#I feel like there has to be a great fanfic set in the canon’s future somewhere

[actuallyafandomess]

I’m rewatching hunter x hunter for the first time in 10? years and it’s been delightful. My favorite thing is I’m reaching the point where Killua definitely has some level of crush on Gon and it’s so cute.

However, it makes me want fanfiction set 5-10 years into the future. Like killua has finally reached the point where he just can’t take how cute and oblivious Gon is and explosively confesses in anger.

Or Gon has been assuming they’ve been dating for years now because of x, y, z and has been struggling with the idea that maybe they haven’t kissed yet (or again) because Killua is ace or maybe that he’s just not actually interested in him.

Or Gon just assuming that being casually obsessed/codependent with his best friend isn’t anything deeper until the metaphorical 2x4 hits and immediately confesses.

Or Killua’s various methods for getting rid of Gon’s fans/stalkers

Or Killua testing the boundaries of platonic/ romantic and paying attention to Gon’s reactions

Or is about aroace Gon being queer platonic partners with Killua and how they make that work for them

Or just a case type fic where they’re working together and just casually are life partners!

if anyone has any fics on any site with any of these plots - but it’s set in a future au and not a no powers au - please send them to me

[delulu-is-the-soluluh]

Scars of Flames and Wind | Prologue

Next Chapter

A Dark!Rowaelin x afab!Reader

Author's Note: Hello! It is with great apprehension that I post this fanfic, which has been in my mind for almost a year, but is now finally seeing the light of day. It’s also the first time in 12 years that I’m writing again, so I’m quite rusty. English is not my first language, so I apologize in advance! It’s a long chapter! (Creating context for a fanfic set in the canon era of the eight books made me rethink my life choices, but I’m not backing down!) I hope you enjoy it, and I would love to receive feedback <3

General Warning: Throughout the story, there will be Dark!Rowaelin, DubCon, possessiveness, extreme jealousy, low self-esteem, and many questionable thoughts and actions. There will be some creation of information for the sake of the plot but without straying from the canon, I promise.

Warnings: In this chapter, none; Flashbacks; Aelin’s parents as special guests.

Orynth, 10 months before the Fall of Terrasen

The library was silent and bathed in the afternoon sunlight, with the sounds of  turning pages and scribbling on paper echoing through the room. Rhoe was intensely searching for some information that could help in training his niece’s power. Despite being distant relatives and her presence being only due to a future agreement, he cherished the intelligent and fearless girl she was. But her ability to manipulate earth, from a long-forgotten and diluted dynasty in the Ashryver genealogy, was growing rapidly, and without any other living relatives like her and many of their records lost, it was becoming harder to train her abilities.

With a long sigh, Rhoe diverted his gaze from the paper to his daughter, Aelin, who had insisted on coming to study with him, under the pretext of “spending more time with her father” and learning more about “whatever he was learning.”

With a soft smile on his face, he watched her. Aelin was sitting in an armchair ahead of him, holding a book up to her eyes, without turning a page for quite some time. With a low laugh, Rhoe realized that his daughter was alternating her gaze between the page and his niece sitting by the window, drawing in her notebook, unaware that she was being attentively admired.

Aelin had come just to be close to Y/N. His smile dimmed as worry washed over him.

Aelin couldn’t help but notice how her hair shone in the sunlight, how her irises became lighter, and how her skin seemed to glow as she traced lines upon lines in her notebook. It was... mesmerizing. The fantasy book was already forgotten; she couldn’t concentrate on a single word. She wasn’t sure why she couldn’t. She just felt her cheeks warm slightly, using her book as a shield against her blush.

Was this what it meant to like someone? Her heart beat faster when Y/N was around, and her mind often wandered to the moments they spent together. So it was different from friendship... right? She had heard stories about her uncle Orlon and how he liked Darrow more than a friend, and that had never seemed strange to her. But now, feeling something like this for Y/N left her a bit..confused

A memory of the conversation she had the day before with her aunt, Marion, came to her mind:

Aelin was sitting in the garden, surrounded by the flowers her aunt Marion lovingly cultivated. Spring was at its peak, and the air was fragrant with the scent of the flowers. She looked at her aunt, hesitating for a moment before asking the question that was on her mind.

“Can I ask you something?”

Marion smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind Aelin’s ear. “Of course, dear. What do you want to know?”

Aelin took a deep breath, nervous. “Uncle Orlon and Darrow... they like each other more than friends, right?”

Marion paused for a moment, surprised by the question, but her smile remained gentle. “Yes, they do..”  she squinted her eyes, already knowing where this was going. “Why the question?”

Aelin took a deep breath, thinking about how to ask her that. “How do you know when you like someone like that? How do you know it’s more than friendship?”

Marion held Aelin’s hands, looking into her eyes. “Liking someone like that is a special feeling. You feel your heart beat faster when you’re near that person, and you think about them all the time. When you’re with them, you feel a happiness you can’t explain. It’s a type of affection and care that goes beyond friendship.”

Aelin bit her lip, still a bit confused, but her aunt’s words began to make sense. “And if I feel that for someone, but it’s not a boy?”

Marion smiled, caressing Aelin’s face. “Love doesn’t choose genders, Aelin. What matters is how you feel. If your heart says it’s love, then it’s love. And that’s something beautiful, regardless of who it is.”

Aelin felt relieved but still confused at the same time. “But... how can I be sure if it’s really that? How can I be certain?”

Marion thought for a moment before answering, her words filled with kindness and understanding. “Aelin, love isn’t always something we can define clearly. Sometimes, it’s confusing and complicated. But if this person makes you happy, if you feel a special connection, and if your heart beats faster just thinking about them, then maybe you already have your answer. Don’t be afraid to follow your heart.”

Aelin nodded, feeling a bit more at ease. Marion’s words echoed in her mind as she tried to understand her own feelings.

Back in the library, Aelin looked at Y/N once more. Marion’s words resonated in her mind. Maybe it was more than friendship. Maybe it was something special. She wasn’t sure yet, but she knew she wanted to find out.

Plains of Theralis - Terrasen, 6 months before the Fall

The field stretched out before them, a vast green expanse that seemed to lose itself on the horizon. The sun was high in the sky with vibrant heat. A light breeze carried the fresh scent of the earth and wildflowers, mixed with the distant sound of birds singing.

Aelin, with a daring smile on her lips, gracefully and confidently pulled the reins of her horse. She cast a challenging glance at Y/N, her blue eyes shining with the promise of fun and competition.

“Let’s see if you can catch me!” Aelin shouted, her voice filled with contagious joy and a hint of provocation.

Y/N, feeling the dense wind on her face, smiled back, her heart racing both from the race and the attention of Aelin. She spurred her horse forward, leaning in with determination. “Get ready to lose!” she responded, with a glint of challenge in her eyes.

As they raced, Y/N couldn’t help but get lost in the sight of Aelin. The way she moved, with wild freedom and natural grace, was mesmerizing. Her laughter, free and vibrant, seemed to echo across the vastness of the field, blending with the sound of the horses’ hooves hitting the ground.

Aedion, riding a bit behind and enjoying the competition, watched the interaction with an amused smile. He approached and shouted, “Show offs! I don’t want to be the third wheel here, so don’t worry about beating me!” he teased, his tone filled with humor and lightness. Y/N laughed as Aelin cast a challenging look at Aedion as she sped up even more, the wind blowing strongly in her face.

Last Beltane before the Fall

The festival was full of life and renewal. Bonfires blazed in the shadows of the night, casting a golden and dancing glow over the smiling faces of the people. The heat from the flames mixed with the fragrance of flowers and herbs adorning the place, colorful clothes and floral adornments decorated the participants, who moved to the rhythm of festive music.

