unique way. It's brilliant and different and absolutely stunning. They portray people and life in that merciless way I love; like they dug through the gutter; like they're elbows deep, digging into the gut; mud and blood and smearing it on the wall. All of the things no one else would think to see worth or beauty in, and they create a masterpiece with it. Blow me away, teeth!

“Why would I stay, Potter?” Why would he? Harry wonders. Snape had clearly always hated teaching, had hated children, hated their open faces, their sticky fingers. If there is no one to run from, if there are no arms to run to, then what purpose does he have to stay? Except. Except that it guts Harry, just a little bit, to think about Hogwarts without the sallow, miserable Potions Master. Somehow, and he is not quite sure how, it is not Hogwarts without Snape. The prospect of the castle left without the great black bat seems full of echoes and silence. It is like the loneliness of aging, sick with memory, glutted on regret. You can’t leave. (Strange Pilgrims)

@liladiurne whose work has the timeless quality of the classics. So much thought and care goes into everything that she does! She has so many interesting ideas; new ways to paint the world, new ways of looking at the characters. She is an explorer and an inventor both! And she tells of love so beautifully; sweet agony dressed in silk and pearls.

And so, it was clear to me, from the moment I felt his hand upon my back, that this touch was meaningful. Harry was not one for unnecessary or superfluous contact. He touched things because he wanted to, because he was unafraid of them and wanted to know their secrets. He touched what he deemed important. (Certain Dark Things, Chapter 2)

40 Questions - Meme For Fic Writers

already answered: 14, 2, 13, 38, 1, 8, 19, 28

[overnighttosunflowers]

for the fic ask! ✨❤️🚦📚

Yay, thank you! 💗

✨️ Out of the comments you’ve received on your fics, what are two or three of your favorites?

Oh gosh. Fangmin/spillentireuniverses left a comment on Capable, Exalted that was so long and detailed that it maxed out the character limit twice. It’s the closest reading anything I’ve written has ever gotten and it was so, so thoughtful and insightful and kind and that was the best feeling in the world. It legit nearly made me cry.

Actually, I could pick almost any comment on that fic and it would be one of my favorites. Everyone was so sweet and said such meaningful things. It was such a special batch of comments to get.

There were also a couple on Track Changes that stuck with me. The fic is largely about coming out to yourself and someone left a really personal comment about how deeply it resonated with them. I think about that one a lot. And then one of the very first comments I got on the fic still makes me laugh:

SNDNKEDNNDKDKFBRNSLXHBDJDJJDNDBEJEJFBDKLFLF BENCH THIS IS SO GOOD IM CRYING IN THE CLUB

❤️ What is your favorite line that you’ve written in a fic?

I tend to like my sentences in context better than independently. I spend a lot of time thinking about rhythm and emotional beats, and the lines I’m happiest with are often the ones where I feel like I’ve hit those beats dead-on. Accordingly, I’m almost always very proud of my final lines and the way they tie up a story’s threads. I doubt they sound like much out of context, but I was pleased with this one from and we’ll share my all:

Laudna presses Imogen’s hands to her face, then to her mouth, then to her chest, where the pulse of her heart beats slow and steadfast and warm in a way that is herself and no one else, she knows it, a way that is hers and Imogen’s alone.

🚦What sort of endings do you prefer to write: ambiguous, bad, happily ever after, etc.?

Generally sweet and tender and hopeful.

📚 Is there a fanfic or fanfic writer you recommend?

I’ve done Imodna rec lists before, so instead I’m going to mention two other things. One is the fic I haven’t shut about about since I first read it nine years ago and that’s Presque Vu, an Inception prequel that does some truly masterful worldbuilding and bruising, wonderful character work. The other is the author @gyzym whose Inception coffeeshop AU I’ve read more than almost any other fic and whose Good Omens fic made me cry.

[ybcpatrick]

favorite peterick fics?

hi!! so i answered an ask about this last year too, and gave five of my absolute favourites! but i'm ALWAYS happy to give some more jskajfksjf

under the cut, let's go!!

feels like home by lye-kisses (5.2k, Teen and Up Audiences.)

Spend a day with Pete and Patrick. Pure domestic bliss.

