#just wanted to take a break from jatp fandom to not burn out | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

troped-fanfic-challenge · 3 years

Text

TROPED: JATP MASTER LIST

And for our encore, the Master List of all 53 (fifty-three!?) fanfics written for our FIRST Julie and the Phantoms TROPED event!! It was such a treat for us to see how a new fandom took on our prompts! We, here at TROPED, love it when our authors push the limits of what a trope can be, and this fandom kept us on our toes, and we loved every word! We hope you enjoy these trope bending, phantastic fics as much as we did!

New rockstar writers joined us for the first time for this event, which is the coolest thing for us! We love getting to see how different fandoms interpret our prompts and how you see these stories through the lens of different characters. We learned a lot about how to run an event this round, with new voices helping us to make TROPED better, which was so exciting. We came out of this event with new ideas, and we’re pumped for what’s next! We hope you’ll join us again soon ;)!

*Some summaries have been edited for length. Tumblr has a max post length. Who knew!

ROUND 1: ANGST FICS

The Tropes:

Character discovers they’re not human

Coffee Shop AU

Poorly Timed Confession

Character A catches Character B crying

————

the sky was gray and white and (cloudy) (Rated T) [Alex x Willie] by @screamin-amuseum

Summary: “I’ve got you,” Willie’s whispering over and over, panic creeping into his voice. “Alex, I’ve got you, okay? Come on, baby, come on, it’s okay, I’ve got you, you’re gonna be okay, I love you–”

Alex spits out what feels like a clot of blood and gives Willie a tired grin, probably looking completely insane.

“That’s pretty gay of you,” he says, just as his vision clouds over and he passes out.

Honey, You’re Familiar (Like My Mirror Years Ago) (Rated T) [Julie x Luke] by nik_knows_nothing

Summary: Luke works at a coffee shop, which is normal, quietly pines after his coworker, which is normal, and also occasionally steals people’s faces without really meaning to.

It’s probably that last part that moves him pretty solidly out of the “normal” territory.

But that’s fine, that’s totally cool.

He’s handling it super well.

You Can’t Value People Less Than a Good, Hot Cup of Bean Juice (It Just Seems Rude) (Rated T) [Julie x Luke] by nik_knows_nothing

Summary: Julie gets a job at a coffee stand in the middle of nowhere.

It’ll help to pass the time, if nothing else.

And if there’s a cute guy who works the shift after her and sometimes leaves her ridiculously endearing messages on an ancient tape recorder?

Well, that’s just a bonus.

honest to god I’ll break your heart, tear you to pieces and rip you apart (Rated T) [Julie x Luke] by @tonightthestarsalign

Summary: the siren!Julie AU no one asked for

new instincts (Rated T) [Luke x Reggie] by @comeonpeters

Summary: Reggie is fine with being the only human member of his band, Julie and the Phantoms (tell your friends!), just like he’s fine with being the only single member. It doesn’t make him feel lonely, and he’s only picking up more shifts at the coffee shop because he needs more money, not because he’s avoiding being alone. And picking up more shifts at the coffee shop is making the work easier! He’s only a little confused by the fact that he can now touch the espresso machine mid shift without burning himself… must be all of the experience.

you look like you’ve just seen a monster (is that what i look like to you?) (Rated T) [Bobby x Alex x Luke x Reggie] by @aroacethetic-shitpost

Summary: it’s angsty tiefling bobby time, folks!

We Are Monsters, We Are Proud (Rated G) [Flynn x Carrie, Julie x Luke] by @americanhoney913

Summary: Carrie finds herself at a college like no other in search of her dad and some answers. Julie’s not feeling good and maybe staring at roses wasn’t the best idea.

Monster College/Coffeeshop AU

sending forth their beautiful voice, and my heart was fain to listen (Rated G) [Julie x Carrie] by @madeline-kahn

Summary: Months after the death of her mom, Julie prepares to sing again and makes an upsetting discovery.

rise from the ashes (Rated M) [Alex x Willie] by @willexxmercer

Summary: At a time when everything was going wrong for Alex, the one bright spot in his life was the charming barista at the coffee shop he frequented. At least, it was the bright spot until everything went up in flames. All he could do was hope that they could rise from the ashes and figure things out together.

Siren’s Song (Rated T) [Ray x Rose] by hufflebibin

Summary: The Scopuli was never meant to be a permanent arrangement. Rose had taken the job straight out of school just looking to make a little extra money before the tour kicked off.

That was four years ago.

After a string of bad luck befalls Rose and the Petal Pushers, she can’t help but wonder if she is the problem. Or is there something more sinister at play?

Yellow (Rated T) [Julie & Reggie] by @tmp-jatp

Summary: Reggie just wanted to get some new guitar strings. A shapeshifter!Reggie au

Angels Like You (Rated T) [Luke x Reggie] by @sunsetcurveofficial

Summary: Reggie is having a bit of a weird day. It gets worse when he figures out that it’s because he died in his sleep and has somehow been walking around as a ghost without realising it. Meeting Luke helps. Luke says he’s a fellow ghost, and there is something about him that Reggie just feels drawn to. Falling for him is the easiest thing Reggie has ever done, but Luke is a little more than he lets on, and it turns out that their story actually started long before Reggie thought it did.

look into my eyes (it’s where my demons hide) (Rated T) [Flynn x Carrie] by @fanfics-she-wrote

Summary: Hiding out from demons was never a desirable nightmare. Of course, Carrie would much prefer a run-for-my-life nightmare than actually running for her life. Having Flynn around is a very welcome soothing balm, though.

Bring All The Monsters Out To Play, Let All The Red Erase The Grey (Rated T) [Bobby & Reggie] by @kennysbirthday

Summary: Mythologicals, Reggie realised, were kind of like queer people. Sometimes your Token Human friend turns around one day and admits that actually, there was something they were suppressing all along, and they hadn’t realised.

