#<- secret superbat tag :)

[batboopp]

this is based on the fact bruce used to talk in disgustingly cursive handwriting mixed with weird slang used in gothic horror movies in older comics before writers changed it because pretty much no one knew what the fuck he was even saying

[martyrbat]

[ID: a drawing of Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne in their respective costumes. They're both shown from the neck up and it appears like Clark is leaning his head into Bruce with a slightly pensive expression. He side-eyes a glance up at Bruce, who has his head tilted so he can rest it against his—his bare cheek nuzzled into Clark's hair and his eyes closed with a quiet contentment. END ID]

[ID: the first photo is a screenshot showing the above drawing was originally published on October 12th, 2015 by professional comic book artist Matthew Clark (@/emceeartist on Instagram). He captioned it, “The original bromance.”

The second photo shows the comment section, where @/iambradwalker commented, “Superman seems bummed out by their relationship. Who would think Batman would be the one more into ANY relationship?!” Matthew replied, “as the top, Batman seems to have found his bliss. Which may bum Superman out.” END ID]

[sag3-g]

Nightwing Joins the Justice League Fic Recs

Since I've recently become obsessed with the "Nightwing joins the justice league and no one knows he's related to Batman" plot, here is every single one I've read and enjoyed

Batting in the Wings by Jedi_Olympian

| 1/1 | 10,638 | Teen and Up | BirdFlash |

Love is an amazing thing, so when the Justice League believes that their resident paranoid isolationist has found it, they’re happy for him, even if Wally was hardcore crushing on the lover boy.

Or another Justice League thinks Batman and Nightwing are dating.

Come home, the kids miss you by andromarche

| 6/6 | 14,427 | Teen and Up | Multiple ships |

"Well, you've obviously developed better taste since your thing with Batman," Barry said with a laugh.

Nightwing tensed, and paused, "Since my what?"

"Sorry, was it meant to be a secret?" Hal said apologetically, "We all know that you and Batman were like, a thing, at least at some point."

Or

Nightwing joins the Justice League and through a series of misunderstandings, the League jumps to conclusions about his relationship with Batman. Their conclusion: Batman and Nightwing are divorced.

(Tagged teen for swearing and some very light making out)

Cryptids in the Watchtower by Grammar_Beane

| 4/4 | 6,202 | Teen & Up | No ships

The kid glared at Batman with folded arms. Batman glared back in the same position. It was like a mirror, if the mirror de-aged someone several years. Something suddenly clicked in Hal's brain, and before he could stop himself he blurted out, "Oh my God, is that your son?!"

- or -

Batman's identity was a closely guarded secret, and the details of his personal life were even more so. Unfortunately for the Justice League, when a surprise video call raises countless questions about Batman's freaky, spooky, way-too-many and way-too-young associates, getting answers is about as simple and pleasant as pulling teeth.

- or -

the Batfam meets the Justice League and Nightwing juggles monkey wrenches in the background

You didn’t know? By heytheresunshine

| 1/1 | 2,522 | General | Minor BirdFlash |

Nightwing joins the Justice League, and the team learns something new about their resident Bat.

The One Where the Justice League Almost Didn’t Figure it Out By batsandthebirds

| 8/8 | 16,293 | Teen & Up | No ships

“I can vouch for him,” Cyborg said, sitting up straighter. “We’ve worked together before. I can’t promise he’d want the job though. He works out of Bludhaven, last I checked.”

Dinah perked up from where she was slumped against the table next to Oliver. “That’s next to Gotham. Batman, what do you know?”

All eyes immediately turned to where Batman sat with his arms crossed, looking impassive as always. There was a long moment of silence and the corners of Batman’s mouth turned ever so slightly downward. Finally, in a flat tone of voice that gave no more away than his face ever did, he said, “He’s… well trained. Fast. Could be useful.”

...

Also known as, the League eventually figured out that Nightwing is Batman's son, but it takes a while.

Based on this post that I initally wrote on my Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/bats-and-the-birds/749291233997963264/there-are-a-lot-of-fics-about-the-justice-league?source=share

Nightwing Nominated By Cruz1702

| 1/1 | 1,967 | General | No ships |

Batman looked around the room, “Anyone else we'd like to review before we decide the new leaguers?”

“yes" said Flash, "I nominate Nightwing”.

Hal scoffed as he put his feet on the table "yeah sure, and I nominate the tooth fairy"

Or, the one where the JL doesn't know about the batfamily, but have heard rumours of a vigilante in Bludhaven.

In Love With Justice By Jedi_Olympian

| 1/1 | 9,819 | Teen & Up | SuperBat & BirdFlash

Batman is notorious for his secretive ways, so when the Justice League meets someone he associates with, they naturally have questions. The questions continue to pile up when it’s clear that Batman is rather. . . close to him.

Or the Justice League thinks Batman and Nightwing are dating.

Last Updated: January 17th 2025

[fallingrealms16]

CAITVI FIC REC LIST PART 1 (???) <3333

Now tell me why I’ve never actually read wlw fics before???? Because now I’m insanely obsessing over Caitvi (arcane) (also their name should be Violyn FIGHT ME)

SO WITHOUT FURTHER A DUE: here is my first compiled list of VIOLYN fics that I have read so far! (Word count ordered: ascending) There will absolutely definitely 1000% be another one of these so if you like it pls pretty pls note it, comment, re tumble it!

Reminder‼️ pretty please read all the tags on each fic before reading as I am not responsible for any emotional trauma you may experience ^3^ (more notes at the bottom ty, ily <3)

Where All the Secrets are Spilled by ConnieLingus, L_Kayze @connielingus423

10K Words // 1 Chapter // COMPLETED

//EXPLICIT//

The reunited Hellfire squad drinks together in the Kiramman Family Library before Noxus invades Piltover. Caitlyn and Vi reckon with their mistakes. It gets angry, it gets raw, and then it gets away from them.

An imagining of what happens post Act 2 and pre Act 3

Bound and Determined by Pandoras_Hope

27K Words // 10 Chapters // COMPLETED

//EXPLICIT//

When Vi finally gets released from Stillwater prison, she is determined to get back to her old life as quickly as possible. But a chance encounter with her new next-door neighbor pulls her into an unexpected tangle of sex, violence, and a plot to take control of the undercity.

Vicious Dogs Fight Dirty by paleserendipity

33K Words // 3 Chapters // COMPLETED

//EXPLICIT//

If anything, she should be at home, resting the countless cuts and bruises lining her skin. Though, really, if she had a choice in it, she’d probably still choose to come here. Easier to fight than curl up in a makeshift bed as nightmares of your situation-ship girlfriend plague you, right?

Burn by ThisOrThatFan @thisorthatfan-ao3

44K Words // 6 Chapters // COMPLETED

//EXPLICIT//

A modern AU of Piltover's Finest - a story of two firefighters battling flames not only on the job, but also against the internal fire burning within their hearts.

Late Fine by ConnieLingus

52K Words // 7 Chapters // COMPLETED

//EXPLICIT//

Vi’s one night stand is working the Returns counter at the Zaunite Branch of the Connected Cities County Public Library and Vi has to return her sister’s overdue items. What could go wrong?

Make Out Lessons With A Boxer by poetess

72K Words // 8 Chapters // COMPLETED

//EXPLICIT//

The friends with benefits college AU where oblivious mutually pining idiots pine mutually, jinx is an exhausted zoomer, and bisexuals rule the world.

