#Fic recs Wrap Up July 2023

[dewitty1]

Fic Recs Wrap Up - July 2023(ノﾟ∀ﾟ)ノ⌒･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*☆

Harry Potter: DILF Hunter by Vukovich @vukovich

Auror Potter doesn’t know what a DILF is, but if Malfoy’s one, then Harry’s gonna be the Ministry’s best DILF Hunter ever! Or, five times Harry heard Draco was a DILF, and one time he found it to be pleasantly true. *All spelling errors are Harry’s, not the author’s. Rec Post

Witness Marks by gryffindorhearts @gryffindorhearts

No one comes to Cogg and Bell’s with a working clock. After all, it’s Draco’s job to repair what’s broken and put time – quite literally – back in order. When Harry Potter waltzes in a few decades after the War, red Head Auror robes flashing, Draco expected to serve as a consultant on a case. Instead, Harry offers him the broken Weasley family clock, and with it, the chance to live in the present for once. Rec Post

Bonded Consort by Lomonaaeren

Nineteen years ago, the Potters betrothed their firstborn child to the firstborn Malfoy child. Eighteen years ago, Voldemort was defeated for good. Seventeen years ago, the Potters changed the contract so that their secondborn child was substituted for their firstborn. Now, Draco Malfoy is trying to work out what happened. Rec Post

Blessed Are The Lambs (Do You Walk With Gabriel?) by Cannibalschism @cannibalschism

It’s been eight years of this. Eight years since the tug that drew Harry like the tide pulls the earth towards the Camerlengo and Vatican City. Eight years since he’d last felt what it was to think freely and not around the wretched, awful din. Eight years since the bars of his gilded cage had slammed shut around him all while the Camerlengo spun the key on his conniving finger. But it was today when Draco Malfoy walked into St. Peter’s Basilica, looking so young as though the years had passed him by, and smelling like pennies and dead leaves. Rec Post

I’ll Play Your Game by JayseHasNoGrace @jaysehasnograce

After quitting the Auror department at the ripe old age of twenty two, Harry Potter finds a nice, uneventful job in an apothecary. At least, it’s uneventful until his old rival Draco Malfoy comes into the shop. They strike up an unlikely friendship, which evolves into an increasingly convoluted scheme, which then snowballs spectacularly out of control into a tangle of lies and blurred lines. They’d agreed to a fake relationship — in Harry’s case, to get the wizarding world to take him off his ‘perfect saviour’ pedestal, and in Draco’s case, just to be given a chance in wizarding society at all — but neither of them expected just how difficult that might really turn out to be. Especially when the stakes grow ever higher, and they both start falling for each other. Just a little bit. Rec Post

Butterflies in Winter by Justlikewriting

Of course Harry had known that Malfoy’d been sent to Azkaban, but, to be honest, since the trials Harry hadn’t really thought of the git at all anymore. A random visit to Slug and Jiggers was about to drastically change that, though. And whose exactly were those letters that Harry found there? Rec Post

You Know the Feeling by iota @iota

Harry waits, but the hex never comes. In the mirror, Malfoy’s eyes dip shut, and he lets out a soft sound that goes right through Harry, heat rising in his body, pushing out against his chest. Malfoy turns slowly, careful not to dislodge Harry’s hand. He swallows, Adam’s apple bobbing, then speaks, his voice low. “Don’t start something you won’t finish.” *** Harry’s not sure why he’s started hooking up with Malfoy. Boredom, or the heat of the summer, maybe. Whatever it is, it’s nothing too complicated. Right? Rec Post

Here are a few more fics I've read recently that y'all might like to check out as well! (ﾉ^ヮ^)ﾉ*:・ﾟ✧

Release by maraudersaffair @maraudersaffair

After serving two years in Azkaban, Draco is ready to finally live his life on his own terms. He gets a job at Borgin and Burkes, rents a crummy flat in Knockturn, and begins seeking out fit Muggles to shag. Then one night Draco comes across a gorgeous man who’s tied himself up and stuck a message on the wall for any stranger to read: Free use. And what’s even better? The man resembles Harry Potter.

All Things Go by iota @iota

Draco’s back at Hogwarts by court order. Harry’s back for no particular reason at all. Some things change, some stay the same. Neither expects to spend eighth-year living in close quarters, playing rugby (poorly), staying up late, sneaking around, and finally figuring it all out.

The Inconvenient Death(s) of Harry Potter by nv-md (ANW815) @nv-md

Harry and Draco have spent the decade since the War avoiding each other, even as they’re forced to work together at the Ministry and their friend groups begin to alarmingly overlap. But what happens when Harry meets a tragic end (in a manner of speaking) and Draco’s the only one who can save him? Or Harry won’t stop dying, Draco’s had too much coffee, and there’s more than enough time for them to make a mess of each other’s lives.

Constellations on your skin by shushu_yaoi_lj @orange-peony

“I’m going to get my scars removed,” Draco announces on a rainy Wednesday afternoon. “Who are you seeing?” Blaise asks. “The best Healer out there,” Draco replies with a little shrug. “Harry Potter.”

and the world is tumbling down by thewakeless @thewakeless

Draco is thirty-five and content. He’s a writer, a painter, and has built a life for himself totally separate from the one he envisioned as a sullen, fearful boy at Hogwarts. Everything is calm—until his house begins trying to kill him.

The Cursed Manor by AhaMarimbas

Ophelia’s been a paranormal investigator for almost ten years, and she’s starting to run out of haunted and cursed sites to explore. When her eclectic roommate and assistant reveals that he owns a large, cursed Manor, Ophelia finds a lot more than just a new career opportunity.

the treehouse near primrose downs by softlystarstruck @softlystarstruck

Draco and Harry have been roommates for years, so buying a magical house in the countryside shouldn’t be a big difference. But in between fresh loaves of bread and beds of wildflowers, things start to fall into place.

( •ॢ◡-ॢ)-♡ I hope you enjoy these fics as much as I have! Happy reading, y’all! xoxo, Carey  (◍•ᴗ•◍)♡ ✧*💜💙💚💛❤💗💕💖

[hsficrecommendation]

@hsficrecommendation 's Masterlist

Note: This is a post that holds links to all of the fic-rec masterlists/wrap ups I've posted of months mentioned below.

