sayesayes

[sayesayes]

What is "litany in which certain things are crossed out" about? I've read some of Ayes' work for other fandoms and am v v curious 👀

sob idk why it hits me so hard in the gut!! but it's beautiful!! it's about aziraphale moving to a small town to start life over as a baker, and running into crowley EVERYWHERE. like he's asleep at the pub. he's coaching student basketball games. he's volunteering at the animal shelter. he's big brothering adam to prom. turns out that bitch got community service'd

he and aziraphale get closer but there's this feeling of impending doom as he approaches the end of his mandated community service hours, since it's p obvious he hates it there and is gunning to get back to london. it's also riddled with richard silken quotes and holy shit the whole thing is so beautiful it makes me whimper and i need to reread it asap

[sayesayes]

Good Omens Fic Rec: litany in which certain things are crossed out

A beaten-down Aziraphale opens a bakery in the small town of Tadfield, where he finds an all-night greasy spoon and one fallen Crowley, who is making amends through various and increasingly ridiculous means of community service. Features an inexperienced!Aziraphale, Crowley the town ne’er-do-well, and Crowley’s self-appointed protector, young Adam. 

Length: 30,909 Words

AO3 Rating: Explicit/ Spice Level 🔥🔥

Best for: Safe in Public, Human AU, Romance, Hurt/Comfort

Triggers: None/Read Author's Notes

Read it here, fic by Ayes

*Minor Spoilers* I get overwhelmed sometimes when I stop to think about the fact that even after reading hundreds of fics of these two characters, it is still magic to me. How they slot together, how they mend each other's jagged edges, how they are meant to be. It's just beautiful and no media has ever come close to what this pairing does for me, and this fic was the perfect reminder of that fact.

Aziraphale has just moved to Tadfield to open a bakery, hoping for an escape from a life that has been nothing but guilt, repression, and shame. In town, he meets the wildfire that is Crowley. Fallen from grace, Crowley spends his days doing community service as his penance. Both runaways looking for a fresh start, who discover a home in each other. This work really captures them beautifully, so true to their roots but with a powerful take of it's own. It's soft, domestic, the most beautiful fantasy of finding someone who you just fit with.

The love story between the pair is the star of the show, but the rest of the cast are outstanding as well. I love spending time in Tracy and Shadwell's pub, and Adam was the perfect way to round out their family. And I can't forget to mention good girl, Lucy, our lovely dog friend who always made me smile. I would read a million words of this story, I want to know everything about this town and it's residents. I want to watch lazy days in the bakery, and sit at their table at dinner time. And what I also really really want is to live in Crowley's greenhouse. It sounds perfect! So beautiful and cozy, I want to lay in bed while it rains with Golden Girls in the background. The landscape and buildings here were rich characters of their own.

Simply put, this fic is gorgeous. Going by the notes, it looks like this was actually written in 2017 (book omens), taken down, and then reuploaded this year. Thank someone it's back up because I needed to read this one. There's a short, non explicit scene, but you'll be fine in public if you wish. Though, I think this one is best suited to home or at least a nice quiet and contemplative space.

Read it here, fic by Ayes

[sayesayes]

FAVORITE FANFICS OF 2024

2024 is/will/already over....and dear gosh, this year really kicked my butt. Drained me dry. Did a number on me mentally, emotionally, and even my wallet took too many hits. But I live to see another day & enter another year.

As always, the things helped me get through this year was friends both fandom & IRL, good movies, good shows, good music from familiar favs with new albums to KPOP, and of course FANFICS.

Every year fanfic writers both familiar & new to me blow me away with their talent, their writing, their brilliance. And every year I always do this traditional post to give them their flowers. Hence, the reason for this sweet lil' post of mine.

This is a little Tumblr tradition I've been doing now for a whooping 6 years & I look forward to it every time. It's my own favorite of fanfic rec lists. I did ones for 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, & 2023 if you're interested.

Without further ado, here are my favs.

