World of Our Own

Old Art

Reuben watched their friend from the opposite end of the couch, at how the once confident guitarist was doing everything they could to regain control of the situation only to be betrayed by the tears that clouded their vision. He was always aware that something was off about Cosmo; he'd notice when the questions about life before New York were ignored and he was a witness to meltdowns over things that wasn’t even worth the energy in his eyes. This wasn't normal and they were both aware of that. That there was no point in trying to put up an act around him anymore but Cosmo persisted regardless. They were a performer after all. Getting up on a stage to deliver a compelling performance to an audience who never questioned the genuineness of it was second nature to them.

They had more in common than Reuben realized and he wasn’t sure if that was something worth celebrating...

music

World of Our Own (or WoOO) is a story set in the radical decade of the 90s following two friends- Cosmo and Reuben- as they struggle to gain independence, build their new lives from the ground up, and heal from their past traumas- together in the busy state of New York. A slice of life tale with a slow burning romance, outdated lingo, and Crystal Pepsi from a simpler time (simple in the way that I was too young to know what taxes were back then). WoOO is something that I've been working on since my early 20s and- unlike my first attempts at writing- hasn't had as many embarrassing facelifts. Although it has gotten at least two major rewrites, lots of retcons, and a hefty amount of edits. WoOO is my main project; it has the most focus dedicated to it, is somewhat fleshed out, and has a full cast of developed characters...although there are still some huge gaps in the written aspect of it...

Content Warning

WooO will feature themes of found family, LGBTQIA+ positivity, and self love but will also dip into heavier topics like abuse, depression, mental health, and LGBTQIA+ phobia. I may be a T and an A, but there's still a lot that I don't know (I certainly can't say that I know what it's like to be gay/lesbian or closeted). Rest assured, I'm doing my research to make sure this story, its themes, and my characters are handled with as much care and respect as possible. This isn't going to be a story that's strung together with misinformation and stereotypes, nor will the subject of sexual/gender orientation be treated as an easily glossed over joke that never gets brought up again. My characters are loud, happy with themselves, and proud of who they are.

Note: Since this story takes place in the 90s, outdated terms used to insult queer people at the time like "hermaphrodite", "transvestite", and "faggot" do pop up from time to time.