Now, this is how it works - I'm an avid fanfiction reader (and I'm sure that if you're here, then, you're one too) and I genuinely believe that it's one of the purest and best forms of media. Every single fic we read deserves ton of support, for which I've got another sideblog called (@ireblogwhatireadcauseduh ) where I reblog all the fics I read.

This one, though, is a blog I created to hopefully preserve some of the best fics, according to me, that I've read so far. Fics that just really affected me in a way that I simply fell in love.

Mentioned below, are links that will lead you to the best fics, (again, according to me) that I read in the namely month. If a month isn't mentioned, it just means that either I didn't really read anything because life gets in the way sometimes, or that I didn't find any fic very touching.

So, if you do decide to read any of the fics that I've recommended in the links below, please make sure to reblog the fics and to leave feedback on them for the writers because that's what keeps them going!!

Also, a very shameless self-promo -- I've got a writing account as well! (Although I'm pretty sure you found this one from there ghsfkhjl) It's named @0oolookitsme ! Feel free to take a stroll <3

Aaand that's all I had to say! I'll let you lose now, hope you enjoy your little walk through this blog, and come back again!

All the love <3

2022

February

March

April, May, June, July, August, September

2023

January, February, April

June

June, September, October

November, December

2024

January, February and March (should be here in the beginning of April!)

[sitp-recs]

My AO3 Wrapped: Drarry Recs

This year I’ve embraced a change of pace and read way less than I intended to. This made me feel a bit disconnected from fandom but also allowed me to put this list together in record time so let’s not complain too much 😂 this is shorter and lacking my usual commentary but I didn’t want to break the tradition of sharing my fave reads of the year! Be it for their creativity or peak romance, these 16 amazing fics made my heart beat faster and got me even more in love with Drarry. I’ve read most of them in the first half of the year and it was interesting to see so many fics over 40k, as my usual sweet spot is 10k - 20k. I love the mix of tropes featured here and am very excited to rec authors I’m reading for the first time. ps: I haven’t included any Erised fics since the fest is still ongoing.

Thank you dear creators for sharing so many brilliant works with us this year! 2023 wasn’t my best year fandom-wise, but life has been so generous in other areas that I can’t help but feel humbled today. I wish everyone a lovely start to the new year! As always, please mind the tags and take some time to shower these authors with the appreciation they deserve. Oh, and stay tuned for a rare pair list sometime soon ;)

🍆 Snug by @moonflower-rose (E, 6k)

8th year | touch-starved Harry | soft cock kink

Potter can't keep his hands off himself. Draco can't look away.

🧩 Muscle Memory by @corvuscrowned (E, 8k)

curse breaking | partners to lovers | memory magic

There's something just beneath the surface, just at the periphery of Harry's mind. They've been here before — they've done this before. If only he could remember it.

👹 draco malfoy's substitute murder service by @oknowkiss (E, 10k)

odd jobs | D/s undertones | open ending

When Harry joins the Curse Breakers shortly after his twenty-fifth birthday, he’s surprised to find himself assigned to the Department of Creatures, Cryptids, and Associated Calamities.

🏰 the earth from a distance by spqr (E, 15k)

time travel | Wizarding history | only one bed

“Well,” Harry said gamely, once they’d managed to find the Leaky Cauldron – still under construction but mercifully open for business – and he’d turned up a few knuts from his pockets, enough to get them a room for the night, “it could be worse.”

🎚️ O Come, All Ye Faithful by @toomuchplor (E, 20k)

vicar Draco | established relationship | Church of England

Aunt Petunia died, that was what began everything. Or rather, Aunt Petunia was dying. In the act of dying. In which Draco finds faith in the church, and Harry finds faith in Draco.

🎄 Waking Up Slow by @sweet-s0rr0w and @ihopeyoubothstaysafefromharm (E, 22k)

shop owner Draco | summer romance | light angst

'Twas the night before Christmas, although it’s July / Draco’s a shopkeeper, no-one knows why / There’s hiking and witch caves, freak snowfalls and more / Bad Christmas jumpers, nosy neighbours galore / Narcissa’s here too, but… something’s amiss / And what’s in those chocolates that’s making them kiss?

🚬 Sun Thief by @floydig and BlackRose532 (E, 28k)

slice of life | fast sexual burn | dark humour

It’s 2005, and Draco Malfoy says, “Fuck the Ministry,” Harry works as a handyman in muggle London, and Draco should really stop pissing off the Squib gangs.

🍷 Winner Takes It All by @skeptiquewrites (E, 41k)

break up make up | down & out Draco | hurt/comfort

As with all his friends’ wagers, it starts small. Fifty Galleons for one kiss from Harry Potter is easily done.

🏖️ LA, Who Am I To Love You? by @epitomereally (E, 42k)

Draco in the Muggle World | pining Harry | recreational drug use

Harry’s summer in LA is not going as expected. Pansy Parkinson keeps inviting him to parties in the Hollywood Hills and harassing him to finally go to the physical therapist, Blaise Zabini keeps slipping new strains of his company’s magical weed into Harry’s pockets in hopes of an endorsement, and Draco Malfoy keeps having sex with everyone but Harry.

🫃Shine On, You Crazy Diamond by @lagerloutfic (E, 42k)

fwb to lovers | gay awakening (Harry) | mpreg (Draco)

Harry has probably always wanted Draco, it just took him a few years to figure that out. A story about the joy of discovering exactly who you are and how easy it can be once you do.

🚣‍♀️ Our Objective Remains Unchanged by @citrusses (E, 46k)

rowing AU | enemies to lovers | university setting

Harry Potter, returning member of the Oxford University Boat Club, has two goals for the spring of 2005: beat Cambridge, and beat Draco Malfoy. Perhaps not in that order.

🧶 Polar Night/Midnight Sun by @toomuchplor (E, 54k)

cabin fic | wintery vibes | only one bed

Harry travels to arctic Norway on the trail of dragon egg poachers, only to find he's been assigned to work alongside the only NorMagPol Auror north of sixty: one Draco Malfoy.

🎩 Nights With You by @the-sinking-ship (E, 58k)

holiday fic | fake relationship | mutual pining

Draco is mortified when moments prior to departing for the most anticipated destination wedding of the year, he is cruelly dumped. But when he learns that Harry Potter has, at long last, split with his horrible boyfriend, Draco is certain his luck has changed.

