#Archival Pride 2021

[leothil]

fic recs: archive edition 28

With season seven now behind us and a long summer of hiatus ahead, I peered into my bookmarks from December 2021 and decided that the only logical thing was to assemble a list of Christmas-y fics! Maybe the most wonderful time of the year will make the wait a bit easier.

Previous rec posts can be found here!

i'm here (i’m yours for the taking) by farfromthstars (@doeeyeseddie) Eddie agrees to accompany Buck to his old roommate's wedding (Connor! Making a comeback in this fic a year before he turned up in canon again!), but due to a misunderstanding everyone thinks they're married. Surely playing husbands for a weekend won't awaken anything in them! 19k words, rated T

this christmas (i'm gonna risk it all) by @bievanbuckleys The 118 rent a large cabin together for the holidays. Buck has long ago decided to keep his feelings to himself, but in such close proximity it might be hard to keep it all in. Oh, and one small problem - the room he's sharing with Eddie has only one bed. 27.8k words, rated M

this love we got (is the best of all) by @thatbuddie Buck and Eddie are hosting the 118 for Christmas Eve dinner the first Christmas after they got married, and Buck stresses about wanting it to be perfect. A sweet slice-of-life established relationship piece! 2.7k words, rated G

(as long as you love me so) let it snow by lecornergirl (@clusterbuck) Ok I'm cheating a bit, this isn't technically about Christmas. But they do get stuck in a snowstorm and the vibes are soft and fluffy, even when it starts with a funeral. 2.1k words, rated T

Merry Christmas uh, happy Pride and enjoy the start of summer! And please leave the authors kudos and comments, it's the only way they know someone has read and enjoyed their work!

[pitchsidestories]

Football documentaries to watch after the Women's World Cup ended

Togetherness: Follows the Arsenal Women's team during their rollercoaster season 2022/23 (On the Arsenal homepage, 5 episodes)

One Team. One Dream. This is Chelsea: Shows the Chelsea Women's Team experiences between 2019 and 2021 (DAZN Women's Football Youtube Channel, 6 episodes)

Inside the Pride: shows the England Lionesses journeys during the Euros 2022 (England's Youtube Channel, film)

The game that changed football: Barcelona vs. Real Madrid, the classic match during the UEFA Women's Champions League 2021/22 (DAZN Women's Football Youtube Channel, film)

EQUALS: follows a lot of players from different national teams for example Leah Williamson during the Euros 2022 (DAZN Women's Football Youtube Channel, 6 episodes)

Matildas.The World at Our Feet: Follows the Australian Women's team as they prepare for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in their home country (Disney +, 6 episodes)

Born for this: shows the journey of the German Women's national team before and during their incredible euros journey 2022 (ZDF/Sky, 6 episodes)

Female Football around the world - England: focuses on the development and status quo of english female football. There's a new one about Australia too. (Sky Deutschland Youtube Channel, film)

Alexia. Labor Omnia: Focuses on Barcelona star Alexia Putellas (Sky, 3 episodes)

Alex Scott. The Future of Women's Football: Scott looks at the explosion in popularity of women’s football and asks what the future holds for the game she loves. (The Women's Football Archive Youtube Channel, film)

... to be continued

[nanowrimo]

When Is a Small Press a Good Fit?

When it comes to publishing, many writers will think about big publishers first. However, there are a lot of different publishing options out there to explore. NaNo participant and author, Clara Ward, talks about their experience publishing with a small press and gives you questions to consider while you think through your publishing options!

NaNoWriMo inspired me to write. Signing with a small press gave me the support I needed to publish a book I love. 

I’d published books before—starting with NaNoWriMo sponsor deals in the early days of online publishing—but I never had the right skill set to promote those books. As a result, they never truly found their audience. 

In November of 2020, I poured my heart into a genre-blurring near-future tale of sailing across the Pacific and building a neurodiverse, queer, and possibly magical chosen family. In 2021, I titled it Be the Sea and asked myself: What am I going to do with that?

1. Are you looking for fame or family?

Small presses are as varied as the people who form them. If you read widely, you may already have a treasured book on your shelf from your publisher-to-be. Try asking NaNoWriMo friends who share your interests if they’ve discovered any surprising or emerging sources for great reads. (At the very least, you may find books you’ll love in unexpected places!)

Admittedly, a small press doesn’t have a fortune to spend on paving your path to fame. But I have never felt as seen as when my soon-to-be publisher, E.D.E. Bell at Atthis Arts, wrote back, “I’m really in love with what you are doing and would like to talk about it.” 

2. Do you have the bandwidth for working with others?

Even with the most supportive small press, you may have to push outside your comfort zone. I know authors who love the absolute control and freedom of self-publishing. For a time, I felt very comfortable just posting my NaNoWriMo fanfiction novels on Archive of Our Own. At most, I had one or two beta readers to offer feedback on those works. Whereas E.D.E. told me in one of our earliest conversations that in addition to our three rounds of editing we’d need “a good number of betas” to cover the range of topics we were working on together.