I wanna point out that I use Ao3. At one point this year the normal Ao3 server was down and I wasn’t able to load any fics I was reading but I found that Ao3 has a secondary website completely the same: archiveofourown.gay

So naturally being the queer diva I am, I completely switched to .gay because it’s iconic <3

Also I am an adult so these fics usually are explicit or teen and up just because I like the explicit themes.

May vary from smexual content or just mature themes (violence ect…)

These fics are just what caught my eye first and just so happen to all be labelled explicit!

BUTTTTT if you want any fic recs such as “teen and up” or “all audiences” let me know as I’m open to anything!

My question box is also open so if you’re looking for fics with certain tags I’m happy to search and recommend! The fandoms I follow are:

Supernatural (destiel ship mainly)

DC universe (superbat mainly!)

Marvel (fluff for Spider-Man and tony stark - FATHER/SON, Bucky x Reader, stucky, x-men universe)

Teen Wolf!!! (Started off my account as this - specifically sterek but I do read Stydia sometimes too)

Arcane (Violyn mostly known as Caitvi😪)

I take recommendations too so if you find something you think I should read I’m all eyes and ears HAHA

I read all the fics I recommend too to know exactly what I am recommending!!! If you have made it this far reading Thankyou and I appreciate you ⭐️

[secretidentie]

My Superbat prompts

I've been reading superbat since forever and I finally got a tumblr account so I thought I could ask some writers to use these.

Clark kent is at the manor to interview Bruce Wayne when Dr Freeze attacks and they're basically snowed in. Bruce trying to hide secrets and Clark getting the chance to write the story of the year in the form of an I depth exposé from inside the home of billionaire blah, blah, blah... Chaos and fluff.

Bruce is in a love triangle with superman and Clark Kent. Clark assumes Bruce knows he's one person. Bruce decides to solve this by brooding and going on a series of dates with them both until he decides who's his perfect match. (you decide if Clark knows Bruce is batman but think both versions are hilarious)

Bruce Wayne has to go undercover as a carnival worker in a small town on batman business. After the Daily Planet is bought out by corrupt government officials, Clark quits and goes back home to Smallville. He feels like he's changed and isn't as fulfilled by the simple life, not to mention how much harder it is to keep being superman. He doesn't even feel useful on the farm and can't find a job he enjoys to make some money of his own and leave the house. He starts visiting the fair to take his mind of things and meeting this handsome carnival worker who he definitely would have recognized in a small town like this.

LexCorp frames Wayne enterprises for some shady dealings putting the company under investigation which might even lead to it filing for bankruptcy. While Fox and others fix this, Bruce, as the face of the company, is advised to lay low and leave Gotham for a bit. He decides to get an apartment in the cheap side of Metropolis, since all his assets are frozen and he only has one working bank account. On top of that he has to deal with his hot new roommate (or neighbor depending on how you write it) who keeps leaving and coming back at the weirdest hours while also trying to keep tabs on Gotham and maybe getting himself a job in the mean time. (to be clear Clark is the roommate)

During an argument batman says he could easily do superman's job and superman says the same. So they swap cities for two weeks. First to call for backup looses. (feel free to add romance if you want but it's not compulsory)

Clark final gathers the courage to ask out batman but right before he does, green lantern starts flirting with batman too. Harvey dent is recently released from arkham and claims to be reformed and wanting to rekindle his well known public relationship with his collage sweetheart Bruce Wayne. This causes Oliver queen to also try to win his childhood best friend's heart. It's a very long week for Bruce. (all povs if possible. Also Bruce knows everyone's identities but no one knows his. This also doesn't have to end up superbat, choose your favorite ship. Make this love-pentagon as messy as you can)

These are just a few of my personal favorites. I have a lot more. Let me know if you want me to post them. If fics with these premise already exist let me know coz I would love to read them. You can make it as explicit as you want or make it for general audiences but for my sake please add fluff. If you use these prompts also make sure to tag me here or on AO3.

[theerurishipper]

Superbat Week Day 4: Undercover

For @superbatweek2024

Just as Clark flies into the Batcave, he can hear the telltale signs of Alfred’s disapproval, directed at the only person foolish enough to invoke them constantly. The subtle inflections in Alfred’s voice, and the dry, sardonic tone indicates to Clark that Bruce has done something reckless, though not exceptionally so. Alfred would not have held back otherwise.

“What did you need me for, Bruce?”

The man in question lifts one eyebrow upon his arrival. “You’re late.”

“Nice to see you too.”

Bruce grunts, and turns to Alfred, who picks up a fancy suit, handing it to Clark with not a small amount of disapproval, though it is not directed at him. Clark can only stare bemusedly at the fancy suit that probably costs more than his entire salary. “If this is your way of telling me— again— that you don’t like the suits I own, I’m sorry to tell you that this is not going to change my mind.”

“Ah, I suppose it was worth a shot, sir,” remarks Alfred, the very picture of sarcasm.

“It’s not a commentary on your fashion choices,” Bruce responds, still typing away at his computer. “It’s a bodyguard uniform.”

Clark stares at the sleek, shiny fabric. “And you’re giving this to me because…?”

“You’re now Bruce Wayne’s official new bodyguard. Congratulations.”

--

“I can’t believe you just sprung this on me without asking me if I would agree!” Clark huffs, even as Alfred makes final adjustments to the suit he’s now wearing.

“Are you saying no?”

“…No…”

“Then I don’t see a problem. Besides, I checked your schedule, and you seem to be free enough to assist me.”

Clark blinks. “You what?” Beside him, Alfred sighs as he adjusts Clark’s sleeves.

“I see that our previous talks about boundaries have entered through one ear and escaped through the other already, Master Bruce.”

“I don’t remember any such talk.”

“As I said,” Alfred intones, waving a dismissive hand towards Bruce, who responds with a childish pout. Or as he would call it, a dignified silence.

“Aw, it’s alright, Alfred,” Clark consoles. “I don’t mind. It’s kind of sweet, actually.”

Alfred directs his eyes to stare down Clark judgementally. “You both certainly are made for each other.”

“Thank you.”

The details of the case are simple enough. Bruce Wayne is being targeted by a fellow competitor, a man by the name of Maxwell Steele, who wants him gone. Batman is currently looking into this competitor to find out why. Bruce is to be meeting with this competitor in an hour, and wants Clark to tag along as a lie detector posing as his bodyguard.

Clark can’t say he’s displeased with the idea, or the thought of helping Bruce out in this way. It’s even kind of exciting. He’s only ever seen this happen in movies.

“You’re a superhero, Clark. You can fly and shoot lasers from your eyes.”

“But I always preferred the secret agents over the bombastic superheroes,” Clark responds, grinning at his reflection in the mirror. “And now I get to be one for real! It’s cool.”

“If that is what ‘floats your boat,’ Master Clark.”

Clark grins, and slips on the shades the Bruce hands him. “So, do I look the part?” he asks, and listens with great satisfaction to the uptick in Bruce’s heart rate.

“…Yes, you do.”

Clark grins. This just might be fun after all.

--

Maxwell Steele is a man who is very much not upending the stereotypes this evening. He is as suspicious looking and sleazy as one would expect when they think of an evil businessman. Clark feels like he is way more excited than he should be; after all, he is standing right before someone who is trying his hardest to kill Bruce.

