Countdown to Small Gifts 3/6: Typical "you"

[magnetic_pole]

Hi, folks! If you're just joining us, we're on DAY THREE of six days of discussion before Small Gifts begins posting. Start off by introducing yourself (and meeting fellow participants and watchers) over here! (We also tried to start a discussion about Fantastic Beasts yesterday over here, but I'm not sure anyone's seen it yet!)

Today's question:

Comments

[sostrata]

Well, I know only one person (my sister) who knows about my fannishness, but even then we haven't been in the same internet circles for quite a while. Though there was one time that my mom stumbled across the fanfic I wrote for my last rs small gifts and decided that she just *had* to read it. She knew I was writing a Harry Potter fic because the prompt was for a Raising Harry fic in which he was 2 and a half, and I had to ask her what kids that age were like developmentally. I hadn't told her it was Remus/Sirius, though. My mom does not mind gayness (my sister is married to a girl) but she is very conservative in her beliefs on, um, hanky panky. When she told me she had read it, I was like, "Whaaaaa!" Then she said, "Well, it was well written...." I was waiting for the buuuuuut. "But why did you write Remus and Sirius that way?" ::headdesk:: Years later, we had a Christmas family reunion, and somehow the discussion of Harry Potter or fanfic or both came up, I don't remember. And my mom, beaming, said, "I know what Mary likes!" She

[shaggydogstail]

Your mom is all kinds of adorable. ♥

[mindabbles]

That's great story! I'm with you on the happy endings. They really did go through enough in the books. Why do we have to put them through more?! I love the missing scenes. Here's to making our own happy endings!

[magnetic_pole]

She explained that I had made my own happy ending to the Harry Potter story.

I love this line. Your mom is fabulous that she got to it! M.

[digthewriter]

fly by post but here's my two cents

I get depressed over infidelity and "that's so you" is everything pretend relationship(s)! I love getting together fics that start w/ fake boyfriends. :D

[mindabbles]

Mm, pretend relationships are fun, so are get-togethers. I also love the possible tension and pining in combining the two.

[magnetic_pole]

I had no idea I liked pretend relationships until I actually started reading them. They're surprise trope of fandom for me--so implausible on the surface, and so much fun once you get into the swing of things! M.

[shaggydogstail]

These days I think most of my friends would describe me as MIA or um, her, didn't she used to write fic? Anyway, I'm a writer, I write silly, fluffy, sometimes filthy fic with lots of rambling and stupid jokes. I like affectionate insults and good times and pining. All the pining. Soppiness and first kisses and eeep, you like me too? moments. And Opinions, I have so many of them. Like, there's barely a trope or a bit of canon or fanon that I couldn't write essays about, and many I already have.

What's something that someone might see in an artwork, a fic, or a comment and think "that's so [you]?"

Plot twist! Sirius is a virgin. Huh.

It's a bit odd I've never done small gifts before, actually, given that Christmassy fics are right up my alley. Like, if you can't throw caution and good sense of the window in favour of OTT sparkly fabulousness at Christmas, when can you? Also there's something very fitting about giving these boys an oasis of hope and joy in the middle of winter's bleakness that is very fitting.

[mindabbles]

Pining is essential. I adore the possibilities for 'oh you like me too' moments with these two, given their friendship. The anticipation and tension that can be created in a good fic is delicious.

I remember a Sirius is a virgin fic or two. It does make sense, given all of the war and time in prison. That plot twist can also add to the 'wait, you liked me too -- all this time' trope delightfully.

Well, we are so glad you joined us this year! Remus and Sirius need and deserve all of the moments of silly, fluffy, filthy, peace and happiness we can give them!

[magnetic_pole]

Lots of joie de vivre with you, Shaggy. That's how I recognize your fic. And I'm on board with Sirius as a virgin, too. It makes sense, reading canon in a certain light.

Thanks for joining us this year! M.

[ruinsplume]

Interesting questions! I am out to quite a few people as a fanfic reader/writer, but none of my IRL friends have actually read my fic--they either haven't read the books (I KNOW) or aren't into the whole idea of fanfiction. So my friends wouldn't be able to describe me, but I can describe myself

[mindabbles]

Your description of what you like is pretty intense in and of itself, and I really enjoyed reading it. I also love the character-driven smut -- it is so much more interesting when the sex is part of a well-developed story or relationship.

[ruinsplume]

And if anyone wants to read a primo example of character-driven smut, they should head on over to AO3 and check out mindabbles' awesome fic, "Here for You"!

[magnetic_pole]

Yes, meta! I feel like we haven't seen much of that in a while...unless it migrated to Tumblr? (I always worry everything is migrating to Tumblr.) Gender and identity and queerness--sign me up. :) M.

[secretsolitaire]

Hmm. My friends would probably say that I'm a voracious reader and commenter, and they would not be at all surprised to see me reccing a story with any of the following: hurt/comfort, lie low at Lupin's, spanking, realistic/flawed sex, a couple in an established relationship working through problems/finding their way back to each other, or the friends-to-lovers trope.

[mindabbles]

Your friends would say that, and would add that you are a very supportive reader and commenter and reccer.

[secretsolitaire]

♥

I realized last night that I haven't actually recced any fic in several years! /o\ Maybe I'll get back into it this holiday fest season...

[shaggydogstail]

realistic/flawed sex

omg, yes, yes please. I do like it when the sex goes a bit wrong, and it's all awkward and embarrassing and everyone gets a bit flaily. But, bless 'em, those brave little troopers do keep going until they get it right?

Um, spanking too. Is it just me, or has fandom become way less kinky than it was back in the LJ heyday? Time was you couldn't shake a stick without falling over dubcon bdsm collarfic with sex pollen & 50 different flavours of pseudo-beastiality. Of course, that could've just been my friends...