Aelin and Y/N were at the center of the celebration, jumping over the flames with contagious laughter, their shadows projected on the dancing flames. The joy on their faces was palpable, and the heat of the fire seemed to reflect the flame of their own feelings. The sound of folk music and laughter mixed with the crackling of the bonfires, creating a symphony of celebration.

After a jump over the last flame, Aelin stopped dancing, and with a soft smile and a special glint in her eyes, she pulled something from her dress pocket and approached Y/N.

“I have something for you,” Aelin said, handing Y/N a small velvet box.

With her heart racing and the heat of the festival still vibrating in her bones, Y/N looked at the box with curiosity. “What is it?” she asked, her tone curious and eager.

Aelin smiled, her gaze fixed on Y/N as she watched her reaction. Y/N opened the box and found two delicate necklaces, each with a unique pendant. One necklace was adorned with a radiant sun pendant, and the other with a crescent moon. The light from the bonfires reflected off the jewelry, casting small sparks that seemed to dance in sync with the music.

“Aunt Marion made them for us. So that we always remember each other, no matter what happens,” Aelin said, her voice joyful and slightly hoarse from the celebration. She put on the necklace with the moon pendant for herself and held the necklace with the sun pendant, offering it to Y/N.

Orlon and Darrow watched from afar, their gazes attentive to the scene unfolding before them between the little princess and her future lady-in-waiting.

“Doesn’t this worry you at all? It’s good to see the girls together, but don’t you think this little crush could cause a new...linear impasse?” Darrow said with slight concern, his eyes still on the girls as they put on the necklaces for each other.

Orlon maintained a serene look at the two, still unaware of the agreement proposed not long ago: Aedion would marry Aelin in the future, with Y/N being the queen’s lady-in-waiting, a general, a bearer of wildfire, and a geomancer of the rare and forgotten Montserrat lineage.

But the “innocent crush”  had everything to become something more in a few years, and that was visible to everyone. Some servants even dared to say it could even be a mating bond that caused them to get along so well and never be apart.

“Well, if that’s the case, maybe Rhoe should start ordering another little princess as soon as possible to keep the agreement in order!” Orlon jokes, his eyes shining with humor.

Darrow couldn’t help but laugh lightly, even with the weight of responsibility still hanging in the air. “Let’s see how this unfolds, then. We still have time.”

Orynth, Hours Before the Fall of Terrasen

The day in Orynth was shrouded in a tense and anticipatory atmosphere. The unexpected visit of the King of Adarlan and his son, Dorian, to the kingdom of Terrasen had alerted everyone, even after deciding to give them a warm reception.

During the dinner, where royalty and the closest members of the court were gathered at the table, Aelin struggled to maintain her composure after rejecting Prince Dorian’s friendship, which was quickly rebuffed with his comment that he ate like a little lady.

Moments later, without any warning, Aelin felt a pressure in her head as a sudden burst of heat emanated from her body. Flames erupted around her, dangerously close to the curtains and ornaments. The guests recoiled, some shouting in surprise, while the Terrasen guards rushed to control the situation. Aelin's eyes were wide with terror and frustration as Y/N, amidst the chaos, swore she saw the King of Adarlan watching with a cold smile on his lips.

The dinner ended abruptly, and a quick decision was made: Aelin would be taken to a country house, far from Orynth, where she could learn to control her powers more safely. Her parents and a few guards would accompany her.

Hours later, as night started to fall, determined to comfort Aelin, Y/N sneaked into her room. The castle was silent,  as she entered the room unseen, finding Aelin sitting on the bed, her eyes still vacant from the events of the dinner.

“How are you feeling?” Y/N whispered with concern.

Aelin looked up in mild shock, her shoulders relaxing slightly at the sight of Y/N in her room. She tried to smile, but the effort was evident.

“I’m fine.” she answered quickly. “ It’s just.. it’s getting harder to.. you know, controlling these.. ” She replied, while raising her hands, voice quiet but trying to stay light. It was bad enough she had been banned from the library, her favorite place, because of them; having an episode like this, in front of everyone...

Y/N gazed at her for a moment and moved closer, sitting beside her. They sat in silence for a moment, just feeling each other’s presence. Aelin sighed deeply, her shoulders relaxing slightly.

"You've got this, Aelin. You always do.. Plus, you're not alone in this. At least they know what to expect, right?" Y/N said reassuringly. "Unlike my power, which is completely unknown, and I'm the only one who has it."

Aelin laughed lightly and before she could give her a smart remark, Evalin appeared in the doorway, her expression surprised but soon replaced by gentle concern.

“You shouldn’t be here, Y/N... Come on, let’s go back to your room,” she said, her voice firm yet kind.

Y/N resisted, holding Aelin’s hand. “I just wanted to know why she can’t stay here! Or maybe I could go too! Lady Marion is going, can I go too?” she complained, trying to give Evalin her best puppy eyes.

“Because...” Evalin hesitated. What excuse could she use? She didn’t like lying to the girls, but if she said it wasn’t safe, it would not only spark more interest but also add more reasons for her pleading. 

“Because someone has to stay here to keep Prince Dorian company, and Aedion... well, he’s not the best at it, is he?” Evalin sighed, giving the most generic answer she could.

However, it was not entirely false. Aedion was still on bad terms with the princeling for spilling tea on Aelin’s dress. 

Y/N huffed before getting up from the bed and hugged her, not noticing that one of the sun’s rays from her pendant had caught on Aelin’s still-scorched blue dress, tearing and falling onto the bedspread.

Aelin noticed and tried to warn her, but she had already left the room with her mother. With her eyes fixed on the chain, Aelin quickly wrapped it around her own, the pendants connecting, the sun encircled by the crescent moon. “I’ll return it later.” she whispered to herself.

But later, Terrasen was attacked.

The castle of Orynth was under siege. Flames licked at the stone walls, casting eerie shadows as screams echoed through the corridors. Adarlan, whom they had once welcomed as allies, were now ruthlessly burning and killing everyone in sight. The betrayal was a sharp dagger into their backs, a cruel twist after extending hospitality to those now wreaking havoc.

Aedion shielded Y/N with his body, keeping her safely behind him as they navigated the chaos as the last two survivors of Orlon’s personal guard guided them to the secret passengers . "Stay close," one of them muttered, gripping his sword tightly.

Y/N's eyes were wide with terror, tears streaming down her face. Her mind raced to Aelin, desperate to know her fate. "What about Aelin? What about Uncle Rhoe and Aunt Evalin?" she whispered to Aedion, her voice trembling.

Aedion's jaw tightened, his own worry evident despite his attempt to remain calm. "They'll be fine," he whispered back, "Aelin is strong, and so are Rhoe and Evalin. They have guards with them, they’ll be safe." his furrowed brow betrayed his own fear as his words sounded to not only reassure Y/N, but also himself.

They hurried down a narrow corridor, the guards pushing aside a tapestry to reveal a hidden door. "This way," one of them urged, ushering Y/N and Aedion into the secret passage. The door led them to the edge of Oakwald Forest, their only hope of escape. But as they emerged into the dim light of the forest, they were ambushed.

Adarlanian soldiers surrounded them, swiftly killing the guards who had been guiding them. "Run!" one of the dying soldiers shouted, his final act a desperate bid to save them.

Y/N didn't hesitate. She sprinted into the forest, her heart pounding, while Aedion drew a sword off the grass and followed, cutting and attacking any enemy that tried to block their path. Seconds felt more like hours, their skin and feet now bruised and scratched by the bushes as they entered the dark forest, the trees now looming like silent sentinels, and the sounds of battle faded as they ran deeper into the woods.

Y/N's breath came in ragged gasps, her mind a whirlwind of fear and grief. The betrayal, the loss, the uncertainty of their survival weighed heavily on her. Aedion was right behind her, his presence a small comfort in the midst of the nightmare.

