I liked the show. Skip was cute, and hollanov was intense. Their chemistry was insane and they go through a lot together. This show gave us one of the most beautiful dynamics to grace our screens.
They met when they were young (definitely younger than anyone could guess), and they became fixtures in each otherâs life, so intertwined that their personalities have probably rubbed off on each other, too. They were there for each other through everything. Ilyaâs family was tragic, but he could find solace here. They were together through the bad years that nobody else ever be privy to because for the longest time, it was only them. They know each other so well that they can have mind blowing sex while arguing about hockey statistics and somehow consider this all normal. A balm to Ilyaâs painful world. He found someone who knew him best, who he could trust completely, who knew everything about him. This person is such a good thing in his life that he says âI donât deserve you.â To which she replies, âYou doâ.
Svetlana
It says a lot when the fandom isnât sure of something as basic as her relationship or dynamic with Ilya. Iâve read fics where sheâs his confidant and basically a therapist, fics where sheâs a bit of an enabler, analyses that they could have been happily married in another life, while others say they didnât have the intimacy Ilya needed, or she would have laughed in his face if he asked her to marry him. Others think her feelings for him were never purely platonic without delving into how this makes Ilya someone who took her for granted or lead her on (which she was perfectly content to do, as others say), while others hang on to the âAre you jealous?â âYou know me better than that.â line as proof that sheâs an infallible girl boss plot device meant to reflect all of Ilyaâs inner thoughts. She doesnât have what Ilya needs in a relationship, but you canât look at his relationship with Shane in a vacuum without treating her like chopped liver.
Sheâs both Ilyaâs purest most unconditional love, but also someone whoâll drag him to the club or into bed if she thinks heâs bummed about losing or his homophobic abusive dad. But one thing is consistentâ from her chemistry, to her choices and dialogue, to her background, to how everyone writes her, sheâs ilya rozanovâs girl. sheâs on his side. sheâs choosing him first and daresay heâd do just as much for her. Her love for Ilya defines how much she hates or loves someone, including his significant other, at first meeting. The show gave them an unseen, obviously tumultuous history with a very specific dynamic of him following her around since diapers, where sheâs there for him at every single turn and seeing right through him. And I donât get that from Shane and Ilya at all. Iâm not being biphobic. I donât think Ilya would cheat on everyone. I donât think them staying friends while heâs with shane is disrespectful. or that heâs ew âbasically straight / would be happier with a womanâ. This isnât âIlya can only be with Shane or be completely alone.â Iâm just talking about writing chemistry and history. Why didnât they end up together? Because the author said so Shane Hollander is his True Love.
Shane
Again, this is going to sound like yucking peoples yum, but I guess Iâm also in a bit of a limbo. Shane doesnât like any other guy, doesnât hold any experiments except with Rose Landry, who was perfectly understanding. He met one guy and said âthis is itâ. Maybe this is where I should have decided to read the book, but I get little sense of him discovering what he wants through other people. I know âheâs the most repressed man on earth and has autism and basically hit the jackpot with Ilya, who is very into it.â
And I actually think thatâs sweet! Iâve loved romances that climbed the same peaks. I understand the appeal of finding someone who just clicks with you, especially when youâve spent so much of your life feeling like your particularities are too much for other people. But as a character dynamic, it leaves me wanting a little more friction.
Not necessarily conflict between Shane and Ilya, but opportunities for Shane to figure himself out through other men. For as much as the fandom complains about shipping him with other people, he really doesnât do much or get much. If Shane had another relationship that was good, comfortable, and fulfilling, what would he suddenly realize he had been taking for granted what he had with Ilya? What would he discover he actually needs from a partner, as opposed to what he simply learned to accept because Ilya happened to provide it? Would he choose Ilya again after knowing what other kinds of compatibility feel like? (Donât take this seriously? I KNOWWW he sleeps with other people in the books, but based on the scenes I saw it was still very much âthe author said soâ. The show could have translated it differently, showed us a way it could have gone without seeing Shaneâs inner thoughts. Just would have been more satisfying)
Because âIlya gets Shaneâ is satisfying, but Iâm not sure it tells me very much about Shane by itself, except for the jokes about how he loves hockey so much he had to marry it via Ilya. This isnât bad in itself, but itâs another reason why this show wasnât for me lmao
Hayden and other friendships
I like him in the show. based on what Iâve heard he kinda sucks. But also based on what I heard, I actually enjoy how divisive people are about him. thatâs exactly what he was made for and I can appreciate that. What happens if shane hollanderâs number one fan is also kinda stupid? Alternatively, neither he nor Rose Landry are Shaneâs equivalent to Svetlana. If Shane left the voyageurs in his second season, the only way heâd know what Hayden was up to would have been through Christmas cards with +1 Pike child. Just wanted to bring that up.