👮🏻‍♂️Rookie Moves + Again And More So by peu_a_peu (E, 75k)

auror partners | slow burn | humour

Aurors Potter and Malfoy crack the case.

🖼️ where all the veins meet by @saxamophone (E, 146k)

sad bois | Grimmauld Place | found family | 8th year

It's the summer of 1998. The battle is over, and Voldemort is dead, but Harry still has more questions than answers. Who is he without a piece of Voldemort's soul in his head? What is he supposed to do now?

📼 Always Already by @aibidil (E, 170k)

time travel | forced proximity | mutual pining

Harry and Draco are perfectly fine, separately minding their business in 2004, when the Unspeakables conscript them into service... in the First War against Voldemort.

[deancaspinefest]

Congratulations to all of the wonderful authors and artists who took part in the seventh annual Dean/Cas Pinefest!

This pining season, 39 teams comprised of 41 authors and 25 artists brought us a truly incredible 1,470,624 words of fic, and 141 gorgeous works of art.

If you're interested in seeing more numbers, you can find a full breakdown of this and past year's stats here!

Once again, we've been blown away by the sheer talent and creativity of this fandom, and we're so happy that people are still interested in this event two years after Supernatural wrapped up (for now!)

In case you're wondering: yes, the mods are still fully aboard this ship, and will be back to run an eighth round!

An official announcement for the 2024 Pinefest will come in July, so follow us here on Tumblr & @deancaspinefest on Twitter to make sure you don’t miss out 🌲 

Under the cut, you’ll find links to every masterpost from the 2023 round, and you can also check out the collection on Ao3. Make sure to let the authors and artists know how much you enjoyed their creations with a like, kudos, or best of all, a reblog, rec, or comment!

Everywhere

The Devil You Know (Who Also Knows You)

Other Worlds Than These

The barista and the bookshop

Hunter’s Throne

Marigold

won’t you stay with me, my darling, when the war starts in my heart?

Depth of Field

Dear Western Red Cedar #2409

You Could Save Me (from the way I tend to be)

straw house, straw dog

Life After Loss

Don’t forget me when I’m gone

On Wayward Tracks

The Fool, Fish and Rocks

Something in the Air

stay in my arms (if you dare)

Everything’s Fine

Djinn & Tonic

Buzz

My Turning Page

Breaking Bonds

The Emoji Guy

When I Knew You

Faith and Magic

Fall A Little Further

The Waiting (is the hardest part)

Lucky Mud

Lavender Pines

Devil on the Dirt

Maybe Next Time

r/Relationships

West

the long hill home

when the stars align

My Body is a Cage

Whisper My Name

Unbeknownst Soul Mate

carving deep blue ripples

And once you're all caught up on this year’s crop of pine, there are 553 works of art and 180 fics (totaling almost 7 million words) to be found in the previous six Pinefest rounds!

Until next time... happy pining!

[marmolita]

AO3 wrapped, bookmarks edition!

I was thinking about how to sum up my year in fandom, especially since I didn't write much of anything this year, and I thought, hey! Why not share a rec list of all the fic I bookmarked this year! And to make it low effort on me I'm just sharing the base details of fandom and ship, so you'll have to actually look on AO3 to see the summaries and tags and ratings. Many of them have warnings and such (which should surprise exactly nobody who knows me).

So I present to you my bookmarks for 2023. Enjoy!

January

From The Library of Jurgen Leitner: The Selected Letters of James Joyce by Endful, The Magnus Archives, Elias/Jon, Martin/Jon, Martin/Tim/Sasha, Tim/Sasha

our natural state is drowning by @wildehacked , The Magnus Archives, Basira/Daisy

Proof of Love by etal, The Dark is Rising Sequence, Merriman/Hawkin

you always take the dare by @kitnita , Hockey RPF, Jake Oettinger/Jason Robertson

Breakable Things by mia_ugly, The Magnus Archives, Martin/Jon

February

spooky scary researcher by Literally, The Magnus Archives, gen

March

Red by Big Pink, Supernatural, Dean/monsters + gen (shows up this year bc I bookmarked it this year but I originally read it many years ago)

Hir-Nin by surreysmum, LOTR, Aragorn/Legolas

Darling by applecrumbledore, Supernatural, Dean/Benny, hint of wincest

June

like moses and batman and james dean by saltyfeathers, Supernatural, Dean/Castiel

July

A Parched Land by shara, Supernatural, Dean/OMCs, Dean/Castiel

August

you are spring by @wildehacked , Supernatural, Dean/Castiel, Jack & everyone

So Says the Sword by komodobits, Supernatural, Dean/Castiel

November

You're So Lost, Even I Can't Bring You Home by @drawsaurus , Kingsman, Harry/Eggsy (another that I first read years ago and finally added to my bookmarks!)

[romaine2424]

Daily Blog July 12, 2023

Wish I could wrap up so many of you and bring you to Seattle this weekend. My sis' town in NoCal is supposed to be 112F (44.4C) degrees and my son's town in SoCal 105F (40.5). Not even getting into my cousins in Las Vegas where it's going to push 117F (47.2C). And yes the south has been suffering for weeks on end. Crazy! I lived in an old brick apt in Chicago a long time ago that didn't have A/C. Its where I learned about soaking in a cool bath and then laying on the bed with a fan on to dry off. Rinse and repeat. Be safe!

What I'm reading:

So last time I mentioned I would be reading Temptation on the Warfront by alizarincrims0n (AO3). I'm on chapter 17! However, I quickly realized, I've read it before. It must have been two years ago, I think. Definitely worth a second read. Draco joins the trio on the Horcrux hunt. It's always fun for me when an author is talented enough to manipulate canon with inserts of another character into the scenes and it works! Alizarincrims0n certainly has that talent!

I also read the posting for today's @drarrydisabilityfest, Like Father, Like Son (5.6K) by @ladderofyears. Summary: During Scorpius's autism diagnosis, Harry begins to understand that he might be autistic too.