I was delighted! I knew what I’d written was ambitious, and I welcomed all the feedback I could get. But it turns out, each extra person in a process adds new challenges and delays. I had to stretch my empathy as well as my publishing timeline because, to quote E.D.E. again: “It’s a lot of emotion (as well as brain cycles) to go through...” Outside perspectives will only improve your writing if you are willing to work with them, to truly listen and learn.

3. Can you handle the two-way commitment?

No form of publishing is easy. The myth that authors write while others handle business and promotion is not true at the top, and certainly not with small presses. In my experience, working with Atthis Arts was like joining a team or chosen family. Beyond certain paid tasks, such as editing and sensitivity reading, I discovered a community of authors who freely offered coaching before my first public reading, social media boosting, tips for author webpages, and an extra pair of eyes on letters requesting bookshop readings or other events. While not all small presses work the same way, this supportive culture proved to be an excellent fit for me. Naturally, I wanted to give back whenever possible.

Small presses can only succeed with community. This month, as I promote the launch of Be the Sea at bookshops in Mountain View, Davis, and Sacramento, I will be introducing many Californians to my Michigan-based small publisher, Atthis Arts. When I stand up as a panelist at Norwescon in Washington state or at various science, library, or Pride events later in the year, I’ll be promoting more than Be the Sea by Clara Ward. I’ll give back by sharing my appreciation for small presses, the supportive and inclusive practices they can normalize, and the opportunities they open up for future writers and readers. 

Clara Ward lives in Silicon Valley on the border between reality and speculative fiction. Their latest novel, Be the Sea, features a near-future ocean voyage, chosen family, and sea creature perspectives, while delving into our oceans, our selves, and how all futures intertwine. Their short fiction has appeared in Strange Horizons, Decoded Pride, Small Wonders, and as a postcard from Thinking Ink Press. When not using words to teach or tell stories, Clara uses wood, fiber, and glass to make practical or completely impractical objects. More of their words along with crafted creations can be found at: https://clarawardauthor.wordpress.com

Photo by Hümâ H. Yardım on Unsplash

[aroaceacacia]

if anybody wants to do some casual "Putting MCC VODs On Archive Dot Org" here is a little wishlist

- technoblade! so far I have only found techno's mcc highlight videos saved on archive (in a large cache of all his videos); because of that there are no techno mcc vods on archive that I've found. he has 11 vods that need to go up (0/11)

- in general, because youtube streams appear less volatile than twitch vods, they tend to be saved to archive less. i would love someone to upload smallishbeans (3/26), ryguyrocky (6/15), and mcc pride 2021 (3/25) vods in particular, but any youtube stream is helpful

- the simmers are in pretty dire straits, probably because they're more on the outskirts of the mcyt community: vixella (0/9), kryticzeuz (2/19), james turner (0/8), drgluon (0/14)

- the captain himself has a very reliable vods channel but I'm a big believer in backups. he's currently at 7/32 - most of the needed vods are seasons 1 and 2

- niki nihachu has only 3/12 right now and she deserves better imo

- fwhip is sitting at a pretty 1/11 vods and could use a little help

- the admin stream is the single POV with the most vods! while im now uploading each new admin POV to archive, there's still two seasons' worth of noxcrew streams to put up there (6/37)

btw im not trying to force anybody to upload vods, this is more of a "hey if you want to do this, as of august 12 2023 there are 676 vods and 96 highlights videos that should be backed up to archive and heres a few places to start".

currently just over half of mcc's extant povs have been saved, which is HUGE!!, but theres still a long way to go - and it gets tricky as this is an ever-evolving event. i am like sisyphus, keeper of spreadsheets, eater of gigabytes, uploader of vods. mcc is my rock. but every little bit does help and go a long way and its appreciated. i see you and I appreciate you even if it's just one POV!

[fav-fanfics]

“Will you take me topside for Progress Day?”

“Absolutely not.”

Jinx sticks her head into Viktor’s line of sight from where she’s perched on his desk, and he has to swat a blue braid away from the hand grenade he’s inspecting.

“Why not? I heard your Piltie ex-boyfriend is making some big announcement.”

The bomb in his hands nearly detonates when Viktor flinches at the mention of the man he works tirelessly to keep off his mind. It’s been three years since he last had the misfortune of speaking to Jayce Talis, Piltover’s pride and joy. It shouldn’t be this hard to forget him.

“He is not my ex-boyfriend.”

