#I'm really looking forward to seeing all the recs and finding some new great fics to check out

[stu-dyingstudent]

Sakura Haruno fic recs: ANBU

AHHHH!!!! I love ANBU fics, especially when they involve Sakura. It was such a cool concept, which was unfortunately never fully expanded upon. However, our lack of knowledge regarding the shadow corps allows for some really cool fic ideas since authors can take creative liberty on the structure and workings of the division.

In my opinion, Sakura had the most potential out of team 7 to join ANBU (at least more than Naruto). It's all about being discreet and efficient and although she wasn't strong during og, she possessed abilities that would be valuable for this. Her clever mind, chakra control, and genjutsu potential would've made her a good fit. Naruto was too flamboyant and Sasuke was too reckless and cocky, but this is just my take. However, with her new skill set from her training with Tsunade, I don't think she would be able to go down that path anymore.

Also, try out my ANBU ROOT list (some overlap).

Started: 2024.08.06

Last Updated: 2024.08.29

note: feel free to check out my master list which has a bunch of Sakura Haruno fic recs (all organized)!

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Masks by mads999 || ao3 || kakasaku || E || canon divergent || complete

1. Sakura's Inner is far more diabolical than anyone ever expected 2. Crows prove to be cruel mentors 3. Sakura comes to learn exactly how much she hates Kakashi (as well as how alike they are, in the most terrible of ways)

Kakashi is a hateful turd and Sakura is spiteful! I hate this ship and I'm not a big fan of Kakashi here, but boy is this fic good. One of the best character developments I've read for Sakura and she certainly becomes of force to be reconned with. The ANBU lore in Masks is absolutely phenomenal and I love the whole system that is put into place as it adds for some drama (lol). Also, can we talk about how awesome crow summons are????

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Five Kingdoms for the Dead - Evil Is A Relative Term || ffn || M || canon divergence || complete

After the Forest of Death, Sakura comes to realize that being weak is no longer an option. However, she finds that change is sometimes painful and that truth doesn't always come easy. Luckily, she'll have some help along the way.

It's been a while since I've read Five Kingdoms for the Dead, but I just remember it being absolutely great! I'll be honest, I found a lot of the mind stuff pretty confusing at times, but it was still enjoyable. Also, some great characters are utilized in this fic such as Neji, Sai, and Itachi. Makes me really wish that we saw more of Sakura and Neji working together in Naruto since I think they compliment each other quite well.

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Trials of Change - Espoiretreves || ao3 || gen || time travel AU || complete

Haruno Sakura made a promise. Looking in the eyes of her Shisou and the reanimated Hokage, she took on the most important mission of her life. Go back in time and try to prevent the 4th Shinobi War. Now, Sakura is back to her 5-year-old body, with all the knowledge and haunting memories of the future. She vows to keep her precious people safe and stop certain events from happening, without altering the timeline too much. The trials her emotions and logic put her through have her questioning her very existence, but for the sake of peace, she has to push forward. No matter what.

Trials of Change is actually apart of a time travel series and I have to say that it is probably one of the best of the genre! Now, Sakura is not in ANBU here, but she works very closely with team Ro (Kakashi's ANBU team) and it's a huge part of the story, so I'm choosing to count it anyway. I really adore all of the worldbuilding and backstories going on here in addition to the fact that there are breaks. Yes, the story keeps moving, but there are other things going on, like playdates, and not just Sakura trying to save the world. Also, if you love Shisui then definitely check this out since he has a huge role and his and Sakura's friendship is just so precious.

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bite me and see, said the fly to the spider - MirrorImage003 || ao3 || itasaku || T || non-massacre AU || ongoing

In which Sakura is not initially a part of Team 7. In which she wears her failures like armor and brandishes her fears like her most trusted weapons. In which I do what hundreds of other authors have done before me, and rewrite Sakura's story. Non-massacre AU. Canon Divergent. Slow-burn.

After Sakura's first team, consisting of the graduating class's "expendables," dies, she joins team 7 and faces backlash along her shinobi journey. Sakura doesn't join ANBU until the later chapters so fair warning that there isn't too much content in that regards (unless it updates). Nonetheless, Sakura views ANBU as vital to her career as it offers her the highest clearance she can get. Gaining her opportunities for information her civilian-born status didn't allow her privy to.

