@aeternallis / aeternallis.tumblr.com
screaming rn
you need account/ have to log in if you want Venaaaa but they podded this and i am going INSANE. FERAL. REWILDED. AS SPRINGSTEEN ONCE SAID, "UNRECOGNIZEABLE TO MYSELF"
*please note also, i was screaming when i initially posted about that tag error when uploading this fic, and i have ceased to stop screaming since then. certified banshee post.
I'm convinced it was a tragedy that tumblr learned the phrase "bury your gays" at the exact same time it decided that any fictional media darker than Landlord White was pearl-clutchingly problematic. Pouring one out for every creator of earnest LGBT+ media wanting to explore the themes of grief loss and tragedy who then got subsequently hounded by mobs of terminally online users brainrotted on nothing but conflict-free coffee shop AUs.
Art by @sarahandersencomics
Season 3 is for the overthinkers. The ones who always had the crush but were never the crushes. The ones who only see flaws when they look in the mirror. The ones who throw themselves into books because those worlds treat them better than life ever has. The ones who are just so goddamn tired.
I complain often to Ren about how the vast, VAST majority of rec lists tend to be a who’s-who of big name fans and/or fandom classics. less true in large, old fandoms, but anyway. kimchay fandom is neither large nor old, yet the fact I just saw you mentally list the dozen or so frequent fliers tells me you know exactly what I’m talking about. accordingly, because I find the radar avoidance of greatness to be unacceptable, my first act of public service now that I’ve (I guess? maybe?) un-retired is to round up a list of my own. and while you may see some familiar names and fics here, my hope is to introduce you to some gems that, if hidden, really, REALLY shouldn’t be.
so, without further ado:
CAUTERIZE THE WOUNDS - @aeternallis (E, 76k)
we’ll begin this list with an act of abject hypocrisy on my part. Ren is basically my fandom wife, and Cauterize the Wounds is my all-time favorite kimchay fic. my post-(show) canon, my roman empire. I honestly cannot begin to say enough good things about it. Ren’s understanding of the characters is rooted in her experience growing up in the same kind of high-context, southeast asian culture of which KP itself is a product, and her attention to detail is absolutely astounding. no surprise, either, given how her studious attitude toward the full canon has meant she’s perfected the art of taking it at its word—and us along for the ride.
FALLIN’ - wolfsbane15 (M, 3k)
one of the first kimchay fics I ever read. this author and I share a very specific kimchay brain cell. this was the fic that made me a kimchay main, and the way Kim feels like he’s orbiting Chay like a moon its planet and is powerless to stop it is shown through CHAY’S still-innocent eyes is like catnip to me. perfection. mwah, I kiss your beautiful brain.
in which Kim is buried alive. this fic grabbed me by the throat from the opening line and never let go. intense, gripping, POWERFUL—the urgency here, Kim’s head at what he believes is the end is unbelievable. this fic will emotionally break you in half and you’ll be grateful for it.
CHASING A FAMILIAR GHOST - @obscurecurse (T, 13k)
in which Chay is the one who has to be pspspsed back into the relationship. this author is new blood to the fandom and y’all need to run, not walk, to this fic. the way Chay has Kim on a tether and can pull him in at any time is so true to how they are—I lose my mind every time I read this, which is not a few, because H has a way of SEEING these two in a way very few others do. I love fic that makes me see them as they are rather than as we want them to be, and this scratches that itch in a way that makes me want to purr.
MIRROR OF SHADOWS AND STARS - @lillatorg (M, 29k)
those who are familiar with my work know I’m primarily an AU writer. I love to dig my fingers into the dirt of a world and turn it into something visceral and alive, every bit as much a character as the actual characters. Lilla does that, and this ride is an unmitigated delight. I have a particular fondness for this particular Chay; confident!chay is SO important to me, and just. AUGH. fantasy by a fantasy writer?? a world so rich I want to eat it for dessert?? PLEASE.
REVERSIBLE ERROR - @saturnscode (M, 20k)
what to even say about this fic. oh my god. in addition to AU writers, collaborators, and friends, both shi and I are attorneys irl. and as I was shi’s beta during much of the last year and change, I had the distinct honor of being with this one from the moment of its inception. seeing THIS one come to life before my eyes was one of the most rewarding experiences I had during my active period in the fandom—it fought her, and she rose to the challenge again and again. the ending still lingers.
ONE SPELT COOKIE AT A TIME - Jet21 (M, 17k)
so I mentioned that in an attorney irl? before I was an attorney, I was an environmental scientist, and between that and Jet21’s bonkers good storytelling, I was primed to fall in love with this fic anyway. but the legal humor on top of that?? wtf. environmental activist chaos gremlin Chay is a galaxy brain idea, and this fic made me HOWL.
CHAPTER ONE - @themariehelene (T, 15k)
do you have any idea how hard it was to pick just one of Mayi’s fics for this list?? Mayi’s writing is like an impressionist painting: peace and stillness in a storm, profoundly insightful, and truly unique within the fandom. this one is one of my favorites of hers, a coming-together told non-chronologically from both inside and outside. I recommend curling up with this one by a window on a rainy day.