As they reached a small clearing, they paused, both panting for breath. Aedion's face was grim, his eyes scanning the surroundings for any sign of further danger. “You’re okay?” he asked breathlessly, while scanning her with his eyes looking for any more serious wounds. 

Y/N was panting, breathless from running. Her body was caked with dirt and marked with cuts, her face streaked with tears that left trails on her cheeks. Her eyes were wide, lost and frightened, as she reached for her neck and realized her necklace was gone. She whispered Aelin's name and Orynth's, her voice trembling, lost for words.

Aedion felt the earth beneath his feet start to tremble, a subtle vibration that grew stronger as Y/N spiraled deeper into her panic, awakening her powers. He cut the distance between them, wrapping his arms around her, nestling her face against his chest beneath his chin, while his other hand gripped his sword tightly. He held her close, grounding her in the present and calming the tremors, ensuring they wouldn't attract any unwanted attention.

 "We'll find Aelin," he said, hugging her from the side, one hand on her head, the other still with a firm grip on the sword. his voice firm despite the sadness in his eyes.

"We'll find them all, I promise."

[happilyfeatherafter]

Happilyfeatherafter’s ficrec Fridays

Good friday y'all. Welcome back to a new fortnight of fics that I’ve read and loved recently. I took my first holiday of the year and IMMEDIATELY caught a cold that knocked me out for the week but at least it meant I got reading done. Save me, destiel, save me.

If you want to find more you can see my previous rec lists here!

29 March 2024

virga(e) by @shineforthee (art by @neversleepuntilfive) has gone straight to the top of the favourite fics ever pile, oh my god you guys, please read it immediately and admire the art that inspired it as part of @deancasreversebang. This fic is a thing of beauty from start to finish. In one version of the story of Dean and Cas, we find Castiel perpetually waiting in the desert, when a 26 year old Dean stumbles upon him drawn to the location mid-hunt. They must learn to trust each other, to figure out what's causing the push and pull that bonds them. The poetry of this fic, run through with this yearning devastating emotion on their journey together, coupled with the incredibly evocatively descriptions and research into the setting, come together to make the most gorgeous picture, the desert a place that seems desolate but is teeming with life. Much like the slowburn romance that flourishes between them. It also links back to post-canon in a way that is seeded so carefully and cleverly, and made my heart explode. It's funny, romantic, devastating, emotional, moving....I can't do justice to this fic with such a short snapshot, please read it for yourselves and come yell at me about it. It's so beautiful. shineforthee also has a great 9x06 fanfic gap one shot and an ongoing wip now too and I can't wait to read that! (Somehow need any more convincing? Check out @bloodydeanwinchester's Virga(e) liveblog).

It's all very complex by artichokeflower okay that was all very serious, so let's turn to a short and sweet smut fic that had me giggling gleefully throughout. 'After walking in on Dean's private time, Cas decides to do a little research and experimentation of his own and gets magically trapped in a book about sexual fantasies. And if that means Dean has to go in after him, well what are buddies for, right?' The thing that is just GOLDEN about this fic aside from the hot smut is the dry sense of humour, borderline French Mistake parody level porn and dialogue between Dean and especially Cas which just gets them so well...the cowboy scenes in particular. Glorious: “I’m sorry, Dean. That’s the end of the erotic violence. Are you hurt?” “Is there going to be any sex in your sexy fantasies?” Dean wheezed. “Not that the whole shoot out wasn’t fun. I just wasn’t expecting as much plot is all.” He coughed. That had probably sounded too eager.

Just Being and Just Having by Englandwouldfall I have recced before but is now complete!! This the post-canon fic series delves so incredibly beautifully into Dean and Cas’ history of miscommunication and gives them the chance to truly talk things out, finding themselves falling more deeply in love as they do so and understand their own mistakes but also what makes them work so well together when they’re no longer under Chuck’s thumb. Each chapter feels like therapy and a brain and heart massage! It sticks the landing so well and I just love these boys so much.

Something Happening Somewhen by allthismusic (@folkbloodbaths, art by @eggchef) aaaahhh time travel young Dean brought to the future to meet older Dean and Cas fic trope my beloved. A @deancaspinefest fic, Allthismusic is a fan of the trope too and this fic is a gorgeous tribute to it and the fics that came before. Cas saves 24yo Dean from an accident and brings him to the future when he witnesses what his life will be. Will Cas have to remove his memories to stop a paradox? Sweet and heartfelt, a joy to read.

Books, Pies, and Roommates by @seidenapfel (art by @kitshay) is a @deancaspinefest two-person love hexagon, with some excellently farcical misdirection. Cas moves in to the spare room of Dean's house, but he doesn't meet him, he meets Sam, as Dean is busy working. Cas is professor but helps his cousin out as a barista and his favourite customer is Deano. Dean's intrigued by the barista but he's not his online penpal and best friend Angel. Lines blur, connections are made, and hearts are gonna get broken...or are they?

Tag list under the cut, let me know if you'd like to be added! Please reblog <3

@dean-you-assbutt-cas-loves-you

[necer0s]

So I just played and loved Jedi Fallen Order, and I’m now moving on to Survivor. Great games, lots of fun, it felt a lot like I was playing KotOR if admittedly different and a bit shorter. But as I begin looking at the fanfiction and the tags, it’s interesting to me that so much of the fanfic is based around Cal time-traveling back to the Clone Wars when to me the most interesting part of his narrative was the ways he learned to move on from and accept the fall of the Jedi Order.

I know that Clone Wars is one of the setting’s best sandboxes to play in fic-wise, but the fic I keep imagining in my head is one where Cal survives till the end of the Empire and reaches out to Luke to work with him on what the future of Force-sensitives in the galaxy should look like. I’ll have to get through Jedi Survivor to see how that idea plays with canon, but I feel like his (spoilers) relationship with Merrin and access to the Zeffo vault gives him a really interesting opportunity to build a new organization— not a repeat of the Jedi Order as it fell, but a blending of multiple different traditions of Force users who find a new path together.

I don’t know enough about all the canon these days to write that fic (I don’t have any idea what’s going on with Ahsoka and whether she should be involved, for example) but the bones of it in my head are really interesting. Not least because I think the Cal in my head might disagree with Luke? I think Luke, at the end of the original trilogy, has a really idealized view of the Jedi in his head— which is fine when he’s the only Jedi around, because he is the ideal Jedi! But I think it might blind him to the potential flaws involved in rebuilding the Jedi order (which is supported by the sequel trilogy, although that’s barely canon to me).

Cal, on the other hand, has learned the major lesson of “failure is part of the journey”, and seen how it applies to structures as well as people. He’s seen the fall of the Jedi, and learned about the similar fall of two other Force-using societies. He understands that it’s important to build new things, but also that you have to learn and change from the lessons of the past. I think if he rebuilt something, it would be a very different organization than the Jedi Order. And it would be interesting to explore what that looked like.

[loftec]

Last week's Weekly Tag Wednesday!

Because I was festival prepping last week and had zero time for anything else but now I'm back and ready for some tags! Thank you @wehangout @mmmichyyy @michellemisfit for the tag (and also @deedala & @jrooc for the picrew tags!) <3

Name and A03 handle: lofty / loftec

Current Location: Sofa, living room.

Favorite picrew (don't have one? you can skip this or do this one)? I can't remember if I have a favourite one, so I'll just do this one!

The "SF" probably stands for something, but I immediately thought of Svensk Filmindustri and thought that was fun.

What's one thing you want in a picrew?

MORE GLASSES OPTIONS omg please. Colour and shape. I also really love it when I can build the hair in sections so I can colour my roots differently than the rest of the hair. Also, worse hair options. Come on, normalise 'I've got no hair texture or interest or time to do anything about it'. I feel like an imposter whenever I pick one of these perfectly swooshy dos.