1). however wild by @sayesayes & @noxarcanaart (steddie)

Summary: Prince Steve has always been told to stay out of the forest. And he does… when he’s awake.

This story 🖤this story🖤 this story 🖤this story 🖤 This beautiful, beautiful, incredibly addicting dark jewel is the reason why I was sucked into the steddie fandom- the amazingness that is this story, the beautiful fanart done by @noxarcanaart, & my bestie @dreamydrarry who was determined to pull me into the steddie ship b/c she needed a friend to gush with.

Fun fact. I saved this story on my marked for later for my friend @dreamydrarry b/c this story sounded right up her alley. However, I was too intrigued, particularly thanks to the key word: fae. I love fae. That's one of my magical creatures to read about in fantasy, so whenever I see it mentioned in a story, I have to read. For this one, I decided to read it. And I've never been the same again.

This story was just a masterpiece. A pure masterpiece from beginning to end, living rent-free in my head where I keep thinking about it, Prince Steve being so gentle & brave, fae-Eddie being wicked one second and so devoted the next.

I purposefully delayed my reading because I didn't want it to end. And once I finished, I immediately hopped on to see what other steddie stories @sayesayes had.

Honorable mentions:

genius loci

Flight Risk

locust year

(there is) thunder in our hearts

girlskin

too good to be true

daddy talk series

2). you might have some bruises (and a few scars) by @newtonsheffield (kathony/kanthony)

Summary: Matrimony- Gentleman, 27, seeking eligible lady. Respectable income made from farming livestock and barley in Aubrey, Kent. Gentleman lives with, and provides for six younger siblings and is seeking a wife who would tend to their care and education first and foremost. Family is very important and as such would be willing to provide a living for the lady’s family should this be required. Please send responses through Mrs M Williams, Aubrey village. -Mr A E Bridgerton

OR

Dear Mr Bridgerton, I hope this letter finds both you and your family well as I know the end of Winter tends to lend itself to small children finding themselves unwell. I am writing with regards to the advertisement I noted in the newspaper this past Sunday. I am six and twenty and reside in Somerset, where I grew up, with my mother.

OR

Anthony is a handsome farmer in need of a mother for his younger siblings and no time for courting

OR

The marriage of convenience AU no one needed

Once upon a time, I used to despise marriage being used as a trope in stories from arranged marriages to marriages of convenience. As usual- fanfics came along and completely changed my mind. This story is an example of that. This story also made me more open-minded to farming and farmers in stories, which I never thought of before until I stumbled across this story.

@newtonsheffieldis that writer, especially for the kathony/kanthony fandom, feeding us well with the content and love the damn show refuses to give our favs.

Just when I think I can't love Kate & Anthony anymore, this story deepened my love 100000x fold.

Honorable mentions:

Cupboards

(I feel) the lavender haze creeping up on me

3). I know I've kissed you before (Can I try again) by @transmascsteveharrington (steddie)

Summary: “Still not graduated, Harrington?”

It’s something Eddie would have said teasingly when they were teens. Steve would have smacked him on the shoulder, affectionately calling him an asshole before being pulled into an apologetic kiss. But they are not teenagers anymore and Eddie’s voice lacks any of the warmth that used to be reserved for Steve. Now, it’s just loaded with resentment, which, yeah, is a fair reaction.

“I…eh…work here now,” Steve says lamely and points at his office door. “Guidance counselor.”

or: 14 years after his first big heartbreak, Steve's life is relatively stable. It's been two years since the tragic incident that led to him becoming Dustin's guardian, both of them slowly healing. He is doing amazing at his job and his social life is great. Of course, that's when a person from Steve's past has to come and shake everything up.

OH. MY. GOSH. THIS STORY-THIS STORY-THIS STORY-THIS STORY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Best way I can describe this story is the famous Lady Gaga meme: talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before, unafraid to reference or not reference, put it in a blender, shit on it, vomit on it, eat it, give birth to it.

Second chance romance is incredibly hard to do, which many try (particularly published authors) and very few can pull off. This story did it well where my heart was lifted, speared, crushed, sewed-up, & melted in an orderly fashion.