–

Reggie’s final exam has been pushed forward at the most inconvenient time. Bobby is sick, Alex is missing, and now he needs to help a selkie get their ‘Happily-Ever-After’ in order to scrape a passing grade. Oh, and if his boss catches him handing out more free coffee, he’s gonna get fired.

————

ROUND 2: FLUFF FICS

The Tropes:

Exes

Time Loop AU

Camp Counselors

Prank Wars

————

Okay, Campers, Rise and Shine! (Rated T) [Julie x Luke] by nik_knows_nothing

Summary: The Groundhog Day meets Gravity Falls meets Summer Camp meets The Author’s Own Distaste For Prank Wars AU that no one asked for. Ever. At all.

Starting To Forget (Just What Summer Ever Meant To You) (Not Rated) [Flynn x Carrie] by bi_magic

Summary: Last summer didn’t end on a positive note for Carrie Wilson - she and her girlfriend broke up on the last night of camp, and she’s been miserable since. But it seems that the universe is intent on having her fix that this summer. Even if that means she has to live through the same day over and over and over again until she does.

Creative B.S. Was No More, Was No Less (Look Around, You’re Gonna Miss What You Found) (Rated T) [Alex x Luke, Flynn x Reggie] by @americanhoney913

Summary: Alex and Luke go undercover on a mission to a summer camp in order to find a talisman that could endanger the camp and all the kids. While there, they bond with the kids and make peace with the fact that they broke up.

While Alex and Luke are away, Flynn accidentally fucks with time.

bitch but like romantically (Rated T) [Flynn x Carrie] by @screamin-amuseum

Summary: or: flynn gets stuck in a time loop. {for troped jatp round 2}

down by the bay (Rated T) [Alex x Willie] by @sunsetcurbed

Summary: Over time, Camp Phantom has simply become known as a selective summer camp: one that took only the kids that Caleb saw promise in. And Caleb wasn’t exactly lying. He really did take only the ones he saw promise in, he simply looked for different traits than others might.

For example, say, hypothetically, a boy who could see the future. Or, hypothetically, a girl who could interact with ghosts. Or, hypothetically, a boy who could summon objects to him with a simple thought. Or, and this is completely hypothetical mind you, a boy who could manipulate time.

Those might be some traits that Caleb saw promise in. Just, like, as examples.

Time will tell (But only if you do it right) (Rated T) [Flynn x Carrie] by @malecacidd

Summary: Carrie had been acting a little off for a week or so, but Flynn was pretty much known for seeing something in nothing, and that was probably what they were doing then. If something was going on, Carrie would tell her eventually.

Who knew all it took was a little bit of miscommunication to mess up time itself?

and so it begins (Rated T) [Bobby x Reggie] by @comeonpeters

Summary: It’s the first day of their second week at Camp Carolling (they’re spending an entire month, and they’re getting paid to be there!) when Reggie gets a little lost in the woods. During this misadventure into the woods, he finds an egg shaped rock, an inhabited cabin that may or may not be riddled with signs, and something that might be magic. He probably doesn’t get paid enough to discover magic.

or, when they were thirteen years old, four boys met at camp carolling and eventually became a band that almost became something legendary. now, all four boys are coming back as counselors, three boys in one band and one boy in his own solo act.

so begins the reunion, though it doesn’t go how any of them imagine.

Porcupine Day (Rated T) [Bobby x Ray x Rose] by @wr0temyway0ut

Summary: It’s been fifteen years since Trevor broke up with Ray and Rose and they’re… not fine, but managing. But when Trevor to adds insult to injury and buys the camp across the lake from the one they once owned together, the two camps become locked in a bitter rivalry. With neither side willing to set aside their pride and work out their issues, the universe decides to settle their fates itself.

Day After Day (After Day After Day) (Rated T) [Alex x Willie] by hufflebibin

Summary: When Alex met Willie just after their senior year of high school, they spent a wonderful three months dating before their relationship ended in a blaze of glory. Now, four years later, they meet again as counselors at a summer camp. The only problem? Alex keeps reliving their first day together. The day that Luke had declared “Prank Day.”

This is not how Alex pictured his summer going.

clocks move faster (it’s all we’re after) (Rated G) [Julie x Luke] by @willexxmercer

Summary: Julie likes it when her friends are happy, so when she realizes she’s stuck in a time loop, she uses her knowledge to make sure everything works out for everyone… except she conveniently forgets to factor herself (and Luke) into the mix.

Touch of Magic (Not Rated) [Alex x Luke] by @williexmercer

Summary: When everything stands in Luke and Alex’s way of getting to be with the people they love, they have to repeat the day over and over until they can get the happily ever after that they want.

the play’s the thing (that goes wrong) (Rated T) [Alex x Willie] by @madeline-kahn

Summary: Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow creeps in this petty pace from day to day for Macbeth, but not so for Alex and the production of Hamlet that he is directing and starring in. And while he’s stuck repeating the day of the performance over and over, mishaps of all kinds befall the cast.

anything, anything (for another run with you) (Rated T) [Alex x Willie] by @aroacethetic-shitpost

Summary: the camp counselor/exes/prank war/time loop fic of your dreams (unless you read all of the other troped round 2 fics lmao)

there’s a glorious sunrise, dappled with the flickers of light (Rated T) [Julie x Luke] by @tonightthestarsalign

Summary: ex-best friends Luke and Julie, working as camp counselors at rivaling camps, find themselves stuck in a time loop

the daughter of apollo (Rated T) [Julie x Luke] by @the-most-beautiful-broom

Summary: the JATP x Camp Half Blood AU that nobody asked for

maybe the world isn’t ending (maybe it’s been postponed) (Rated G) [Julie x Luke] by @tmp-jatp

Summary: It’s the last day of camp and Julie has one more prank planned for Luke. He just doesn’t know what it is.