Favourite thing you’ve created (or seen created) for the fandom?

None the wiser

Why is it your favourite? It's mad to think about but it was the first thing I decided to make for this fandom, and I'm still working on it (very very slowly) I don't know if I've ever spent this much time and effort on anything else. It's very special to me.

Did it come easily or was it hard to create? Both, right now it's very hard, but it usually comes back around.

Last ao3 fic you commented on? A Dead Boy Detectives fic, I'm pretty sure.

Biggest WIP heartache you’ve ever experienced? I'm embarrassed to admit that I don't usually read WIPs, not really because they're unfinished but because I don't often read long fic lol. My ideal fic for reading is a concise 5k oneshot, I am a terrible hypocrite.

Favorite trope or head cannon you like included in a fanfic? I do love a good outside perspective on Ian and Mickey's relationship not fully getting their dynamic and misunderstanding their special flavour of love. Also really like different canon-divergent stories where they get separated in different moments and then reunited in the future in various ways.

Least favourite? For most ships / fandoms I read fic of, I usually develop a set of icks that cause me to click out more or less immediately, often it's to do with a certain nickname or expression or act that I can't physically stand, or, you know, which signal a fundamental mismatch between mine and the author's focus/interests/views. Unfortunately, any mention of anything happening after season 5 has become a bit of an ick for me, which is deeply unfair to writers who embrace the later half of the show.

Secret or surprising kink or trope? No, I'm extremely basic tbh. My favourite time to read fic for a new fandom is always at the very start when everybody is writing the same super basic story over and over again.

Describe how you feel after you’ve created something new? The best feeling is when I know I've written the last sentence of a story or a chapter, it's always so clear that this, this is it, that's where it ends. I feel really accomplished and complete in that moment and it's great. Then there's still hours and hours of editing after that and it's usually 4 in the morning and I'm feeling slightly unhinged when I actually post.

Top hype man you have that always helps you get across the finish line: I tend to keep to myself when I'm working on something, but I can always rely on @mittimellan @wideblueskies & @the-rat-wins if I ever need to ramble about anything.

It's been a bad day, you turn to the fandom and you _____? Lurk and enjoy the good vibes and crafts. I probably also find something in my bookmarks that I've already read a thousand times and read it again.

[devdirt]

Helluva boss does feel like an animated version of a teenager’s m-rated ship fanfic of a cartoon show where the teenager is fan of the show’s villains so said fan softens them to be more sympathetic/likable and the teen ships the henchman with the favorite villain despite in the show’s canon, the henchman is mistreated by the villain who don’t give a shit about said henchman and the villain’s wife gets demonizes for seen as being in the way of the ship

Heads up I go off on a bit of a tangent here!

It's like she wants a classic Disney villain in that the *idea* of her characters is that they're unapologetically evil or selfish, but then backpedals. The S2E1 retcon with Stolas and Blitzo was the worst moment for me and what made me quit the show.

And I have a few thoughts on character setup in Hazbin too.

Going by the pilot we get the impression that Angel is a selfish person but has a bit of good in him somewhere...this is where our hope for his future comes from. He's not a villain but every scene before his second thoughts of possibly comforting Charlie establishes him as some irredeemable asshole. This works ^ regardless of if you like his character or not. It is setting up that maybe, even if they can't get into heaven, MAYBE someone set up to be irredeemable can surprise the audience and become good.

Then we have Alastor who gets an entire Tell Don't Show exposition telling us how evil he is. When he pulls all of these people in his debt out of nowhere the audience starts to think for themselves - oh, what does he have on all these people?? A possible turnaround into him not being ALL bad can be great if Viv wanted it to be, but I feel like by reading the other Al content that anticipation is already dead. I'm already getting the "but he's misunderstood! He's really a good guy!" messaging. Like...he's a cannibal. He's not misunderstood, he's a cannibal lol. Everyone has a problem with this guy. Don't pretend he's a soft misunderstood uwu baby.

I swear if they pull misunderstood and justified Stella I'll just implode

[sapphic-agent]

There’s a headcanon I’ve seen pop up in the comments of a fanfic recently (Shota Aizawa vs The Media by water_in_a_bottle, it’s great at calling out Aizawa) and it makes a lot of sense in universe. It’s an extension of the headcanon that Aizawa rigged the QAT scores against Izuku with the intent to expel him. It’s the idea that when Izuku got zero offers from pros, Aizawa was actually hiding the offers from him. Izuku should have gotten at least some offers. He has an incredibly powerful and flashy quirk similar to All Might. He broke free from a mind control quirk, and he also went up against the number two hero’s son in a showy match. At least some pros should notice him and be interested. I know that from a writing perspective, Hori is just making Izuku an underdog again and putting him under unnecessary pressure, but I feel like it fits with Aizawa’s so called teaching style as a whole and his view of Izuku.

Aizawa seems to view Izuku as sort of lazy for apparently neglecting to get his powerful quirk under control (when everything else about Izuku should really make him question that view). You would think that he would want Izuku to figure it out, but I think that he wants Izuku to “take responsibility” and figure it out on his own without any help, instead of from a pro who might offer him an internship that Aizawa might feel Izuku doesn’t deserve or isn’t ready for yet.

This also fits with his teaching style, considering his massive amount of expulsions. This probably isn’t the first student Aizawa has pulled something like this on. He likes to lie and trick his students with logical ruses constantly. The QAT isn’t just an excuse to expel students on the first day. He probably also uses it to figure out which students to specifically target for future expulsion (if he doesn't immediately expel them, fake or not). As the year goes on, he gives them secret, biased challenges or obstacles that they might not even know they’re being put through, and when they fail, he eventually expels them, without acknowledging that he deliberately set them up and sabotaged them to justify expulsion.

Most of this is just headcanon, but I feel like it makes a lot of sense with a more negative interpretation of Aizawa and his views, actions, and teaching style.

So, I actually don't think Aizawa rigged the QAT.

I'm not saying it would necessarily be out of character for him to do so. But the thing about the QAT is that it's not assessing physical fitness, it's assessing how well you use your quirk. If it was assessing how fit the kids were, Momo would have lost to Bakugou and Todoroki and she beat both of them.

Quirk users have advantages in almost every field, especially hero work, that's just a fact. And that's especially true in the QAT as it's geared towards quirk users. I never thought it was weird that Izuku placed last since here because he only had 10 months of basic training as opposed to these kids who have used their quirks all their lives.

(I read a fic where Hagakure used her invisibility to take a head start during the race. Things like that where they're "cheating," but not really because Aizawa said they could use their quirks to their advantage in any way they want)

Now, I think that the test itself was probably rigged against Izuku. It's basically canon that Aizawa was targeting him that day. But to rig the results themselves, I feel, would have been detrimental to the point he was trying to prove.

But always a fun headcanon to read about :)

[threewaywithdelusion]

What is with the slew of out of character All For The Game fics?

This is going to be rant-y and full of spoilers, so feel free to skip. Trigger warnings for anything mentioned in the books (if you’re reading this and you’re not in the fandom, mostly SA).

What the hell is going on? I’ve been reading in this fandom for 5 years and while there are still some really excellent fics being published these days, there are also so, so many that are out of character.

The rise of the Kevaaron ship terrifies me. Who is shipping this? Aaron is extremely homophobic and very in love with Katelyn. These are two very important aspects of his character. His homophobia is a major source of conflict between him and Andrew and him and Nicky, and while you can have him learn and grow in a fic (and some people have written that really well!), I think making him gay/bi/whatever takes away from that. Also, he really, really loves Katelyn. Enough to date her in secret for a year while risking Andrew’s wrath. Enough to fight for her. Enough to agree to go to therapy with Andrew. Loving Katelyn is a really important part of Aaron’s character and I feel like people are throwing it away because they want all the main characters to be paired off with each other. What do Kevin and Aaron even have in common?

