#I intend to separate the current day and post-movie stuff into their own fics each

[silverior968]

So, here's the TFP/Skulduggery Pleasant AU fic I've been working on and eluding to since may. Very Optiratch focused, although I'm trying to expand and add more characters and dynamics and such. For SP fans I can jingle the keys of Larrikin, Skulduggery and Ghastly making appearances and a bunch of worldbuilding about different magic disciplines, The Caves and Proto-Cleavers

In terms of where in the timeline the fic is, the latest chapter takes place in 1620, and so far only the oldest of the characters are around (because the rest of them quite simply haven't been born yet)

Also, here's a drawing I made related to the AU, a bit farther down the timeline than the current most recent chapter but still nowhere near present day

Unfortunately the giant Pyrenese dog with the Wolf collar is symbolic in nature, there are no giant dogs in the fic. It would be an altogether less grim affair if there were giant dogs, I think.

[Image ID: A digital painting of a younger, human Ratchet from the AU described above, accompanied by the front half of a giant great pyrenees dog. The background is a muted cyan color. The dog is farther away in the background, leaping forward with its teeth bared. Its white fur is stained red with blood, mostly originating from a rusty anti-wolf collar on its neck, which means that most of the blood doesn't belong to the dog itself. It has a sad look in its eyes. The rest of the dog disappears where its silhouette crosses over Ratchet's, who is likewise charging forward with a scythe wielded with both hands, bent backwards for a swing. The scythe's blade has gone black in certain parts, and is covered in blood. One of his legs is bent in front of him and the position of the scythe makes his arm cross over his face as an intentional reference to "The Fallen Angel" by Alexandre Cabanel. He's wearing an outfit that consists of white trousers, black boots and a white tailcoat with gold details, like buttons and epaulettes. The outfit is also stained in blood, with two large red spots on his side and thigh, from which Vitakinetic life energy is spilling out as white sparks. As an added effect of Vitakinesis ( the Skulduggery Pleasant version of healing magic) his bones are glowing white through his skin and his pupils are white. He's drawn as a white man with pale, lightly freckled skin and red hair. His irises are cyan-colored, and there are distinct dark spots under his eyes. He has very thick eyebrows and long, slightly wavy hair. The artist's signature, "Silverior968" is overlayed over the image in white. The color palette is inspired by the album cover for "The Albatross" by Foxing. / End ID]

[ryqoshay]

So I just finished reading all of How to Handle a Nico and I absolutely fucking loved it, do you have any NicoMaki fanfic recommendations of your own?

I must offer my apologies for the delay in response. I did not forget you, Anon, despite answering two questions that came in after this one. However, I wanted to wait until I knew I had a good amount of time I could dedicate to making a proper list of recommendations worthy of my time in the LL/NicoMaki fandom, which is typically sometime during my weekend.

Also, please bear in mind that this list is not all-inclusive. NicoMaki has one of, if not the most extensive list of fanworks out of the various LL ships. If someone reading this list is a fan of, or the author of a given work not included, please do not take it personally, this is merely a sampling of my favorites. There are genres and tags that I tend to avoid for various reasons, and there are many perfectly good works with the NicoMaki ship tag that I haven’t read simply because they are not the primary focus. And due to current events, as well as those of last year, there is a sizable backlog of NicoMaki focused fics that I hope to get around to reading sometime soon.

And as I expect this to get long, I will put the list itself under a cut.

First and foremost, I must shamelessly shill an author whose first forays into NicoMaki fanfic are based on HtHaN. It’s been almost a year since the first one went up and I remain in awe that I was able to pay forward the inspiration given to me by other authors. For this list I will only be including said works based on HtHaN, though VNVdarkangel has written some other NicoMakis I haven’t read yet.  - Always there - Nico wakes up in the middle of the night. Some post-canon fluffy angst.  - On tracks to the heart - Takes place during the scene transition in Homecoming.  - Meet ‘n’ greet - Nico has a meet ‘n’ greet event and Maki shows up  - Part-time idol composer - Nico hires Riko to compose some idol music for Egao. Minor YohaRiko to keep up the casual connections between HtHaN and HL.  - Next steps... - A long, multi-chapter work that takes place after the numbered chapters of HtHaN. This work tells the story of NicoMaki as they take advantage of the research mentioned way back in Telling Mama. Yay science babies!  - Out of focus - Maki can’t focus on anything but Nico  - The door to dreams - Riko finds the piano from How to Celebrate a Maki and Maki finds Riko. More minor YohaRiko from HL.  - Idol trainer - A non-NicoMaki, RinPana honorable mention tied to HtHaN