Here We Go Again (Rated T) [Julie x Luke] by @kybee1497

Summary: Julie blinked as she stared at the place Euterpe had disappeared. What did that even mean? What journey? Old places and lost faces? What was she talking about? But before she could dwell on the questions swirling around in her mind, the sky full of stars began to move, shifting in place and descending until they were all around her. Julie felt her feet leave the ground as she rose up and up. One star in particular was burning brighter than the others, growing bigger in front of her.

It grew and grew, until the light was blinding and Julie had to throw a hand up against the harsh light. She closed her eyes as the light surrounded her and then she was falling. Falling down, down, down.

————

ROUND 3: CANONVERSE FICS

The Tropes:

Secret Places

Neighbors

First Kiss

Time Jump

————

Just say you won’t let go (Rated G) [Julie/Luke] by @fanfics-she-wrote

Summary: Hey, Julie

You're the heart and soul 'round here, it's plain to see

in which Julie has a second chance with her boys, and then a third

we will fight to shine together (bright forever) (Rated G) [Bright Lighting Guy/Rob from the Orpheum] by @screamin-amuseum

Summary: the rob/bright lighting guy fic literally nobody asked for but i wrote anyways. enjoy gays, bring ur tissues

what happened when (Rated G) [Alex/Luke] by @janaikam

Summary: Before Julie and the Phantoms, before the guys became ghosts, before Sunset Curve – they were Luke and Alex. Not 5 feet apart cause they’re totally gay.

who cares if one more light goes out? (in a sky of a million stars) (Rated T) [Ray/Rose] by @tonightthestarsalign

Summary: The first and the last time Ray ever kissed Rose.

we can forget the world (just you and me) (Rated T) [Alex/Willie] by @sunsetcurbed

Summary: “This was the first place I ever came out to someone,” Alex says, spinning around and taking in the tree house.

together we can take on the world (Rated G) [Alex/Reggie] by @comeonpeters

Summary: Alex Mercer meets Reggie Peters on October 8, 1983, which means that two days have passed since Reggie’s sixth birthday, because Reggie is a Libra according to the magazines that his mom reads when she gets Reggie to paint her toenails. He’s also just moved to Los Angeles, California from his hometown of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, a small town in the mountains, and he’s told Alex Mercer about all of this in the three minutes that they’ve known each other, and he might be the loudest, most obnoxious boy that Alex has ever met, and he absolutely has to be Alex’s new best friend.

The Peters family moves in down the street from the Mercers in 1983, and so begins the rest of their lives.

Long Live (Can I start another life with you?) (Rated T) [Julie/Luke] by @smolfangirl

Summary: It’s all too much for one day: first a muffin, then more heartbeats. Julie just needs some time to think. If Luke runs after her to sit by her side so she doesn’t lose it, she won’t complain.

Except afterwards, he starts acting weird. Very weird. And months later, she’s tired of letting him keep his distance.

She can’t do this. Not right now. Not today.

She jumps back on her feet.

The excited grin falls from Luke’s face. She doesn’t try to catch it.

“I – I think this is too much. I need some time. Alone. Sorry.”

Then she runs. She runs past the calloused fingers reaching out to her. Past Reggie and the door, past carved pumpkins on porches and Cornelia Street.

She just runs.

Roses (Rated G) [Emily & Luke, Alex/Luke] by @americanhoney913

Summary: It becomes a sacred place she shares with her son. Mitch is usually off at work from dawn until six o’clock, but Emily’s working from home for now. She works as a florist’s shop right outside the neighborhood. So she brings home seeds and little flowers and other cuts from the store; she and Luke will spend hours out in the dirt, planting seeds and making mud pies and Luke will babble about whatever happened in daycare and make up stories about the different flowers.

Somewhere Only We Know (Rated T) [Nick/Carrie] by hufflebibin

Summary: A journey through Nick Danforth-Evan’s life as experienced in the safety of his backyard hide away.

The Itty Bitty Details (Rated T) [Alex/Willie] by @williexmercer & @futurearchaeologyprof

Summary: 5 times Willie knew Alex and one where Alex knew Willie

you’re the only one who makes me (my wildflower) (Rated T) [Bobby/Reggie] by @willexxmercer

Summary: The tree was Reggie’s safe space, and Bobby was his safe person. He could escape all his troubles there, except for one nagging thought - did he have feelings for his best friend?

Dying complicated things.

because i’ve known you so long, i know every cadence and what they mean (Rated G) [Alex & Julie, Julie/Luke] by @tmp-jatp

Summary: the Juke 5+1 fic from Alex’s POV.

Someday (I’ll See You Again) (Rated T) [Alex/Willie] by @kybee1497

Summary: They’re wrong. Alex, you are not a failure. You’re incredible. You’re smart. You’re funny, and the best friend I could ask for. You’re a wicked talented drummer and you have a beautiful voice. And more important than all of that, is that you’re you, Alex. And the you you are is wonderful, and lovable and perfect. If your parents can’t see that, that’s their own fault. But I swear, Alex. If you’re afraid of them, I need you to tell me. You have to be safe.” Willie’s voice had gone desperate by the end. Alex deserved to know how freaking amazing he was and the fact that his parents didn’t bother to tell him, and actively worked to tear him down instead, was infuriating.

But Willie also worried about him. He’d worried about Alex since the first time he heard Mr. Mercer shouting through the window, a worry that never really went away. Not with the way Alex automatically straightened up when his parents were mentioned, as if he could hear his dad lecturing him about appearances from miles away. Not with the way Alex looked when he was with them, perfectly pieced together and falling apart at the seams, eyes distant and shoulders tense. Willie was pretty sure he had worrying about Alex etched in his bones by this point.

The Energy Never Dies (Rated T) [Gen Fic] by @americanhoney913

Summary: Four moments across time in the loft of the Molina’s garage.

————

ROUND 4: FINAL!