But that’s not even my main issue. I’ve been scrolling through AFTG fics for the past few days, trying to find one that is both up my alley and that I haven’t already read. And there’s a really strange amount of fics where Andrew and/or Neil are out of character? There are fics where Neil says “please” in front of Andrew. There are fics (not future fics) where they don’t ask “yes or no” before touching each other. There are fics where Andrew has good communication skills and openly comforts Neil. Why is he doing that?! Andrew’s methods for comforting Neil are putting a hand on the back of his neck, telling him to stop freaking out, and saying comforting things like “your parents are dead, you are not fine, and nothing is going to be okay.” (The Raven King). And IT WORKS. Neil finds Andrew’s apathy comforting. Andrew may go to therapy, but he doesn’t talk like it. Please stop writing him like he does.

Also, what’s with all the sex AUs? I understand that people want to write whatever AUs they like in whatever fandom they like. But there’s been an explosion of fics where Neil and Andrew are porn stars/fuckbuddies/Neil’s a prostitute. In this fandom more than any other, that makes no sense. When people write fanfic AUs, they are taking the canon characters and setting them in a new world. And in order to do that, they have to keep certain core characteristics about the characters the same. Neither Neil nor Andrew would ever be the type to have casual sex, and that is an IMMUTABLE CHARACTERISTIC for both of them. (I’m not saying Andrew would never sleep with strangers. I’m saying he would be extremely careful and would never let his walls down with his one night stand). Andrew’s trauma happened early in his life and has completely shaped the person he has become. If you excise it from the story and make him completely free-spirited about sex, you’re writing about a different character. That is not Andrew Minyard.

I’m also convinced some of you don’t understand how asexuality works. Neil is demisexual, which means he needs a deep emotional connection with someone to be attracted to them. This means he would never be attracted to Andrew unless and until he knew and trusted him. He would not have sex with Andrew once upon meeting him and suddenly like sex. It’s not about Andrew just existing as a person! It’s about how Neil feels about Andrew. Sexual attraction and libido are also two completely different things, so a person can feel horny but without wanting to do anything about it or involve another person. (Neil never seems to experience this in canon, but it’s possible he could experience it). There are some really great fics in the fandom that accurately portray Neil’s sexuality! I just wish more people were careful when writing Neil because he’s one of the very few canonically ace characters in media and I don’t think people are necessarily trying to change his sexuality but I think they’re forgetting it’s a valid and important part of his character and writing attraction how they experience it.

Please do your research before writing! I know fanfic is for fun and for free and something people do with their spare time. There’s no rules and you can do whatever you want! If you want to completely ignore this post, that is your prerogative. I’m just getting really frustrated trying to find a fic to read that is not out of character and I needed to vent my frustrations.

If you understand why this is happening (especially with more recent fics) please comment and let me know! Im genuinely curious. And if you have fic recs, please leave them! I’ve read all the big ones, but I’d love recs for less popular but very in-character stories.

[castlebyersafterdark]

people seems insistent that anything and everything is a "Vecna vision" any time we see something positive. The whole epilogue has been touted as a Vecna vision. But - when has he done that?

i believe this idea in fanon came from a byler fic called baby we're perfect:

(https://archiveofourown.org/works/41219841)

which has lovely accompanying art here:

https://www.tumblr.com/kidovna/723936735192612864/if-you-havent-read-baby-were-perfect-by?source=share

its a good fic! original at the time. and heartbreaking in all the right places.

vecna does seem to be a manifestation of existing trauma, but i think people take nancy's bleak future vision and use that as inspo, because hers is very unique, and also why her? it suggests vecna DOES have plans for mike or the wheelers. although it could also just mean that nancy's greatest fear is her family dying, which is... interesting considering her past storylines with barb, romance, and her ambition. workaholic to avoid grief? hmmm.

but mostly, honestly, i think it's self preservation. so many people dont feel able to trust in a happy ending for byler. even scenes that seem bleak (like mike and hop on the bench) that might contribute contextually to an overall happy byler ending is more than some people feel comfortable hoping for i guess. not me, but i suppose in a show where something else always goes wrong (because the story isnt finished, so no doi), people just cant imagine a happy ending that doesnt feel like fanfic. but an ending is coming for ST! and i believe it'll have happiness in it!

its actually something that irritates about byler haters; they say that any happy ending with byler sounds like fanfic, meaning wishful thinking. well yeah, but a storyline being desired by fans doesnt mean its outside the realm of possibility, does it? i mean, ONE ending has to happen. why not byler?

Oh wow, flashback. I remember that fic. Such a good one, very emotional!! And the art. Yesss. Classic.

The thing is - it's a really cool concept. Interesting to consider. And honestly? Maybe Henry MIGHT do this to someone. We don't actually know his plans for our characters in season five. We could never have predicted where season four was going - who's to say ANY of our theories are in the realm of happening for five? We can get pretty close with thematic elements but the details? It's getting harder and harder for me to theorize and stay confident to any one plotline the more and more I encounter new ideas. I don't actually have a personal storyline anymore because there's almost too many ideas and I cannot commit to any of them, just having fun conjecturing between several dozen! Which is great, because there's a whole season to watch.

So, my issue is when ideas that are from a fic or popular tumblr theory basically get seen as canon. Dominates perspective and prediction. But, that's the very definition of fanon. Need that kept in mind. We made all that up.

I think what I dislike about the commonality of the false flash forward style Vecna vision insistance lately is because it's playing into the point you're making - this exists to negate anything positive happening to any character, especially Byler.

It just seems every single happy or Byler focused idea based on set hint conjecture or something showing any character alive is "Oh that's just a vecna vision." Why??? But I definitely agree - there will be something major going on with the Wheelers. I'm not sure I believe anyone in general is going to be suspended in the air with headphones on as Vecna shows them everything they’ve ever wanted unless they join him. It seems too far fetched. Maybe I'm gonna eat my words in a year.

Frustrating for sure that there's this reluctance to allow thoughts of a happy ending - and I get it, I get it, I get it, being burned by media and not trusting mainstream television, but this show is not like other shows!! And what did the creators say - the show is based around heart, not cynicism. I think with the fanfic-feeling argument - well, yeah, fanfic fills in the gaps and our biggest gap is the ending and we as fans want a happy ending. Not controversial or shocking. So, it's remiss to call a positive outcome "fanfic" when the show is going to get there! It's got horror elements but it's not a tragic television show, that's not indicative of the medium. Love triumphs. Love being friendship and family and romantic love and hope.

I think this is all a symptom of a cynical world. And literally this show is about hope and heart ❤️❤️❤️

[meddow]

Fic Author Q&A

Thank you for tagging me @curator-on-ao3!

1. Why do you write fanfic?

It’s a bit of a combination firstly wanting to share a plot idea I have with others, secondly, wanting to see something happen which I know won’t happen in the original source, and thirdly, it can be a bit of a fun puzzle – I don’t like this canon, how do I fix it.

2. Which of your posted stories do you think about the most, even though the story is “finished”?

Lately, First Solitary Separate Singular Complete. It was the first fic I wrote after a long break and I was a very rusty when writing it, so mostly what I would have do differently.

3. If you could give yourself fic advice from when you first started writing fic, what would that advice be?

There will be times when you feel you’ve lost the ability to write. It will come back. It never strays that far away.

4. What’s your relationship to fic stats?

I do check them and quite often, but just for hits. I like seeing the hit count on my WIP steadily head up and like to interpret that as it has found an audience.

5. Is there a pairing or scenario or friendship you miss writing? If so, why? If not, why not?

I wouldn’t mind revisiting Lix/Randall (The Hour) a bit more. I still occasionally find myself coming up with AUs for them. I had half a Victorian detectives AU plotted out in my head back in the day and I wish I'd had the energy to write it. Anyway, it was six episodes over a decade ago and yet they still reside in my head.