[trickthekick]

I don't know how to promote fanfiction so here's a little part of it below to hopefully grab your attention while I cover my face and hide in the corner over there

~~~~~~~~~~~

Jayce blinked at him in confusion for a moment, before he realised what Viktor was requesting. He turned to reach behind his chair, and pulled the brace from beneath it before crossing the room to pause at Viktor's side "I'll have to apply it, so I can show you how the upgrades work." His voice was soft, like he expected to be chastised for taking Viktor's independence away. Viktor merely nodded towards his leg and waited.

As Jayce applied the brace, he explained the new features in that easy way that he did with all of his other inventions. He showed Viktor the lack of buckles his sometimes tired fingers struggled with previously, instead replaced with magnetised clasps that only released with a small screw-like key that was also magnetized and tucked away very uniformly and snug at the top of his brace, not even noticeable if you didn't know what to look for. All you had to do was slide the key free of its home and then gently insert the screw-like key into the center of each clasp-and it would release. Jayce was beaming with pride as he demonstrated that one, and Viktor thought back to the night before last, where he'd fumbled with his buckles as he'd removed his brace. It had been nothing new for him, but it had been the first time Jayce had witnessed the removal. He'd noticed a flaw in the design, and sought to improve it.

Jayce gave Viktor no time to process that as he moved on to show him the next change-he'd completely scrapped the tightening knob he'd only just installed, instead opting for a small foldable lever that when untucked and depressed a few times would function in the same way the knob was intended, offering bonus support and tightness for a temporary amount of time. Instead of tightening a knob that he might not always be able to grip, Jayce had supplied him with a simple pressure lever, easy to lean some weight on to depress. The chains and gears hidden within the mechanism would coil up and tighten their surroundings once taut, and then slowly release themselves over the next few minutes.

Viktor was so overwhelmed by the sheer weight of feeling seen as Jayce finished explaining his improvements, that as he climbed back to his feet, from where he'd been on his knees to apply and demonstrate with the brace, Viktor found himself leaning forward a little, enough to catch Jayce's shoulder with the good side of his face. Jayce stilled, not entirely sure what was happening, and Viktor just adjusted to firmly press his forehead against the solidness of Jayce's shoulder. It wasn't quite what he had intended as he couldn't reach Jayce's forehead, but the intention was there-even if Jayce didn't understand the meaning of it.

"Thank you, Jayce." He whispered. not quite trusting his voice to go any louder.

Jayce stayed right where he was, like he didn't understand but also didn't want to insult by moving away. Viktor never initiated any kind of physical touch, at least not before now, and so it had left Jayce well and truly confused, and maybe a little proud "What...does this mean exactly?" His voice was light-conversational, and eager to understand.

Viktor didn't move from his resting place, but he licked his dry lips as he picked his words carefully "It is...incorrectly executed." He began, as if that part bothered him "But it is reminiscent of...a hug?" He chose to remain vague in his explanation. Half truths were easy for Viktor, especially when the truth was embarrassing to explain. He'd been overcome with emotion, after all.

Jayce hummed in thought for a moment, and before Viktor could react, two strong arms wrapped gently across his back-so delicately for someone so large, and Viktor realised he was wrapped up in a real hug. The last time he'd received such affection...god, he could hardly remember it, or her. It thawed some of the carefully crafted 'ice' around his heart.

"Well thank you for sharing it with me, even if I made it hard to do correctly." Jayce mumbled, before he carefully released him and took a step back.

[hermansheartyslice]

“Listen, in my defense, it was a bet.”

“Oh, a bet. This fills me with so much confidence already.”

“Franny bet me I couldn’t ring the bell with an arrow.”

“Oh.” Yelena frowns. “You did not.”

“Oh no, I did," Kate says, pride lacing her words before she catches herself and grimaces. "The good thing is, the bell did ring."

“Yes?”

“Yeah, and the bad news is that the whole tower crumbled right after.”

[ao3feed-piltovers-finest]

The Price of Pride

by GoldenEmpyrean

It had been 4 months since everything had fell apart. Caitlyn and Vi had gone their separate ways and had no intention of seeing each other again. But what happens what a sick, exhausted Caitlyn falls right on Vi's doorstep?

Words: 2895, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Arcane: League of Legends (Cartoon 2021), League of Legends

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/F

Characters: Caitlyn (League of Legends), Vi (League of Legends)

Relationships: Caitlyn/Vi (League of Legends), Caitlyn & Vi (League of Legends)

Additional Tags: Sickfic, Whump, Hurt/Comfort, Caretaking, takes place in the time skip, Soft, painful fluff?