Theme: Author’s Choice

Tropes:

Royalty AU

Soulmate AU

“Long Story Short…”

Author’s Choice

———

Look, Steal From the Rich. Do It. (Rated T) [Julie/Luke] by nik_knows_nothing

Summary: A Julie and the Phantoms Star Wars AU that kind of looks into the ramifications of soul marks in a turbulent society, but mostly just focuses on the gang infiltrating a fancy Core World party.

take my heart (and take my hand) (Rated T) [Alex/Willie] by @sunsetcurbed

Summary: The stranger smiles. “I’m Willie,” he greets.

“Alex,” Alex nods back.

“Sir,” Willie says pointedly, and smirks up at him as he bows exaggeratedly.

“The word sir is coming out of your mouth directed at me, but I don’t feel like you just addressed me as a sir at all. And please, call me Alex.”

“My apologies,” Willie hums, straightening back up. And then, pointedly, he lowers himself back into the same bow and makes deliberate eye contact with Alex. “Sir.”

Alex blinks. “You’re not going to call me Alex, are you?”

“Absolutely not, Sir.”

the princess and the lord (Rated T) [Julie/Luke] by @the-most-beautiful-broom

Summary: a JATP x Princess Diaries 2 AU

Diamond in the Rough (Rated G) [Julie/Luke] by @tmp-jatp

Summary: The JATP Aladdin AU

Okay, So You’re Interrupting the Political Guy Again, So Think About That (Rated T) [Julie/Luke] by nik_knows_nothing

Summary: Julie and the Phantoms meets The Goblin Emperor meets a soulmate AU meets the author’s stunning lack of what I assume is basic knowledge on how monarchies work.

i had the time of my life, fighting dragons with you (Rated T) [Julie/Luke] by @tonightthestarsalign

Summary: luke gets hired by some noble to bring back the princess that was kidnapped by a dragon

born to be yours (Rated G) [Alex/Willie] by @willexxmercer

Summary: “Hello. It feels strange, resorting to notes like this, but I couldn’t think of any other way. I know you’re here, somewhere. At the ball. I’ve tried to find you for the past few nights. My parents always told me never to believe in looped days and soulmates, but I think this just proves that they were wrong.

My name is Willie. I don’t know how to find you, but sometimes I feel like I’m drawn to you. Like I can just sense you nearby. I don’t know if you’ll find this, but if you do, I’ll try to wait for you on the balcony.

Until we meet.”

our best days are yet unknown (Rated T) [Alex/Reggie/Willie] by @aroacethetic-shitpost

Summary: When Prince Alexander of Sacuria meets his fiance, Prince William of Coterra, he’s astonished to discover that he recognizes his daemon. He recognizes it as one of the other shapes that his own daemon is able to take… as his soulmate. The only problem? Alex already has a soulmate: Reggie Peters, his childhood best friend. What should he do about finally meeting his second soulmate?

Panic and run away? Yeah, sure.

Little does he know he’s about to have a bigger problem than that…

————

Please take the time to read of all these incredible fics! Leave the authors some kudos/comments! They worked so hard this whole event. Thanks so much!

Just as a reminder, our non-anon collection is always open and we are always so excited to receive any submissions! The TROPED: JATP official collection has been CLOSED but if any of our prompts inspire you, please share your fics with us in our non-anon collection! Simple put ‘TROPED_Non_Anonymous’ where it asks for the collection name, and be sure to put what round you are writing for in your notes so we can be sure to tag it appropriately when we share! Also, just as a note, fics submitted to the non-anon collection do not have to follow the word limit and do not require the same strict adherence to the tropes, though we do ask that you comply with our other rules regarding no rape, incest, negativity, and things like that! Happy writing!

TROPED JATP AO3 Collection: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/TROPED_JATP_1

TROPED Non-Anon AO3 Collection: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/TROPED_Non_Anonymous

#troped: jatp #jatp fanfiction #troped: masterlist #julie and the phantoms #long post

39 notes · View notes

floating-in-the-blue · 3 years

Text

So about the whole Anti-Willie thing ...

This is going to be long but it’s been stewing in me and wants out...

Okay, not gonna lie, the very idea of Willie-antis gets me enraged. I came across this post in the willex tag and because I didn’t want to hijack it or object OP to potentially negative reactions, I decided to make my own post but quote the anon message they responded to:

The JATP fandom is so toxic only because you guys support a toxic relationship and hate on everyone who points out the falls of the relationship it’s not racist to say that Willie takes advantage of Alex’s anxiety

And the longer I look at this anon’s message ... I’m not only completely baffled at how they could arrive at this reading but also seriously concerned?

Because, let’s assume for a minute here that they aren’t being racist and truly, completely believe that this relationship is toxic ... then what does that mean?

It means purity culture has turned this person’s head so much that they see a caring relationship between two people and label it toxic because one of them made a mistake. It means that they are so far into the rabbit hole that a real relationship will never be achievable because how do you hold up this ideal of never making mistakes, of staying “pure” without crashing and burning?

I may no longer be in academia and it’s been a while but during my time there, I did engage with reader response theories and fandom theories and Death of the Author and textual analysis and deconstructive readings etc. and basically have been very interested in how people read texts and derive meaning from them.

So I’m really curious how people like this anon arrive at a notion of a toxic relationship and one where “Willie takes advantage of Alex’s anxiety” when they watch the show.

And I’m trying, really trying to understand it and so I’m trying to play devil’s advocate for a minute. So let’s look at the scenes they have and see the pro and con Willie arguments that could be made out of them (though I admit, I really have to stretch my imagination with some of those cons!).

This is gonna be long so (also I’m making it up as I go so ...) stuffing this under a cut.

But also, let me preface this with: Willex is my main ship but I do not hate Lalex! I like them in the past, I like them as exes (it’s not my reading of canon, but whatever, ship what you like) and don’t think liking them and shipping them automatically means you’re racist or a bad person or anything like that. Maybe you just like best friends to lovers as a trope more. Or are really into Luke. Maybe that accidental hand-holding scene sparked something. Or whatever. So, me doing this analysis is not because I want to shame you for shipping Lalex. I’m trying to have an open conversation because anon is right in saying that the Willie defense squad is quick to hate on anyone not of their opinion and we’re not getting anywhere if both sides just keep yelling at each other.