The man in question is rambling about his latest business ventures, while Bruce sits before him pretending to be someone who is only pretending to be interested. Clark finds it almost baffling how well Bruce can embody the spirit of the character he puts on.

“And, of course, we intend to finalize our dealings, of course—”

“I just have one question,” Bruce interrupts, leaning forward. “Your company has come under fire— several times, in fact— for your alleged involvement with some of the more… notorious criminals of Gotham. I must admit, I find the idea of doing business with someone involved in those kind of affairs rather frightening. Wouldn’t you think so too?”

Steele gives his sincerest effort to put on an expression of affront. As is, he just looks nervous and guilty. “Mr. Wayne,” he sputters, “I must tell you that everything you have ever heard regarding that is unsubstantiated!”

Lie.

“I would never support criminals in such a manner—”

Lie.

Steele leans back in his chair, and takes a deep breath.

“— and I have always tried to use my wealth to deal with them.”

Truth.

Clark frowns. That can’t be right.

“Honestly, Mr. Wayne, I take offense to your assumptions about me! Why, certainly you must have experience with having the vultures assume the worst of you. The most uncharitable tabloids are always looking for something to invent to disparage the characters of good men, and—”

“Yes, yes, I understand, Mr. Steele,” Bruce interrupts. “Thank you for meeting with me. We will get back to you with further details.”

Once the man leaves, and Bruce returns to his office, Clark closes the door behind them with a grin. “Who’s gonna tell him that being accused of sleeping around and being accused of colluding with criminal masterminds aren’t exactly in the same ballpark?”

Bruce grunts. “If he doesn’t know that by now, then no one’s ever going to be able to change his mind.” He levels Clark with a look. “What did you learn?”

“Well, he’s definitely lying about almost everything. But he did seem to be telling the truth when he mentioned that he was dealing with the villains, even though I don’t quite buy what he said.”

Bruce taps his finger on his chin, deep in thought. “Dealing with the villains… perhaps his phrasing is where we need to look. He’s making some sort of deal with one of them.”

“To kill you?”

“Possibly.” He looks back at Clark, eyes steely and focused. “I will pay him a secret visit tonight, and see what I can find regarding any unsavoury dealings. Maybe then—”

As it turns out, Bruce doesn’t even need to go looking for the trouble. The trouble just comes to find him. Clark throws himself over Bruce, rolling him across the shiny floor of his office as fire shoots in through the now shattered windows. Clark lands over Bruce’s body, and they watch as Firefly comes barrelling in through the window, spraying pieces of glass everywhere. Clark surreptitiously blows away some of the stray pieces before they can hurt Bruce.

“I gotta thank you, Wayne,” Firefly goads. “I just got a massive payday for trying to get rid of you. It’s almost too easy to make money these days, huh? Where’s the challenge?”

Clark rises to his feet. If he finds a way to get Bruce out of here, Batman can come and clean up this mess. But it wouldn’t do to break his cover, either…

“Get back, Mr. Wayne,” Clark growls, putting on a deep, intimidating voice. Behind him, Bruce does an excellent impression of a cowering puppy. Clark reaches out a hand as though shielding him. “I’ll protect you.”

Firefly bursts into laughter. “That’s rich. You think you can take me on? With what, your dopey sunglasses?”

You’d be surprised, Clark almost says. But he doesn’t. Because he’s a bodyguard, and they aren’t really supposed to quip around. That’s what the movies say.

Instead, Clark jumps for Bruce as Firefly unleashes another spray of fire. He shoves himself over Bruce, and then pushes him towards the window. “You’re toast, you asshole!” rages Firefly, flying towards him, flamethrowers at the ready.

In the three seconds it takes for Firefly to reach him, Clark takes the time to observe the crowd gathering outside the building, watching with bated breath. He watches Bruce’s expression twist into one of utter exasperation, the look of fear falling off his face once he is sure that Firefly is focused on Clark completely. And he watches the wires connected to the tank on Firefly’s back sway with the force of his flight.

As Firefly shoots towards him, Clark grabs onto the wire, pulling Firefly with it before the man can use his flamethrowers. Using the one on the left, Clark deftly spins the man around and around, wrapping him up in his own weapon. And then he knocks him out with a solid right hook.

Clark secures Firefly to Bruce’s fancy desk, which is bolted into the ground, making it a convenient restraint. With Firefly taken care of, Clark turns back to Bruce.

Only to find him teetering on the edge of his own building, hanging on to the edge of his destroyed wall. People are screaming, outside, and Clark just gives Bruce a judgemental look, knowing that no one can see him. “Don’t you dare.”

Bruce, for his part, just gives him an expression of utmost satisfaction. “Whoops,” he says, completely deadpan, before he lets his fingers go lax, starting his descent towards the pavement below.

Clark doesn’t even think twice. Grabbing Firefly’s flamethrower— the one connected to the wire on his right— he jumps after Bruce, and grabs him by the waist. Bruce, steady heartbeat belying that he is quite unconcerned despite the expression of fake terror on his face, turns to face him as they hang midair, and wraps his arms around his neck.

“My hero!” he simpers, loud enough for people to hear, and then he kisses him. And despite the sheer audacity of the man, Clark lets him, because he really does feel like he deserves it today.

--

“Hey, listen to this,” Clark says, laughing. “Bruce Wayne seduces new bodyguard after near death experience. Bruce, you’re famous again!”

“Very funny,” Bruce grumbles. “Of course they’d report on that instead of on Maxwell Steele’s arrest.”

“I guess being arrested for colluding with Firefly isn’t juicy enough for the Gotham Gazette.”

“Hm.”

Clark lets Bruce type at his computer a while longer, happy to just sit there and soak up the feeling of satisfaction of a job well done.

“I’ve been meaning to ask,” Bruce finally says, cutting through the silence. “How did you manage to speak in such a… different voice?”

Clark grins. “Extremely precise muscle control.” He lets his voice drop lower into the deep, silky baritone he’d adopted for his role. “Do you like it, Mr. Wayne?”

Bruce turns to face him, and Clark grins. He speeds off, and returns dressed in the suit, just in time for Bruce to give him a once-over. “I suppose I do,” Bruce replies.

“Which does remind me,” Clark vocalizes, slipping the shades onto his face. “We haven’t yet discussed the terms of my payment.”

“How much would you like?”

Clark stands, and stalks over to Bruce, keeping a serious, emotionless expression on his face. He rests his hands on the armrests of Bruce’s chair, and leans into Bruce’s space until their lips are only a few inches apart. “I believe,” he rumbles, “that we can come to some other arrangement.”

Bruce licks his lips, otherwise expressionless. But his hands come up to run all over Clark’s chest, over the muscles of his arm, around his neck. They come up to his face to trace around his eyes, or rather, around the shades covering them.

“So do I.”

Clark just grins, and kisses him. Being disguised as a bodyguard really did have its perks, even if it was only for a day. He got to have the whole movie experience, down to getting with a hot love interest in the end. It doesn’t get much better than that.