AUGHHHH this is one of the newest ones on this list and it is sososososososo good, sweet like candy absolute tooth rot. also pete is lowkey thirsty for patrick and that is so fuckin funny sndjajfkzfj.

a bright tide by whatimages (2.6k, Teen and Up Audiences.)

Drifting around each other, on a beach in Australia, Pete and Patrick contemplate themselves and iron out the details. A pocket of time, spent together, as they always are.

You have to be logged in to find this one!! but AUJGGHGHSJSLFJFLGJ!!!!! Oh my god this work is so quiet and moody and contemplative and you can cut the romantic tension with! a! knife!

plain as they can see by fanatic_by_definition (3.6k, Teen and Up Audiences.)

Curled up in the van in the wee hours of the morning, Pete introduces Patrick to The Nightmare Before Christmas. As the story plays out before him, Patrick starts to notice... parallels.

this one makes me soft. i love me some vandays!fob, they're so 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺. and it's so immersive to follow along with patrick's thoughts here, and it's even better if you're super familiar with the movie, too. but i don't think it's necessary to have watched nightmare! when i found this fic initially, i had never seen it, but this fic convinced me to watch it. so good.

the afterlife (i never really lived) by TooRational (2.9k, Teen and Up Audiences.)

The polaroids from Coup De Main’s article give Patrick three things: major anxiety, a boatload of embarrassment, and a wake-up call in regards to how much he’s let go unsaid between himself and Pete over the years.

ohhhhHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH THIS ONE. OKOKOK patrick is: a dumbass. i LOVE this fic because i love any fic that tears into patrick’s psyche. but, i really do have a soft spot for this characterization of him: knowing he’s not necessarily a words guy, because he’s so used to pete being that for him, ‘cause he has been since he was sixteen years old. and patrick, hating his lack of words, summoning any he can possibly find before something happens, pete responds and something snaps and patrick resorts to action.... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

the tale of two hearts (reunited) by TooRational (5.5k, Mature.)

After a year away in service to the Queen, Peter finally gets to return home, where his beloved husband is waiting for him. In the tumultuous reintroduction to peace, Peter shatters; Patrick catches the pieces before they hit the ground and begins the repairs.

historical medieval au my beloved <3 this fic is so heartstoppingly good it is so soft it is so illustrative it is sosososososo tender. and it’s from pete’s perspective!! i tend to gravitate more towards patrick’s pov but we love a change in pace. historical accuracy be damned, this au is wonderful and i think about it constantly. also, i remember the first time i read this, the moment pete and patrick finally lock eyes took my breath away. 

and yes i listed two toorational fics what abt it. she is very talented and one of the best peterick authors out there. read all of them, actually, they could all be on this list. 

Guided to You by intocooperstown aka. @setting-in-a-honeymoon​ (11.4k so far, ongoing, Mature.)

Pete and Patrick are dead. They are dead, in a pristine office, sitting before a magnificent, otherworldly creature. The creature tells them they are soulmates, and they will spend the rest of eternity together. That’s confusing for a lot of reasons, but if it means being with Patrick, Pete will take it.

This one is currently ongoing!! I rarely-if-ever read chaptered fics before they’re finished, but the premise of this one was too compelling not to. and also, honeymoon is my fwiend!! and she’s sososo talented!! this fic has everything u could want: soulmates, mutual pining, mild gay panic, and pete&patrick being an obvious, inseperable duo (or at least, obvious to everyone but themselves). cannot wait to see how all of this unfolds :00000

i could probably go on for years but i’ll stop here. if u wanna look thru my bookmarks on ao3 you’re also more than welcome!! there’s a lotta other good stuff in there too :)

[kitchenisking]

So I was told by a friend that with all the reading that I do it might be wroth it to do a fic rec. Now I can't promise that I will post regularly but I hope that you all enjoy these fics as much as I have! @princecharmingwinks this first ones’ for you! 

Edit: I’m tagging all my ficrecs with the tag #kitcheniskingficrecs so it will be easier for all of you to find the other recs that I do :)

Shots Fired by kits_lightning -( Rating: Explicit, Words: 4787, sterek).     

"Shut up." He clicked his radio on. “This is Mahealani I need an ambulance at my 20. Officer down, I repeat, officer down. I need an ambulance.”