Anyway, on we go.

First meeting - Sunset Boulevard

pro: Alex tells Willie about his “minor afterlife crisis” and tags on a joke; Willie makes a joke in return. Reverts back to the topic of the “minor afterlife crisis”, getting serious again when he picks up on Alex’s unease = quickly tuned in to Alex’s emotional needs

con: he skates off, counting on Alex to follow him because he has more questions to ask = establishing a hierarchy based on knowledge and possibly his own attractiveness

After First Meeting

pro: Alex looks happy when he returns to the boys and tells them about Willie, being all excited; Willie has answered a ton of questions (so more than we see, because we never get to see the “woke” thing being taught either = Willie makes time for Alex)

con: - (it could be construed that Alex is more excited about his questions having been answered than Willie himself but that’s a big stretch)

Second Meeting - Museum

pro: initiating physical contact (e.g. hand-holding) that Alex clearly responds to in an amazed but positive way (no signs of discomfort at being touched);

finds out about Alex having trouble with moving things and immediately offers to help him (sucessfully), teaching him ‘how to ghost by showing him how to ghost’;

finds out about Alex’s anxiety and shares his own way of de-stressing with him. Skating probably helps Willie, too, but screaming is something Alex can share and try as well

con: spends half their date (?) “showing off” on his skateboard; drags Alex out of his comfort zone by “breaking into” the museum (however, Alex does go with him willingly)

After Second Meeting

pro: Alex can show off his new-learned ghost skills and sounds happy about the time they shared

con: -

Third Meeting - Park/Promenade (?)

pro: Willie is happy to meet Alex’s friends; looks proud and fond when Alex explains “lifers” to the others, validating his “ghost progress”; immediately ready to help them; offers to introduce them to someone more powerful than him to help them when he sees how disappointed they are when Willie can’t help them

con: offers to introduce them to Caleb while knowing that the whole stamp thing exists (as evidenced later, “you know what that will do to them”)

This is, I guess, where the two readings of Willie’s character and complicitness diverge. I would argue that, had he wanted to get the boys to the club, he would have told Alex about it earlier, would have asked him to meet his friends (though he might have wanted to establish his relationship to Alex first, I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt on that) but most importantly he would have immediately brought up Caleb and the HGC when they asked for help since it is the perfect opportunity.

Instead, he just brings it up when they’re all clearly disappointed. It would make sense in a different context, with different people to hold that back a little, if he were conning them. But you can’t tell me Alex, Luke, and Reggie wouldn’t have immediately jumped on the HGC if he’d told them about it ealier. He could have mentioned it when he first meets Alex and the boys would have come running. Instead he seems to have wanted to keep Alex to himself for as long as he could.

Fourth Meeting - HGC

pro: he is clearly startled by the interest Caleb shows in the boys with the “special table” reserved for them; excited to share the club with the boys and all the cool things about it; makes sure to ease Alex’s nerves by looks and touch and checking in with him;

he is upset and confused when Caleb orders him away at the dancing; he “confronts” Caleb after the stamp incident even though he is clearly wary of him at this point and Caleb has a certain power over him (though it’s not completely clear what that is);

the moment of “there’s a lot to, uhm, like here” shows Willie abandoning his flirty act and instead being serious and then immediately running off instead of trying to coerce Alex to stay

con: he brings them to the club although he knows the stamps are a thing that Caleb does; doesn’t ignore Caleb’s order to disappear during the dance; doesn’t stop Caleb from using his stamps

This is where it gets interesting. Clearly, Willie knows about the stamps. Clearly, he has a certain awe of Caleb and respect for him so he knows he’s not all good. And clearly, he obeyed him rather than intervening.

I would argue that it’s been made clear that he did not anticipate the outcome and as such cannot be intentionally complicit in what happened. His relationship to Caleb is shown as ambivalent. He’s clearly impressed by him (”the guy’s got skills”) and clearly intimidated by him (shown when he checks in with him if it’s still cool he brought the guys). And until he’s shood off the dance-floor, I think his admiration for Caleb outweighs the misgivings he might have (consciously or unconsciously). He’s introduced as someone who doesn’t worry too much; he’s not worried about his unfinished business. He likes to have fun and be free. He does not overthink things (like Alex, for example), so while he may have felt some unease and hesitation at introducing the guys to Caleb (hence why he hasn’t mentioned him sooner), he shrugged it off because Caleb was the only one able to help the guys.

Plus, he’s not exactly introduced as being super smart. He may be more experienced as a ghost but someone truly smart would not think selling his soul is not a big deal. So when Caleb waves him off during the dance, he might be just confused about what is going on. Uneasy and confused but not immediately clued in that the boys are in serious danger.

And when the stamps happen: we don’t know how far away he was. The stamping went really quickly, so there probably wasn’t much chance, if any, to intervene. Willie is still trying to comprehend what just happened when he confronts Caleb about it, shocked when he realises that Caleb did it very intentionally and clearly upset at realising that he brought the guys to Caleb.

Fifth “Meeting” - Coffee shop and Alley

pro: Willie wants to check on the boys even though he clearly isn’t supposed to and he now knows what Caleb is capable off

con: he hasn’t told them yet what’s going on, leaving them in the dark and he doesn’t confront Caleb again when he runs into him but plays it off like he was doing Caleb a favour by checking on the boys

Now, should Willie have acted sooner? Possibly. But from what we’ve seen, his entire world just rearranged itself. He underestimated Caleb, he’s clearly afraid of him now (trying to appease him, the strained smile) because he now realises not only the position the boys are in but also his own precarious position and he needs some time to process all of this and come to terms with everything. Which is a human response! He is a human teenager, after all, albeit a dead one. Just like Alex, he doesn’t handle change well. That may be a personality flaw but it’s a realistic one.