4). Living The Unknown Dream by @blushweddinggowns (steddie)

Summary: “How are you feeling?” Steve asked, all wide-eyed and caring.

Eddie gaped at him, fully aware that his entire face must be red. He was trying to form words, he really was, but Steve single handedly put the brakes on that.

Why was Steve Harrington holding his hand? Why was Steve Harrington calling him baby ?

Why did he kiss him, like it was the most natural thing in the world?

Only fanfic writers. Only fanfic writers can take tropes that usually don't tend to stick and turn them into brilliant stories. Amnesia trope is one I've grown to loathe after getting burnt- and incredibly frustrated by it- too many times in other stories. But with this one, I was too intrigued and oh how I fell. Oh how I was proven wrong. And I'm so happy for it.

Yet another story that just deepened my love for a ship that I already carried such deep love for, but then this story came along and it increased 1000000000x.

5). The Yellow Tulips of Texas by @folklauerate (kathony/kanthony)

Summary: Kate runs into a store to get out of the rain, and runs right into a southern gentleman.

(or Texas!Anthony and New Yorker!Kate fall in love)

“You should go,” He says, drawl somehow even stronger now, or is she imagining it? “Most beautiful place on God’s green earth.”

She snorts.

“You laugh now, but just you wait,” He says. “You’ll see, one day.”

“What makes you so sure I’ll go to Texas?”

She has a feeling she knows why he’s so sure, but she asks anyway.

He grins at her.

“A man just knows these things, honey.”

For y'all who didn't think you couldn't be anymore thirsty for Mr. Anthony Bridgerton/ Jonathon Bailey, BEHOLD *presents story in full gusto*. Be Prepared. This story will make you perch for him because 🥵🥵🥵

I do not care for age gap romances. I really don't. Most of what I read usually rub me the wrong way, but the way this one was done, I was greatly impressed. Partially because of their ages where Kate is in her mid-20s & Anthony in his 40s, which isn't too bad. Partially because the writer just knows their stuff and makes magic.

It's because of this story I started hunting for more age-gap romances.

Honorable mentions:

lost in your current like a priceless wine

The MILF in 2B

6). Come Away with Me by FloralUmbrella (kathony/kanthony)

Summary: Anthony and Kate whisk away on their honeymoon. An exploration into the world of intimacy and marriage ensues.

If you are like me, you weren't that particularly impressed with season 3 of Bridgerton for a number of reasons. Including the very very limited scenes of kathony/kanthony, and lack of attention they were given both on-and-off screen.

It's time like this when fanfic writers come through & deliver the content we so desperately need. This story gives us the honeymoon period we were denied in the show, where we see our fav just fall deeper and deeper in love while also learning more about each other.

7). When You Kiss Me (What A Lovely Way To Burn) by @femmequixotic (drarry)

Summary: A drag fairytale of New York in which Draco wears red lipstick and Potter can’t get enough.

An oldie but such a good good goodie. Listen I will always advocate for older fanfics and giving them a chance because you can find some good treasures.

Nothing is more better than going to a story you've been saving forever and it ending up being so much better than expected. Confident Draco in drag, trying to bury the ghosts of his past. Harry stumbling across his club and needing an escape. It's so so so so good.

8). The Librarian by library_fireplace (drarry)

Summary: Draco Malfoy is a reference librarian at a small branch of Britain's wizarding public library system. Harry Potter needs help finding the romance section.

~*~

“Malfoy,” Potter said, slowly. “When did you read The Dragon Tamer?”

Draco felt himself turning pink, and then red. He hadn’t meant to give himself away quite that much, but he also knew that Potter suspected him of following his reading history. He had been found out for his snooping. “I —“ he stuttered embarrassingly, and wanted to melt away into the floor behind the desk. “A few weeks ago, now.”

“And how many romances had you read before that?” Potter pressed, now smirking again, knowingly this time, leaning forward with his arms crossed on the desk. Draco felt himself break out in a shiver that he hoped wouldn’t turn into a sweat.