---

Read on AO3

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

WAYNE-KENT CHAOS

by Pamela_Amets In some families, the biggest drama is about who will do the dishes. In the Wayne and Kent families, the biggest problem might be the order of marriage. When Batman and Superman secretly start dating, And their sons also secretly start dating, And everyone decides to reveal their relationships at the same time… That’s when CHAOS UNFOLDS. This is the story of how Batman’s detective skills failed to uncover Gotham’s greatest secret, And how even Superman wasn’t prepared for this much drama. Get ready! Because this isn’t just a love story… This is a Wayne-Kent CHAOS! Words: 1892, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: DCU, DCU (Comics), DC Extended Universe, Batman - All Media Types, Batman (Comics), Superman/Batman (Comics), Batman and Robin (Comics), Superman - All Media Types, Superman (Comics), Super Sons (Comics), Robin (Comics), Batfamily - Fandom Rating: Not Rated Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: M/M Characters: Bruce Wayne, Clark Kent, Alfred Pennyworth, Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake (DCU), Damian Wayne, Jonathan Samuel Kent, Duke Thomas, Cassandra Cain, Stephanie Brown, Barbara Gordon Relationships: Batfamily Members & Bruce Wayne, Batfamily Members & Clark Kent, Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne, Batman/Superman, Jonathan Samuel Kent/Damian Wayne, Jonathan Kent/Damian Wayne Additional Tags: Fluff, Funny, Happy Ending, Happy, Confessions, SuperBat, Good Parent Bruce Wayne, Good Parent Clark Kent, Batfamily (DCU), Batfamily Dynamics (DCU), Jason Todd is a Batfamily Member, Duke Thomas is a Batfamily Member, Alfred Pennyworth is the Best, Jonathan Samuel Kent is Superboy, Jonathan Samuel Kent Loves Damian Wayne, Damian Wayne Loves Jonathan Samuel Kent, Jonathan Samuel Kent in Love, Marriage Proposal, Marriage, Bruce Wayne is Brucie Wayne, Bruce Wayne Loves Clark Kent, Clark Kent Loves Bruce Wayne, Bruce Wayne is Batman, Clark Kent is Superman, Bruce Wayne is a drama queen, Falling In Love, Boys In Love, Soft Love, Love, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Growing Up Together, Good Sibling Dick Grayson, Good Sibling Jason Todd, Good Sibling Tim Drake (DCU), Good Sibling Cassandra Cain, Good Sibling Stephanie Brown, Awesome Alfred Pennyworth, we die like Jason Todd, Batfamily (DCU) Feels, All my knowledge comes from fanfics, Is Bruce a little out of character? I guess via https://ift.tt/uN1dKYn

[medieval-hippie]

Superman is not ideal husband material

Fandom: Batman - All Media Types, Justice League - All Media Types, Green Lantern - All Media Types Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Hal Jordan (Green Lantern)/Bruce Wayne, Clark Kent & Bruce Wayne, Justice League & Bruce Wayne, Hal Jordan (Green Lantern) & Justice League Characters: Bruce Wayne, Hal Jordan (Green Lantern), Clark Kent, Barry Allen, Oliver Queen, Diana (Wonder Woman) (mentioned) Additional Tags: Secret Relationship, Miscommunication, Mistaken for Being in a Relationship, Relationship Reveal, Anniversary, technically, POV Hal Jordan (Green Lantern), POV Barry Allen, i think i got possessed by barry or something i dont know what happened, Fluff, minor minor angst, Sweet Hal Jordan (Green Lantern), Sweet Bruce Wayne, they're sappy and gross

Summary:

The League thinks Batman and Superman are together. This is wrong for a multitude of reasons.

Though most of the League believes that Superbat is canon, there is one member in particular who is one hundred percent certain that Batman and Superman are not together. This is because that member is in fact Batman’s husband.

[alex-dot-com]

Nothing more embarrassing than logging into Ao3 to investigate a new ship and realising that you dont understand the fandoms tagging etiquette. Where are all my favourite tags? Why are they worded slightly differently? Why are there zero fics of my favourite tag? What is going on? Have I been spoiled by SuperBat shippers? Where is the drama? The secrets? The found family?

[flyingcatstiel]

I’m currently reading superbat fics (sorry, destiel, stony and dinluke, I’ll get back to you some day) and I’m having great time with commenting and authors replying to me. It’s a whole new fandom experience when I can read fics just for personal enjoyment, without planning fic rec lists. So much easier to comment, wtf. Anyways, I’m following 4 superbat identity p*rn fics right now, and it’s glorious. What a feast. My favorite trope, so many interesting ways to explore it. Happy holidays to all superbat writers but especially those 4 WIP writers🎄

ETA - here be some recs

ETA, March 2024 - HERE BE SOME UPDATES!

@pinkb00bsocks asked about those 4 WIPs. Here they are! The usual disclaimer - there are plenty of excellent superbat WIPs going on right now, but I've limited spoons and these are the ones I currently enjoy.

The World and All Its Hedgehogs by Ginevra_Benci [M. 8,007 word count, WIP, 4/?] To investigate illegal arms sale taking place at a tropical resort hotel, Batman goes under cover as a vacuous billionaire Brucie Wayne and Superman takes a part time job as a porter. They didn't coordinate this, they don't know each others civilian identities. Every time they talk there are at least 3 different conversations going on and it is glorious. Also, so much lust. ;)

(Also, check out Interviewing & Counceling series by the same author. Clark is having a superhero identity crisis and Bruce is there to catch Clark gently as he spirals down. It has one of the softest identity reveals in superbat fics. ETA - the series is now complete, it has 5 parts and 18k word count. Awesome ending to the softest identity reveal story)

Watching Our Stars Align by ClarkeStetler [M, 28,840 word count, WIP, 7/14] There's a dating/chatting app only for superheroes and all identities are secret. What could go wrong? Bruce and Clark get matched under their new pseuds, and same happens to Tim Drake and Conner Kent. Now fathers and sons gotta navigate complicated relationships that come with secret identities and judging your coworkers hastily while talking heart to heart to anonymous superhero. The identity porn part happens through DM, which just happens to be another favorite trope of mine. [The story is going strong, it has 10/14 chapters now and a wonderful tangle of 3 secret identities!]

(Love) Triangles Have Multiple Centers by frozenpotions [T, 27,281 word count, WIP, 4/10] This fic wastes no time getting playboy billionaire Brucie Wayne and pining-after-his-coworker journalist Clark Kent together. After that, first time uneasy partners Batman and Superman gotta solve a case and their civilian selves gotta deal with the realities of their one night stand. Complicated doesn't even cover it! [The fic is being updated and Clark and Bruce are being put through new trials, 6/10 chapters]

A Favor for a Friend by RedFive [Explicit, 18,286 word count, WIP, 4/7] Omega verse fic with alpha playboy billionaire Bruce Wayne and omega journalist Clark Kent. I'm fascinated by dominant, flirtatious, sexually ravenous alpha Brucie Wayne who moonlights as a stoic, covered in scent blockers thus unclear second gender, Batman. Meanwhile omega Clark, due to being Kryptonian, is much less ruled by his second gender. That is, until he meets Mr. Wayne. This fic has so much lust and tension between the two. Does accidental heat triggering counts as a soulmate mark? I'm gonna count it like that. [The fic has entered the finish line, only a chapter or two are left to finish this wild, explosive, life changing story of two people who were meant for each other. 8/? chapters, 44k word count] The fic is now complete!!! 9 chapters, 56,153 word count. (Also, there's this new TV show about two gay dudes, and istg, they look like Bruce and Clark from this fic. I'm not naming it here because I don't want to highjack the show tag with superbat post, but go and check the tag on tumblr)