Sixth Meeting - Garage

pro: Willie still checks on the boys even after his run in with Caleb; is still clearly upset (a mixture of guilt and concern, probably) and wishes he’d rather not have met Alex than bring him (and his friends) into this situation, apologises

con: still doesn’t tell them and wants to avoid the confrontation; runs off even though it’s clearly upsetting Alex

So he still hasn’t found the courage to tell the boys about the stamps, which is bad. It could be due to fear about having to own up to his own mistake or because of his fear of Caleb or because he has no idea how to remedy the situation and hasn’t thought of a way out yet so doesn’t see the point.

But it’s clearly weighing on him and he’s even more upset than we’ve seen him previously so this is taking its toll on him. Plus he’s obviously very close to tearing up when he runs off. Being overwhelmed and unable to handle a situation like this is lamentable but very understandable.

Seventh Meeting - Sunset Boulevard

pro: he finally tells the boys though even talking to them puts himself in danger; he apologises and tells Alex that he cares about him; he offers a solution and possible way out even though it’s grasping at straws

con: he makes excuses for how he acted by alluding to Caleb owning his soul (which is a valid reason, though)

I would argue that Willie not urging them to just accept Caleb’s offer speaks volumes here. Now he knows what Caleb is really like, he’d rather the boys be free and move on to a hopefully better place than be tied to him like he is. He’d rather lose Alex (whom he cares about) than see him in Caleb’s clutches. It’s the total reverse of the hope he expressed in the HGC with “there’s a lot to like here”. If he were selfish, he’d nudge the guys to accept so he can spend eternity with Alex in the club. But he doesn’t even mention it. Doesn’t suggest it.

It takes a while for him to owning up to his mistake and the fucked up situation the guys are now in but he does own up to it and apologises for it.

Eight Meeting - Orpheum

pro: still feels guilty about everything; still checks in with Alex even though it puts himself in danger

con: -

I think the way his demenour changes and how he hesitates to touch Alex when he’s previously initiated physical contact all the time, says how guilty he feels. Like he has no right to comfort Alex when he hurts because he’s the one responsible for him hurting. It clearly upsets him though and he has a hard time accepting Alex’s forgiveness.

Ninth Meeting- Sunset Boulevard

pro: has taken a great personal risk in carnapping the Downslide tour bus (being absent from the HGC for a long time); would do anything for Alex; clearly values the hug

con: appears to be fine with saying goodbye

Luke being the one to “arm-bump” (??) Willie is very important, I think. Not only has Alex forgiven Willie (who is in love with him and so more likely to forgive him) but so have Luke and Reggie; showing no animosity and giving Alex and him some space to say goodbye.

The Hug! It clearly means so much to both of them and the way Willie sinks into it, caught off guard says this is nothing casual for him.

Yes, he jokes and seems unruffled at the actual goodbye but I would argue that it’s a front he puts on for Alex’s sake, to show that he will be fine and that Alex shouldn’t worry about him. It’s a far cry from the vulnerable and emotional expression we see during the hug.

So where does this leave us? In my opinion, with a character that cares deeply about Alex and tries his best to make him feel safe and relaxed (1st meeting, museum, first half HGC), who ultimately puts his own life on the line when it comes to saving Alex and the boys, who apologises for his mistakes and feels guilty about them.

That doesn’t mean he isn’t flawed, maybe a bit of a coward, not the brightest candle on the cake, and not as quick to adapt to a new, threatening situation as might be desirable. Someone who needs comfort himself but apparently rarely gets it (see his sudden change to comfortable jumpers in the emotional scenes as opposed to his more “open” clothes beforehand).

I do not see someone who “takes advantage of Alex’s anxiety“ in any way but mostly tries his best to help him with it. Luke and Reggie clearly don’t see him that way.

Willie is flawed but ultimately human.

A “toxic relationship“ boils down to selfishness because it means one partner puts their own needs and wants above the other, even though they’re detrimental to that other partner (whether this happens consciously or unconsciously - because a relationship can be toxic without malicious intent).

In all of his scenes Willie only starts to act “selfishly“ when his own life is at stake. And that only means a certain amount of hesitation before he acts, because ultimately, he does risk his own life!

So, for the life of me, I cannot see the toxicity in Willie and Alex’s relationship unless you come at it with the premise that everyone who makes a mistake is a bad person and toxic, which brings me back to purity culture and “your fave is problematic.”

The whole topic honestly drives me up the wall with how mad it makes me but in the end, I mostly feel really sorry for and worry about those entrenched in this cultish way of thinking. How stressful must it be when mistakes cannot be forgiven. When there’s no compassion and no understanding but only vitriolic hate and crusades. How terrifying must it be to live a life like that! The pressure of perfection intensified by a million because now it’s a moral obligation.

I do feel sorry for you if that is the life you live out of fear of retribution. But let me tell you: nobody is without fault. Nobody is perfect. Everybody makes mistakes, hesitates, doubts. And is still worthy of love.

So: it’s okay to prefer the Lalex ship. Whatever floats your boat. But there is no obligation to make a moral argument out of it where the canon love interest has to be torn down first.

If you want to discuss this with me further: I’m here and you can message me on anon or off and we can have an open conversation

#I really hope we get over this one day #willex #willie jatp #lalex #(I know not everyone shipping lalex is a willie-anti but still)#cw: anti-willie #jatp #purity culture #cancel culture #please cancel cancel culture #phantomfloat #yeo has a lot of thoughts #will anybody even read all of this? who knows #I /meant/ to be spending my evening writing ... just didn't think it would be this essay eating up my evening ...ah well #long post #seriously very long post

44 notes · View notes

julies-butterflies · 3 years

Note

I must admit, sometimes I do feel like a ye olden solider, sending letters to my beloved across the waves during wartime. Oh my dearest Lydia, I hope the kudos and comments crops have been plentiful this season. Your last letter left me weeping. Why must you put poor Reginald through such pain?

