Discussion of Fics We're Currently Loving

Our two favourite full time internet nerds who never go outside!
Post Reply
User avatar
sparkle
blobfish
Posts: 650
Joined: Thu Jun 01, 2017 6:12 pm
Pronouns: she/her
Location: UK

allsaintshowell wrote: Sat Mar 24, 2018 4:12 pm i have a confession – i still haven't read amaaf? the description has never intrigued me enough to click on it, but after hearing everyone rave about it i feel i should give it a go. hopefully i'll be pleasantly surprised?
I don't normally like ANYTHING AU which is why I struggle with fanfics. I prefer things to be realistic which is why I've never engaged with Harry Potter fanfic stuff either. So bearing that in mind; the only way I can describe amaaf is if it was a book that I'd bought in a bookshop, it would be one of my favourites of all time. I was genuinely upset when I saw 'completed' because I absolutely adored it. I can only hope she writes it from Dans perspective or carries it on because I genuinely miss it already.
:sparkle: dan howell gives me life :sparkle:
don't waste your time
or time will waste you
:sparkle:
User avatar
obsessivelymoody
emo goose
Posts: 1134
Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2017 12:56 am
Pronouns: she/her
Location: canada

sparkle wrote: Sat Mar 24, 2018 9:12 pm
allsaintshowell wrote: Sat Mar 24, 2018 4:12 pm i have a confession – i still haven't read amaaf? the description has never intrigued me enough to click on it, but after hearing everyone rave about it i feel i should give it a go. hopefully i'll be pleasantly surprised?
I don't normally like ANYTHING AU which is why I struggle with fanfics. I prefer things to be realistic which is why I've never engaged with Harry Potter fanfic stuff either. So bearing that in mind; the only way I can describe amaaf is if it was a book that I'd bought in a bookshop, it would be one of my favourites of all time. I was genuinely upset when I saw 'completed' because I absolutely adored it. I can only hope she writes it from Dans perspective or carries it on because I genuinely miss it already.
Sarah has said she won't be writing it from Dan's perspective, since it's Phil's story. However, she also said she doesn't want to let go of/isn't done with the amaaf universe, so at any given time she could post oneshots for it (which is great because I wish it didn't have to end, as it was the highlight of my mondays, wednesdays, and fridays)
User avatar
sparkle
blobfish
Posts: 650
Joined: Thu Jun 01, 2017 6:12 pm
Pronouns: she/her
Location: UK

obsessivelymoody wrote: Sat Mar 24, 2018 9:51 pm Sarah has said she won't be writing it from Dan's perspective, since it's Phil's story. However, she also said she doesn't want to let go of/isn't done with the amaaf universe, so at any given time she could post oneshots for it (which is great because I wish it didn't have to end, as it was the highlight of my mondays, wednesdays, and fridays)
brb, just going to cry for about a week. (I kid, I completely understand why, but I dont think im emotionally ready to let go of that fic, it genuinely helped me get through the last 3 months)
:sparkle: dan howell gives me life :sparkle:
don't waste your time
or time will waste you
:sparkle:
theseclouds
crusty sponge
Posts: 25
Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2017 6:08 pm
Pronouns: she/her
Location: Germany

I forced myself to wait until amaaf and DTU were completed and then managed to read each of them in roughly a day (who needs sleep anyway?) because they were so addicting and so good :love2:
LtrllySusan wrote: Fri Mar 23, 2018 4:45 pm I'm always sad when some of my favourite stories get deleted. I was just looking over top-kudos stories on AO3 and found that "When it rains it pours" (and all other fics by the author) are gone. I know the fic had been dead for a long time, still sad :/
That's such a shame. :( I think this was the very first WIP I read in phandom and although updates weren't really happening anymore I still had some hope. (In a different fandom I follow, a WIP just got updated for the first time in nine years, so it's not impossible.) I think the author deleted their tumblr too, at least I can't find it anymore. I think I might have a pdf of it somewhere though, if you want it?
User avatar
allsaintshowell
pumpkin spice pumpkin cookie
Posts: 137
Joined: Tue Apr 25, 2017 1:50 pm
Pronouns: she/her
Location: united states of depression

allsaintshowell wrote: Sat Mar 24, 2018 4:12 pm i have a confession – i still haven't read amaaf? the description has never intrigued me enough to click on it, but after hearing everyone rave about it i feel i should give it a go. hopefully i'll be pleasantly surprised?
right hi yes i sat down and read both amaaf and dtu and . holy shit i get it. everyone is so right about both those fics and i don’t know why i didn’t cave sooner.
Image Image
User avatar
LadyLackless
cheeky #spon
Posts: 200
Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2017 6:31 pm
Pronouns: She/Her
Location: UK

*blows dust off thread*
So any other fics that people are particularly loving at the moment? My reading schedule is currently blessed with the following amazing WIPs:

Monday - “Give me a try” by danfanciesphil
Exeptionally cute AU where Dan is a bartender at a gay bar in Brighton and Phil Lester, the Instagram model he has idolised for ages, falls into his life.