The coldness in Stiles' arm was replaced by pain when Danny put all of his weight on it.

"Wow, Jackson rubbed off on you in a negative way." He joked through gritted teeth.

"Yeah well at least I had the decency to call a bus." Stiles could hear the sirens at a far distance of what he hoped was an ambulance getting closer.

"Yay, maybe Scott will be on call." He said with clear sarcasm. Scott was one of the best paramedics in the town but he was sooooo going to yell at Stiles when he finds out he got shot.

"If you think Scott's going to be mad, wait until your husband finds out."

Fuck.

Our Memories Are Numbered by rufflefeather -(Rating: Explicit, Words: 23105, Sterek)                                                                                                         

Stiles’ Jeep grinds to a halt, he sees someone running through the rain, he's not expecting it to be Derek. He's not expecting a Derek without any memories either, or an Alpha pack that's coming for all of them. He probably should've, because lately nothing goes the way he expects.

A (Sort of) Fairytale by briecheesie, daunt -(Rating: Mature, Words: 25800, Sterek)                                                                                                               

The summer after senior year starts normally enough, with the gang spending their final months before college together at the Martin family's lake house. Then Jackson stumbles onto the burial ground of a witch's ex-husband, Stiles is magically turned into a fox, and things somehow manage to get worse from there. The gratuitous Princess Bride references are only of moderate help.

Your Hands on Me by Emela -(Rating: T, Words: 2018, Sterek)                    

“Can you rub my belly?” he asked seriously. “Excuse me?” Stiles’ eyes widened. “Can you rub my belly,” he said again, face still serious. “But maybe without making any dog jokes? I just…I feel like I need it and…and I don’t want to ask anyone else.”ORThe one where Derek gets drugged and just wants Stiles to touch him.

Thanks for Thumper, But I Prefer Cheeseburgers by isthatbloodonhisshirt (wasterella) -(Rating: T, Words: 58339, Sterek)                                               

The wolf’s head whipped around so fast, Stiles felt like he was watching The Exorcist. Stiles wondered if he could just stand still enough to make the wolf think he was a tree. A very bright red and jean-clad tree. He doubted it, but one could hope. He knew it was a lost cause when the wolf turned fully, lips pulled back from its sharp teeth—so very sharp, good fucking Lord!—and began walking towards Stiles. “I didn’t see anything!” Stiles shouted, both hands out in front of himself and sweat instantly breaking out across his skin. “I swear to you! I didn’t see anything! I didn’t see anything! I won’t tell anyone! I won’t! I’ll keep this to myself, until the day I die! I promise! I promise!”

So Ive decided cuz its my first rec list to put too bonus fics!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The first one is one of my favorites! its so beautifully written, and builds the story at such a nice pace that it hooks you in and you just want to finish it in one sitting (that's what I did) I hope you enjoy it as much as I have! 

A Desperate Arrangement by mikkimouse -(Rating: Explicit, Words: 115506, Sterek)                                                                                                              

"I'm sorry, I believe there's something wrong with my hearing," Stiles said. "Because I could have sworn you just told me you set up a betrothal agreement with the Hales. A betrothal agreement involving me. Me." Scott smiled his easygoing smile and nodded, which told Stiles no, he hadn't misheard a damn thing.After seven years of lengthy negotiations, the treaty between the Hales and the Argents has fallen apart and the two countries fell into war. Months later, there's an uneasy truce, thanks to the intervention of King Scott McCall, but it won't last. In a desperate attempt to maintain the peace, the Hales sign a treaty with the McCalls to marry Prince Derek to Prince Stiles Stilinski, King Scott's brother. In the history of the world, there have been many better ideas.

This fic is just amazing!

Now as Ever (All That Is and Has Been) by venis_envy -(Rating: Explicit, Words: 52270, Sterek)                                                                                                    

Stiles can't remember what happened to rearrange the time-space continuum, or how he ended up being pulled into the past. All he knows is that he's there now, in 2003 Beacon Hills, with a teenage werewolf and a possibly-crazy veterinarian as his only allies.