“Er… None, I’m afraid,” he found himself admitting, even though he had really meant to lie.

“Draco,” Potter smiled. “Did you read it just because I had read it?”

Draco scoffed audibly, but very unconvincingly. “No!”

“I think you did.”

Books have the power to bring people together, even helping old rivals find common ground- and more- within the wonders that lay in their pages. Including some good old smutty smutty.

It's a tale as old as time. Stuffy librarian who believes in "fine literature" A hardcore, shameless romance reader who loves their smut and isn't afraid to show it. This story already was promising featuring Draco as a librarian who has a perfect system for organizing his books. But having Harry be a romance reader whose big stack intrigues Draco into reading, having him fall hard...it's PRICELESS.

9). blood is an aphrodisiac by @cuips-not-cute (steddie)

Summary: There’s a few things Eddie notices when he wakes up.

One, he bites his tongue. It hurts. Of course. The weird thing, though, is he doesn’t taste blood. But he knows he bit it hard and it’s throbbing behind his teeth. He tastes something, and his mouth feels wet but there’s no metallic flavor (metal. He likes metal. He’s remembering). It’s smoother. More earthy.

Two. He’s alone. Completely. No Dustin. Or Robin or Nancy or Steve or anyone.

Three. He’s sore. His whole body aches, his skin is thrumming with it. His neck especially, and his sides like where Steve was bitten, too.

Four. He’s got to blink a couple times to realize this one. Let his eyes adjust from the pitch black of being closed to the dim blue haze of the Upside Down. Yeah, that’s what he realizes. He’s still there.

Five. He’s fuckin’ starving.

In which Eddie wakes up with sharp teeth, Steve has a thing for tongue piercings, and it takes a while for them to figure out what all of that means.

I'm convinced this story was the starter behind the vampire/kas!Eddie fanart I be seeing. Like everytime I see vampire Eddie, I think of this story and the biggest smile spread across my face.

I binged this story. I read it in one sitting-and immediately wanted to go back to the beginning to read all over again. This story felt like one of those urban fantasies, where it's modern day, vampires exist, but they're integrated into modern world. Also despite the fangs and the blood thrist, vampirism has very little to do with the plot and is a stepping stone for these two getting together.

I just how Steve wasn't at all shy about his attraction and just want with it. Meanwhile Eddie is just like 😨🤯😶 I LOVE IT.

Honorable mention:

he could be brave

blinking red light

10). The Stutter and The Freak series by @lexirosewrites (steddie)

Summary: The Hellfire Club can collectively pinpoint the exact day that the formerly ruthless dungeon master known as Eddie “The Freak” Munson became soft. Mostly because it was the same day that Steve “The Stutter” Harrington started school at Hawkins High and became an unofficial member of HFC.

If there's another fanfic writer whose profile I've been devouring, it would be @lexirosewrites. And each one, I get more and more hooked. They have so many stories that I really adored, including the first honorable mentioned that tied with this one for top fav. But there's something about this one that gets me every time.

This one, Steve is such a sweet baby boy who deserved to be protected and Eddie immediately is like, BET, I accept that challenge. Quickly Steve is taken under Dustin's wing, taken into the Hellfire Club, and immediately captures Eddie's heart.

It's a comfort read.

Honorable mentions:

my heart's been borrowed and yours has been blue

Silver

Bandaids for the Heart

And now for the Honorable Mentions that were insanely good but due to time & length, couldn’t go into full depth:

Love You Like A Love Song series by eyesofshinigami (steddie; omegaverse steddie w/alpha Steve & omega Eddie, dissolving and switching norms in the ABO on its head, being so sappily in love)

awake for ever in a sweet unrest: california trail steddie by hesjustlikemefr (steddie; California trail, mid-1800s, alpha Eddie x omega Steve, mpreg, age gap w/older Eddie)

