World of Our Own
Meet the Cast Related Art Old Art
“I-…I’m only staying here because of you, Reuben.”
He stopped. The sound of anything other than a nickname coming from this person and being said in such a broken, pleading, tone just didn’t feel right to him. Turning to face the musician he saw that Cosmo was only a smolder of the fiery spirit he would always see performing in the park and arguing with his family. He suddenly looked more…vulnerable than usual. So small and scared and almost nothing like what he grew to admire. A part of the jogger was scared of the change.
He didn’t like this stranger wearing the skin of his best friend.
He wanted his Cosmo back.
“D-don’t even joke about that,” he muttered.
“I’m not,” Cosmo responded. His voice was dry, there was no emotion to it. No humor, no warmth, not a single hint of goofy friendliness was heard. “I’ve been to a lot of places before coming to Manhattan, Ben. For months I’ve just been hopping on random trains and buses, ending up somewhere new, getting a feel for the place, and then leaving so I can do the same thing all over again somewhere else. And, before I started talking to you that was going to be the same for Manhattan…I never planned on staying here for long.”
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 A slice of life tale with a slow burning romance, a strong sense of community, outdated lingo, and Crystal Pepsi from a simpler time (simple in the way that I was too young to know what taxes were back then).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, religious trauma, 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.