My thoughts:

I'm always amazed when so much can be packed into a short fic. I adored this slice of life story with Harry and Draco sitting in Madam Rosemary's office with Scorpius off playing in the corner, while getting told his diagnosis. Little bells start going off as the Healer speaks. Draco is lovely as the parent who dives into all research available, which is mainly Muggle. And his reflection back on his family is a Wow! Harry is sitting there in denial because Scorpius is perfect...which he is. @ladderofyears presents the diagnosis and how it was made with examples so beautifully. Never preachy. And last thing I'll say is I just loved the name of Scorpius' preschool: Green Toadstool Nursery. Definitely a Rec!

Like Father, Like Son on AO3

Interesting Tumblr Posts:

So during the AO3 DDOS problem, @lee-bella posted Non AO3 HP Masterlists. Wow! what a treasure load. The fests were hosted on Dreamwidth and/or LiveJournal. What attracted my attention immediately was down at the end were two older Masterlist directories on Livejournal. What was exciting for me was that these were the original postings with comments on these fics. So many have been re-posted on AO3 at a later time, but the originals capture the excitement of the fests. If you dig around, you'll notice that commenting while usually very high, can also contain concrit. I have my share of burns on there. *ouch*. What you can also find is some fics from deleted authors that still exist in the fest community postings. Here's the links. And thank you @lee-bella for this post!!! HP Masterlist from 2002-2017. And my fav! Guns&Handcuffs Drarry Fests and Challenges 2004-2015. Wasn't surprised at all to see @vaysh11 was responsible for this. Dig deep into the fests but also note the other links on the Home Page and the text before the masterlists, which gives other fascinating links.

Other TidBits:

I made an ask on a Discord Server for what the ship name was for Harry/Daphne. I was so uninspired when Haphne came back as the answer. I was hoping for something like DaphPot or HarDaph. GreenPot would have been good but there's Astoria, too. Hmm PotDGreen!!! *snicker*

Oh, Rom is sad, sad, sad. After posting on here last time that I'm in desperate need of a beta for my long arse WIP, I then asked on the two big Discord servers for H/D and for HP Writers. No response. Zero. nadda. Just so you know, I'll continue writing this fic and start begging more. Most of those Scorching comments I mentioned that I received way back then was for lack of a good betaing. I have scars...deep scars. Anyone use Grammarly? it has a 30 day limit for 150K.

Happy Wednesday!

Rom

[polizwrites]

WIP Update -  19 Jul 2023

Another pretty darned productive writing week!   I touched 6 fics (4 WIPs & 2 new works)  for a total of   3795 words.

On Ao3, I posted:

Chapter 2 of  Finding Something Fresh  - Beta!sub!Bucky and  Omega!Dom!Steve are figuring out the parameters of their relationship

  There Would Be No Courage Were It Not for Hope  - Tony being Bucky’s guide to queerness in the 21st century - bonus Pride Parade Float!

Where Will He Be Tomorrow?  - No Powers AU - Natasha & Tony BroTP with exploration of gender.

Music to His Ears  - Rock Band AU - Bucky discovering Tony’s band 

Once Bitten, Not Shy  - Tony and werewolf!Steve post-hookup     

On Tumblr I posted:

 On the Edge of Disaster  - CA:CW retelling/fix-it

I have  17 semi-active WIPs  😬 with my  current  deadlines being the July Break Bingo, which ends 31 Jul and the  Tony Stark This or That  and Hot Bucky Summer events, which both wrap at the end of August. 

See  below cut for what I’m working on/planning to work on - arranged more or less by bingos/challenges/etc.  As always, feel free to send me   prompts or plot bunnies as well as asks regarding  any of these projects  or any other WIPs I’ve got out there.   Interaction really helps feed the Muse and keep me motivated!

Seek & Destroy Collab

After reading @psychiccatpanda‘s amazing   Morguna and the Green Queen, I  got the itch to explore the Soldier’s POV and talked  Faustie into   collab’ing with me!  We’re working on a new part of the series, and I’ve  contributed about 900 words towards the  2500-ish we have so far.   Going to see if I can squeeze any of my BBB squares into this fic.  

WinterIron Pride Prompt Party  [WI_PPP]  (Ends 15 Jul)

I didn’t get any more fills in for this daily prompt event hosted by the WinterIron Discord server, but I did a few self-recs to qualify for the Halfway badge  (15 fills).  I’m working on getting the fics posted to Ao3 -  here’s my Masterpost

July Break Bingo  [JBB_23] (Ends 31 Jul)

Signed up for a 3x3 card for this all fandoms, no minimums bingo event  (@julybreakbingo ) because of course I need more prompts!   😁😬  I’m aiming for a blackout with three fills and four WIPs with another idea or two to work on.  I’m playing a bit fast and loose with a few prompts, but I hope y’all enjoy anyways!

* A1 - “I can keep going” -filling this with Chapter 3 of Technicalities  (Stucky professort/student  AU)  which is a crossover with my ACB Mutual Pining and SVB Experiment squares --  A bit of manual labor brings Professor!Steve and  Student(but not Steve’s student)! Bucky closer together.   It’s coming in at 1305 words and will post on  7/26.  

* A2 - “I think I’m losing my mind.”  Filled this with What Happens in San Francisco…  in combination with the Flash Fiction Friday prompt [#FFF208 Reporting the Scoop]  and a SVB adoptable: Celebration Sex.  It will eventually get posted to Ao3.

* A3  -  Word: Advantage or Antonyms -- Flling this with Chapter 3 of A Sugar-Coated Pill  (WinterIron Omegaverse Sugar Daddy AU) which is coming in at 1341 words and will post on 7/21.  It’s crossing over with my HBE "How Did You Meet?” + High Stakes Op  and  TSTOT  Omegaverse  prompts, along with  my WIB AU: A/B/O square.  Bucky and Tony continue to make a good team, then sugar baby!Tony asks Bucky for a favor.

* B1 - Location: Train Tracks -  combining this with my BBB  Never the Fall that Kills You  square for  an angsty  Winter Soldier fic  - it’s sitting at 104 words and fighting me a bit at the moment. 😬

* B2 - FREE --  Will probably combine with this or next week’s Flash Fiction Friday. 

* B3 - Pining/Longing/Being Needy -  filling this with Chapter 4 of A Sugar-Coated Pill  where Bucky has a bit of a problem, and Tony offers to help.  It’s crossing over with HBS Week Nine (”Where do you want me?” + In My Lap), and ACB Mate-Induced Heat  - the chapter is coming in at 1395 words and will post on 7/28. 