*****

And a special shout out to two identity shenanigan WIPs that are not actively updating but are absolute must reads.

ship-to-ship combat by pomeloquat [M, 62,737 word count, WIP, 12/13] OK, so, for me personally, this is the ultimate identity p*rn fic across all fandoms I've read so far. This fic has one of the highest amount of secret identity pairs in superbat fics. There's the usual pining silently Batman/Superman, then there's Clark dating Bruce, Superman saving Bruce Wayne from peril, Clark Kent chatting with Batman. And the cherry on top is Clark writing Bruceman fanfic which is basically a RPF of his two friends, Batman and Bruce Wayne. Which leads to an internet friendship with a fellow fan, who is, you guessed, Bruce. This fic has great reflections on fandom and shipping culture. But the very beating heart of this fic is about how easy it is to lose something you wished to have but were afraid to ask for. The fic, at 12/13, is technically a WIP, but the main reveal is already done, and it is glorious. ETA - THIS IS NOT A DRILL, the fic is finished and the last chapter is a super meta cherry on a top of delicious, layered superhero identity and fandom shenanigans parfait. 13 chapters, 76,7k word count.

10 Things Every Brucie Fan Needs in Their Life by pomeloquat [T, 8,956 word count, WIP, 5/10] The main premise of this fic is hilarious and yet so, so right. Bruce Wayne is promoting himself as a nation's boyfriend instead of a playboy, and is making bank out of his wholesome, PG rated merchandise. The chapters of this fic tell continuous story but they also can be read as separate vignettes, so there's really no cliffhanger. This fic is so soft and fluffy, it will heal your soul. Also, Superman has celebrity crush on Bruce Wayne. Batman is amused.

[ao3feed-superbat]

More than a Gossip Piece

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/UHI9rXi by Aehmttw “Alright, Batsy, who would you spend a night with?” “Clark Kent.” “Who?” “A reporter from the Daily Planet. He's been trying to get an interview with me in increasingly creative ways, and I've found that I appreciate both his brain and his looks.” Green Lantern just thinks some reporter is trying to interview Batman. Superman though is having a little crisis. Because the only man in Gotham City he's been trying to interview is Bruce Wayne. Words: 2101, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Fandoms: Superman - All Media Types, Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics), Justice League - All Media Types Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: M/M Characters: Lois Lane, James "Jimmy" Olsen, Other Character Tags to Be Added Relationships: Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne, Minor or Background Relationship(s) Additional Tags: Clark and Bruce don't know each other's secret identities, Bruce Wayne Tries to Be a Good Parent, Getting Together, Identity Reveal, Identity Porn, superbat - Freeform, Friendship/Love read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/UHI9rXi

[burins]

@mengyao and @bao3bei4 did a 20 questions meme and y'all know I love a meme.

1. How many works on AO3?

72! a wild number. I thought about stopping at 69 but the lure of posting is too great.

2. Total word count on AO3?

334,157. which frankly also feels surreal. at some point I have to recognize that I've been in fandom for almost 15 years and thus have amassed a pretty substantial word count despite almost never writing longfic!

3. Top five fics by kudos?

unfurl

mission parameters

everybody says

flash in the pan 

field research 

shocking no one, these are all DC fics, but they're not all the ones I would assume would be the most popular (field research is straight up sex club idfic porn!) I try very hard not to write with a capital-A audience in the back of my head aside from like, a handful of friends I know will yell at me about certain lines because a) that's a surefire way for writing to not be fun anymore and b) you simply can't know what is gonna get recced on some massive server you've never heard of and what is going to be the sleeper fave of like five really dedicated commenters.

this wasn't asked but it feels important: as of right now 666 people are subscribed to me. great number everyone can pack up and go home!

4. What fandoms do you primarily write for?

DC at this point, aside from my yearly excursion back into Friends at the Table for the Secret Samol exchange. I have to be careful enough with how and when I write that I don't know when I'll be able to answer the call of a new fandom. I'd like to write more HxH stuff, though! 

5. Do you respond to comments?

if it's a substantial comment I really try to! comments bring me a tremendous amount of joy and I love to talk about my own writing (clearly.) I usually do in batches so it takes quite a while.

6. Angstiest ending?

one time I wrote a fic where one half of the pairing asked her wife to murder her, and her wife did <3 

7. Fic with the happiest ending?

god. I feel like I so rarely write a completely uncomplicated happy ending, because all the characters I like to write are kind of miserable people. actually if we're not counting fluff or porn, which don't so much have a happy ending as start there and stay there, the answer to this one in terms of biggest distance from beginning to end is breath hot blood red. this is the fic where Bruce makes a deal with a Creature and reaps the consequences. you might think a fic with these particular tags could not possibly have a happy ending but it does! I think Bruce setting aside the cowl is actually the happiest ending he is ever going to get. I really waffled on whether to give him one tbh. in an alternate universe Dick dies on that rooftop and Batman eats Bruce alive :)

8. Do you get hate?

not particularly! I was worried when I started posting jaydick but tbh I've gotten weirder comments about how I characterize superbat lol. sorry I do not believe that two men with this many neuroses are always nice to each other. I'm including Clark in that too if you think that man escaped growing up an alien in small town Kansas with no psychological damage in how he treats himself and others I don't know what to tell you. yes he's superman yes self sacrifice and caring are at the very core of his being and yes that causes problems! it is difficult to be in love with someone who will always put the world's needs above your own even if you know they're right to do so; it's also difficult, in a very mundane way, to be in love with someone who would rather chew their own arm off than ask for something.

9. Do you write smut?

do I ever! I love writing porn. I think it's a great way to get at the root of how characters relate to each other and a fun writing exercise for me, who at this point has written a lot of porn, to figure out how to make this one feel fresh and new and also still be hot. sometimes when this happens you wind up writing chair kink. I can talk about character relationships all day long but at the end of the day it has to be hot!

10. Do you write crossovers?

aside from my one mdzs locked tomb au, which is more of a sci fi fusion that riffs off of one specific premise in that series, no! it's not usually something I'm super interested in - the reason I write fic for any canon is the juice in the existing character relationships, so I don't generally feel the need to pull in anyone else. 

11. Ever had a fic stolen?

not to my knowledge! I mean I'm sure they've all been scraped but. :(

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

yes! itsuki_minatsu did a Mandarin translation of take a pic, strike a pose and I only wish I could read it because I bet the translations of the group chat are really funny. 

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

also yes! not in years though. I cowrote an ungodly amount of porn about ttrpg OCS in the process of getting together with my spouse (and also meeting many beloved friends.) I do often get inspiration from riffing off of things with friends on social media or in group chats, which has some of the same juice to me!

14. All time favorite ship?

truly not a question I can answer. I go back and read for a lot of old fandoms!

15. WiPs you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

this is a bit of a depressing question at this juncture so I am skipping it ✌️

16. Writing strengths?

due to my years in the Twitter mines making my friends sad via 140 characters or less I can create atmosphere quite quickly! I'm proud of my prose in general, and I put a lot of thought into creating meaty characters that bounce off each other in satisfying ways.