Next, I must link a few things from jstonedd, whose works I can point to as being among those that helped cement NicoMaki as a my favorite ship.  - Buy Your Love - By the gods, I’ve honestly lost track of how many times I’ve reread this fic. It is also responsible for my headcanon that Tsubasa teaches Honoka how to skate, which I thusly include in Nico on Ice.  - Soldier Wars - If memory serves, this work earns its M rating less for lewd stuff and more for action movie depictions of violence, like an R rated Charlie’s Angels or something.  - After School Troublemakers - Earns its tag of Fluff and Crack.  - Babies Maybe - More Fluff and Crack I only skimmed the first few chapters of Otonokizaka Private Academy and it didn’t seem very NicoMaki focused or really much my cup of tea. But I’ve heard others like it, and it was finally completed a few years back, so there’s that.

One author with whom I’ve interacted moreso than any other - maybe not VNVdarkangel as of late, but... - is the creator of one of my favorite Fantasy AUs, which is often a genre I don’t read much as it so often leans on Harry Potter, of which I’m quite unfamiliar. Of course I say I often avoid Fantasy AUs despite now writing two... Anyway, we have a few differing headcanons and I must say it’s fun to have a civil discussion about them - as opposed to others that become heated and dissolve into ad hominum attacks like the one marked by Comment Deleted tombstones in the comments of HtHaN. Anyway, that train of thought derailed, so here are some of lonelypond’s works. Worth mentioning that most works take place in the U.S. instead of Japan, something that confused me for a few chapters when I first started reading, but have come to enjoy it, especially when places are mentioned that I know.  - Casual Lunacy - The aforementioned Fantasy AU as well as my introduction to this wonderful writer. Pulls in a quirky character from Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun, an adorable anime I’ve been meaning to finish. Maki is a werewolf. And I really need to reread this one at some point.  - PhotoJazz - Maki is a photographer and Nico is an actress.  - AU Yeah August - A collection of short 1 Shots. I haven’t read all of them, e.g. the Harry Potter one, but those I have were adorable, e.g. Summer Camp, Fake Dating and FWB.  - Christmas Confections - A collection of amazing Christmas themed works that rank among my favorite gifts each year since I first started reading them. I’d link them each individually, but they’re all amazing so just read them all; you won’t be disappointed. Maki and Christmas just go together and lonelypond writes them well.  - Can’t Get Started - To quote the summary “Nishikino Maki is trying to make it in the piranha fishbowl of movies, music and Hollywood. Yazawa Nico already has. And they keep crashing into each other.” Literally. It’s quite amusing. I’ve heard good things from other readers about the 1Kiss series but have only skimmed a few; they are high on my To Read list. The Idol House series came out during my troubled 2019, so it also remains on my To Read list. The Moonlight series seems to focus on NozoEli, which is fine, but for better or worse lowers it position on my To Read list. It’s lonelypond, so I do intend to read it eventually, but there are more NicoMaki focused fics that I’d like to get to first.

Next up is Lucia Hunter, a case where I must separate author from work. To this day I remain uncertain as to the details of the issues between this author and the denizens of Sukutomo, but the animosity exists nonetheless. Still, the listed works below were part of my gateway drugs into the wonderful world of NicoMaki fanfics.  - The Diamond Princess’s Melancholy - How NicoMaki came together.  - Love marginal - My favorite portrayal of KotoHonoUmi. NicoMaki is a side pairing here, and remain so through the rest of the works, but they’re still worth reading, imho.  - Shiranai Love*Oshiete Love - RinPana focus but NicoMaki still plays their role.  - Garden of Glass - de de deee de de deee Obviously NozoEli focused.

My first encounter with Rinforzando was a T rated cute and fluffy fic but they’ve done some pretty good NSFW works as well.  - Ten Years - Always enjoy a good adult NicoMaki fic. - Limbo - NSFW FWB NicoMaki - Caprice - NSFW 2nd Person post-canon NicoMaki. I’m not typically a fan of 2nd Person perspective, but this one was worth it.  - Cheers for Loving You - NicoMaki Secret Santa.