Nice & Quiet by nobetterlove (steddie; hard of hearing Steve, Steve slowly losing his hearing, Eddie & the gang helping him all the way)

you're mine, class president by orphan account (tododeku; based on the anime maid sama ft. flirtious shouto x shy izuku, peppered with so much cuteness)

For the Love of Football by olddarkmachine (sheith; football player shiro x loner-keith set in a 4-part college AU that's so much fun)

Hic sunt dracones by @just-my-latest-hyperfixation (steddie; fated mates w/dragon Eddie & prince Steve, delivered with such beautiful devotion and possessiveness that I gobbled up)

There you have it, folks. The fanfics that live rent-free in my head. The fanfics that helped make this year bearable. Done by the amazing writers who deserve all the praise, love, kudos, comments, and more. And whom I definitely will be checking out their future stuff in the future.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

[sayesayes]

It was @ ayeayeayes (twitter) birthday yesterday so I'm a day late, but please know, her fic "seeing daylight" changed my brain chemistry. So, Ayes, here's my gift to you! Thank you so much for being a joy to talk to both in the fandom and as a truly amazing person!

Here's a link to the fic!

[sayesayes]

by Ayes, itskleo

Eddie Munson is sick of himself, sick of his parents, sick of New York. He doesn’t expect to find anything better on uncle Wayne’s cattle ranch— but what he finds instead is a cowboy named Steve Harrington.

Words: 32904, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Stranger Things (TV 2016)

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson, Wayne Munson

Relationships: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson

Additional Tags: Cowboy AU, Cowboy Steve Harrington, Sweetheart Steve Harrington, Top Steve Harrington, Soft Dom Steve Harrington, Service Top Steve Harrington, Horse Girl Steve Harrington, Woodworker Steve Harrington, City Slicker Eddie Munson, Self-Hating Eddie Munson, Vegetarian Eddie Munson, bitchy eddie munson, Bottom Eddie Munson, Eddie Thinks He’s Gonna Dom But Is Very Wrong, Boy Gets Handled Like A Wild Horse, Good DAD Wayne Munson, Waiter Tommy Hagan, Eddie Has Neglectful Parents, Not All Drug Users or People With Criminal Records Are Bad Parents!!, But these ones are, TW: Implied Homophobia, Competence Kink, Pet Names, Barn Sex, Building a Life, Rodeo Violence, Author Handwaves Cattle Ranching, Anal Sex, Rimming, Blowjobs, Prone Bone, Bondage, Body Worship, Frotting

[sayesayes]

☀️🕊️🧺🐂🌾

s e e i n g d a y l i g h t

When i saw cowboy au, i knew i Had to dive in🔥. ayeayeayes 's new work is Spectacular and i'm so Excited for you all to welcome it!! @subeddieweek

[sayesayes]

Proud to present my latest fic bind. The amazing and wonderful Steddie AU fic Flight Risk written by ayes and with art by itskleo. One of my favorite fics I have read, completely captivating me from start to finish so I just had to make it into a physical book. Highly HIGHLY recommend if you haven’t read it already.

Read it here:

As always no profit was made from this bind, everything is done by hand and free copies were given to the creators as gifts only. This is solely a labor of love and a way to give back to those that have given so much to the fandom. I just really enjoy bookbinding, okay.

[sayesayes]

👴🏻 Flight Risk: It’s for Dads too! 🌈

It only takes one fic to change your whole life. For this Dad, it’s Flight Risk. Episode seven comes out tomorrow! ✈️

Hosted by our lovely, Amy @mojowitchcraft. With the wonderful Ayes and Kleo @noxarcanaart. Modded by the amazing Birdie @audacityofbird. 🎙️

Video made by @strawberryspence 🎥

[sayesayes]

I was thinking about the liberation-in-place of Genius Loci in my berry bramble today, so I thought I’d write out my simple black raspberry ice cream recipe.

Steviebats’ Black Raspberry Ice Cream

2c black raspberries

1 c sugar

2 c heavy cream

1 c milk or Greek yogurt or buttermilk

squirt of lime juice

Mash black raspberries with sugar and let sit for a while.