Ilya
Russiaâs Greatest Feminist. This always cracks me up. Even outside of this, his characterization (among others) in fandom has strayed so far from the light so Iâm actually going to ignore it. The show was straightforward with who he was and why he was. We never really see him contradict himself without the narrative explaining it all to us.
Fics where characters spent most of the time at sea with one or both of them being pirates! Multi-fandom, Alternate Universe only.
Doesn't require prior knowledge of media to read!
Set the Sails (and don't look back) by Terrific_Lunacy (Teen and Up)
Harry Potter/Tom Riddle | Voldemort (Harry Potter)
Premise: 1724. All Harry wanted to do was to cross the Atlantic and start his apprenticeship under one of the most renowned physicians. Tom Riddle is convinced everything floating in the seven seas belongs to him. That includes ship-wrecked, green-eyed youths. Especially if they tell him to fuck off.
Notes: Pirate King Tom Riddle/Crew Physician Harry Potter. Could be read as platonic, but I adore their dynamics in this fic and the supernatural aspect of Harry being the son of the oceans was explored charmingly, yet with the harryesque grounds of discovering that he's a mythical powerhouse. Read this if you adore Pirate raids and banter and Harry Potter's brand of kindness and fire.
Matelotage by Strange_Soulmates (Mature)
Harry Potter/Tom Riddle (Harry Potter)
Premise: In the aftermath of his ship's capture by the pirate crew of the Voldemort, Second Lieutenant Potter of the Royal Navy is taken hostage, held ransom for his uncle's fortune. However, the longer he stays aboard the Voldemort, the more confused Harry becomes about where his duty truly lies. Matters are not helped by the charismatic Captain Riddle, the man responsible for the death of Harry's parents, a man determined to pry all of Harry's secrets from him by whatever means necessary.
Notes: Harry Potter retelling but in the seas! I love both their characterizations in this fic. It's incomplete, but the enemies-to-lovers aspect includes literal duels to proclaimed death, ripe tension, and exploration of death in the family. The addition of James Potter being a Commodore(?) and Lily Evans being a known pirate was done magnificently and tragically. Tom Riddle, as usual, is charismatic and aggressive, and unrepentant of all of it.
Dead men tell no tales by Lecrit (Mature)
Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood (The Mortal Instruments, Shadowhunters TV)
Premise: In which the prince of Idris and an infamous pirate find themselves stuck together on a deserted island and have to face the consequences when they get back on land.
Notes: I was immediately hooked. Starting with Magnus Bane behind bars and Alec meeting him after dark. Jace and Izzy being the best siblings. I'm a huge fan of forbidden love and unconventional romance, and this fic elevates both ideas with emotion and character depth. This fic also has includes a sequel that goes deeper into the consequences of their relationship. Would alwayss recommend <33
Mors Vincit Omnia by themadtree
Dazai Osamu/Nakahara Chuuya (Bungou Stray Dogs)
Premise: Chuuya has been repeatedly told that he is a loose canon. He doesnât understand the full extent of that truth, however, until heâs tasked with arresting Dazai OsamuâŚand he ends up joining him on a treasure hunt instead.
Notes: You don't need prior knowledge, but I think learning about Dazai and Chuuya's relationship anywhere would make anyone take a step backwards to breathe a bit lmao. For this, I'd advise going through the warnings. The fic explores gray morality, and pirate's life is true to word. That said, as you go through all the red flags, you also get a fic ripe with banter, fluff and humor. A bit of background on Dazai and Chuuyaâ a commonly explored trope is their partnership and compatibility, and how this is also conducive in making them rivals/enemies. The exploration of the ensemble characters might seem intimidating, but they're introduced and built really well that it's like reading any new fantasy ensemble.
Majority of the recommendations are >100k words, and are categorized by timeline! I might make a second part to cover more fics.
Chapter I â 12 years old to immediate post-canon transition
During the 27 Years â High school to adulthood
Chapter II â Adulthood to Reunion, and post-canon
Enjoy!
Chapter I
are you lost enough? by tozier, trashmouthling (Teen and Up)
Premise: Summer of 1991, and there's no Pennywise. Ben is the new kid, and the Losers going to high school.
Notes: This fic has a way of bringing the teenage Losers to life. It has its feel-good moments in summer, and although Reddie makes a meaningful part of the fic, each Loser's story is explored extensively. I also adore the way this was written. Each character's story is written like a dedication, where we find fleshed out characters with purpose behind their actions. The fic transitions in seasons, and even when the descriptive notes don't focus on the weather, you can still experience the Losers progressing from summer, to fall, to winter, and so on. This was a very enjoyable, insightful, humorous and witty read.