* C1 - Location: Art Studio - Filled this with   Teacher, Teacher, Can You Reach Me?    which posted this morning.  I combined this with my SAUB AU: Teacher and TSB Dares/Bets squares and TSTOT Best Friend prompt for a  Tony & Rhodey bro-fic that is also a SteveTony meet cute.  It came in at 1604 words.

* C2 - Moving In/New Home - filled with Starting Something New,

* C3 - Mutual Pining –  maybe use this as an excuse to get my Centerfold  Stucky fic finally started…?    Plan B - combine with Technicalities - Chapter 3

Hot Bucky Summer [BBE_HBS]  (Ends Aug 33)

Another @buckybarnesevents  event, this time with weekly smexy prompts.  My goal is to complete at least two fics/chapters per month for this challenge and have actually filled/will fill three of the 4 weeks for June and July so far.  

Week Eight - “How did you meet?” + High Stakes Op -  see JBB   Word: Advantage or Antonyms   above

Week Nine:  FREE   – cheating a bit and going back to the Week Three prompts.: (“Where do you want me?” + in my lap) - see JBB Pining/Longing/Being Needy  above

Week Eleven -  “Give me a color”+ Green/Red/Yellow -- This works well with the upcoming Chapter Three  of  Finding Something Fresh  -  Beta!Sub!Bucky   and omega!Dom!Steve work on pre-scene negotiations.  It will cross over with SVB Comforting Insecurity - it’s  sitting at 254 words at the moment and will post either 8/11 or 8/16. 

Week Twelve - “Who’s My ___”+ Good Boy -  probably will fit with the future Chapter Four of Finding Something Fresh  - crossing over with SVB  Tied to A Bed.    This chapter would post either 8/18 or 8/23

Week Thirteen -  FREE WEEK -  “Bossy” and “Bondage” are two suggested prompts - I can probably do something with either/both of these. 😁

Tony Stark This or That [TSTOT_23] (Ends 31 Aug)

Excited to see this event (hosted by @tstot ) come back!  When you sign up, you get a card with 10  prompts  in pairs  - so to complete the card, you create five fanworks.   I’ve got some good stuff on my card - and a few prompts where it’s hard to choose between them!   Banter vs ‘bots,   Best Friend vs Mutual Pining – I may just have to flip a coin!  😁

* 1a - Love Letters  brainstormed with  @somesortofitalianroast and  Meg during the  @buckybarnesbingo  Discord party and will be combining this with my BBB  Fireplace prompt for a  1980′s No Powers WinterIron fic where they discover that someone’s writing them both the same love letters.  

* 2b - Best Friend - see JBB Location: Art Studio above (posted  this morning)

* 3b - Omegaverse  -  see JBB Word: Advantage or Antonyms  above  (to post 7/21)

All Caps Bingo [ACB_R1]  (Ends 30 Sep)

I’ve got thirteen completed fics, three WIPs and  will be pursuing the One Fill, One Bingo  Challenge for Row 5.  

* I1 - Mutual Pining - see JBB Mutual Pining above

* G1 - Isaiah Bradley -  Planning to add more to The Fist, Defeated.   (possibly present day)

* G3 - Established Relationship - planning to fill this with Chapter 2 of   Half of the Flesh and Blood That Makes Me Whole   - a Bucky POV remix of at least the first part of Take What Was Wrong (And Make it Right),  which is current sitting at  52 words.  I’m expecting at least one more chapter, possibly two, depending on how far I want to take the remix.  

* O3 - Pararescue Sam Wilson - may try to squish this into an expansion of   A Rising Star -  a previous Flash Fiction Friday fill.  

* July Adoptable - Mate Induced Heat/Rut –  see JBB   Pining/Longing/Being Needy.

Sam Wilson Bingo [SWB_R3]  (Ends 15 Oct 2023)

I have four fills and one WIP -  I need to work on cross fills between this and the All Caps and Bucky Barnes bingo!

* B4 - Natasha Romanoff -  Maybe add on to my Card Sharks drabble, where  SamNat & Steve conspire to create a polycule with Bucky?  this idea crosses over nicely with my BBB KINK: Seduction mission square

* G3 - Joaquin Torres - see ACB Pararescue Sam Wilson above.

WinterIron Bingo  - [WIB_R1]   (Ends 16 Dec 2023)

I have eleven fills completed and two WIPs for this brand-new bingo event that I’m helping mod!  Along with crossfilling against my other bingos,  I’m going to try to combine my B column squares for the Iron Soldier badge (complete a bingo with a single work). – Alpha Tony Stark, “That was not my intention.”, James Rhodes, Alpine loves Tony and Blind date.   (Tony POV remix of A Sugar Coated Pill?)

* I2 - AU:A/B/O - will pull this into Chapter 3 of   A Sugar-Coated Pill  - see JBB  Word: Advantage or Antonyms  

* N1 - Bucharest –  I think I can fold this into a future chapter of My Love is Vengeance -  where a young!Tony and a recovering!Bucky have been kidnapped by Hydra, who still thinks Bucky is the Soldier.  

* G2 - Eye contact during sex -  will be working this into Chapter 5 of   A Sugar-Coated Pill, where our boys finally get down to business.   It’s up to 671 words and will post sometime in August. 

* G4 - AU: College Students – looking to expand Beaten to the Punch with some backstory on Bucky and Tony as science camp counselors to fit with this square - will also cross over with my WFB  Volunteering Together square.  

* O5 - Gentle – use this poem  as inspiration?

* July Adoptable: “What happened to you?”  I may browse through some whump prompts for this & see what vibes with my BBB & TSB bingos.

Stucky’Verse Bingo Round 1 - [SVB_R1]   (Ends 22 Dec)

Five fills, two WIPs and a couple of ideas  -  I need to review my card for potential crossfills and other idea sparks.

* A4 - Fairy Tale Curse  - this seems custom-made for a continuation of Beyond the Beast  😁  Nothing written yet, other than some Vague Ideas. 

* B3 - Tied to a Bed –  see HBS Week twelve 😁

* D4 - Edging - will probably use this for Chapter Four of   Technicalities

* D5 - Trust Issues  - Posted Chapter 2 of  Finding Something Fresh  last Friday.  Bucky & Steve are working out the next steps in their relationship.  It came in at 943 words.