RED LIGHTS - @dumpster-fire-x (E, 27k)
sex worker Chay and the client who won’t let him go?? perfection. San is such an emotionally compelling writer—this one made me feel a thousand things and threw some fantastic curveballs, and the sex is absolutely scorching. and while you’re at it, check out San’s whole catalogue.
Porchay buys a car. that car happens to be haunted. the ghost is grumpy and hot, and chaos ensues, because of course it does. this one is so fun—I love Faye’s work in general, but her ghost fics are my favorite. and the aesthetics in this one are top notch.
in which Kim gets kidnapped along with Chay. in my (objectively correct) opinion, this fic is one of the best studies of Kim’s head in the entire fandom. this is another one you feel in your gut while reading. and not only is it a heart pounder, it also perfectly balances this urgent tenderness that seems to distill the way in which Chay has turned Kim’s world on its axis down to its essential parts.
HUNG FROM LADDERS - toomoon (M, 7k)
look. I realize you may not realize you NEED horror of the highest caliber, but believe me: you do. no matter the season. in a Tegmark I multiverse, it’s October somewhere, and this eldrich horror!kim will take you to lunch AND dinner. DO NOT sleep on this—at least, unless you need to sleep tonight.
EVEN WHEN I’M NOT WITH YOU - @kimchaybrainrot (T, 13k)
you want devoted Kim? you’ve got it. this is one of the most clever post-canon takes I’ve ever seen: ten years later, disaster medical resident Chay and the Kim who just wants to take care of him. this is told from Chay’s perspective, and he’s…mistaken, shall I say, about how well he’s really doing. and the reconciliation here is anything but cordial, which means it’s my favorite kind.
I told this to Alana when I commented on this: this fic was not written for me, but it was For Me if ever there has been a happy accident. a bullseye from 300 meters. this fic has EVERYTHING I like: genuine rebel period, rock bands, tattoos and piercings, band dynamics, guitarist Chay, bratty Chay, Porchay Kittisawat FUCKS, unhinged feral Kim, possessive Kim, certified simp Kim, fingers in mouths, nearly public sex…need I say more?? GO.
Chay and Kim are in a band. they’re in a war of flirting attrition. Chay wears a skirt on stage to speed things along. I think you see where this is going. in the age of booktok, we move on from older fic too quickly, so give this one a go. and COMMENT, goddammit. there’s no deadline to when it’s acceptable to comment. it’s always acceptable—encouraged, even.
as I said at the top, this is not a comprehensive list—one need only read through the (also non-comprehensive) list of fics and authors I’ve podficced for to see that. but I also think it’s high time to add to the list of household names in this fandom. I hope you find something new here to love.
also, while we’re on the subject of podfics: if you’re like me and prefer to listen to your stories rather than read them with your eyes, I’ve podficced several of these fics, and I have plans to do several more of them in the coming weeks. recording sparks joy, and as I’ve been in a black hole of depression for the last few months, it may be just the thing. <3
Colin looks like he’s been lifting hot air balloons since the ripe age of 4 and does it daily meanwhile Benedict’s out here barely lifting the rope and struggling like all hell get his ass back in the studio!
Colin and Penelope | Bridgerton S3 Trailers
Me, unable to help comparing my two big ships right now: Kimchay and Polin
Similarities:
-one of them is hiding a secret -ship has a good relationship and are at ease with each other -both go through a break up at the end of the season -that friends to not-quite-lovers to lovers bit
The difference in each respective fandom's call for the party at fault (aka the one who initiated the break up) to grovel is hella freakin' noticeable though, from where I'm sitting anyway. LOL
(it really goes to show how much Jeff influences Kim's character, considering Kim's actions in the show, especially towards the latter half, tend to be seen through rose-colored glasses by a certain portion of the fandom, but that conversation has already been exhausted and at this point, I don't care that much to say anything more about it since KimChay story will be upon us next year. i can't help but feel that Jeff's acting may...hmm, I wouldn't say "lacking" necessarily, but rather--the integrity of the role he played was somewhat compromised by the fandom. in which case, fandom gonna fandom, let the birds fly free and all that, ya know. XD //nods)
Hey I saw you from across the bar but my girlfriend didn't. Are you some manner of spirit
Ok it's very funny to laugh at Tuxedo Mask for showing up and doing nothing, but his job was never to actually fight the monsters.
His job was just to show up and believe in Sailor Moon so overwhelmingly resolutely that she remembers she's a fucking demigod long enough for HER to fight the monsters.
Because she's the only one strong enough to do it in the first place, and in this regard Tuxedo Mask is the first example of being "Kenough" in this essay I will
The way Chay has about 50 (subtitled/Eng.) words for their confession scene and Kim has literally zero words (though he says a lot wordlessly, obvs.) I can't think of another example of a confession scene in a drama where only one party has lines?
This is giving the eclaire scene from the books i swear
#me at every function where there are people
Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington in Bridgerton S3