Richie and Eddie's dynamic in this fic is easily one of my favorites; Where we're able to see their own perspectives and vulnerabilities, but we also see other characters' perspective of their growth, how they talk about each other when the other isn't presentâ the subtleties of growing up and falling in love with their best friend are all written with intention. If fondness was an extreme sport then they WON.
Reap What You Sow by Honbunbun (Teen and Up)
Premise: They've just defeated Pennywise, but now more monsters are drawn to Derry. The turtle gives them superpowers, and the Losers move in to Neibolt together.
Notes: This fic has a unique exploration of the Losers' roles within the group. We pick up on Richie and Eddie's relationship after the first time they defeat Pennywise, with full awareness that the other is there for them. When they aren't defeating monsters or learning how to defeat monsters, the fic is undeniably domestic. They get together somewhere between the beginning and the end, and my favorite part was watching how their relationship progresses past "getting together"; It's a development of trust, and easing in to the kind of comfort you have when you realize someone is never going to leave. This fic was hilarious, explored topics of trauma and death with sensitivity, and honestly felt like a shorter read than it was because of how engaging the author's writing and pacing is.
During the 27 Years
I Left My Umbrella at Home by hyppityhoppy (Explicit)
Premise: "Some of the lost years, recovered" as phrased by the author. There's no Pennywise, but the Losers make distance as friendships do after high school. Decisions turn the tide, and in the middle of the semester, after little to no contact, Richie finds himself on Eddie's doorstep.
Notes: This fic was like comforting crack to my nursing student brain telling me it's all going to be okay. The fic shows us the reality of friendships, without being pessimistic. The dialogues are witty and tinged with an edge depicting the characters' ages. They're college students dealing with newfound responsibilities, but we see them progress into adults with careers and marriages. This was a slice of life, the author described it as the recovery of their lost years and it's a completely apt description.
Richie and Eddie do the college student mating ritual of having a hundred things to worry about, but still finding the time to make excuses for each other, to be around each other. I love how casual touches, and actions of caring are written into the scene; Some touches are a revelation, and some are written like it's an unquestionable necessity. Love the "Richie and Eddie"ness of all of it.
a strange sense of familiarity by Katranga (Explicit)
Premise: Months before Mike calls everyone back to Derry, Richie and (divorced) Eddie meet in a bar, and proceed to have a high commitment long-distance situationship. The fic follows their first meeting until a retelling and post-canon of Chapter II.
Notes: The Eddie character study in this fic was amazingly done, and I adore Richieâs characterization. I have no idea how to describe their relationship in the first part of fic. Richie and Eddie connect right off the bat, and they go through the Horror of Being Known in separate ways. A lot of what I love about this fic are at risk of spoilers; But it made me very sentimental over Eddie. It deals closely with what he went through with Sonia and Myra, and how itâs affected his relationships and self-perceptionâ The author brings in many realistic outliers and flaws in both their lives that could affect their relationship BEFORE they remember the clusterfuck that is Pennywise. The build up towards chapter II was extremely satisfying to me. The epilogue is so sweet I got cavities.
Chapter II
Things that Happen after Eddie Lives by IfItHollers (Explicit)
Premise: What is says on the tin. Everything is post-canon of Chapter II. Eddie lives, Richie is put on trial for murder, they become roommates (and they talk to the dead)
Notes: This is my Eddie Lives Bible. Richie is hilarious, and this fic explores the agency he seeks for himself extensively. This fic is basically canon to me. The writing feels grounded for a fic that explores ghostly possessions and Richie Tozier on trial for murder. This is a reddie list, but the inclusion of the other Losers is one of the best aspects of the plot.
This fic is hilarious and endearing. Richie and Eddie are figuring out their footing. The part where Richie takes Eddie to the Kissing Bridge is like Top 10 Reddie moments and it's thousands of words before they even get together. This fic is like the navigational journey of two adults who are going through the wringer physically, emotionally, and blindlyâ with familiarity and sheer will as their saving grace.
Keep on Loving You by notso_bad
Premise: A retelling of Chapter II and post-canon, with Eddie and Richie's enlightening inner commentary (to clarify, the fic is still written in third person). "Emotional edging" as the author put it.
Notes: It isn't a reddie rec list without a fic giving extensive, quality, real time inner commentary of Eddie and Richie upon reunion. I'm not eloquent enough to describe it, but the fic is written in such a charming way? The writing has a casual voice that switches between character perspectives, and it flows so naturally.
The addition of flashbacks tied the fic together. The rapidity of memories tied with the surges of affection, outpours into two characters who don't know what to do with themselves around each other. Despite this, they know that the feelingâ that all of it is still familiar, like they're picking up where they left off. Top tier dynamic.
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