17. Writing weaknesses?

plot. oh my god. you want me to keep track of these people's emotions AND make up things to happen? there's a reason I've written a grand total of five fics that broke 10k and it's not just because I have chronic pain in my arms.

18. Thoughts on mixed language dialogue?

I know enough about how being multilingual works to know I won't be attempting it. The exception is I don't tend to translate titles or words that normally wouldn't be translated in an English sentence. I'm not out here making Lan Wangji play the zither.

I did have to go kind of the opposite direction in from the inside of the wound when Clark and Kara are speaking in Kryptonian, though, because a) I wanted their conversation to be entirely in Kryptonian but English for the reader because b) I can't be going into the conlang mines. I have utmost respect for folks like blorb-el who are out here doing the work! but once I cross that Rubicon I never come back and I need to save my language learning juice for languages that will help me out at work. I think I managed it with a minimum of awkwardness!

19. First fandom you wrote for?

warrior cats baybee! I was a proboards forum kid.

20. Favorite fic you’ve ever written?

impossible question, I answer it differently every time. I think how cleanly how quietly might be one of my faves because Tim has historically been difficult for me to write and I wanted to make Bruce an unreliable narrator who's clearly in the wrong here while still making him not totally unsympathetic. (the comments section to that one kind of bears up my suspicion that your reaction to that fic is a litmus test for how you feel about your dad.) also I got to throw in a ton of Easter eggs which was simply so fun for me, a person who adores coming up with silly little details. 

also tbh I think every year I do a secret Samol it comes out better than the last. some of my absolute best writing has been read by several dozen very dedicated people who are still into hieron six years after it ended. and for that I say thank you!!! friends at the table is your favorite writer's favorite writing. they're starting a new season now you can get in on the ground floor- 

tagging: if you want to do this, you should tag me in it. for real, I mean that, I want to hear how you think about writing! even if we aren't mutuals!!!!

[steddieunderdogfics]

Today is all about @oh-stars! In today's Mod Spotlight, we're highlighting Jo and all they bring to this space!!

Jo created this space back in December and handles most of our regular fic recs and scheduling Fic Fridays! As well as making graphics, scheduling the event announcements and calendar, Jo steps in to help where she's needed!

Jo (she/they) has been a fic writer for over ten years, and a mod for seven years. Over the years, she’s written for other fandoms, such as Marvel, but now primarily focuses on Stranger Things — specifically Steddie. She mods the Stranger Things Reverse Big Bang, the Steve Harrington Big Bang, the Eddie Munson Big Bang, and created Steddie Underdog Fics back in December.

As a part of our mod spotlight, Jo answered some questions from you all and our team! You can read them below.

Be sure to stay tuned for more recs and future mod spotlights in the future!

What drew you to Steddie?

Truthfully, I couldn’t tell you. I’m a Steve girlie through and through, have been for years, but it’s something about his dynamic with Eddie that just clicked. It’s the same way I feel about all my major ships over the years. To me, and this isn’t a fresh take by any means cause I know I’ve seen others make the name connection, but Steddie has the same energy as Stucky from Marvel, Buddie from 9-1-1, and Superbat from DC, which are the other three big ships I’ve consistently the past few years. I’m a multishipper, can really see the beauty in other ships and dynamics for any of my fandom characters, but there’s something special about Steddie that I just don’t have the words for.

What is your favorite thing about modding this page?

This is so cheesy, but the community! I adore how everyone supports one another and discovering fics and authors I’ve never come across outside of the bubble I’ve found myself in. It’s such a joy being able to uplift authors and share their fics, it trumps all the headaches that can come with modding a page.

What are your favorite tropes to read?

I’m a sucker for kid fics, secret relationships, and hurt/comfort – especially heavy angst with happy endings.

What’s your guilty pleasure trope?

Omegaverse is the safe answer, lol, but probably darker fics? Angstier fics that I have to be super careful with the tags or else I can’t read lol. It’s not something I engage with all the time, but every now and then I go down the Major Character Death tags.

What is your preferred way to read and find fics?

I go through the tags very methodically, especially for a new fandom. With Steddie, it was a bit different since it’s the first time I’ve been around for the start of a ship – or at least paying attention to the ship as it’s forming. So usually I’ll either sort by date updated or word counts, then go through the tag I’m wanting page by page and read back to back. And if I make it through a whole tag, thats when I go to recs to see if I can find something to spark my interest for a new tag. Or for a tag I’d never really read on my own.

What makes a fic an instant yes for you to read?

Word count is a big one, the longer the better, especially if you add in a slow burn tag with a six digit wc. Otherwise, it’s a combination of things like a high word count, mix of slow burn, misunderstandings, happy endings tags, and it being completed, I’ll rarely hesitate.

Anonymous - Is there any older or lesser-known Steddie event from the past few years that you particularly love (if ongoing or recurring) or loved? Did you participate in any?

I really enjoyed the community over at @steddieholidayexchange (and the summer one). I’ve participated in many events over the years, from Steddie BB 2023 and a few other exchanges to ones I’ve modded like the Stranger Things Reverse BB, but that community was special.

@sidekick-hero - What makes a fanfic stand out for you?

How well rounded it is! With fanfic, I don’t want it to just focus on moving the plot forward all the time. Take the scenic route and let the characters breathe as they explore a number of side quests and plots as we navigate the main plot. Give me good dialogue, prose, interesting twists or interactions, and good character moments and I’ll be happy.

@worldswcollide - What advice would you give to someone who is interested in becoming a mod in the future?

Organization is everything and take notes!! Staying consistent with your organization and keeping records of everything will really help keep everything running smoothly. For events like big bangs and reverse big bangs that happen annually or semi-annually, it’s really important to keep a list of what works and doesn’t to improve the next run. Listen to feedback from your participants and see what you can adapt to make it work. Not all feedback has to be followed, but it’s good to try and see how you can improve your event or space. That’s where the records and notes will also come into play so you don’t have to start from scratch on the next one and you can back up what is working with evidence if you need to defend it within the team. Otherwise, just have fun. Don’t take it too seriously. Modding fan pages and events is volunteer work and meant to be fun, so if it isn’t anymore, don’t let it suck the joy out of fandom for you!

Anonymous - Do you participate in any other fannish activities, like making playlists, gif edits, fanart, podcasts, Pinterest boards, etc?

I’ve definitely dabbled in a lot – playlists, fan edits, fan art, animations, book binding, etc – but none that stick around as much as writing. I spend so much time modding I don’t really have the time to do more outside of it.

@sidekick-hero - What motivates you to mod for steddieunderdogfics?

My team and the continued support we get from our loyal supporters! We see the same names reblogging the call to action posts and engaging with the posts, so it’s really encouraging to see that our work has an impact in the fandom!

@worldswcollide -  Are there skills you’ve learned as a mod that have helped you in your everyday life?

I have literally used my modding experience in job interviews. I frame it as event planning and management, with an emphasis on customer service and organization and usually that’s a great talking point for interviews. That being said, it’s really broadened my spreadsheet abilities and organization and I view teamwork in a different way now. As a burnt out gifted kid who took on the brunt of team projects in school, letting people take over work has always been tough so having a trusted team that shows me I can hand things over, its really refreshing. And now I’ve been able to do the same at work!

Anonymous - Have you had a particular favorite Challenge Monday or weekend theme so far (maybe because of the theme, the recs, or the engagement, or for some other reason)?