(I gotta admit, I still can't believe that I'm talking to you. I've been looking up to your work for so long...it just feels a bit surreal, even now! Glad you like hearing my ramblings! And that you liked my vampire prompt! Did not realize you'd write back when I sent that in. Look at us now, huh?)

(Speaking of prompts, I sent those jukebox and willex ones too. And I loved them both so so much, I shall scream about them more when it is not 2 am because I need sleep)

(Oh and the update of If I Was You!!! Amazing, Stellar, Incredible, Reggie, Carrie, Julie shenanigans is my new favorite thing, DID YOU JUST DOUBLE THE CHAPTER COUNT, and I'm like 90% sure Trevor is in deep trouble with a certain angry jazz ghost. Seriously loving it)

I actually do not remember what it was like to send in 1/5 asks, because I did not get a Tumblr until very reccently! I've always been a nerdy person, but Jatp is my first time being really in a fandom. You gotta do something new in quarantine, right?

Ah yes. Luke and Emily. To me, it just seems obvious that there's so much love between them. Even with all the pain. You get it. You put it down so eloquently.

As for what kind of stories I like to read...it seriously depends on my mood.

I like niche aus, passion projects. Stories where you can just feel the author's love for the world they're inventing. But I tend to lean towards cannonverse. I like ghost stories, it's what drew me to this show in the first place. And I love exploring that concept. (Being forever gone, and always the same...it's just fascinating to me)

Platonic goodness is just WONDERFUL for this show. I will read anything with cuddles. I am touched starved and these kiddos are too, and I will cry about them puppy piling every damn day. Plus there's just some much POTENTIAL for future friendships! I love ones where Flynn and Carrie get to interact with the boys as well. And 90s content, from before and after the orpheum, just hits hard.

I really wasn't expecting to get invested in the couples on this show, but something about them is moving to me. So I do love to read about them. Watching two queer kids who lived during incredibly important areas of queer history find love together after death really hit hard for me, and there's just something so bittersweet about a girl and ghost deciding to love each other for the little time they're given.

I love family dynamics too. Anything with Ray and his seven disaster children, the band and Trevor.... I think Julie and Emily is one of my favorite dynamics to explore. A girl who lost her mother and a mother who lost her son, both grieving but with one able to speak to the dead...it's just very powerful to me.

(And of course, Luke and Emily, but I figured you already knew that)

Mostly...I like seeing the messy stuff. The unexpected consequences, the baggage. I want to see the messy emotions, the grief and anger, the jealously, the disorientation. I look for those glass shards, that might be too sharp to ever be addressed on the show. Not even the big, monumental plot lines just... the harder pieces of life, the little moments that don't fit neatly into a nine episode arc.

I just want to see them live you know? Love, laughter and loss all mixed together.

(One of my all time favorite tropes is "found family gets broken apart by trauma, only to find each other again and come back stronger than ever." I feel like this explains a lot of my taste in fiction)

Thank you for the writing advice. Your words were very motivating. I am trying to begin! I got up the nerve to start working on a little piece. Who knows if it will go anywhere. But it's been nice, to finally put some words on the page.

The POTC au is so freaking good man. The character dynamics are just on FIRE. Everything is broken and messy and the relationships genuinely tug at my heartstrings. It's such a fascinating story. Highly recommend, even with the cliff hangers.

OH HOW COULD I FORGET PAWPRINTER? Man oh man I love all her work. The wheelies art and steals universe is freaking amazing, not an avacado had me in tears (of laughter, till things got surprisingly sad). And All that Remains...slow burn Willex perfection. Jedi Alex and Pilot Willie have my HEART.

I don't think I've read firefall and weneedglitter (or if I have, I'm just not connecting the names to their pieces. I don't always remember author names. it's a problem). I will go look for them though! Cannot wait!

For more recs, I recently binge read We Found Wonderland. I was not mentally prepared for the sheer amount of feelings that gave me. Highly recommend, if you ever want an emotional rollercoaster with an incredibly satisfying end.

Going on to more serious subjects...I'm sorry your family doesn't see your grief for what it is: honest. Better to feel everything quietly, than make it an easily understadnable performance. Fake grief is so easy to spot.

I think of that scene from "Forever," when Buffy breaks down and tells Dawn that she has to keep busy, because if she stops, it means Joyce is really gone. There's a lot of truth there.

On a tangent here but.. there was a very long period in my life when I was told the ways I expressed my emotions were "incorrect". And I found that sometimes, no matter how you show your emotions, you'll always be criticized. Numbness can be called disinterest, but sobbing can be called attention-seeking too. Too big, too small: that jury was impossible to please This may not apply in your situation but...it's okay to feel however you can. It's the only think you can do, really.

As I've said before, Grief is such an odd trickster.

Don't you ever get tired of missing people... This past year, I've been so weary of grief. Sometimes it can be so sharp, but it's that dull ache. That ball and chain, no longer cutting through your skin, but rubbing it raw, weighing you down.

And people don't like to talk about that part, because it's long and tiresome, but oh, is it there. I find it hard to talk about my grief, because sometimes there's just so much of it. I could drown in it, and that fear keeps me from looking to close. To incorrectly quote Jane Austin: "If I missed you a little less, I might be able to talk about it more."

(Sometimes it's faceable. But sometimes you just can't bear it. And that's okay.)

But what you wrote in that eulogy...the love is there. It's in every word you write. I cried reading that section. I feel honored once again to see some of your jagged pieces. You're sharing your heart, and there's just so much love.

In the wise words of an author I know, "Love is like the snow Reggie. It never goes away."

And don't worry, I'm always with you.

Sending Love,

-LydiaStan7845 (aka Vampire Anon)

So...that Reggie and Nicky prompt

my god

my GOD

OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD

I think it's safe to say congrats, you've officially destroyed me! I was not prepared for that at ALL. I should know better by now I guess.

I can't get over that even though they all take place in very different universe, all your stories just feel so connected! The way this talked about those headphones, which you mentioned in the first chapter of Kill Your Heroes...it's just so cool. All the characterization and backstory is just so well thought out, and it genuinely blows my mind.