Read on A03. from AO3 works tagged ‘Caitlyn/Vi (League of Legends)’

[saynomorefic]

For Simon Month 2024 Day 22: Labor Day

Sara goes into labor, naturally, on Labor Day. Simon is about to be an uncle, and Wilhelm is Sara's distracting pediatric nurse.

Thanks to @youngroyals-events as always for hosting <3

Read on ao3 or below the cut

Sara looked pale when Simon rushed into the hospital room. He hastily threw his backpack on the nearest chair and went right to her side.

“I’m sorry it took me so long, the bus was delayed because of the parade,” he panted. “How are you?” 

“I need to get this fucking baby out of me, is how I am,” she exhaled sharply, wincing as another contraction hit. Simon squeezed her hand and circled the bed to hug Linda. 

“She’s certainly been a trooper. She even took the train from work to the hospital! Can you imagine?” Linda looked at her daughter with awe in her eyes. 

“I’m guessing Lukas is on his way?” Simon asked. 

“No, Simon, Lukas is not coming to witness the birth of his first child.” Simon rolled his eyes internally, but he was happy to bear the brunt of Sara’s pain if it meant getting them all through this. 

He had just been at the Labor Day parade with Ayub when he got the call. They had been getting signatures for a petition to increase the budget for Swedish language tutors in public schools, and things had been going really well. The moment he got the news, he rushed to the nearest bus stop and high-tailed it to the hospital. It wasn’t Sara’s first choice, or even second choice; she had a doula and a whole plan, but apparently when your water breaks over a week early, the best laid plans go flying out the window. 

There were three sharp knocks on the door, and two people dressed in blue scrubs walked in. “Sara Eriksson?” A middle aged woman greeted, walking over to the hospital bed. “My name is Katya, and this is Wilhelm. I’m your nurse midwife, and I'll be delivering your baby. Wilhelm here is your assigned pediatric nurse. His job is to monitor your and the baby’s vitals, and make sure everyone is healthy. Things are looking great so far,” she smiled. Sara looked skeptical, but nevertheless she nodded at them in greeting. 

The male nurse paced right towards Simon. “Sorry, if you don’t mind, I have to be here next to the screen.” He half-smiled at Simon, and he thought Wilhelm had quite a nice face. He wondered how common it was for male nurses to work in labor and delivery, and immediately chastised himself. Of course there were male nurses in every specialty. 

Brushing past Simon, Wilhelm looked down at his jean jacket. “I like your pins.” He smiled again, and for the briefest moment Simon swore he saw something flash in his eyes. Wilhelm was looking right at his enamel pride flag. One of Simon’s students had given it to him his first year teaching, and to this day it was one of his most prized possessions. 

“Thanks. Labor Day, you know.” Simon turned to show Wille his panel of other buttons. 

“Nice,” Wille nodded. “I’ve always wanted to go.” 

“You’ve never been? Is the medical profession void of any social causes to fight for?” He questioned teasingly.

“The medical profession doesn’t get national holidays. Babies get born every day of the year, you know.” He looked at Simon with matched sarcasm, and Simon’s stomach flipped instantly. Wilhelm turned towards the screen and started typing. Simon thought to himself on a scale of one to an extremely bad person, how awful it was to flirt with his sister’s nurse while she was actively having her baby. He landed somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. Someone had to keep the group spirits up. 

Sara’s contractions were getting more and more intense, and the midwife informed Simon and Linda she should only have one person with her. Simon was more than relieved to be dismissed. He grabbed onto Sara’s hand and squeezed it. “You’re going to do great,” he reassured her. It wasn’t often she welcomed his physical comfort, but she had a vice grip on his hand and stared at him wide-eyed. 

“You’re not really leaving, are you?” She asked. 

“I’ll be right outside.” He squeezed her hand again. Wille turned and smiled as Simon left. 

– 

It was one of the hardest things Simon had ever not-witnessed. Sara was grunting and crying, obviously distressed, and he knew there wasn’t anything he could do to help. It didn’t get much better when Lukas got there, panting and sweaty and on the verge of the rest of his life. Simon had heard horror stories of parents being in labor for an entire day. His Mamá never let him forget that for his own birth, she didn’t have enough time to get an epidural and just had to grit her teeth and bear it. 

He felt selfish, but Simon’s mind kept wandering to Wille. As his palms sweat against his jeans, Simon kept thinking about how this man did this every day. He witnessed people endure the worst pain in their lives, had probably dealt with all kinds of situations and worst case scenarios, and did it all with a smile on his face and a sense of humor. And people said that teaching was a difficult job. 