Hidekins is another author that has written a lot of NicoMaki I’ve enjoyed, but on a quick scan through the AO3 entries, few are jogging my memory with title and description alone. Perhaps I’ve read more here on tumblr? Perhaps I’ll come back and add more if I remember them better later.  - NicoMakisses - A set of five cute short NicoMaki stories about kisses.

Saberin writes a lot of 3rd year stuff, and that’s fine, but the NicoMaki collection is worth checking out.  - Prickly Love - As of writing this list, there are 10 chapters of cuteness

whoneedsapublisher writes a lot and I enjoy the style. Thus, when I see NicoMaki pop up on the account, I try to read.  - Couples Therapy - One of my favorite Maki headcanons is included here. Not explicit but earns its M rating and thus is NSFW.  - Subtle - Not particularly crazy about the Nico-taller-than-Maki, but that’s a minor complaint compared to the rest of this wonderful work.  - At Least Six Confessions - Presequel to the above work. Poor Nico had her work cut out for her with a romantically dense Maki.  - Keep Your Promises - Ten years later...  - Happy New Year - Sometimes stalemates must be broken by someone.  - Hidden Depth - Nico’s voice changes. And Maki likes it  - Pretending to Pretend - Not explicit, but earns its M rating so NSFW. One of my favorite examples of the Fake Dating trope.  - Merry Christmas Maki - I can’t think of a better present.  - No Lies Allowed - Truth of Dare, NicoMaki style.  - All Dressed Up - Based on a wonderful pic by noelclover  - Santa’s Stand-in - Guess who still believes...  - Switcheroo - Always love the idea of the girls trying to behave like the others. Makes me want to rewatch that episode.  - Tick, Tock - Some introspective Maki  - Insensitive - NicoMaki dating issues  - Tomatoes - Maki’s favorite food I’ve heard good things about Dazzling Warrior Nightshade, so it’s on my To Read List, but I must admit I can be picky about my Magical Girls stuff. Madoka set an... interesting bar for the genre for me and in most cases I’d prefer to watch it as an anime or read it as a manga/doujin. Still, the idea of Nico being a magic girl amuses me greatly, thus why the fic remains on my radar.

And here are some other random works I’ve enjoyed over the years.  - Smile, Nico Nico! - In which Nico drags Maki to the dentist  - Billiards - NSFW 2nd Person. Yes, I know I just said I’m not typically a fan, but this one was also good.  - Piano For Beginners - NSFW AU where Maki is assigned to teach Nico how to play the piano so as to be convincing for a film.  - critical rules for not-dating - NSFW FWB AU that I need to finish reading someday but was happy enough with what I’ve read that I’d still recommend it.  - 24 visits - Visits as in Nico the idol visiting Maki the doctor in the hospital.  - 24 dates - A NSFW followup to 24 visits

So yeah, that’s a fairly decent list to get one started in their AO3 NicoMaki delving. As mentioned above, this is not all-inclusive and there are a ton of NicoMaki works out there. I haven’t visited FFN in years, so there may still be some authors that post there exclusively and have written some amazing stuff, but I cannot recommend what I haven’t read, or at least skimmed. I also have some tumblr works bookmarked... somewhere, so if I find them I might compare them to this list and maybe add those missed.

Here’s hoping something here piques your interest and makes you fall a little more for the wonderful NicoMaki.

[myheartisbro-ken]

2018 Fic Writing Roundup

Tagged by @amaltheaz , thanks, it’s been a while since I’ve done one of these

Total 2018 Word Count:  293.714 wow, that’s a lot, I’ve been complaining about not writing enough and yet

Total 2018 Hits:  78.220

Other 2018 AO3 Stats

Kudos -  4.506

Comment Threads -  644

Bookmarks -  933

Subscriptions -  1.956

Links & Titles to 2018 Works: (gonna do it in chronological order)

1 - You Wanna Be Friends Forever? I Can Think of Something Better

As their friendship progresses everything else in Kara's life shifts drastically and she ends up needing Lena more than previously intended. Lena, on her end, never thought she would have a friend like Kara and she fears her feelings might get in the way.