I didn't think I could love Nicky Peters more. I was wrong. The way you write about him...even though you never go into exactly what happened to him after Reggie's death, you can just feel how much it's shapped him as a person. And the trauma around his father, and how he fears becoming like that, was just so beautifully written. He's just so lovable and flawed and trying so damn hard and you made my heart ache for him. Again.

You always take these genuinely crazy situations and...you just make them feel so real. I love you explore the strains such a revelation would put on Nicky's own life, it just makes everything so compellingly messy. It seriously feel like I was watching a real-life account of a family trying to deal with such a massive complication.

That porch scene had me in tears both times I read it. Reggie's just always a big brother, even though Nicky is more than twice his age now. My heart was shattered, and then you slowly mended it, piece by piece. And for absolutely no reason at all, you wouldn't happen to have a reference for the porch, would you?

Just wow. Hope you're doing well. Sending love and applause

-Vampire Anon

i’m not even gonna reply, but i want these documented... on my blog... for posterity. ( for any curious onlookers, i’m dating this anon now!! )

#vampire anon my beloved

1 note · View note

vias-words · 4 years

Text

Ask Game For Fan Fiction Writers

Thank you @mygeeknessisa-quivering for tagging me!

1. What fandoms do you write for?

Usually The Cursed Child but I’m starting to write for Julie and the Phantoms too. I used to be a big Marvel writer as well and I have one Miss Peregrine’s fic that I’m really proud of. Had a bunch of other fandoms that I wrote for when I was younger but these would be the main ones.

2. What parings do you write for?

Scorbus!! Then I used to write Stucky and Clintasha when I did Marvel fics

3. What is your most popular fanfic?

Albus Potter and the Cursed Legacy on AO3 but my most popular of all time was a Stucky fic on Wattpad called Coming Back Home

4. Do you write original stories as well?

Yes! But none are published

5. What is a fandom you will never write for?

Probably just ones that I’m not interested in or don’t know that much about.

6. Which platform do you prefer?

AO3 for sure

7. What are your favorite fanfics?

There are so many amazing fics that I forgot to save but here are some of my favorites that I have book marked

Scorbus: Blood, Ice, Water ; Paper Dragons ; Beneath the Wisteria

General Harry Potter: A Future Beyond 17

Jeddy/Scorbus: King and Lionheart

JATP: The Ghosts of My Past

8. How do you stay motivated to finish what you’ve started?

Definitely getting feedback helps. And just staying invested in the story. I take breaks when needed so I don’t burn out.

9. What’s your longest fanfic?

Albus Potter and the Cursed legacy is almost 200,000 words which is absolutely insane to me but I love it dearly

10. Do you use sentence starters, writing prompts and/or fandom headcanons for your fanfics?

Sometimes! Usually just for shorter fics. But I incorporate fandom headcanons into longer fics as well. Basically my fics are based on fanon most of the time anyway

11. Do you use/follow advice from writing blogs/posts?

Sometimes!

12. What’s your shortest fanfic?

Borderline is just under 4,000 words

13. Do you listen to music during your writing process?

Yes, it helps me focus. I like atmospheric music to match the story. There’s a lot of great youtube videos for that but also instrumentals and movie scores on spotify are great.

14. What is your favorite writing prompt?

Can’t say I have one

15. Can we get a list of all of your current available fanfics?

Here is a link to my AO3! I have some reaaaallly old ones on Wattpad too if you want to see how 13-15 y.o. me wrote haha the user is via_words

16. Long chapters or short chapters?

Long. I notoriously write a lot.

17. How many WIPs (work-in-progress) do you’ve got?

Too many...I’d say a solid 8 but a lot of started fic ideas that never took off

18. Do you take requests?

I’m open to hearing them but I usually struggle to write someone else’s ideas

19. What’s more difficult? Fanfics or original work?

Original work for sure, which is very frustrating to me. I’ve written a novel length fic before I can even get halfway through an original. I think I just know fic characters and the world a whole lot better and I know my audience will too, so there’s not stress about making sure everything is clear.

20. How did you find the magical world of fanfics?

I can’t even remember. I think I got on Wattpad through word of mouth when I was 12 but didn’t start posting until I was like 13 or 14.

21. Do you partake in any fanfic/writing events?

I try to!

22. Does fanart of your fanfic exist?

Yes!! Which is AMAZING! I’ve got a small folder of drawings people have made inspired by or for my fic. I even got a video edit and vine comp once which I could not stop watching and smiling. It’s honestly so incredible that people have done that for something I wrote and I’m so thankful.

23. Do fanfics of your fanfic exist?

No I didn’t even realize that could be a thing. I’d say if you’re using someone’s OC’s or ideas, do be sure to ask them first.

24. What is your favorite sentence that you’ve used in a fanfic?

Oh gosh this is hard. One that’s always stood out to my is this line from Draco in chapter 18 of the Cursed Legacy

"Do you really think I wanted to be evil? That I set out to achieve that goal? No, that was never my reasoning to join the Deatheaters. No, mainly I wanted to fit in--to be a part of something greater. And to a naive boy who faced nothing but pressure from his parents to conform to their ideals, this," He forced up the left sleeve of his cloak to reveal the faded scar of where his dark mark once branded him, "seemed like that answer.”

25. Where do you draw inspiration from?

A lot of music or photos/art. Whatever get’s me in the right mood to delve deeper into these characters.

26. Can we get a teaser for an upcoming chapter?

Here’s the one I used in a recent ask game for the next chapter of the Cursed Legacy!

"I think we're all a little afraid of the unknown. But that's what makes life exciting, right?"

James eyed Albus up and down, "Who are you and where's the pessimistic Albus I know?"

Albus gave his brother a small shove but cracked a smile, "You're a git."

No tags for this one since I would probably end tagging people how have already been tagged. But feel free to do this as well if you want to and consider yourself tagged by me :)

3 notes · View notes