Tuesday - “Six Ravens” by iihappydaysii
AU that imagines how Stop Speak Support would go if Dan were Dan but Prince William were Phil. Nick Jonas is Dan’s bff. It’s hilarious.

Wednesday(ish, it’s not on a strict schedule but updates frequently) - “Strangers” by waveydnp
Gorgeous dreamy AU where Dan lives heartbroken and alone in London until he accidentally meets his neighbour Phil. Things get sexual unexpectedly quickly, they don’t talk, and Dan doesn’t understand why Phil keeps getting stopped for selfies by teenage girls when they are out and about...

Thursday - “Six Ravens” again

Weekends (about to go on a mini hiatus but don’t let that put you off) - “Shapes and Weights to Choose” by queerofcups
Hot as hell A/B/O fic that has Dan as a sex-toy blogger and Phil as a soon-to-be retired porn star. Sound like it would be a total pwp but is a superbly written, nuanced look at what the sexual politics of an A/B/O society would actually look like. I usually roll my eyes at A/B/O fics for the dynamics being a used as a plot tool to get to the shagging quicker, but not in this case. Characterisation is spot on. This is the one I mash refresh for because AO3 is sketchy with email notifications sometimes.

I know these are not exactly groundbreaking recommendations, all these authors are well known for quality, but if you’re not allergic to WIPs then give them a try :D

ps to add, I clearly love my AUs...
User avatar
MythicalPinkTrashCan
phabergé
Posts: 286
Joined: Sun Jan 22, 2017 2:14 am
Pronouns: she/her
Location: Texas

LadyLackless wrote: Tue May 01, 2018 11:10 am Weekends (about to go on a mini hiatus but don’t let that put you off) - “Shapes and Weights to Choose” by queerofcups
Hot as hell A/B/O fic that has Dan as a sex-toy blogger and Phil as a soon-to-be retired porn star. Sound like it would be a total pwp but is a superbly written, nuanced look at what the sexual politics of an A/B/O society would actually look like. I usually roll my eyes at A/B/O fics for the dynamics being a used as a plot tool to get to the shagging quicker, but not in this case. Characterisation is spot on. This is the one I mash refresh for because AO3 is sketchy with email notifications sometimes.
I love a good ABO fic (don't kink shame me) and this one is SOOOO hot. It's hard to find a good ABO that's not like "PUT A PUP IN ME" which... i hate that type. It's so good. SOOO GOOD Read it!!!

That being said: Excitement under the cut.
I'm so surprised they did the do in the last chapter! I really thought it was going to take a least a few more chapters/not this two day weekend trip thing. I can't WAIT to see how they are going to work through it!
User avatar
DatCog
blobfish
Posts: 675
Joined: Wed Dec 21, 2016 1:51 pm
Pronouns: she/her
Location: UK

LadyLackless wrote: Tue May 01, 2018 11:10 am *blows dust off thread*
So any other fics that people are particularly loving at the moment? My reading schedule is currently blessed with the following amazing WIPs:

Monday - “Give me a try” by danfanciesphil
Exeptionally cute AU where Dan is a bartender at a gay bar in Brighton and Phil Lester, the Instagram model he has idolised for ages, falls into his life.

Tuesday - “Six Ravens” by iihappydaysii
AU that imagines how Stop Speak Support would go if Dan were Dan but Prince William were Phil. Nick Jonas is Dan’s bff. It’s hilarious.

Wednesday(ish, it’s not on a strict schedule but updates frequently) - “Strangers” by waveydnp
Gorgeous dreamy AU where Dan lives heartbroken and alone in London until he accidentally meets his neighbour Phil. Things get sexual unexpectedly quickly, they don’t talk, and Dan doesn’t understand why Phil keeps getting stopped for selfies by teenage girls when they are out and about...

Thursday - “Six Ravens” again

Weekends (about to go on a mini hiatus but don’t let that put you off) - “Shapes and Weights to Choose” by queerofcups
Hot as hell A/B/O fic that has Dan as a sex-toy blogger and Phil as a soon-to-be retired porn star. Sound like it would be a total pwp but is a superbly written, nuanced look at what the sexual politics of an A/B/O society would actually look like. I usually roll my eyes at A/B/O fics for the dynamics being a used as a plot tool to get to the shagging quicker, but not in this case. Characterisation is spot on. This is the one I mash refresh for because AO3 is sketchy with email notifications sometimes.