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The Sixth Shadow - thinknicht || ao3 || kakasaku || M || canon divergent - eventual time travel AU || ongoing

No one seemed to find it odd when little Haruno Sakura threw herself smack dab in front of a Chidori and Rasengan. Not even Kakashi stopped to wonder.(He really should have.)

The story of how Sakura came to be the sixth hogake despite all of the challenges thrown her way. I especially love Sakura's drive in addition to the political aspects. However, be warned that Kakashi is an absolute HATER (in the beginning), but he gets better! The Sixth Shadow is extremely long and I only just recently got to Sakura's introduction to ANBU, so I can't say too much in that regard.

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Daughter of Fire - justjstuff || ao3 || kakasaku || E || canon divergence || incomplete (maybe ongoing)

Sakura got up and didn’t bother brushing the dirt from her dress. She had a feeling she was about to get even dirtier.She looked at the memorial stone one last time, memorizing the characters without even realizing she was doing it. It would serve from that moment on as a reminder of her determination. She wouldn’t let Naruto and Sasuke join the names carved on that stone.That was her nindo.

Sakura's growth throughout Daughter of Fire is great and realistic all while pointing out aspects from the original series which were flawed and dare I say misogynistic. I struggled a bit in the beginning to justify her abilities, but overall the story is really well done and the ANBU aspects are quite intriguing.

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cut the head off the snake - itsthechocopuff || ao3 || T || time travel AU || complete

when eighteen-year-old, post-war Sakura is thrown back into her tiny, pre-Academy body, she makes a decision. she'd had a childhood once already, and this time, she's more interested in Not Dying when the inevitable shit hits the proverbial fan. so she will work harder, care less, kill more, and smile when she's done.and hey, if she ends up reviving an extinct nature transformation to attract the most corrupt, power-hungry man from her timeline, all the better for her, right?

Such a unique take on a time travel AU and Cut the Head Off the Snake executes it perfectly. Sakura decides that her first order of business is to infiltrate ROOT and that's exactly what she does. Sai, Shin, and Shisui are all great characters and team Ro is present as well. Very good!

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Flowers - Idunmy || ao3 || E || kakasaku || canon divergence || ongoing

Flowers only bloom just before they wilt When Sakura loses her fight against Ino in her Chuunin exams, she questions her ability to ever become a kunoichi, too weak to protect herself, let alone her village One wrongful promotion later and Sakura gets a second chance in the shape of a mysterious new teacher who against all odds is willing to put her faith in a young girl with potential and a willingness to fight. Or- a fix-it inspired fic where Sakura grows to be the powerhouse she was destined to become.

Flowers is a newer series (which has recent updates) and I love it! Critiques are made towards the medical ninja training, which I believe needed to be discussed and it's refreshing to see. In most ANBU fics I've read, Sakura is immediately put onto the strongest team, but here it's a bit different. She begins on a demolition squad, which not only suits her skill set quite well, but is a realistic approach to how she would be introduced to the corps. Anyway, it's one of my favorite reads at the moment and I really like where the story is going.

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names. - waterpllar || ao3 || T || gen || canon divergence || complete

There are no names or faces in ANBU. Everything is designed to be strictly formal, efficient and professional. A recently orphaned Sakura, however, learns that some regulations aren't meant to be followed, and finds a place in Team Ro after being shunned from her former teammates. (fic prompt from anon on tumblr: orphaned sakura in anbu with yamato, genma, and team ro.)

AHHHH poor Sakura. After her parents' death Sakura seeks Tsunade's help out of desperation to become useful. Under recommendation, Sakura's new goal is to make it into ANBU.

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Equinox - FM_White || ao3 || itasaku || M || anbu AU || complete

ItaSaku (Post Uchiha Massacre) AU: Climbing through the ranks of Konoha, Sakura finds herself with the invitation to join ANBU and a chance to learn from one of the most renowned and legendary ninja in the world. Despite her efforts to grow stronger however, she finds the world isn't as black and white as it looks and that some truths are easier to hide than others.

I don't remember Equinox very well, but I love most works by this author sooo. Anyway, Itachi stays in Konoha and instead it's Sasuke that goes rougue. Sakura, Naruto, and Shikamaru are newly joined ANBU members and all placed on a team with Itachi and things go from there.

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stars in our eyes as we dream of the heavens (the gods walk among us, sweet child, do not forget) - snickiebear || ao3 || kakasaku || T || age-swap AU || oneshot complete

“Kakashi-sensei,” Naruto whispered, staring at his teacher, horror plain on his face. “You’re married?” Lazily, Kakashi looked down at his gloveless hand where his ring rested, “It would appear so.”