Before long, Simon heard some of the worst crying subside, only to be replaced by a new kind of crying. It was high pitched, and much louder, and holy shit holy shit holy shit, he realized that was the moment. He was an uncle. Tears sprang to his eyes. It still felt surreal that Sara was starting a family of her own, and for the rest of his life he’d have her kids to take to Rosh’s games, or on playdates with Ayub’s two menaces, or even to take to Labor Day parades. 

All of a sudden the door slammed open and Wilhelm was standing in front of him purposefully. “You want to meet them?” He asked, beckoning his head back into the room. 

“Holy shit, yes,” Simon said, nearly tripping over his own feet. 

Sara held the baby on her chest, a sated and peaceful expression on her face. Lukas stood next to her, caressing the top of her head and cooing at the bundle in his wife's arms. Sara looked up at Simon and smiled, ever so slightly tilting the newborn in his direction. 

“Alma, meet Uncle Simon,” she breathed. 

“Hi, little Alma,” Simon said. She was covered in all kinds of fluids, her eyes screwed shut, but she was undeniably precious. He could see the beginnings of both of her parents features on her face. Sara’s mouth, Lukas’s nose, Linda’s hair. She was spectacular. 

He stepped back to let his Mamá come closer, coincidentally moving towards the nurse’s station. “She’s so calm,” Simon murmured to no one in particular. 

“It's the oxytocin. Some powerful stuff,” Wilhelm commented. He looked at Simon, eyes smiling. “This is always the best part. Right after, I mean.” 

“It’s pretty amazing,” Simon laughed wetly. He couldn’t be bothered to hide his tears. 

“Are you excited to be an uncle?” Wilhelm asked.

“It's crazy. My friends keep saying I'll be the cool Guncle.” Simon joked offhandedly. 

Wilhelm beamed back at him. “It is pretty cool, not going to lie.” Simon looked at him with a start. “My older brother has two kids. Also takes the responsibility off of us. Unless, of course, that’s something you want,” he finished. This was turning more personal than Simon suspected most of Wilhelm’s interactions with patients’ families went, but he couldn’t be bothered. 

Simon didn’t know what to say. He’d thought about kids, but it seemed so complicated. Surrogacy was banned in Sweden, and sure you could go abroad, but that was complicated, expensive, and potentially ethically unsound. Simon had thought about adoption, but it was just that. He figured once he met the right person, they would have that conversation, but until then it had only been a passing thought. It all seemed so real, with Sara cradling Alma in her arms, and Linda standing over them proudly. 

“At least ask me on a date before we start having the kids conversation,” Simon finally joked. Wilhelm startled, looking at him with wide eyes before bursting into laughter. 

“Is that a request?” He said quietly, glancing around the room. “I’m a professional.” 

They left the hospital early the next morning. Sara insisted on bringing the blanket they wrapped around Alma postpartum, the sheet of paper that had her heart signals and time of birth printed on it, and the basin they had washed her in. Simon, too, left with his own souvenir: a new contact and number in his phone, and a promise of a date.

[arcainworms]

Rating: Teen

Content Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply

Category: Gen

Fandom: Arcane: League of Legends (Cartoon 2021)

Relationship: Sevika & Jinx

Characters: Sevika (Arcane: League of Legends), Jinx (League of Legends), Vander (League of Legends)

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Family, Aunt Sevika, Fluff, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Young Jinx (Powder), Soft Sevika, Humor, Girl Dad Vander

Description: Powder is "helping" Sevika in the garage and makes a giant mess. Sevika loses her temper, and has to figure out how to make Powder feel better.

Powder was sitting in a stool a few feet from her workbench, her nose buried in some book from Silco’s office that, based on the cover, she probably shouldn’t have been reading.

Sevika thanked her lucky stars and glared at Vander’s truck one last time before bending back over its engine, which she’d pulled out and been swearing at for the better part of the afternoon. Fucking thing had been an anniversary present from Silco, and had turned into a lifelong project for her. She leaned her hip against the workbench for a little extra leverage and gave another turn to a particularly stubborn bolt, smacking the wrench down with a huff when it didn’t give. 

“What are you doing over there?” Sevika asked, not bothering to take her eyes off the engine. She knew full well that Powder was itching to be included. She’d had taken to hanging around whenever she wasn’t busy with her own shit. It was fine by Sevika: It gave Powder something to do that wasn’t building homemade bombs, and as a nice bonus for her, she got a couple extra hands. 

“Just reading,”

Sevika glanced over her shoulder, narrowing her eyes playfully. “You’re gonna have to start pulling your weight around here eventually. Can’t just sit around all day like a leech.”

“What do you want me to do?” she asked, looking up from her book. The light from the overhead bulb highlighted the freckles on her face, and if Sevika had been in a gullible mood, she could have convinced herself Powder looked a bit like a younger version of her. The girl was a disaster waiting to happen, but she did have her moments.