[gardenerian]

Hi Mel!! For fic rec ask: 👌 & 💘 please?

myn!! yay, thank you! 💕

👌�� a fic someone else recommended to you

@pink--and--white is the captain of the swa fan club, i really owe her for that rec

etherized against the sky and the ghosts of you and me thanks to the lovely humans over of the gallabitches server *salute*

💘 a fic you couldn’t stop reading once you started

ristretto (@howlinchickhowl) please inject it directly into my veins

conflict of interest (@thisdivorce) ^ see above

mickey milkovich's guide to flirting (@whatwouldmickeydo) i honest to god inhaled that one, s2 babies!!!! my beloved!

haunted and damned holyyyyy fuck

[hartrathaway]

Hii I'm interested in Hartley's story but I know literally nothing about him except that he was Wally's gay bestie in the 90s, what's his deal? Do you have any comic recs for him?

HI IM SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG!!!!!!!!

Okay, so really brief, his dealio is: born to ‘incredibly rich’ parents (we never get a specified ballpark, but Hartley states that he was ‘born with two silver spoons in [his] mouth’ if that helps context wise), Hartley’s deaf!  His parents had him get cochlear implants when he was a child, which ‘medically healed him’.  (His deafness has been treated extremely ablest by writers who actually remember he’s deaf, I need to warn you of this now.)  He’s a music and sound waves guy, a former villain (it’s an on again off again relationship, but a lot of his character is defined by his time as a hero) and he’s very leftist.  Gay best friend in the AIDS crisis turned Wally West from a midwestern conservative to a leftie as well.  (Wally’s wife, Linda Park, was a major contributing factor, but we’re focusing on Hartley for this, so I’m gonna talk about him.)

I’ve got a mix of good reading from all over, so I’m gonna break this into sections, and do my best to describe which is which.  (all my screencaps are from this website right here, because i do not own all the back issues and it would have taken much, much longer to do this post, and as such, some of them are not sized or formatted correctly)  Click the read more if you’re interested!  Please note: I am not a 100% authority figure on Hartley, and I know there’s a few stories I have left out (the story with Bart Allen’s first appearance is a good one that Hartley is in), but these are the gist of who is he, what he’s been up to, and what is the family drama.

So for New Earth (otherwise known as post-Crisis on Infinite Earths), is where Hartley actually becomes Wally’s friend, and is a hero!  I’m going to focus on this section first.  Unfortunately, due to being a minor character, a lot of stuff is broken into small stories, or things that are happening behind the scenes, so there’s no real issue x - y that’s gonna help much.

The Flash Vol 2 #31, #32 Quick summary: In issue 31, supervillain here is killing homeless people, Hartley has been helping these same people get up on their feet by helping them get squatter’s rights.  They skip the fighting because a kid asks if they’re going to fight for a half hour and then team up, and go right to the team up.  They get Linda Park in, supervillain ends up backfiring his powers.  In issue 32, Wally, Hartley, and their pal Mason officially move to Keystone city.  Hartley’s folks are in trouble while the three of them are trying to freeload (off of Hartley’s parents, his and his parents’ relationship is better now than it had been, for a multitude of reasons), Wally and Hartley rescue Hartley’s parents, we also meet Jerrie, Hartley’s sister, and all is resolved there.  Yay, the family loves each other again!

(issue 31)

(issue 32)

The Flash Vol 2 #53 Special mention this is the issue where Hartley comes out and also has to inform Wally that Wally cannot tell who is a homosexual.  Also Wally’s an IRS agent here, for shame Wallace.  At least Hartley gets to cosplay Wally at the end, so that’s fun.  Content warning for this issue specifically is some casual homophobia, just so you know that going in.

(issue 53)

The Flash Vol 2 #170 In 170, Hartley’s being contacted by his father to call in ‘a favor’ that Hartley owes him.  The main plot line includes (one of) Wally’s ex(es) showing up, a former hero and teammate, Frances Kane, otherwise known as Magneta.  A person has been found murdered at Keystone Motors, and supervillain Goldface begins rallying union workers (which seems to just be a poorly timed coincidence).  The story itself (170 - 173) in and of itself is really fun, but I’m only going to talk about Hartley, or else I’ll be here all day.