Sakura is born in the same generation as Kakashi and turns out as a badass ANBU married to him. This is super wholesome as it's a lot of the two of them bonding with Kakashi's genin team (Sai makes three) in an effort to help them out. It's a series so you can read more of the events taking place prior to the fic.

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Anachronistic Drift  - Elesrea  || ffn || gen || T || time travel AU || incomplete

Her plan was flawless. Save Shisui. Save the world. Time-travel, Sakura-centric AU

Sakura spends years training to be sent back in time and save the world from Sasuke. She isn't in ANBU, but rather poses as one in order to keep an anonymous status on her doings both in and out of the village.

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Sakura - lilac haze || ffn/ao3 || M || minasaku || time travel AU || complete

AU. Non-Canon. Time Travel. Please see inside for full warnings. Cross posted on Ao3. On his deathbed he was granted eternal peace and place to rest for all of time. Of course that was not appealing to him. Ever unpredictable to the end he had a counter offer. One that the Sage had to consider. In which Sakura's going to have a rough time. A really rough time.

Sakura is probably one of my all time favorite fics because the emotions are just spectacular. The story is pretty heavy on ANBU and ROOT aspects, which I always enjoy, but I wouldn't say it's a major focus. However, there is an emphasis on the unfair treatment towards kunoichi. Anyway, the characterizations and storytelling are beautifully done. Please share this author some love.

Check TWs before hand!!

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Hope y'all enjoy these recs, and please feel free to send me some if you have any!!!! I really appreciate when you do :)

[merakiui]

WAAA MERA I LOVE MONOPS'S REFLECTION SO MUCHHHH

im obsessed with the way you portrayed jade in the story. like its not everyday that i get to see him written in a way that totally doesnt hide his insanity at all. reading monops's reflection was just so <33 aaa tysm for writing smth so amazing!!!

you mentioned before that monops!jade is very "rotten girl grotesque romance", and i totally agree, but i was actually reminded of another old yandere vocaloid song when i read the fic! idk if you know it, but its called "pure love restraint". its a really good song hehe, you should totally check it out if you dont already know it!

oh also speaking of songs, i recently started listening to loveit? by biz since you mentioned it a while ago, and i love the song so much >< do you happen to have any other song recommendations because clearly you have great taste in music~

also as a final note, i cant wait for tmdg hehe 👉👈

-kanata <3

AAAAA THANK YOU!!!!! >w< I'm so happy you enjoyed Monops's Reflection!!!! Jade is so wildly deranged in that fic. He truly is the embodiment of the harsh, brutal depths he hails from. ;;;; seeing Reader in the storage closet with Floyd pushed him over the edge he'd been teetering on for so long now. T^T he's far surpassed the point of no return. I had so much fun finishing this fic and portraying Jade in such a terrifying manner. And poor Reader had no idea what hid behind that seemingly pleasant smile of his until it was too late...

There are so many layers to Monops!Jade. How he gets so disgusted at the sight and thought of you with anyone else. How it's not really sexual gratification he's after; he's just chasing some thrill he's yet to figure out in its entirety, which is why he doesn't touch you at all during the non-con scene. Because it's not your pleasure he cares about; he could care less whether you feel good or not. How his sanity is so thin and threadbare that it's hardly there at all. How he fails to recognize that, despite the similarities he shares with Floyd, he's still his own person, still different, but not different enough for you to look his way, apparently. And then there's the meaning of Monops, which is a "one-eyed creature." >:D aaaaa he's truly the worst.

OOOOO "true love restraint"!!!!!!! I love that song!!! That song definitely has the vibes that Monops!Jade exudes!! And I'm happy you enjoyed listening to "loveit." :D it's a very good song, but then all of biz's songs are amazing!!!

>:) I always have song recommendations to share!! I'll list a few of my favorite (lesser known) Vocaloid songs with dark undertones/stories below, but if there's any specific genre you'd like recs for please let me know!!!

✧ insanity blue (all of kashii moimi's songs are fantastic!!! i recommend them, but this one is my all-time favorite hehe)

✧ wolfism (there's also a jade utau cover of this song. <3 both are very good.)

✧ go to daitokai (the lyrics for this one are very nsfw, but this song is very catchy.)

✧ biohazard (the original is very good, but i love the sonika cover so much!!)