Optional cooking step: simmer berries and sugar mash in a small saucepan until the berries release their juice and the sugar melts (about 5 min, med heat), then cool.

When berry and sugar mixture is cool, mix with cream and milk (or your substitution).

Freeze according to your ice cream maker’s instructions.

Taste a spoonful, if it needs something add a squirt of lime juice.

[sayesayes]

「𝙶𝙴𝙽𝙸𝚄𝚂 𝙻𝙾𝙲𝙸」

🌿🌾🌧️☕️🔮🌼 chapter one: the fool

four years after steve comes back from the upside down different, eddie comes back home the same.

it’s a new klayes fic day, so here’s a loose vibes-y piece cause ‘genius loci’ is already too fucking good

[sayesayes]

this fic was so fucking sweet I feel genuinely sick to my stomach

so many amazing fic writers and artists ily all

[sayesayes]

“…Eddie propped his chin up in his own hand to match, and then they were both watching each other, leaning heavily into the counter.”

🥂💔🇮🇹🌹

[𝓱𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂𝓶𝓸𝓸𝓷 𝓹𝓱𝓪𝓼𝓮]

the first two chapters

archiveofourown.org/works/50909944

🥂💔🇮🇹🌹

[with Ayes @noxarcanaart ]

[sayesayes]

my first book, bound!

this thing is a mess and i love every little part of it. i made my own bookcloth, sewed in the headbands, formatted and printed everything at home, with less than perfect materials, and even redid the whole text block after messing up trimming the first one. it was a learning experience that definitely taught me a lot.

this fic changed me, carved out a little space in my chest and has lived there since i first read it. it’s also been erased from the internet, and required some fandangling with the waybackmachine to ever check it out in the first place. i managed to scrounge the html file and turn it into an epub to read it initially, so making a physical copy of it was a no brainer.

it’s beautiful and heart warming and painful, and for some reason i knew it needed to look as battered as the characters felt. so when the fabric i bought for bookcloth turned out to be too thin and soaked up the glue in ugly splotches, i decided to keep it rather than go out and buy something new. when the paper i found for end pages ended up too small and misshapen, i left them. when i cut myself on my bookbinding needle partway through the second text block, i could have reprinted the signature, but decided i wanted to sew it in.

something about these wounds just aligned with the fic, to me. and now i have a real record of my first bind, errors and all, that i can’t wait to look back on in however many years from now.

edit: i reached out to ayes on twitter for permission to share the file for this, since it was taken down… and they’ve republished it for me instead!!!!!! 😭 please read it here

[sayesayes]

GUYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

litany in which certain things are crossed out by ayes

[sayesayes]

Prince Steve is lost in the deep dark forest.

Decided to draw Steve inspired by Ayes and Kleo’s fic However Wild - and heavily inspired by the art of John Bauer.

The fic is a fairytale, so I wanted to infuse this piece with some Swedish fairytale vibe, as a little twist is my own :)

[sayesayes]

“Heal Me”🌿

Inspired by the fic Genius Loci: https://archiveofourown.org/works/45795196/chapters/115246126

I had to blur the slightly spicy bit for here but go see the full thing on my Twitter: @ashleyuncanny

Or on my Patreon patreon.com/littleashleylynn

[sayesayes]

I was thinking about the liberation-in-place of Genius Loci in my berry bramble today, so I thought I’d write out my simple black raspberry ice cream recipe.

Steviebats’ Black Raspberry Ice Cream

2c black raspberries

1 c sugar

2 c heavy cream

1 c milk or Greek yogurt or buttermilk

squirt of lime juice

Mash black raspberries with sugar and let sit for a while.

Optional cooking step: simmer berries and sugar mash in a small saucepan until the berries release their juice and the sugar melts (about 5 min, med heat), then cool.

When berry and sugar mixture is cool, mix with cream and milk (or your substitution).

Freeze according to your ice cream maker’s instructions.

Taste a spoonful, if it needs something add a squirt of lime juice.