“Hand me that wrench, would you? Bottom row, fourth from the left.” Sevika straightened her back with a grunt, and pointed to the pegboard on the back wall.

Powder’s face lit up with excitement, and she nodded solemnly as she tucked her book under her arm and shot up from the stool. She skipped away, plucked the wrench off the wall, and hurried back with both of her hands outstretched. She skidded to a stop in front of Sevika, sliding across the concrete floor in her socks.

“Here you go,” she said, holding it out like a sword to a knight and beaming with pride.

“Thanks, kid. Sometimes the wrench is just unlucky.” She turned back to the engine and snapped the wrench into place with a quiet click. She gave it a firm twist, but the bolt held.

“Fucking rusted fucking piece of shit.” Sevika shot a look back at Powder that was half-warning, half-amused. “Don’t repeat that.”

“You’ve said way, way worse,” Powder replied with a giggle. “Anyways, I swear, I just said ‘truck’ last time.” 

Sevika couldn’t help but laugh.

“I don’t know what the hell your dads are teaching you, but you’re gonna have to work on that if you want to catch up with me.” She let out a sharp exhale, put a little more pressure on the bolt, and gave it one more go. “Fuck, finally. Told you, Pow, sometimes the wrench--”

She was cut off by something heavy falling to the floor with a thud .

She wheeled around to find Powder standing there, with her eyes blown wide and her hand clamped tight over her mouth, and an open bottle of old engine oil on its side a few feet away from her. A thick, black-brown layer of the stuff was spreading out around it, seeping into the cracks in the concrete floor and pooling dangerously close to their feet.

Sevika’s initial reaction was a short bark of angry, awkward laughter: the kind you couldn’t hold in if your life depended on it. It didn’t last long, though, because fuck was it going to be a bitch to clean up. It always was when Powder was involved.

She watched, helplessly, as a river of oil made its way toward the front wheel of her bike, and her temper flared despite her best efforts to keep it in check.

“Powder, what the fuck?!” The words came out as a harsh shout that echoed off the walls of the garage. 

The girl jumped back, dropping the book from her hands and straight into a puddle. “I-I’m sorry!” she stuttered, her voice high and tight. “I slipped!”

“Yeah, of course you fucking slipped!” Sevika spat. “How many goddamn times have I told you to wear fucking shoes when you’re out here?! This shit is going to ruin the floor!”

Tears welled up in Powder’s eyes, and something in Sevika’s chest tightened, stopping her from laying into her any further. Kid had always been so goddamn sensitive. It was like she took on every feeling Vi pushed down.

“Ah, fuck,” Sevika grumbled, setting the wrench aside and picking up a rag to wipe her hand with. 

But she didn’t get a chance to apologize. Powder took off like a gunshot, jumping over the oil at her feet and scrambling inside the house. She slammed the door shut behind her and left Sevika standing there, like she was wearing a t-shirt that said ‘World’s Biggest Asshole.’

She took a look at the mess on the floor, and half heartedly threw some shop towels on top of it. She had a much more important mess to clean up inside.

The second she stepped into the kitchen, she could hear Vander, panicked, calling after Powder. Sevika just sighed and shook her head. She knew that tone: it was the one he used any time he thought one of his precious daughters might have gone through something as awful as a headache, and she couldn’t imagine the look on his face when Powder told him she got yelled at.

Sevika stomped through the house, not bothering to wash the grease off her hand, and found Vander kneeling next to the hall closet, with a mix of anger and hurt on his face. 

Finish it on AO3! (And leave a comment, if you liked it!)

[raincitygirl76]

I may have recced this fic before, but it’s terrific. “Flowers in the Dustbin” by @oneofthosebells is an AU where Simon and Wilhelm meet for the first time in their mid-twenties. Wille is a very unhappy, mostly closeted working royal and Simon is a tattoo artist.

Their meet cute is a drunk out of his gourd Wille stumbling into Simon’s tattoo parlour demanding a Progress Pride flag tattoo on his neck! Simon, naturally, is too ethical to tattoo someone who’s drunk, but Wille comes back when he’s sobered up.

It’s glorious! Also, only 3 chapters, and already finished. If you’re in the mood for fluff with a side helping of angst. Also, bonus Rosh, as Simon’s fellow tattoo artist and childhood best friend. She’s at her snarky best.

[neil-neil-orange-peel]

Neil Bitch's Pinned Post 🍊

Hi, scumbags! R here. I thought I'd put together a post of links to the various things I've written or been a part of during my time in the fandom. I'll add to it if/when anything new comes along, or I remember something I've forgotten.

Likes/follows come from @scumbaganarchy. ❤️

Closest I'll get to a face reveal. Art by @xgardensinspace for Scumbag Monthly.

Fanfic ✨

My ao3 account is scumbaganarchy.

Fics of mine I'd like to signal boost:

Once In Every Lifetime (written 2019-2020) - First thing I ever posted on ao3 and my way back into writing. The Young Ones. Set post 'Summer Holiday'. Four parts. POV switches to a different young one with each part. Eventual Rivyan. 20K in total. Link to OIEL master post on Tumblr.