(issue 170)

The Flash Vol 2 #174, #175, #178, #179 And here we get some drama! I’m grouping all of these together, since it’s all the same chunk of the story for Hartley, but since it’s the Flash, Wally’s center stage.  In 174, the people who were living with the Rathaway family aren’t exactly big fans of Hartley.  They know he’s changed his ways, he’s a hero now, but it’s just…  something feels off.  There’s loud music sounds, and bam!  Suddenly Hartley’s there and oh boy is this gonna be a hot mess.  In issue 175, we see some footage, and Hartley’s the lead suspect in his parents’ murder, considering that the footage has Hartley onscreen.  178 rolls up, and after Wally’s getting Gorilla Grodd taken care of (and that fight is a doozy), Wally gets to find out Hartley’s been arrested for the murder of his own parents, and Hartley confesses on-screen to his parents’ murder  (Also Hartley’s got a beard now, that’s how you know he’s depressed.) 179 opens with Hartley being processed.  Linda and Wally go to see him, and although Hartley confessed, he said “I think I did.”  (emphasis is mine; in the panel Hartley says “I think I did.”) Joker?  He’s got some Joker-fied people, and poor Hartley gets it too :(  Hartley straight up nearly kills Captain Boomerang (it’s okay, Wally stops him), and surprise!  Welcome back to Iron Heights Hartley.  Gonna have a fun time :)

(issue 174; this is the least messy part of the panel, but it was intended to be that way)

(issue 175)

(issue 178)

(issue 179)

The Flash: Iron Heights Brief interlude from the main comic line, we’ve got a one-shot that’s taking place in Iron Heights.  This takes place before Hartley gets arrested, presumably (since, y’know, they’re breaking in and all).  Fun one-shot honestly, keeps me on my toes the whole time.  Hartley’s a main character, and it’s less personal drama and very story driven.  You don’t need this to enjoy Hartley regardless, but I enjoy it!

(The Flash: Iron Heights, which you can read here.)

The Flash Volume 2 #189, #190 189! Now we find out how Hartley’s parents were actually murdered!  No spoilers, but we do get a prison breakout.  This is where we get some origin story! Don’t read this first though, because you’re going to be spoiling yourself the plot of his arrest.  In 190 we get more origin, including the way DC treated his deafness. (It’s ablest, and I’m still mentally grappling how you wouldn’t notice your child being deaf for two years, but okay Rachel and Osgood, you keep being bad.)  The story goes on for now, with Hartley on the run from… well, everyone.

(issue 189)

(issue 190)

This is pretty much it for New Earth Hartley up until Countdown.

I don’t like Countdown at all.  I’m much happier pretending that Countdown doesn’t exist (both because of how it treats Hartley for a multitude of reasons, and how Thad Thawne is treated leading up to Countdown).  More happens with Hartley’s storyline in Countdown, but I hate it with such a passion that I wouldn’t recommend it at all.  Countdown leads into Final Crisis, and I’m not a fan of either.  However, should you wish to read and make your own opinions, here’s Countdown and here’s Final Crisis.  Please note, Countdown’s issues are done in reverse order (so from issue 51 to 1, rather than 1 to 51)

And now I’m going to tell you the gospel truth:

I do like New 52 Hartley!  A lot. Unfortunately, he’s not as much in the n52 Flash run as I would like (but I’m biased, as obvious by my url).  What you need to know is that Hartley’s a musician now, like orchestra director, and he’s in a relationship with Barry’s boss, David Singh. (power move, honestly)  Unfortunately, we don’t get a whole lot in the main line.  Also at this point, the Wally West of New Earth hasn’t transitioned to the n52.  Wallace West of n52 is an entirely different character, and that’s a whole other issue for another discussion.  Wally West as we know him from New Earth doesn’t come back for a while.  Wally and Hartley haven’t talked since before Flashpoint, and that’s a shame. 

So read the Crimes of Passion Anthology he’s got please I’m begging you.  The only downside is that the artist gave him a haircut.

(Crimes of Passion: Secret Admirer)

I haven’t read anything DCeased related, and while I know Hartley gets his time to shine and kiss David, I can’t tell you much beyond that.  I’m pretty sure there’s other people who can tell you more, but it’s not me I’m afraid.  (This is me saying guys, please tell me about Hartley in DCeased, someone tell me about my fictional lavender marriage husband.)