6. What motivates you to write?

Partly it’s a race against time to get things down before my inspiration runs out. Partly is that writing for me is like cooking. It’s lovely cooking for myself, but its extra special getting to share what I’ve created with the world and seeing other people enjoy it

7. Why do you write for the fandom(s) that you write for?

My muse is very much motivated by newspaper articles and non-fiction and basically shit I see in the world which pisses me off, and Star Trek remains the ultimate franchise for being able to discuss contemporary issues with a shielding layer of fiction over the top.

For example (spoilers for the next chapter of The Endurance of Light) the villains I’m writing at the moment have an ideology which is based of a whole bunch of anti-master, anti-vaxxer and anti-science rhetoric I’ve seen around – and I’m getting to show how the ruling class of that planet use that ideology to oppress the masses and keep themselves in power, while finding and exploiting loopholes that benefit themselves. I don't know if I'm weird, but writing that kind of stuff for me is oddly fun.

Strange New Worlds in particular hits that sweet spot as it has a great set up and characters I adore, but never seems to have enough time/a high enough episode order to really explore the characters and I want to fix that.  

8. If you’re stuck writing a WIP, what do you do?

Go for a walk. I get all my best ideas either wandering around the local park, or in the shower.

9. What do you wish people knew about comments?

I can’t speak for any author but myself, but I’m happy to answer questions about future developments (or the general direction at least, I won’t give a blow by blow) if someone asks me in a comment. I don’t like tagging my fics with whether it’s a happy ending or not or whether a pairing is endgame or not because I feel that ruins any tension and/or mystery I want to build for everyone, but in the comments, I can put details below a spoiler cut.

10. Maybe there’s a question you wish had been on here. What’s that question (and answer)?

As a person who has aphantasia (the inability to picture things in my mind), I’d love to know what other people see when they’re writing, and how much detail. For me, I feel like for a scene I get enough in my mind to create one blurry film still per scene. There's no movement though. I can’t picture things like facial expressions changing or what characters are doing with their hands. Often I feel like I’m just writing off vibes.

I've seen a lot of people I follow tagged already, is there anyone who has missed out that wants to be?

[formalmess]

Hi! I found your fic LMTT and I LOVE IT! Love your Luigi x Peasley ness.

I was just curious: how do you write romance so well and healthy? I'm asking bc I may write more romance fics in the future, both Luigi x Peasley and Mario x Peach, but I'm nervous bc I don't write romance much. Was hoping for advice so that I can do these ships justice.

Hope you're doing well and Merry Christmas! Also, have a new follow!

hello!!! oh i am so glad you stumbled across my fic — i love writing it, so i am very glad you like reading it :] and oooh, i really like this question! i can offer a few bits and pieces of advice i've picked up along my writing journey...

first, know why YOU love your ships! for me, i've been passionate about luisley for about 7 years now, so i've had a lot of time to figure out why it's so special to me (also why it comes so easily in writing them). this kind of leads into a few of the other tips i'll mention, but it's important to know WHY you, personally, love the ships you ship. what is it about luisley and mareach that you love? whatever the answer is, use that to help guide your writing. for example, i love how peasley and luigi are opposites in many areas of their personalities, but also how those opposites can bring out the best in them when they're together. :]

don't forget the little details. subtlety is key! pick out some things for each of the characters you're writing about that only a significant other might notice, like in LMTT where i have peasley notice luigi's quirks (like his mustache when he lies). i find there's something so romantical about a partner (or partner to be) noticing the little things that others might overlook. you can make these up, go off of canon, etc. etc.! have fun with it ^-^

read, read, read! this appears in a lot of writing advice lists so i won't stick here too long and bore you, but reading others' ship/romance works really helps to get the inspiration train a-rolling, and it will also help you realize what you do and don't like!

don't be afraid to let them disagree a bit. for this, i'm referring to your additional adjective in your original question: healthy. something really important for fictional (and real) relationships is the ability to communicate and leave room for disagreements. healthy relationships don't need to be lovey-dovey 24/7; especially in longer fanfic, there are bound to be moments where the members of your ship will not agree (though this has not stopped me from writing pure tooth-rotting, lovey-dovey fluff one-shots at times in my life, haha). the way one represents how ships handle conflict opens the door to a lot of interesting and compelling dynamics, methinks! this pops up in LMTT as well a few times, like in chapter 2. (side note: this does not mean you should feel pressured to have your couple arguing every page, i only mean that you shouldn't shy away from a moment where, organically, you think the members of your ship might disagree and/or want to go down different paths)

experiment! see which tropes you like! play around with your characters! if you placed them in a white room together, could you write a natural conversation with them? what circumstances could you add to that white room that would increase their chemistry? what setting does your ship thrive in? what setting do they NOT thrive in? doing little one-shots and experimental paragraphs to test out what one does and does not like has always been a great way to not only see how i want to write something, but also to tell if it will be able to sustain a longer piece.

above all, have fun with it! i've found that if i try and avoid writing super calculated and stiff romance, it comes off as much more real and organic. this will take time and practice, but just remember to experiment, keep reading, find what you like, and continue to absorb why it is that you love the ships you ship. :]

happy writing!

[daryfromthefuture]

intro :)

i realized i never made an intro post so here it is lmao-

hi tumblr, my name is dary! i go by she/her pronouns, but feel free to use they/them as well, i don't mind :D

i'm 18 years old and from europe (my timezone is gmt +1)

as you can see from my blog, my main interest is the back to the future franchise :] i do things for the fandom like writing and drawing; you can find me on ao3 under the same username (daryfromthefuture) and on instagram under @/rynaaa_a.

talk to me about bttf in general but specifically (bold = main fixation):

⭐1940s doc/manhattan project lore

⭐1950s doc

⭐bttf the musical

⭐bttf the game

⭐doc and marty's friendship (!!!)

some fun facts about me:

i learned to skateboard because of marty mcfly and my favorite drink is pepsi (WITH sugar)

i speak english, german, russian and like basic french (english being my third language learned out of these)

my favorite subject is history and 20th century history is another big interest of mine

writing is my favorite thing to do ever and i want to write movies someday

my favorite bands are huey lewis and the news & queen

i'm taller than mjf by three inches

i ran out of fun facts, may add later LOL

thank you for checking out my blog! i'm always open to making new acquaintaces, so feel free to message me :D

fanfic directory under the cut!

FANFIC DIRECTORY (status: September 22, 2024)

MULTI-CHAPTER:

Until I Get Home: Stuck in 1885 AU fic, focusing on Marty and Doc's relationship and how it evolves when exposed to various different circumstances during their time in the 19th century. Words: 100,100, 30 chapters. Status: Complete

Fourteen scraps of paper: Fic focusing on filling out the 30 years between 1955 and 1985 in the Lone Pine timeline. Words: 11,243, 5/18 chapters. Status: On hiatus (dunno whether I will pick it up again tbh...)

November: Smaller, slice of life fic set post-trilogy. Marty gets sick and Doc takes care of him. Words: 4,636, 3 chapters. Status: Complete

We Do Need Roads: Road Trip fic also set post-trilogy. Doc takes Marty on a road trip across the country after the latter graduates, which gives them a great oppurtunity to catch up. Words: 19,016 (estimated to be around 80K), chapters 5/20. Status: Work in progess

The Perils And The Promise: A rewrite of Jules Verne's "Around The World In 80 Days" with the BTTF characters in the main roles (man I love ridiculous AUs). Words: 57,111 37/37 chapters. Status: Complete

TRINITY TRILOGY

Three stories set in a universe in which Marty accidentally ended up trapped in the 1940s and follows Doc as he goes through the Manhattan Project and the years after. Together, the stories will take up around 135,000 words and 60 chapters. Hyperfixation has quite the power guys lmao

Most People Were Silent (45,352 words; complete)

A Few People Cried (45,024 words; complete)

A Few People Laughed (17,868 words; WIP!!)

