Fic: It's Hard to Know They're Out There

[formerdinosaur]

Well, okay. I was going to spend today working on the epilogue to Unwed Fathers, but I was in kind of a weird mood, and then I heard this song for the first time and couldn't stop listening to it, and I'd immediately had this idea when I heard it, tried to fight it, but the nonstop listening pretty much sealed it.

Title: It's Hard to Know They're

Comments

[sekrit_omg]

Oh god, this is grim. But such a nice surprise anyway. All throughout the story I was sort of tallying, counting names, wondering who would turn up where. I think Kyle says that line about "we're not kids anymore" either, which is a sentiment I've heard in other stuck-in-time SP fics, making this a kind of morbid inversion. It actually reminds me a lot of that fic you write a few months back about helicopters out looking for a killer who had killed Kenny. I think for a well-tread subject in SP fic,you get a huge amount of mileage out of it.

I enjoyed it.

[formerdinosaur]

Yeah, yesterday I kept trying to talk myself out of writing it, because what the hell, but I ended up liking it. I'm glad you enjoyed this despite the grimness, and I hadn't thought about the fact that the 'not kids anymore' line gets said re: adulthood in so many SP fics, but yeah, a lot of what's going on here is Kenny being the freakish one not just for having survived/returned but for having grown up. I thought of helicopter fic while writing this, too -I think I was in the same Kenny-angst mood with yesterday, for whatever reason, and I was happier with this one. Thanks for the comment!

(Now it is still my sincere goal to try to finish the epilogue to Unwed today, and my husband is trying to eat up 3 hours of my time with that Prometheus movie.)

[sekrit_omg]

>> I hadn't thought about the fact that the 'not kids anymore' line gets said re: adulthood in so many SP fics

I was actually thinking of a fic by Eishi (I think?) where Kyle and Stan are conscious of the fact that they are like, trapped in time and never grow physically older, but they're growing up mentally/emotionally and they have confusing feelings about it or something oh lord.

(WTF is everyone on this Prometheus kick for?)

[hollycomb]

That sounds awesome?? I'm going to look it up.

I got out of seeing it on Sunday, but he was literally complaining about still wanting to see it while this comment was loading in my email, lol. So I'll probably have to go this weekend. I actually really liked Aliens a lot, but I saw it on TV and it still scared the crap out of me, sooo.

[formerdinosaur]

Thanks so much for reading! It was one of those ideas that was going to nag me until I wrote it, so I'm glad I was able to do something with it in 5,000 words. :)

[kingdra]

This is so beautiful BAH I love how you keep them in character while writing this fantastic alternate reality? Or, er, I don't know how to classify it but whatever it doesn't matter because this is AWESOME. I find an odd thrill from reading about characters who die/are already dead... that sounds a bit morbid. But anywho, loved loved loved the Stan/Kyle as always, Kenny is such a sweetheart and I loved his interactions with Wendy and Bebe, and poor Butters, man :( (Initially when I read "school shooting" and saw "Stan/Kyle" in the pairings list, I thought that Stan and Kyle were the ones who killed everyone orz) This is all kinds of wonderful and perfection ♥

[formerdinosaur]

Thank you! I'm glad they felt like they were still in character ~ I think that's my most important goal, always. I'm the same way about dead characters, and I've had all these weird/dark SP ideas lately, then when I heard this song this one solidified more than any of the others had. I'm glad you liked Stan and Kyle's connection in this - they are my second most important thing, always, haha. Even if the story isn't entirely about them

[kingdra]

OMG YES PLEASE DO THIS what are you /how are you human/ omg that sounds like just about the most glorious thing ever!! Yes Stan and Kyle have a special connection even in the after life sdfkljlk ;~~~;

But seriously, murderous!Kyle sounds GLORIOUS and does that make me sound sadistic? I think that makes me sound sadistic. But that just seems so perfect and I can see this SO REAL post-Humancentipad Kyle murderous and shit omg I just flails all over you. And Stan just being like "OKAY DEAR I'LL LISTEN TO YOUR PROBLEMS" and Kyle would be like "I GOT ANGRY AT THIS GUY TODAY SO I KILLED HIM" and Stan just "IT'S OKAY I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU KILL PEOPLE TO RELIEVE YOUR ANGER" sldkfjlkj I apologize if this comment is completely incoherent oTL

[formerdinosaur]

I really want to! I've wanted to write this sort of Bonnie and Clyde story in several fandoms in the past and it never felt right, but if Kyle snapped Stan would be right there, mopping up the evidence ...

But nah you don't sound sadistic, I just think it would be interesting -- and I truly don't think Kyle could ever be Cartman, who is an actual sadist (at least as a kid. I like to believe that he'd grow out of it, 'cause he loves his kitty and stuff), but that after being pushed in so many weird and awful ways but his South Park upbringing, he might get seriously twisted. And Stan would just start seeing him as a baby cow who needed to be protected :xx

[anonymous]

I love everything you post. And this, especially this.

You're a great fiction writer, and your style is incredible.

Normally I critique work, but the reason I haven't commented on any of your your fics is because they are so goddamn perfect and lovable, I love all these universes you've penned.

[formerdinosaur]

Oh, thank you. I don't even know what the hell my style is, but I do feel confident at this point that I have ... something going on there, and it means a lot to hear that it's even recognizable, whatever it is.

I'm sure I deserve some critique, but I love being engaged in a story to the point that I can skim over the flaws and just enjoy it, so if I ever give anyone that experience, that makes me happy. Thanks for reading, and for this comment -- I can't tell you how much I appreciate it.

[anonymous]

Oh, this may sound creepy, but I've been following your fics for a while and this one is amazing as always. I enjoy how your writing definitely paints the boys as more cynical because they're older, especially when it comes to the stupid shit that happens in their town. And yet, they're still hilarious and in-character and I especially love their interactions. I normally end up scrolling through boring dialogue in fics but I absolutely love yours.

Random question too but I remember you wrote a fic wherein Kyle wanted to get pregnant with Stan's kid and he suggested asking the son of Dr. Mephesto? Just wondering, but did you ever continue that one? Because I loved it and I loved hormonal Kyle.

[formerdinosaur]

Thank you so much for letting me know! You don't sound creepy at all -- generally this is how I respond to authors, I read their stuff for a while and finally comment after I've been following them for a while. I'm glad you like the way SP shit is handled, because I always want to comment on their crazy childhoods without getting too deeply into the absurder aspects of the show, so yeah, they just mutter about it bitterly from time to time. I'm so glad you like the dialogue -- it's the most fun I've ever had writing dialogue in any fandom, no matter what their ages are in the fic, heh.

Yes, that was the first mpreg fic I attempted to write! I still like that premise, and if I ever get the urge to write mpreg again someday, maybe I'll revisit it. At the moment I'm about 400 pages into another one and pretty burned out on mpreg for the time being -- have you seen this fic? It's only on my FF.N account for now, but I'm almost finished with the very last part and I hope to post the whole thing here on Sunday, with a pdf and such. If you