* E4 - Experiment - see JBB “I can keep going” above.

* Adoptable  - Things Have Changed –  this might fit nicely with my Centerfold idea…  :: ponders::

Bucky Barnes Bingo  - [BBB_R5]   (Ends 10 Jan 2024)

I’ve got  nine fills,  four WIPs,   and a couple more Vague ideas.

* B4 - Shapeshifters -  wrote . A Shift in Their Relationship as a crossover with the WI_PPP prompt Dragons are Gay.  This came in at 404 words and will be posted to Ao3 before this event is over.  

* U1 - Never the fall that kills you -  see  JBB  Location: Train Tracks

* U3 - Fireplace -  see TSTOT Love Letters above

* C2 - Yelena Belova–   The plan is to use this prompt in the next chapter of Peresmešnik,  (aka Three Avengers and a Baby), which is currently sitting at 1100 words (400-ish of which are mine).  

* C5 - Marriage of Convenience/Pretend Couple -  next chapter of   Lady Natasha’s Consort and Lord Steve’s Companion.    Not quite sure where to take this next at the moment.  😕

* K3 - Magic -  Aro!Bucky sickfic idea?

* Y1 - Gentle Sex -see WIB  Eye contact during sex above

* Y2 - [image: IW Bucky with the good hair] A Flash Fiction Friday prompt [#FFF198 What Comes Next]   was a perfect match for an idea I’d already been playing around with to fill this square.  Getting Prepared -(updated title = Preparations)   an A:IW missing scene set between the time that T’Challa and Okoye come for Bucky and the moment he sees Steve again.  I will post it to Ao3 sometime in the next month or so.

* Y3 - Alpine  - see WIB Iron Soldier combo.

* Y4 - Forgotten Things -   using this for Chapter 4 of   You Can’t Stop It With a Gun  - it’s sitting at  116 words at the moment.      

Tony Stark Bingo Round 7  - [TSB_R7]   (ends 15 Feb)

One fill and two WIPs already, with a couple of ideas in play.  

* S1 - Galaxy - possibly use in final chapter of   Never More to Go Astray ?   

* S4 - “Are you there yet?”  -see WIB   Eye contact during sex above

* T4 - Dares/Bets - see JBB  Location: Art Studio above.

* R4 - Playing Games - filled this with last weekend’s  TSB Discord Party Round Robin – my part came in at 327 words and it should get posted by the end of the week. 

* R5 - Doppelganger/Evil Twins -  this will probably cross over with my Stony AUniverse AU: Crack square as I have a semi-silly idea for it, inspired by seeing a T shirt of mine in a mirror.

Stony AUniverse Bingo  [SAUB_R1] (ends 15 Feb)

Another brand-new bingo I’m helping co-mod!  Got my card and square swaps sorted, and have several  crossover WIPs  and ideas already!

* S2 - AU: Crack - see TSB   Doppelganger/Evil Twins

* S3 - AU: Wings - see ACB Established Relationship

* S5 - Accidental Baby Acquisition - see BBB Yelena Belova

* T1 - AU: Fantasy -  CoffeeOwl shared a really cool dragon!Steve/indebted!Tony prompt in the ACB Discord server that I may be playing with for this.

* N1 - AU: Spy -  I want to expand on/add backstory to  Keeping All My Secrets Safe Tonight from the Stony Drabbles challenge earlier.

* Y3 - Teacher AU:  see JBB Location: Art Studio

Warm and Fluffy   Bingo  - [WFB]   (no end date)

I got my card from  @warmandfluffybingocards back in February but really hadn’t done much with it  - however, I’m picking it back up for some crossover possibilities!

* N4 - Affectionate Teasing –  see JBB Moving In/New Home above  

* O5 - Volunteering Together – see WIB AU: College Students

————

On  other creative fronts:  I have a Din Grogu Stuffed With Character figure in progress for an upcoming con.  I will be making an announcement about commissions sometime in July so if  you’re looking for one of a kind gifts for birthdays or other celebrations, check  out Stuffed With Character    over on Facebook for a full list of my designs (now over 100!).   These soft stuffed figures are  mostly Marvel and monsters, but I have some Star Wars, Star Trek, DC   and Disney figures as well. Plus I love to take custom design   requests  for any fandom!

[hepatosaurus]

2022 AO3 Wrapped!

Last year, inspired by some people on discord, I decided to actually track my fic reading for once. I’ve been logging my books and movies for a good 20 years now, so why not try that with fic? I hoped it might help me comment more too, or at least get a sort of baseline number that I could improve on. So, after crunching the numbers: I read 110 fics and 1,188,700 words across 15 fandoms (...more on that last point later)! It was a fun experiment that I’ll definitely do again, with some tweaks. Please forgive any weird numbers/percentages; I haven’t taken a math class in manymany years, and it probably (definitely?) shows. The vibes are accurate, at least.

(I posted an earlier (and shorter) version of this on twitter, but wanted to archive it here too for posterity’s sake because...twitter.)

Word count

This is about what I expected, though I was surprised to see that I only read one 50-100k fic (only one 100k+ fic too, but that doesn’t surprise me at all). I finished up a couple long(er) fic in January (notably, one 200k+ fic), hence the high numbers there, and only read one (1!) fic in July, which explains those low numbers. Otherwise I generally read between 50-100k total per month.

More details behind the cut, aka god damn girl, you sure know what you like and stick with it, huh. (I really hope this text cut works...)

Top Fandoms

So, about those 15 fandoms. I really did think I might have more variety back in January - like maybe I’d be able to chart fandom trends over the months, something like that! - but lol nope. My FE3H fixation is still going strong, three years later. I’ll get to those Witch Hat Atelier and Stranger Things fics in my Marked for Later pile...eventually.

Top Authors

110 fics, 80 authors! There were definitely some repeat offenders: merionettes! desmodus! notallbees! printers_devil! epistrophic! nebulia! No names in the pie chart, but look at those pretty colors. You're all stars.

Top Pairings

No real surprises here. I’ve been in sylvix hell since early 2020 so I knew they’d dominate, but there’s an okay showing from...other Sylvain ships...and gen! and Claude ships! Hi Claude! (Graph cuts off at 20 for my sanity.)