I know these are not exactly groundbreaking recommendations, all these authors are well known for quality, but if you’re not allergic to WIPs then give them a try :D

ps to add, I clearly love my AUs...
This is my week too, I love all of these!!

Great new chapter of Give Me A Try today - I couldn't help thinking about this fic while I was in Brighton at the weekend :D . Strangers is excellent and I'm looking forward to Six Ravens warming up soon. Never been much of a fan of ABO fics but Shapes and Weights might be changing my opinion...if only they could all be this good!
User avatar
LadyLackless
cheeky #spon
Posts: 200
Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2017 6:31 pm
Pronouns: She/Her
Location: UK

DatCog wrote: Tue May 01, 2018 3:25 pm Never been much of a fan of ABO fics but Shapes and Weights might be changing my opinion...if only they could all be this good!
Sheltered noob that I was, I didn’t even know about ABO/Omegaverse before I started reading phanfic. I usually have the same issues with it as mythicalpinktrashcan; ABO society rules are too often used as a tool to bypass proper character and plot development to get to the “good stuff” and suddenly it’s all knotting and mating glands and woobie!OmegaDan ... and I’m out.

This is why I love Shapes and Weights so much, because it’s taken the universe and it’s tropes and using it to do something interesting. I totally buy in to Dan and Phil’s characters and their motivations and they feel real to me.
I was also (pleasantly) surprised at how quickly they seem to be crossing professional boundaries :twisted: honourable mention to the phone call during Dan’s last heat, it was one of the hottest things I’ve read in a while - absolutely no kinkshaming here!!
kindofatrashcan
pumpkin spice pumpkin cookie
Posts: 125
Joined: Wed May 03, 2017 12:32 am
Pronouns: She/Her
Location: Argentina

Six ravens... i love it really, actually, except Strangers (that i'm waiting to have more chapters) i' m reading all of them and loving it. I'm sad that Shapes and Weights is going on hiatus, but at leats not for long.
User avatar
sonicgreen
woodland creature
Posts: 597
Joined: Thu Sep 28, 2017 2:56 pm

Haha I'm already reading all but the ABO fic right now (not my thing), I came to this thread to look for more content! Loving Strangers a lot, and I'm waiting on "Give Me a Try" to finish before I start. Six Ravens is amazing though, I was so worried it was going to be a historical AU, but it is not!
Image
User avatar
liola
rankussy
Posts: 1679
Joined: Fri Jul 14, 2017 3:09 pm
Pronouns: she/her
Location: Italy

LadyLackless wrote: Tue May 01, 2018 11:10 am *blows dust off thread*
So any other fics that people are particularly loving at the moment? My reading schedule is currently blessed with the following amazing WIPs:

Monday - “Give me a try” by danfanciesphil
Exeptionally cute AU where Dan is a bartender at a gay bar in Brighton and Phil Lester, the Instagram model he has idolised for ages, falls into his life.

Tuesday - “Six Ravens” by iihappydaysii
AU that imagines how Stop Speak Support would go if Dan were Dan but Prince William were Phil. Nick Jonas is Dan’s bff. It’s hilarious.

Wednesday(ish, it’s not on a strict schedule but updates frequently) - “Strangers” by waveydnp
Gorgeous dreamy AU where Dan lives heartbroken and alone in London until he accidentally meets his neighbour Phil. Things get sexual unexpectedly quickly, they don’t talk, and Dan doesn’t understand why Phil keeps getting stopped for selfies by teenage girls when they are out and about...

Thursday - “Six Ravens” again

Weekends (about to go on a mini hiatus but don’t let that put you off) - “Shapes and Weights to Choose” by queerofcups
Hot as hell A/B/O fic that has Dan as a sex-toy blogger and Phil as a soon-to-be retired porn star. Sound like it would be a total pwp but is a superbly written, nuanced look at what the sexual politics of an A/B/O society would actually look like. I usually roll my eyes at A/B/O fics for the dynamics being a used as a plot tool to get to the shagging quicker, but not in this case. Characterisation is spot on. This is the one I mash refresh for because AO3 is sketchy with email notifications sometimes.