ONESHOTS

Time Waits For No One: AU of BTTF 3 in which Marty comes down with pneumonia during the week in 1885. Words: 10,054

Flight Of Fancy: A character stufy of Doc, focusing on his relationship with science and the development of the flux capacitor. Words: 6,022

The Weight Of Us: A small "crossover" (is it really a crossover if it could be canon) with Oppenheimer (2023) in which 1940s Doc and Robert talk in August 1945. Words: 1,129

He Didn't Start The Fire: Prequel oneshot about Marty and Doc's early friendship days and how the teen reacts upon finding out that Doc worked on the Manhattan Project. Words: 5,459

Double Visions: Doc and Marty have a heart-to-heart after the events of BTTF: The Game. Words: 2,028

A Day At The I.F.T.: In a universe in which BTTF: The Ride is canon, Marty visits the institute of future technology. Words: 1,764

Time Heals All Wounds: Oneshot set in 1931. Young Emmett and Marty shenanigans. Words: 1,031

Nighttime Inn: Miitopia AU oneshot in which our hero Marty talkes to Great Sage Doc post-final battle. (have I meantioned I love ridiculous AUs)

Meet The Family: post-trilogy oneshot focusing on Marty's inner conflict about the whole Doc and Clara thing

[kingcedricthegay]

So I read the first chapter of your Cedric x Reader fanfic and came to share my thoughts.

I will say, I'm not too fond of x Reader, I'm more about reading about characters instead of being one. That being said, I liked that there was an effort to include other characters from stf, and I actually got invested from how the fic was formatted as a genuine stf episode.

I don't want to be too critical of the portrayal of some of the characters, but as a Roland enjoyer, I felt your portrayal of him was quite decent until it came to Cedric. I'm not sure at what point the story is supposed to take place in besides being between Great Auntventure and Day of the Sorcerers, but I feel that Roland being unhappy about Cedric coming along doesn't feel in character. At most points in the show, Roland is shown to not mind Cedric, let alone with Sofia. Cedric's Apprentice was an episode where Sofia literally became Cedric's apprentice so he could help her for a test, and Roland never once objects to her being with Cedric. I think Roland doesn't have as big of a gripe as people think because he's more disappointed at Cedric not being able to do magic than him as a person overall.

That being said, I love how you wrote him as someone who respected Sofia's wishes and let her bring Cedric along to the carnival. That is very much like Roland to see that Sofia likes something and sets aside his biases for his daughter. I can understand headcanoning Roland not liking Cedric as a person, and It's not something I'd agree with, but I absolutely agree with him respecting his children and their wishes.

As for the royal family as a whole, I didn't expect them to take as much of a focus as they did, and it was a pleasant surprise to have the children interact with Y/N. In fact, the format of the fic was so creative, with the royal family being so involved, I found myself being invested more in that than the x Reader parts. That's just me liking things not involving Cedric more because of how focused he is in the fandom. I wanted to talk more about the other aspects of the fic because I think people would find these elements such a treat.

While the royal family isn't THE main focus, I found Amber and Miranda to be a bit weird as characters. The fact I preferred the writing for James over them says something. With Miranda, I felt she wasn't a character like everyone else. The only role she seemed to have was as a mother and nothing else. The way she didn't have as much of a prominence as the others bummed me out. And it's not that she had to have a bigger role, but I felt myself questioning where she was.

My thoughts about Amber are based on my opinion, but the way she was written felt mixed to me. There were parts where she felt like Amber, like her excitement at getting her fortune told, but her being interested in whether she has a spouse?? I don't know, I personally don't think she would be too interested in that, or at least would be more interested in other aspects of her future. Plus the "I AM EASY" part caught me off guard. That part with the part before of Amber eating fast but elegantly did not pair well. It felt like Hildegard core.

These are just my thoughts though. I really enjoyed reading this fanfic despite some parts I didn't jive with. I would recommend it for anyone who likes a storyline with their smoochies with Cedric rjdbhdidjdjdjrj

Thanks for recommending me this fic /g /vpos

I ain’t reading all that I’m happy for you tho or sorry that happened /ref

No but seriously thank you so much for writing all this 😭😭

First of all I always try to make my one shots feel like they could more or less happen in the StF canon, so I’m glad it works!!

Regarding Roland, I know that you love him but I don’t necessarily like him that much. I think he’s okay most of the time, I just hate him for fun lmao (that’s probably why I wrote him as less likable than he actually is)

About the characters overall, this was my first piece of StF fan fiction and when I was writing this I hadn’t finished the show yet (I was maybe at the beginning of season 2) so the characters hadn’t gone through all the development they had to go through yet, and I guess I didn’t have that good of a grasp on their personalities. Now that you point it out, looking back Amber was never boy crazy so I agree that that bit doesn’t make any sense (😭), and yeah I guess Miranda ended up being just… mom.

All in all thanks for the feedback! ❤️❤️

[espilver-week]

Fanfics...

Last month we had 💜🤍Espilver Week 2023🤍💜, and we set up some polls to ask Espilver fans about their favorite everything for this ship ✨

"What tags do you like to see when looking for an Espilver/Silvespio fic?"

Over half of the votes went to fluff 💕 Many people seem to prefer something sweet and comforting for Silver and Espio. Mod as well, loves to read fluff as well! But since we are talking about fanfics, there are a few that I would like to share!

Us (by Midnight Mischief, 2014-2015; Words: 17,753; Rate T)

One of the earliest fics mod has read, and this is a re-imagined story for Rivals 2 with romance subtext. For people first starting to look into the two characters' chemistry, what's better than looking at something similar to the games? There are a bunch of interesting character dynamics between the cast, and events are mainly significant moments in both Silver's and Espio's story. People will need to know the Rivals 2 plotline to recognize certain setting re-use or changes in this fanfic.

No Evidence (by Cubicrot, 2018; Words: 23,519, Rate T)

This is a fic with plenty adventure and a bit of romance, with Espio and Silver first encountering each other in an alternate event which is irrelevant to Rivals 2. Silver was in desperate need of chaos drives, while Espio was on a case investigating a case of missing chaos drives. They ran into each other by chance, and went on their joint journey to achieve what they want. Despite not following the games 100%, it can still be counted as "canon deviation". Being one of the earlier fanfics you can find on the internet, mod absolutely enjoyed reading through it!

Time Together, How Sweet (by mousewritings, 2020; Words: 2,374. Rate G)

A silly story about Espio and Silver going to a store to buy presents for Charmy, but ended up getting kicked out of the store for certain reasons. A purely fluff fic, great for people that wants a quick but pleasant time to read an Espilver fanfic. Genuinely light hearted, this is one of the cute fics mod likes a lot. 💛

New Beginnings (by TrueBlueSonic, 2020-2022; Words: 195,768, Rate T)

Mod believes many people have already read this, in fact, with how there is over 13k hits on AO3, many might have taken a like to Espilver because of this fanfic! Congrats~! 🎉 This story is an aftermath of Rivals 2, "canon deviation" fanfic that involves Silver getting to experience life in the present time, choosing between going back to the future or staying in the present. Many fluffy moments and tear-jerking chapters, those who want a few novel-lengths of fanfic to immerse will have a good time reading this!

Sharp eyes would realize these fanfics here are from years ago! Mod wants to share them for newcomers, so everyone can experience how people perceive Espilver/Silvespio during earlier days when content for this ship were less frequent. Hope you enjoy reading them!