Top Characters

Ha. ha ha ha ha ha ha. Surprise! Listen: I knew Sylvain would be #1, I’m not an idiot. However I did NOT realize he featured in 60% of the fic I read in 2022, jeeeesus christ man. (He’s versatile, okay!!!) Chief Blorbo aside, my Blue Lions/Golden Deer bias persists. Maybe in 2023 I'll read all those Black Eagles fics I saved? Or fic from other fandoms?? (Again, chart cut off at 20 for sanity.)

Tags, Tropes, and Ratings

Looks like I sure read a lot of horny post-canon friends-to-lovers get-together fics with a good dose of pining, huh. That...tracks. Regarding AUs, modern AUs won (14.8%), followed by college/university, canon divergent, and modern with magic. Also fun: figure skating! magical girls! rock band! time loops!

I definitely need to rethink how I track nsfw content though - it’s very inconsistent and redundant here, and doesn’t really tell me anything. The explicit rating is self explanatory, but what’s the deal with those different NSFW and smut numbers? Where did I draw the line? It probably make more sense to scrap the latter tag and just track PWPs.

Etc: Commenting, Rereading, Reccing, and Bookmarks

Commenting: I mentioned earlier that I hoped logging my fic reading would help me comment more, or at least find out how frequently I leave comments, and turns out that number is 46/110, or 41.8%. (Mer reminded me that this number does NOT include alpha reader comments, which is very true. ✨⛸️) Not bad, but I think 50% (or more?) is definitely doable next year. This whole practice really did help me comment more - it made me stop and think about exactly what I did or didn’t like about each fic I read, from <1k vignettes to 200k+ canon retellings. Obviously I’m not telling the authors what I didn’t like, but as for the good stuff...like, I found a lot of compliments hidden in the Comments/Notes field of my spreadsheet that never actually made it to a proper comment, but they definitely could have. I’m never gonna be a person who comments on everything, and I’m NOT going to lie and tell an author that I liked their fic when I really...didn’t? but: 50%. I think I can do that.

(also I cannot emphasize enough how great it was to have a completely private space to bitch about terrible (or not-so-terrible) fanfic. does this fic use too many repetitive epithets? does that author NOT understand Character Y at ALL? was the resolution to this otherwise decent fic just a liiiittle too rushed? tell it to the google form!!! A+ would recommend.)

Rereads: As expected! I don’t reread a ton, with some exceptions. (Honestly a lot of my non-FE fics this year were rereads of old favorites.)

Bookmarks: Without double-checking, I think I bookmarked fewer fics compared to previous years, mostly because I was already keeping track of them in my spreadsheet. I’d like to get a little better at consciously bookmarking fic going forward, though - it’s really handy to have a public, easily accessible list of my faves. (I also say this as someone who frequently raids the public bookmarks of other commenters/authors/etc.)

Recs: 46.4% “yes”! interesting. Only one hard no, and that was partially my fault for not reading tags/warnings correctly.

In an ideal world I’d have some actual fic recs here too, but that...did not happen.

Overall!

This was a fun and very satisfying experiment, especially as someone who loves tracking things. I know a lot of people hate the idea of having an actual/official AO3 Wrapped, and honestly I wouldn’t like that either, but it was fun to actively (and manually) subject myself to this particular Mortifying Ordeal of Being Known Through Fanfic Tropes. I DO think it made me read fic a little more...deliberately? And therefore I read a little less fic than normal, maybe. I noticed that I hardly dropped any fic at all, either because I was more picky with what I read or I just powered through, and I don’t think that was the case in previous years. There was also a tiny bit of pressure at the beginning to start off the year with the “right” fic. Like, “oh god is my first fic of the year seriously going to be this unfinished 2nd person, woke-up-with-the-wrong-junk CYOA in which Claude and Lorenz investigate fuckplants and discover the true meaning of friendship.” (for the record, it was not my first fic of the year, but I DO recommend it.)

God this is long. One benefit of twitter is that it doesn’t allow me to ramble on like this, but oh well, that’s what you get. I really, really hope the cut tag worked.

[givereadersahug]

Fandom Wrap-Up (2023): June 26th - July 2nd

*Crossposted on Dreamwidth

I announced @hpcottagecorefest. Also, @harryjamespotterweek starts in about three weeks. Can't wait. 🥳🥳🥳

And don't forget to check out hprecs (a Harry Potter reccing community on Dreamwidth)! There have been some fantastic recs so far. We also have some weekly posts, if you don't want to post an entry. You do not need to be a member to comment on the weekly posts, but we'll be glad to have you!

This is a few days late and a short update. Got to go and eat some corn on the cob and steak for the holiday! Maybe even light a few fireworks.

Fics All are drabble length.

Diplomat (Spider-Man: Spider Verse, Miguel O'Hara, Rated G) AO3 / Dreamwidth Quality Quidditch Supplies (Harry Potter, Harry/Charlie, Rated M) AO3 / Dreamwidth Peppermint Tea (Harry Potter, Hermione/Luna, Rated G) AO3 / Dreamwidth Heartbeats (Harry Potter, Harry/Ginny, Rated G) AO3 / Dreamwidth Old Married Couple (Harry Potter, Sirius/Severus, Rated G) AO3 / Dreamwidth Second Chances (Harry Potter, Cho/Pansy, Rated G) AO3 / Dreamwidth Morning After (Marvel, Thor/Loki, Rated T) AO3 / Dreamwidth Grouchy (Sk8 the Infinity, Kojiro/Kaoru, Rated G) AO3 / Dreamwidth

[cap-ironman]

A Happy 2022 to the Cap-IM Community!

We wish everyone a happy Gregorian New Year! Thank you to our community and all Steve/Tony fans out there for a lovely 2021. We hope that despite the continuing pandemic that affected different parts of the world in different ways at different times, you are all safe and healthy and had a great year enjoying Steve/Tony content and fanworks!

Whether it's winter or summer for you right now, we hope you have a great start into the new year. We hope you had fun playing and mingling in this year's events and that the community has been a welcoming place for you! Thank you to our wonderful community of commenters, creators, event mods, reccers, readers and signal boosters! We wouldn't be here without you, and we hope that we see you sharing your love for Steve/Tony in 2022!