Prompts From Scumbag College (written 2019-2021) - Series of shorts/one shots based on one line prompts. The Young Ones. Featuring mostly Rivyan, but also PunkPye, Mivyan, CookPunkPye, CoolPye, and Gen prompts. 20K in total. Link to prompt master post on Tumblr.

Punks and Princesses (written 2019-2020) - The Young Ones. Halloween fic. Eventual Rivyan. 18K.

A Bastard's Carol (written 2019-2020) - Christmas fic. Parody of A Christmas Carol. Rivyan. Crossover between The Young Ones/Kevin Turvey/Filthy, Rich & Catflap/Drop Dead Fred/Bottom/The Comic Strip Presents.../The Dangerous Brothers/The New Statesman. 59K.

Rantings and Ravings (written 2021-present) - Ongoing series of writings for Rik and Ade Fests. Features various Rik and Ade shows. Currently 19K in total.

The Basterds of Hammersmith (written 2022-present) - Bottom/The Young Ones crossover. OC heavy. Set pre both shows. Concerns the history of the Basterd family. Includes heavy topics. Eventual Richie/Eddie. Slow to update. Currently 19K.

Complete Bastards Week (written 2024-2025) - Seven standalone pieces written for Complete Bastards Week. Features various sitcoms, not all Rik and Ade focused. Some are NSFW. 20K in total.

I also tag everything I post about any given fanfic of mine on this blog with its title (example: #the basterds of hammersmith).

Scumbag Monthly ✨

Scumbag Monthly was a free online fanzine for The Young Ones (and sometimes adjacent media) produced by fans between 2020-2023. From Issue #4 (1.6.20), I was its editor.

Twenty-five regular zines were produced, as well as several specials. SM featured fanart, fanfic, memes, puzzles, competitions, pages "made by" the characters, occasional thought pieces, and other miscellaneous bits and bobs.

SM's website is here, and its archive of zines is available here.

All SM Comic Strip reviews are also available on ao3 here. The twelve episodes of The Young Ones, as reviewed by twelve scumbags for the TYO 40th anniversary zine, are available on ao3 here too.

These reviews are also available on Tumblr: Demolition, Oil, Boring, Bomb, Interesting, Flood, Bambi, Cash, Nasty, Time, Sick, Summer Holiday.

Scumbag Monthly zine timeline:

1st March 2020: Issue #1, No Theme

1st April 2020: Issue #2, April Fool's

1st May 2020*: Issue #3, Alternate Universe

1st June 2020: Issue #4, Pride

9th June 2020: Rik Special

1st July 2020: Issue #5, Summer

1st August 2020: Issue #6, No Theme

1st September 2020: Issue #7, Back to School

1st October 2020: Issue #8, Halloween

1st November 2020: Issue #9, Bonfire Night

1st December 2020: Issue #10, Christmas

1st January 2021: Issue #11, New Year's and New Beginnings

1st February 2021: Issue #12, Valentine's Day

1st March 2021: Issue #13, One Year Anniversary

1st March 2021: One Year Anniversary Poster Book

1st April 2021: Issue #14, April Fool's

1st May 2021: Issue #15, Modern AU

1st June 2021: Issue #16, Pride

9th June 2021: Rik Special

1st July 2021: Issue #17, Road Trip

1st August 2021: Issue #18, Pirate AU

1st September 2021: Issue #19, Mike the Cool Person

1st February 2022: Issue #20, Monster AU

1st March 2022: Two Year Anniversary Poster Book

20th May 2022: Issue #21, After the Cliff

9th June 2022: Rik Special

18th August 2022: Issue #22, Summer Camp

31st October 2022: Issue #23, Historical AU

9th November 2022: TYO 40th Anniversary Special

13th January 2023: Issue #24, Fantasy AU

1st March 2023: Issue #25, Band AU

1st March 2023: Strip Tease Compilation

*Zine arrived late on 20th May 2020

The twenty-five regular cover arts of SM.

SM sign off post, written by me.

Dormant Tumblr blog: @scumbag-monthly

Dormant Instagram, includes stories "from" the characters: scumbag_monthly

Active ao3 account, which is still used to host Rik and Ade Fests through a pseud: ScumbagMonthly

Redbubble: Scumbag Monthly

Rik And Ade Fest ✨

The Rik and Ade Fest is run by myself and @xgardensinspace as a yearly fandom event. It involves fans submitting prompt ideas for any show/film featuring Rik and/or Ade, which participants can then claim and make fic/art for. Each fest's creative output is hosted in its own collection on ao3.

Though the first fest in 2021 ran to coincide with Christmas, every fest since has run to coincide with Scumbag Easter (12th June).

The Rik and Ade Fest was originally "sponsored by" Scumbag Monthly and still uses its email address and ao3 account to operate.

Tumblr blog: @rikandadefest

Ao3 account, a ScumbagMonthly pseud: RikAndAdeFest

Link to the fest master post, containing links to all collections, the Google form prompt sheet, and Discord server

Complete Bastards Week ✨

A fandom event that ran in January 2025. A list of seven NSFW and seven SFW prompts were voted on by fans, who could then make fic/art/anything pertaining to these prompts.

Tumblr blog: @completebastardsweek

Dates: Mon 20th - Sun 26th January 2025

Late entries still accepted.

Master post containing the prompts

Miscellaneous ✨

A Bastard's Carol PDF - formatted with cover art by @viviangreeneart

Alternate Kevin intro for ABC

Deleted Richie and Eddie scene from ABC

An Epilogue (and a Prologue) - writing for TBOH, available in three parts on Tumblr. Centred on Vyvyan. 5.8K in total. One. Two. Three.

