100 days of enemy recs: 92. UK Politics RPF

[melannen]

Have you ever had the experience when you're looking back over a fandom you used to be really into, and you wish you'd been smarter than to be really into that fandom, but it was over a decade ago, at least you never posted much in that fandom so your participation would probably be forgotten if you didn't, say, bring it up in a posting challenge? And then you scroll down the tag and two of your fics are in the top ten in the fandom by kudos, comments *and* bookmarks? And one of them is a fic you posted less than five years ago?

Anyway.

Don't ever get into RPF fandoms, folks, you will only be left betrayed and filled with regret.

• Do not imagine that leadership is a pleasure (1839 words) by Saffronra
  Chapters: 1/1
  Fandom: British Government Cats RPF
  Rating: General Audiences
  Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
  Characters: Larry (British Government Cats RPF), Palmerston (British Government Cats RPF), Original Male Dog Character(s)
  Additional Tags: Yuletide Treat
  Summary:

  A new political animal arrives on Whitehall - something will need to be done to preserve order.

Comments

[rmc28]

Ahahaha, yeah. Once upon a time I could enjoy (some) UK politics RPF although as I was doing some minor political activism it became more uncomfortable as I actually started to vaguely know some of the people. And then the political situation shifted to the point where I just couldn't find it fun any more. I never wrote any though.

An absolute terrifying moment was finding fics tagged for my then MP who is also a friend since we were at university together and with whom I was on a policy working group at the time. I had a stunning moment of clarity about being able to unknow things the next time we were in the same room and Did Not Read. (We did have a conversation later in which I alluded to the sheer terror of finding fanfic about him; not unreasonably he had Google alerts set up for his name, and he had had to master the art of judging which things he should Not Click Through.)

[melannen]

I was getting involved in RL political activism at the time too! Across the pond, but it was still a bit weird once I'd actually spent time with a few of my reps.

[superborb]

At least the cats are free from milkshake ducking?

[melannen]

Real Person Cat Fiction, at least, has never betrayed me.

Also they would just lick up the milkshakes I'm pretty sure.

[sewn]

Except for writing popular fic, I deeply, painfully feel every word of this entry. Let's leave it at that.

[melannen]

I am pretty sure mine floated to the top as a combination of being crossovers with less obscure fandoms, and also all the smarter people *not* posting their fic for that fandom unlocked on AO3. (I did retroactively lock all of my non-crossover ones in that fandom a few years ago. I think.)

[ambyr]

Well, now I feel vaguely guilty for being at fault for preventing you from being forgotten!

[melannen]

Nooo! That was a delightful prompt and still probably my favorite fic ever to write. :D (I only offered the fandom when I saw in your letter you didn't want rl politics, anyway.) It was just... jarring to see it there, I had completely forgotten that British Government Cats was folded into the larger fandom.

And my old Temeraire crossover is right below it so I'd be screwed anyway. :P