Okay so a little BTS, but we totally have handpicked some themes for each mod. For my birthday back, we did kid fics for that theme weekend since it fell on that Sunday since it was my favorite trope – and the same has been extended for the other mods’ birthdays. Outside of that, I really like the ones that I don’t expect to get a lot of submissions. And the comment ones, since we try to encourage those submitting the recs to also leave a comment.

@sidekick-hero - What do you like best about fandom?

I’ve said it a few times already, but community. I don’t have the biggest community outside of fandom, so it’s always touching to see how amazing and supportive everyone has been. Social stuff is tough for me, but no matter where I look in fandom spaces, there’s always someone willing to be patient and kind. It’s really changed my life, introducing me to some of the most incredible, impactful people I’ve ever met like @karadanverss, @sparkstar-trash, and @lady-lostmind -- and so many others. No matter how cringe or whatever opinions people have about fandom, I’ll never be shy about my experiences in fandom and with fanfic because of the people I’ve met over the years.

@worldswcollide - If you absolutely HAD to choose—enemies to lovers or friends to lovers? (At least when it comes to Steddie)

This is actually super easy to me, but friends to lovers all the way. I prefer that over enemies to lovers anyway, because that’s a really tough trope for me, but there’s something special about friends to lovers. I love how sweet and gentle it is, especially on a longer slow burn as things trickle into place in a way that just feels right because it’s meant to be. Enemies to lovers, though, is tricky. Rivals are always fun, but actual enemies is a hard line to toe. For me, I feel like the reason they’re enemies is either too light to be true enemies or too heavy that it’s kind of impossible to realistically get past. I like writing both, but I think in the end, I prefer friends to lovers.

Anonymous - Have you seen any interesting or fascinating trends in the ST or Steddie fandom that you'd like to talk about?

For ST and Steddie specifically, no. I think it’s really fun to see how the fandom shifts as a wave. Like post S4 drop, we were all about the fix-its and canon fics, time loops were massive and the kas theory was really hitting after the last two eps. Then I feel like we’re constantly going in and out of tropes as a whole, while the staples are always constant. But all of that is pretty standard across any fandom so it’s hard to really pinpoint.

@sidekick-hero - What made you create Steddie Underdog Fics?

Steddie Big Bang 2023. That was a monster of a bang and between how big it ended up being as well as the nature of how Steddie exploded, I felt a little helpless. I was super lucky to have gotten a lot of attention on one of my fics, but I really attribute that to timing, length, and how quickly I got it written. Do I think it deserves how much love and attention it got? No, there are so many other amazing works that feature new ideas and concepts, with interesting takes on canon or the characters, that should have just as much attention as that fic received. But the bigger the ship got, the easier it was for fics to slip under the radar. I’m still very lucky to have dedicated readers on my works, but at the time, I was really struggling with my Steddie BB fic. I was struggling with some negativity on it and seeing other authors worry about their own fics because they weren’t getting feedback, then one thing led to another and I was creating the blog before I could really process it.

Anonymous - Have you seen a rec method like it in other places before or was there just a general desire to help highlight things lost in the large growth of the Steddie fandom?

@steddieficfind’s format of crowdsourcing helped shape how I wanted to go about this space. At the time, while I was reading a lot, most of the fics I was reading were ongoing updates or from the same few authors, and a lot were oneshots. So I would go on rec lists and @steddieficfindto find new fics that I may have missed when going through my usual tags, because summaries aren’t always accurate. I know I struggle with my own fics’ summaries, but seeing how a reader sees a fic versus the author can really help bring in new perspectives. Thinking about that, I decided that having other people share their recs and highlight fics in a new light other than the author’s summary could be an interesting take on the rec space.

@sidekick-hero - Do you look for different things in fanfic when you're reading it than when you're writing it?

Oh yes, I’m way more critical about my own fic than the ones I’m reading. With my work, I’m trying to get to a destination while my reading choices are about the journey. I just want to enjoy the fic and see what happens, I’m not criticizing word choice or looking at the craft as a whole. Sometimes its hard to shut that off, but I really try to separate the two.

@worldswcollide - How did you transition from writing fic to taking on such big projects?

I’m a bit of a workaholic when it comes to fandom stuff. I’ll do the bare minimum in my jobs (because they’re super low stakes, let’s be real) so I can devote a lot of energy to writing and modding my events and this page. That being said, I usually hyper focus on the newest project for a minute before I take a more balanced approach. It helps having teams that can support me, especially with ongoing projects like this one. There were so many times where I nearly deleted this space because it got too overwhelming on my own, even as I added more and more to it. I couldn’t be doing this without @spicysix and @verdantcactus. They’re willingness to help, earnest interest, and brilliant ideas on how we can work the space has been a game changer. I can’t thank them enough for taking on this project with me, for continuing to absolutely nail it week after week. So thank you both so very much!!

Anonymous - What is it about Bang events that draws you in, especially as a mod?

It’s addicting. Genuinely. I’ve been doing them for seven years now across a handful of fandoms. Modding is just so fun for me, it helps me engage more with new people in ways I’m too intimidated to try as just a participant. And again, the community is really nice within events, especially with everyone cheering each other on as we hit milestones and deadlines. I really appreciate that support and getting the opportunity to support others to try new things.

@sidekick-hero - What's the best feedback you've ever gotten (could be about your writing or being a mod)?

This is really tough! It’s one of two, both were from my favorite writing professor. It’s more advice than feedback about my work specifically, but it’s something I’m constantly thinking about, especially now when I’m a bit stuck writing wise as a whole. The first is that writing is a muscle, not a talent. You can always improve and get better the more you practice, but in the same vein that it’s harder to lift 50lbs when you don’t lift that much all the time, you can lose it too. Writing a little bit each day, even if it's a sentence or two at a time, will be better than letting it rest, because you can’t edit a blank page. And as long as you’re thinking about the story, playing around with what you’ll do next, what worked in a past scene or you want to change in another, that counts too. It’s still writing even if you’re not getting actual words down. The second is that if you’re blocked, look up the page. The answer is almost always two or three paragraphs before you stopped, or in bigger works, sections ahead. Finding the problem may be harder than expected, but it’s always there.

Today, all of our recs are from @oh-stars specifically! You can always see their recs on our Fic Fridays by checking our #mod stars rec tag.

[nothingenoughao3]

Hello, I read your fic Dreams in the Necromancer House and just wanted to say I'm really enjoying it. The images are so vivid, I don't know how you do it. And so I was wondering if I could ask where did you get your inspiration from. As in, if you add references about certain books or history or traditions where do you find them? Wikipedia? I'm just curious about how to do research. Specifically the tag that says Lovecraftian cults, tbh I have no clue about the H.P.Lovecraft universe. I just think it's really interesting.

Also, I am probably going to read it again because I'm sure I've missed out on some details. Anyways, have a nice day.

Hey, thank you for the thoughtful ask! This is the sort of question writers dream about receiving.

Here is the not-so-secret and not-so-glamorous process for how I compile references for my works (not just this one--this L4D2 series took a LOT of research, and so did that one SuperBat fic).