Looking back at 2021

In March we started a monthly multiverse challenge, the Cap-IM Universe Medley Fest - and we're not done yet! It will run for two more rounds until March 15th of this year. We hope you had fun with the mini challenges and exploring different Steve/Tony universes each month. Stay tuned for a small survey towards the end of that challenge! We also ran all our usual challenges, with a return of the Tiny Reverse Bang as our mid-year event. We also organized returning rounds for the Steve/Tony Quiz held on our discord channel and we had a new little midyear event, the Cap-IM Mid-Year Fanworks Alphabet 2021 based on our previous alphabet challenges.

Of course our usual events also ran and you can check out the many amazing Steve/Tony works in the event masterlists:

2021 Remix Challenges (Exchange, Madness & Relay)

2021 Reverse Bang

2021 Big Bang

Two Rounds of STONY Bingo

and the Comment Bingo

2021 Rec Weeks

The Holiday Exchange and Community Gifts event will be wrapping up in a few days on January 5th with creator reveals. All works are revealed though and can be found in the 2021 Captain America/Iron Man Holiday Exchange AO3 Collection. If you want to get your guesses in, you can try and guess creators in the guessing post.

What will 2022 bring?

Well, you guessed it, our regular events will  run as per usual! Our 2022 Remix Exchange and Remix Relay participants are already creating fabulous remix works and Remix Madness 2022 is open for sign-ups and fills until February 20th. You can still join in!

The 2022 Reverse Bang opened for artist submissions today! The event is running for the 11th time this year and we're looking forward to all your submissions. ♥

Our rotating mid-year event this year will be a slightly updated edition of the Art/Fic Midyear Exchange. We hope you will enjoy it.

Tiny Reverse Bang is set to return in 2023!

If you want to already think ahead and get started on those 20k drafts early, remember that the Cap-Iron Man Big Bang will also be announced in a few months and run for a regular round with a writing phase between May and September/October and posting in November.

We will also continue STONY Bingo, Comment Bingo and Rec Week (a week in June/July). We'll bring you more Stony Theatre, our watch-along party on Discord. And keep an eye out for another edition of Stony Quiz.

Also, if you're one of our Twitter followers or want to start following us on Twitter, keep an eye on the account cap_ironman. We will try something new there too, soonish.

Finally, a reminder: you are all welcome and encouraged to post content to the cap-ironman community platforms. We do ask that some basic info be listed in English if you're posting a fanwork, but you can post in any language that you like! We encourage everyone to post in the cap-ironman community and Cap-Im discord — this is your space to talk about Steve/Tony and what you love about it, chat about the latest canon, as well as promote your works or run mini-events!

A happy 2022 to all Steve/Tony shippers!

Here's to another smashing Steve/Tony year - we hope reality will catch up so that it will be the perfect year for everyone wherever you are!

Your Cap-IM Community Mods,

Lore, Navaan & Neverever

[romaine2424]

Daily Blog June 25, 2023

I've changed my icon. Summer is here this week in the PNW. Usually it doesn't show up until July. Summer in the Seattle area almost makes up for the rest of the year. :) Today's blog will be short but oh so rich in what I'm going to cover. It's a Darry Rec!

What I'm reading:

@drarryspecificrecs, the amazing resource for all Drarry fans, posts an end of month wrap up of the longest Drarry fics posted on AO3 for the month. Here's the link for May 2023. The third one on their caught my eye. Symptom of Your Touch (115K) by @ghostofnoir. Now if you read the notes on this fic or go to her AO3 profile, you'll see that this is her first fic. Holy fuck, what an entrance!

Here's the summary:

St. Mungo's Healer Draco Malfoy is used to being pushed to his limits when providing aide to the ailing, but when an unexpected encounter with an out of character Harry Potter throws his life out of balance one night, he is forced to ask himself how far he's willing to push his own levels of discomfort to be of aid to a man in need of help that only he can provide. And once that need for aid is over, how will he find balance in his life again?

Here's a bit more from me:

12-13 years after the war, Draco is now a top Healer. He's single and trying to make his way through life though being a former Death Eater sets up many barriers. He's got a nice flat with a unique potions lab, a cranky owl, and a life. He's always had a thing for Harry but never did anything about it. Just it was out there and he rarely saw the guy. And when he did Harry was still snarly to him. Harry is a curse-breaker trained by Bill. Then someone spikes Harry's drink with a strong lust potion and Harry shows up at Draco's office wanting him. Draco has to treat him but also knows everything sweet Harry says to him and his longing to touch him is because of the potion and it will all change when the antidote potion is brewed. It's Draco POV and it's so good and so hot.

The characterization of Draco in this fic is so well done. You’re cheering for him and Harry, but also knowing trouble is brewing. Harry has been a jerk to Draco whenever they've crossed paths over the years, which hasn't been many. You will be pissed off at him for a long time, but slowly you feel for him, too, when his side is revealed in bits and pieces. So here's our poor Draco trying to not to give into Harry both because of his position as his Healer and because he knows Harry will break him apart in the end. So not only are you rooting for Drarry to happen, you're also rooting for Draco to succeed in his life with or without Harry. Here's some of the delicious lines revealing Draco's feelings and reactions:

Hermione might have called Draco out recently over his feelings for the man, but Pansy had seen through them at eighteen. She had tried to call him out back then, and when denying it didn’t work, he had told her he couldn’t talk about it. Talking about it out loud made it seem like he thought it might happen. He never thought it would back then, and he still didn’t now. It had just been a silly crush that grew into something he had to find ways to push to the side. The few occasions after, when she had tried to bring it up again, he would always shut her down. And the times they had run into Harry while they were out, he always knew what she was thinking. When he finally made eye contact with her, he gave a small shake of his head at her spoken, and unspoken, question. What was there to say anyway? No, he wasn’t okay. Yes, this was fucking with his head — and could they just pretend it wasn’t and that he could handle it. He didn’t have a choice. Harry needed him. She nodded in quiet understanding and turned to Ginny, letting it drop for now.

And my fav:

"I really want to kiss you,” Harry whispered. Replay those words in a pensieve and Draco would drown in it.

One final thing about this fic, the sexual tension and scenes are something else. And I mean that in the hottest of ways.

One of the many joys in fandom as both a reader and writer is when a new author or artist joins in with such high quality material. I believe we're going to be enjoying this author's works for quite a few years. So go read this fic and give it lots of love.

Symptom of Your Touch on AO3 by NoxNoir