Many fanfics involve not only fluff, but with conflicts and heart-wrenching moments as well. Mod is glad to see people willing to try out all kinds of content despite our main preference!

I noticed many people tend to enjoy stories with Silver feeling conflicted about going back to the future or staying in the past. Indeed, fiddling with timelines are a huge topic that could go on forever, and the decision of staying became very important to Silver. Espio himself then became one of the biggest reasons Silver travels back in time, and even stay in the present forever in some stories.

Letting Silver enjoy life with Espio in the present is also one of the most popular scenarios. Some fanfics with more than a chapter or two would sure to have them hangout in a chill manner, maybe explore their feelings with each other in the meantime.

Besides the main focus on fluff or happy endings, quite a lot of fanfics also go with #slow burn, #friends to lovers, #established relationship, etc. For people that want something other than these settings, now it's the time for you to shine!

There are lots of content for Espilver/Silvespio on the internet, with all kinds of preference and ratings to take note of. Remember to keep an open-minded mentality and enjoy your time within the fandom!

[dg-outlaw]

All About River City

This post is for anyone interested in knowing more about River City and/or why I chose it as the setting for my latest and last story in my "A Few Sparks Before The Fire" JaySteph fanfic series. *Spoiler Free*

Why River City?

I wanted this story, and Jason and Steph’s case, to be outside of Gotham so I could isolate them and build on their romance away from the rest of the Batfam. I also wanted to find a city without a lot of canon content so I could play a bit with worldbuilding as I’d like to write a non-fanfic story someday. When looking up various cities in the DC universe I came across River City and noticed it fit my criteria for a somewhat blank canvas. Outside it being the home base for a minor character from back in the day, Odd Man, and a one-time random meeting spot for a Jimmy Olsen storyline, it seemed like a great sandbox to play in. It also has connections to Gotham as an older version of Odd Man and his daughter, Debbie Stoner, are involved in the Mother Panic comic.

Where is River City?

Based on the connections mentioned above I assumed it was close to Gotham, relatively speaking, but in the Jimmy Olsen comic he mentions it taking him all day to get there. In this regard I decided to go with headcanon and say it’s somewhere between Gotham and Metropolis (and if it took Jimmy all day, then maybe he took the bus and the bus broke down somewhere along the way or his flight had lots of connections and delays). Trenton, New Jersey is the approximate distance marker I’ve used in the story, since it’s near the Delaware River (a “river city”) and would be somewhere between Gotham and Metropolis if we’re saying Gotham is in southern New Jersey and Metropolis is near NYC (though I know it’s previously been in Delaware). 

So is River City a fictional Trenton, NJ?

No. River City is not a substitute for Trenton as that’s just one reference I’ve used. I’ve also referenced bits and pieces of other nearby cities like Philadelphia and New Brunswick, NJ. Most of my references are for climate, architecture, and imagery for my own creative musing as well as the promo postcard image for the story along with a few other things. Basically, River City is its own fictional place and that’s why I picked it as it can be whatever I make it while still having a general base as a small city on the east coast. 

Who are the characters in River City?

For the sake of the mystery I’ve created a bunch of OCs, though there are a few easter eggs for known DC characters connected to River City. Anyone else not from canon is completely made up. Maybe they’re suspects, friends, allies, enemies, all or none of the above. Again, this is me stretching my creative and worldbuilding legs. Also, any names, likenesses, etc. not associated with DC comics are completely made up and not in reference to anyone living or dead. So my apologies if a name pops up and it’s your name or someone you know. They’re random and I tried to come up with unique names and names that immediately don’t pop-up as someone famous or well-known in a Google search. 

What’s River City like? Is it more like Gotham, Metropolis, or someplace else?

You’ll just have to read and see. What I will say is that I wanted it to feel a bit cozy. It’s not as big as Gotham or Metropolis, thus no real superheroes in town, but I wanted it to feel big enough to be spread out. One reference that is often in my brain is Central City from the CW series ‘The Flash’. Minus whatever opinions of the show one might have, I really liked the cozy feel of what was created on that show, especially Joe West’s house and later Barry and Iris’s apartment in the city. So yeah, that’s the vibe. Also, I know a lot of that show was filmed in Vancouver (on the other side of North America), but hey… vibes.

Will there be more fics set in River City?

At this point, I don’t know. I don’t have any real plans for revisiting River City, except for one, but that’s a bit of a spoiler for a future series. As mentioned above, River City is me having fun doing some worldbuilding and playing around with Jason and Steph in a new place for the holidays.

Any other questions I missed or that you have on your mind?

Just drop me an ‘Ask’ I’ll see what I can and can’t answer… either because it’s a spoiler or I really don’t know.

[jaimehwatson]

1, 2, 10, 11, 15, 19!

Thanks Syb! <3

1.What’s something new that you tried in a fic this year? How did it turn out and would you do it again?

I wrote erotica involving a trans character for the first time in A Proper Apology! (Well, technically he's not actually human and wasn't really assigned any gender at birth, but you know, basically I wrote him like he's trans.) As someone who's still in the process of figuring out a transmasculine identity myself, I often prefer to read and write fics where the characters are all cisgender because it's like, I'm here to have fun, I don't even want to deal with thinking about all that complicated stuff that affects my real life right now. But I'm happy to have given something different a try with this fic, and I hope it's something I'll be able to do more in the future as I get more confident in who I am. Shout-out to @glitterarygetsit for beta-reading that one and helping polish it!

2. How many fics did you work on this year? (They don’t have to be finished or published!)

Apparently I've published 16 (most of which are pretty short), and I also have my Yuletide fic about to be revealed and bring it up to 17! Then in my unfinished drafts I have at least 5 more, all of which are for Our Flag Means Death. The new season gave me so many ideas that I didn't finish all of them, but maybe I'll revisit some in the new year!

10. What fic made you feel the happiest to work on?

Probably my magnum opus, Tonight on Ring of Revenge! It's my longest fanfic and probably in my top 5 longest works of fiction I've completed in general, and it was really fun and satisfying to be able to gradually make a wild idea I had while watching wrestling work out. I'm really proud of it and it feels very unique to me - like plenty of other people are also great at writing the kind of horny one-shots I do a lot of, but no one else made the pirate wrestling AU, that's a Jaime Special

15. Rec a fic you wrote or posted in 2023

I'll do the same one I just answered - Tonight on Ring of Revenge! It loosely follows the overall plot of season 1 of OFMD but set in the modern era with the characters as pro wrestlers instead of pirates. Is that an extremely silly idea? Yes! Does it also actually suit the themes and characterization of the show really well? You bet! Are there ridiculous campy wrestling plots and choreographed fake violence and also sex? Hell yeah! I had a lot of fun doing research for it and I think there are plenty of details in there that wrestling fans will appreciate, but I also added plenty of author's notes explaining things for readers who are less familiar with wrestling. It's about 26k words and has a cute happy ending! Enjoy!

19. Share your favorite opening line

I think I have to go with this one from When You Like And Where You Like!

"We have three years of the past to discuss. Let that suffice until half-past nine, when we start upon the notable adventure of the empty house." As Sherlock Holmes leaned casually against the desk in my study, a self-satisfied smile on his pale and aquiline face, I was seized with a momentary urge to leap from my chair and throttle him.

The first line of dialogue is directly out of "The Adventure of the Empty House," and if I remember correctly, it precedes a bit of a timeskip to the story picking up later that night. The second line is me starting a little missing scene! I really enjoy writing stuff like this that follows canon closely and could arguably have happened in between without necessarily contradicting anything, and I think it's a solid opening in terms of how much it establishes in those first two sentences: if you've read this story you'll probably recognize that line and know immediately at what point in canon this is set, and you'll understand why Watson is angry and why this is something that deserves a missing scene to get into his reaction to what's going on more!

2023 in Review Fic Writer Asks