For me, the earliest creative process is kaleidoscopic: I'll have multiple scenes that don't seem like they all fit together spinning around in my head, and "the plot" is what happens when I try to make them all line up and become one coherent thing. Usually, there are the Scenes Of Pure Inspiration which arrive out of nowhere, followed by the Scenes Of Pure Necessity that have to happen to support the Pure Inspiration, and then one or two Scenes Of Damn Wouldn't That Be Cool that come up as I play different scenarios out in my head. Once it's over, I'll probably discuss the Scenes Of Pure Inspiration from "Dreams" more in detail.

Then I start doing outlines. Yes, I construct outlines for my fanfics, just as I do for my original works. There are far too many tiny moving parts in a story for them not to be contained in an outline--even if you move them to a different spot later, the damn things'll get lost in the sofa cushions if you don't keep them in a container of some kind. (I hope this metaphor hasn't gotten away from me.)

Dreams has three outlines--the one I wrote while still generating ideas, the one I wrote to establish timelines more firmly, and then an annotated one that has all the references I've sprinkled throughout the story. So I do consider this to be a vital part of the process. There will be a fourth notation file I generate when I do my final editing pass after it's all published, too! That one will cover me stating stuff about character histories and little story details, so that (for an example that really happened) I don't have Armitage giving a flask of whiskey to Herbert which later turns into a flask of Everclear.

Now where does the research bit come in? For me, when I do my extremely-detailed outline or when I start writing.

For details regarding history, science, politics, and the like, I generally rely on Googling, same as anyone else (excluding results after the year 2021 if I'm not finding what I need). Better than this, though, is books. I used to collect books that were writers' references--one of my favorites was a guide to poisons, both "the most likely poisons used in a murder mystery" AND "how to design your own poison/toxin/venom". Also guidebooks for TTRPGs, sacred texts, gardening guides, etc. I currently have a book series called "The Home Doctor" that teaches you how to do baseline veterinary and human medicine (according to the early 1900s). I don't have that because I plan on using it for its intended purpose, but I did use it to research a L4D2 fic where someone's leg gets amputated--and I even had the characters in the fic owning those same books!

What really matters for a story like Dreams, though, is thematic feel. I think folks will forgive me if I were to mention a musical band that didn't exist in 1987/8, but far less so if I didn't nail the feel of 1987/8, or of cosmic horror. So while I am writing a story, I immerse not only in the source material (if it's a fanfic), but also in music, movies, books, comics, and etc. that "feel right". I'll draw off those media for further inspiration, because let's face it, creativity is knowing what to steal and how to steal it. (I didn't say that--Tarantino did.)

The key here is that I don't stop interacting with research and creative works when I'm not writing. I'll flip through my books or go down a rabbit hole of "what the hell is THAT scientific concept about" or learn about magical rituals every day that I can. If the compilation of research material looks easy or fast when I do it, it's because I'm always doing it and I know how to narrow it down!

For Dreams, I could go "Oh, here's a list of all the stories and movies and etc. I want to build off of" because I already had all of those things in my mental wheelhouses. If you wanted it, here is a specific list of the actual non-Lovecraftian works that thematically support and inspire Dreams in the Necromancer House:

Prince of Darkness (1987)+

Hereditary (2018)*

The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals (2019)

Stir of Echoes (1999)

Mandy (2018)

Skeleton Crew, Nightmares and Dreamscapes, and Everything's Eventual by Stephen King: specifically, "Nona", "1408", "Mrs. Todd's Shortcut", "Gramma"+, "Autopsy Room Four", and "That Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is In French"

Black Butterflies and Heatseeker by John Shirley: specifically "Cram", "Tahiti In Terms of Squares", "The Almost Empty Rooms", "Woodgrains"

The King in Yellow by Robert Chalmers

Twin Peaks

Music: "We Will Commit Wolf Murder" by of Montreal, "Leather Jacket" by Ben Folds Five, "It Must Have Been Love" by Roxette, "Over & Over" by Rio Romeo, "No One's Around To Help" by JerryTerry

The Arkham Horror board game

"The Mysterious Stranger/An Angel Named Satan" from The Adventures of Mark Twain

And since you were asking about Lovecraft's universe, here are the stories that went into this particular tale. All of his stuff is treated as being in the public domain, so you can easily find it on sites like Project Gutenberg or wikis:

"The Case of Charles Dexter Ward"+

"The Thing on the Doorstep"+

"The Dunwich Horror"+

"The Colour Out of Space", as well as the film adaptation Color Out of Space (2019)

"Pickman's Model"

"The Call of Cthulhu"*

"The Shadow Over Innsmouth"*

And of course, "Dreams in the Witch-House"+

The ones marked with an * are the most detailed stories regarding what I mean by "Lovecraftian cults", and the ones with a + are good demonstrations of wizardry/magic systems that supported this work.

[mulderscully]

20 questions for fic writers

Thanks for the tag @dreamsinthewitchouse 🫶🏼

How many works do you have on ao3?

32 💀 + all my old orphaned fics and the deckerstar fics i used to post in secret but here they are bc i don't even care anymore lol

What's your total ao3 word count?

bring fr i'm too lazy to look

What fandoms do you write for?

rwrb and doctor whomst at the moment

Top five fics by kudos:

i've forgotten if they're green or they're blue

heaven is a place on earth with you

i don't shine if you don't shine

he is exactly the poem i wanted to write

love is a winning game

Do you respond to comments?

i try to reply to everyone, yes.

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

i don't really write angst? i guess, it's a beautiful life (remember that too for me)

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

i only write happy stuff!!

Do you get hate on fics?

no but i have gotten some weird comments like this

Do you write smut?

mostly write smut tbh lmfao

Craziest crossover:

not a crossover person, but i considered an xf/doctor who one and a buffy/wwdits crossover

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

not that i know of.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

nope.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

no, and the idea of it stresses me out.

All time favorite ship?

*taps my url* and i have an msr au half written, yes.

What's a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

like 100 in my head. none in writing.

What are your writing strengths?

i think i'm good at understanding characters and dynamics and using that in writing. and i capture voices well sometimes.

What are your writing weaknesses?

plotting, not sounding repetitive

Thoughts on dialogue in another language?

i could manage spanish, i think.

First fandom you wrote in?

i'm not exactly sure? i think it was superbat 💀

Favorite fic you've written?

i've forgotten if they're green or they're blue. i also am pretty proud of my ninerose au

tagging @ninzied @thirdeyeblue @edierone @bronzeagepizzeria @pellaaearien @esmealux @thewollfgang @indestructibleheart @hgejfmw-hgejhsf @chasingfictions and anyone who wants toooo/no pressure 💖

[shinynewwriting]

Tagged by @pastelplastic!

rules: make a new post with the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it! and then tag as many people as you have WIPs

Oh God, you have uncovered my dark secret: I give absolutely everything a stupid placeholder name and avoid thinking about a real title until the last possible minute. I often don't even change the file name. My WIPS, and their actual title if there is one:

The Batman Who Lulz (Dying is Easy, Comedy is Hard)

WAYR addition/expansion (Sequel/expansion to Who Are You, Really?)

Earth 32 (Always Rooting for the Anti-Hero)

Clexy

Superbat Omegaverse (a different fic from my other Superbat omegaverse fic)

Brex fic

Kirkwall Trash Party

Batjokes 2 Napier Edition

(covers face with hands) I am always too shy to tag people in these things, but anyone who sees this is free to do it as well!