I know these are not exactly groundbreaking recommendations, all these authors are well known for quality, but if you’re not allergic to WIPs then give them a try :D

ps to add, I clearly love my AUs...
This is exactly my week! I'm particularly loving Shapes and Weights, I find myself rereading the updates constantly and the new chapter honestly killed me for good, I couldn't believe it ended like that and there wasn't more. I could probably read a 20k chapter in one go and still want more of it. I'm kinda picky with abo stories and so far I've only found another one that has made fall in love as much, and I love how it's not just about typical pwp but it involves concepts of gender roles and such. So much love 💙
Will probably never be over the BONCAS and the beauty of Phil Lester.

Official Moving Hill Mayor
User avatar
LadyLackless
cheeky #spon
Posts: 200
Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2017 6:31 pm
Pronouns: She/Her
Location: UK

sonicgreen wrote: Tue May 01, 2018 5:44 pm Six Ravens is amazing though, I was so worried it was going to be a historical AU, but it is not!
Tbh even if it was a historical AU I would probably read it if iihappydaysii was writing it :lol:
she is writing something else historical but it’s only updating once a season as far as I know
User avatar
lefthandedism
simply stressed bisexual
simply stressed bisexual
Posts: 1672
Joined: Tue Nov 15, 2016 10:16 pm
Pronouns: she/her
Location: New England

I'm reading Shapes and Weights, because I'll read anything queerofcups writes, and I love it. I'm still pretty confused, because I haven't read A/B/O before, so I still don't really understand the uninverse, but that's ok. I don't mind learning this way!
I actually didn't want them to do the do so soon--it didn't seem to have the right kind of buildup to it. But of course, sex can be like that: the first time with someone is often not exactly ideal.
Goes to that phone call. :fan:
"If you're left-handed, ask a friend."
"Why am I left-handed?"
"Everybody makes mistakes."
Templeofshame
rainbow nerd
Posts: 233
Joined: Sun Nov 05, 2017 8:46 pm
Pronouns: she/her

I am on all these trains except the ABO, but my other favorite WIP currently is Parallel Lines by agingphangirl. I haven't read much mpreg, but this is like the phanfic version of my favorite pregnancy-related romcoms. A little Juno, a little Friends With Kids, and a lot of Dan & Phil trying to figure out how to handle adulthood and also their ambiguous friendship.
kindofatrashcan
pumpkin spice pumpkin cookie
Posts: 125
Joined: Wed May 03, 2017 12:32 am
Pronouns: She/Her
Location: Argentina

Adding to the recomendations, 'Too tense to be undone' by auroraphilealis where is 2009 but Dan never had an orgasm. Amazing.
User avatar
LadyLackless
cheeky #spon
Posts: 200
Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2017 6:31 pm
Pronouns: She/Her
Location: UK

kindofatrashcan wrote: Wed May 02, 2018 3:56 am Adding to the recomendations, 'Too tense to be undone' by auroraphilealis where is 2009 but Dan never had an orgasm. Amazing.
Yes!!! I knew I forgot one! And it’s canon compliant, not an AU :D
Chapter 3 of this fic ended me. 15k of excellent smut! I think I sat slack jawed for a good two minutes after reading it :love2:

Shapes and Weights: As far as I can tell I don’t think the rules of the ABO universe are totally set in stone. I’m definitely enjoying how queerofcups is interpreting them!
I don’t think they’ve had penetrative sex yet, looking at her tumblr, although the wording of the last chapter was ambiguous. I think Phil was just ‘encouraging’ him heavily with the toy.

I’m loving the dichotomy between Dan being this gay omega activist, but also being kind of a slut for ‘his’ alpha.
Templeofshame
rainbow nerd
Posts: 233
Joined: Sun Nov 05, 2017 8:46 pm
Pronouns: she/her

LadyLackless wrote: Wed May 02, 2018 5:44 am

Shapes and Weights: As far as I can tell I don’t think the rules of the ABO universe are totally set in stone. I’m definitely enjoying how queerofcups is interpreting them!
I don’t think they’ve had penetrative sex yet, looking at her tumblr, although the wording of the last chapter was ambiguous. I think Phil was just ‘encouraging’ him heavily with the toy.
In case anyone was wondering about this wording and doesn't follow Dann:
"just fingers! there’s so much smut left to write"
User avatar
kavat
pastel persona
Posts: 1365
Joined: Tue Nov 14, 2017 7:36 pm
Pronouns: she/her
Location: scandinavia

I'm also very much enjoying both Strangers and Shapes and weights. I've never read ABO before, I've never really understood what it was, but I love everything Dann writes and trust them to do it well. I was a bit confused at first but the universe they're building is fascinating, and the political aspect of it is so interesting. And it's super hot, of course, because it's Dann.