The Young Ones as a Cultural Source for Early 1980s Britain - undergraduate essay I wrote about The Young Ones.

2021 wafflings about the difference between canon and fanon Colin Grigson

2022 wafflings primarily concerning how Alan B'Stard's libertarian politics influence his treatment of queer people

All answered asks are tagged #asks

I tag my wafflings, both fandom and miscellaneous, #me rambling

My fandom OC tag is #my bastard ocs

[alexthebordercollie]

Luzabela for pride. I didn't have a single moment that I felt really fit the theme of "Discovery" unless you count Isa's first kiss but I want to save that for next week. So for this week, I wrote a short story from Isabela's childhood. Discomfort around puberty and her changing body. Meanwhile, Luz is catching frogs and wearing her dad's hand-me-downs. Cutting her hair short and completely unashamed of who and what she is.

To love for today - Chapter 4 - alexBDcollie - Encanto (2021) [Archive of Our Own]

[narutoevents]

2023 EVENTS!

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List of Character Birthdays

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Multifandom - Year of the OTP

November 2023

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2024

January 2024

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March - May 2024

TBA

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Potential Events????

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2021 Archived

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2024 >>

[miabellaholtz]

Day 30 - Domestic

Rated G

The final chapter for the 30 day pride challenge. When I decided to take this on, I didn't anticipate it would take me a little over a year to complete but I'm proud to say that I did it. Thanks to all who stuck with me and a special thank you to @shy-peacock for inviting me to partake in it.

Hope you enjoy and as always, thank you for reading!

[martiwikiwi]

MARTIWIKIWI'S MACRO POST OF HER QUEER COMICS

I've been wanting to do this for a long time so not even sorry.

[2024] DEMON HUNTER HAGAN

Dark fantasy. Hagan knows the Church of Twilight has never been a safe space for him but after so many years serving faithfully the church, how is he supposed to escape from his past and start anew? All he knows is killing demons. Queer stuff: Hagan is sex-repulsed biromantic asexual and will talk about asexuality now and then. Chorus is his aromantic hetero bestie and there are two more queer characters to join the party yet. Free on Comicfury. On hiatus until 12th June.

[2023] QUEER DETECTIVES

Comedy. Short comic about a group of queer friends trying to solve the mystery of the missing queer books in the public library. Queer stuff: Selwyn is your monster fucker bisexual. Moon, also bi, asked him out like 5 times and got rejected every time. They are now besties. Beltane is super gay for Moon. Available on my Ko-fi in digital.

[2022] FOUND FAMILY

Fantasy slice of life. A compilation of four short comics about prince Fireopal and their queer family. Queer stuff: Everything. Look at them. Their mere existence is a threat to the system. Available on my Ko-fi in digital and printed.

[2021] ELLIS

Urban fantasy. A queerplatonic romance between a demisexual non-binary werewolf and a bisexual human who find themselves in an awkward situation when they both have a crush on the same unknown student. Queer stuff: Demi enby will think very hard of how is the romance they want only to conclude amatonormativity sucks so they'll make their own rules. In the meanwhile, bi boy will cry and paint a horrible oil painting of some flowers before becoming the best friend ever. Currently saving money for printing. You can read it for free on Comicfury.

Older stuff under the cut!

[2020] SLOW TENDER SAMHAIN STORY

Fantasy. A boy's love story of three lonely souls looking for a family. Queer stuff: One prince gay, his lil bi bro and his future bi husband. Available on my Ko-fi in digital and printed.

[2019] FIGHTING NIGHTMARES AND FEARS

Dark fantasy. A young cleric is devoted to fighting the system of a world ruled by violence and fear. There will be a lot of menstrual blood. Queer stuff: This is the most aromantic stuff you'll ever read because the main character couldn't care less about that shit. Also, both other characters are bisexual af. Free on Comicfury.

[2019] GREY SAMHAIN LOVE STORY

Fantasy. A story of a silly sorcerer and a sad cleric made during a certain drawing challenge that took place in October 2019. Queer stuff: The silly sorcerer is very bisexual and the sad cleric super gay. They'll go friends to enemies to lovers. Available on my Ko-fi in digital.

[2018] WINTER NIGHT

Dark fantasy. A story of a very unlucky child who tries his best to repair his own mistakes, but it means he will have to break the promise he made to his best friend. Queer stuff: This child is so trans they even transform into a werewolf. 70 pages free on Tumblr. Full comic on Ko-fi.

NOT ENOUGH? Well, here you have an archive with all the short comics I've been posting on Tumblr since 2015. You'll find from watercolour and ink tests to ideas I have for longer projects and short queer comics I made for pleasure but also rejected scripts from anthologies. Also fan comics and comics that did make it to anthologies.

Finally, all my comic work together in a post. Happy Pride!