A season re-write of Kara and Lena becoming best friends, realizing they have more than platonic feelings for their best friend, being in denial for a little bit, fighting everyone who judges their relationship and says they shouldn’t be friends, whilst wanting to be more than friends, defending each other at all costs, helping each other when things get hard, and just being hopelessly in love. With appearances of Winn being Kara’s best bro, Alex who needs to chill and stop being so overprotective, James who is being a little bit of a hypocrite and should learn how to separate Luthors and Supers, everyone just being a tad bit judgmental, tabloids invading their privacy and speculating on their relationship, and Kara and Lena not giving a fuck because they believe in each other and what they feel and that’s all that matters.

2 - Birthday Wish

Kara didn’t know what she expected to find when she opened her door, but a pair of bright blue eyes looking up at her eagerly was definitely not on her list of possibilities.

“Hello?” Kara greeted confused. “Are you lost?”

“Are you Kara Danvers?” The boy asked instead.

“Yes…?” she said carefully.

“My name is Liam,” he introduced himself with a cute smile, “I’m your son.”

Kara almost choked. “You’re my what now?”

Or,

When Kara wished to not spend her birthday alone she didn't expect a fully grown human child to materialize at her door claiming to be her son, nor for that child's other parent to be Lena freaking Luthor, but sometimes life can be crazy like that.

3 - Dates

Veteran actress Lena Luthor and novice actress Kara Danvers film an episode of the show Dates together. As they pretend to be on a first date for the cameras, sparks fly in real life.

4 - Our Little Miracle

When a meeting goes in an unplanned direction, Lena is put in a tough spot and needs to have an uncomfortable conversation with her son, which leads to a discovery and some tough decisions. When Morgan Edge threatens to buy CatCo to fit his own agenda, Lena has to step up and save the day.

or,

Lena has a very stressful job, but Kara and Liam always know how to make her feel better.

5 - Welcome Little One

On the last day of Hanukkah, Kara has a big present for Lena, but it's Lena who ends up surprising everyone.

or,

Baby Liam decides to upstage his mother's big gesture.

6 - Home For Christmas

On their second time working together, veteran actress Lena Luthor has to deal with the extremely silly and unprofessional crush on her up-and-coming Co-Star, the ever charming Kara Danvers, as they play the romantic leads of a Christmas movie.

Favorite Fic

- definitely the baby Liam au, it came in pretty late in the year, but I had been trying to get it to work for a year, and once I did, I quickly became obsessed with it, I’m working on more of it because I just love it so much, enough to make me forget I have other stuff to write... oops

Hardest Fic

- Birthday Wish all the way. It has this complicated secret plot that’s not entirely exposed yet, and there’s so much drama and angst going on that it just takes a lot of me, and I’m a perfectionist, so it’s a lot of work. All the feelings and the different POVs makes it even tougher. But it’s worth it in the end, I love it a lot

Do you plan on taking prompts in 2019?

- I mean, I currently have two multi-chapters that are quite long and two series with a few works planned for each, not counting things that haven’t been posted yet, so I shouldn’t be taking any more work

What was the best thing about 2018?

- I like to think I’ve grown as a writer. Now I feel like I earned calling myself as a writer. I put in a lot more work than the two other years I’ve been posting my stuff, I’ve managed to stay consistent for the most part, I kept with the same story for the entire year instead of just writing some quick scene or two and never picking it up again. I’ve made some friends through writing, and people who really helped me get better, and I’m thankful for that, for them, even though I don’t always know how to express that to them (lol, some writer)

What was the worst thing about 2018?

- I got stuck in my own head a lot, there was a lot of self-doubt, a lot of long periods without writing where I gave myself a hard time over it. But overall I can’t complain all that much.

Any last thoughts for 2018?

- It was good. I had a lot of fun

Goals for 2019:

- first of all finally finishing Wanna Be Friends because I feel like it’s taking forever and I’m really behind on the goal I had set for it, I should have finished by now, so I can focus more on other things.

- pull off all that I have planned for Birthday Wish

- a lot more of baby Liam, just a ton of family fluff (maybe some pre-baby fluff as well)

- just like, repeat all the positive things from 2018 and maybe even do better.

- really, I just want to finish Wanna Be Friends

- or any multi-chapter, really

Tagging:

shit. I can’t think of any mutual that I legit talk to who is a writer except for @amaltheaz but I can’t tag her back. So like, anyone who wants to do this, feel free to say I tagged you, also totally tag me to drag me because I can’t think of anyone to tag right now.