Strangers is the polar opposite to amaaf that I think we all needed. The characterization is beautiful and I just can't wait to see where this story goes.
User avatar
coffeepenguin
rainbow nerd
Posts: 237
Joined: Wed Aug 17, 2016 5:27 pm
Pronouns: she/her
Location: France

I have just discovered deathlytireddan on AO3 whose writing is, in my opinion, spot on and just amazing. But a couple of their fics where Dan's family is featured made me wonder (I don't know if it's the right place to discuss it, but I hesitate to bring it up in the main thread): why do you think Dan's grandma doesn't appear in phanfiction that often? I don't, of course, read everything that's being written in the phandom, but I feel like I follow enough writers, I read both canonverse and AU, and I've never really seen her as a character in on of the fics, while Phil's parents, Martyn, Cornelia, Dan's parents and even his brother, despite all the stuff that went down with his tumblr several years ago, all feature quite prominently. Is it the need to protect because Dan obviously cares about her, apparently more than about his parents, judging by his various remarks, but it's not the same as with Phil's family because we never see her? It's not that we don't know anything about her and she does play a major role in his life, or at least did when he was growing up. I'm not saying writers should include her, I was just surprised when I realised that she was missing from the usual pool of characters.
Dan wants to be understood. Phil just wants to make the viewer smile and sell some backpacks (c) fancybum
User avatar
Afunnyworld
sofa crease
Posts: 95
Joined: Thu Sep 29, 2016 5:31 am
Pronouns: she/her
Location: USA

I'm not sure if anyone has recced this yet, but Flares (previously known as Caught in a Landslide) by huphilpuffs is amazing.
It's a WIP and To oversimplify: Dan suffers from chronic pain and drops out of college, he finds a flatmate-Phil
They update 2-3 times a week so it isn't too hard to wait btwn updates
User avatar
sonicgreen
woodland creature
Posts: 597
Joined: Thu Sep 28, 2017 2:56 pm

Afunnyworld wrote: Mon May 14, 2018 4:20 am I'm not sure if anyone has recced this yet, but Flares (previously known as Caught in a Landslide) by huphilpuffs is amazing.
It's a WIP and To oversimplify: Dan suffers from chronic pain and drops out of college, he finds a flatmate-Phil
They update 2-3 times a week so it isn't too hard to wait btwn updates
+1 to this! Flares has been really great! <3
Image
User avatar
LadyLackless
cheeky #spon
Posts: 200
Joined: Mon Nov 13, 2017 6:31 pm
Pronouns: She/Her
Location: UK

Decisions and Revisions completed over the weekend. I will never stop shouting about how much I love Ashley’s writing!

This one is a painful read, as it is the prequel to DIsturb the Universe, but it’s still so good! I felt everything Dan was feeling and yet couldn’t entirely hate Phil (Maybe I wouldn’t feel so charitable if I hadn’t read DTU first?)
I’m a tiny bit surprised that she decided to end it there. I mean, as it stands it is amazing and bleak and awful, and usually I’m all on board for a downer ending. And of course she can do wtf she likes with her own story.
And yet I feel like there is an opportunity for it to go further.... More bleak destructive Dan behaviour coupled with his tenderness at helping June through her postnatal depression? That would certainly be interesting. A pseudo-happy ending in the shape of Roger sweeping in to help Dan learn to love himself again? I would dearly love to read that fic to complement these existing amazing fics.

NB: I am well aware that I have no right to demand or even suggest that any author write anything, they don’t work for me. I’ve tried to write my own and it’s so laughably bad I have nothing but respect and admiration for those who are able to do it well! So maybe it’s just me being unable to let go of the DTU-verse :)
User avatar
kavat
pastel persona
Posts: 1365
Joined: Tue Nov 14, 2017 7:36 pm
Pronouns: she/her
Location: scandinavia

Don't mind me, just here to rave about Strangers again. This chapter had so much. I feel like in the last chapter Dan figured out some things about himself and about his feelings and how to open up, and in this one it was Phil's turn to share his thoughts and feelings. The timing of it was also perfect with Phil's new video (Sarah said she wrote that part before his video so I guess she's just in tune with Phil, lol). And it was hot, just as a lovely bonus.
kindofatrashcan
pumpkin spice pumpkin cookie
Posts: 125
Joined: Wed May 03, 2017 12:32 am
Pronouns: She/Her
Location: Argentina

Just +1 to what @kavat is saying. Thr timing was PERFECT with the video (wtf) i love them so much in this fic. I feel like Sarah understand so much this characters. I'm in love with this fic (and six ravens, i'm waiting for tomorrow's chapter)
Post Reply