✧ distortion love (this piko cover is everything. <3)

✧ ◇◇ (i love this song and the songs that are similar to [redacted]'s style. i'm not sure if you know of these style of utau songs (the "no title" songs), but in 2020 they became especially popular and a lot of people online began to call it a secret cult of sorts, where you couldn't search these videos normally because they didn't have a title to search for, so instead the videos would find you.)

✧ lamprey hole (i love this song forever!!!!!)

✧ meiro (it's so so good!!!)

✧ no title (this song is a banger!!!!!!!!! it got me through quarantine as did all the other no title songs and tributes. :D)

I will stop here or else the list will go on endlessly, but if you ever wish to hear new music I will be happy to share some recommendations!!! Also, thank you for looking forward to tmdg!!!!! <3 it grows closer to completion with every passing day!!!!

[housewarningparty]

Oh yeah no worries about the late reply I really appreciate you finding me recs given that's how this started and all, I'm actually planning on getting started on that Buffy pile today that you've sent my way since I just finished the big fic I was reading yesterday.

Quick note on Graduation Day part 2 since that's where I finished off last ask, like I didn't dislike it by any means but I dunno didn't feel as strong emotionally as part 1 or either of the previous finales, like the Mayor's great and all love him, I did really enjoy seeing him definitively caring about Faith, but Angelus and Faith can carry way more emotional stakes and even the Master did via Prophecy Girl's prophecy but it's good as a sendoff for the Sunnydale high era. Also whoo big dumb snake we love to see it.

It turns out I'm some kind of sleeper agent because I didn't even know I still remembered the Angel theme song but as soon as it started playing I was in, it was all flooding back to me full of nostalgia, I haven't even seen Series 1 before. Great stuff, I enjoy that they're having to work in somebody explaining all the deets of Angel's backstory every episode so far, and I didn't realise how early they get their mission statement in there, first episode you've got your visions, Powers That Be, Wolfram and Hart. Definitely has its own vibe. I didn't know I did but I've missed seeing sad brooding Angel just standing on top of rooftops. I'm looking forward for Cordelia to get the character development she deserves and I like Doyle so far, he's good fun. Lonely Heart was neat getting in an MOTW episode about what the show's about as your second episode.

S4 of Buffy also feels like a new vibe for the show like you said. I like Willow's new haircut (this is the first thing I wrote down upon starting S4) and Giles in his flop era. It feels like this is where Willow decisively grabs second most important character status, Angel's gone, Giles doesn't have a job and with Cordelia gone Xander's dropped to almost the bottom rung of the regulars. Living Conditions such a fun episode my favourite of the bunch I've watched so far, like every little grievance Buffy and Kathy had being worked into the fight at the end was great, all the over the top camera work, and the juxtoposition between Buffy not having that bad a roommate and Willow truly living her worst life with her's but keeping it together, RIP Kathy I knew she wasn't long for the world when Buffy's roommate couldn't even get in the opening credits even with two new gaps, she could've handled a Cordelia workload if she'd stuck around I'm sure. Plus it was a neat throwback for Buffy to have to worry about keeping Slaying a secret again.

Oh yeah I'm looking through my notes and I had written down in the Freshman 'Whoa is that Pedro Pascal? It is. Wild.' then immediately afterwards 'RIP' Also for Harsh Light of Day I have 'Buffy deserves her post Angel+Faith rebound as well. Good for her having a good sexual encounter.' followed immediately by 'Well at least its not as bad as when Angel lost his soul but not great'. But congrats on it not being as bad as Harm. At least Willow is allowed to have a good relationship. Also congrats on Xander's rebound in this episode about bad rebounds being the last girl he was with? Anya being in the triangle of dejected women was kinda incredible considering she's not nearly in such a bad position as them but we need that cool shot. Also multiple times about Angel so far 'What a dork, love him'

Also like sidenote I don't know American geography at all I didn't realise like how close Sunnydale and LA are so close together? I always figured Angel moved a sizeable distance away but for America it's like he's moved one town over or something they're so close together

Yeah, as fun as the Mayor can be, the real emotional heart and soul of s3 is Faith, so once she's out of commission the stakes just aren't as personal and that kinda takes the wind out of the sails a little imo. Still it's a good two-parter. At least we get the gay shared dreamspace and the forehead kiss.

S4 is kind of a weird transitional season and I think it suffers a little from not having a very compelling big bad BUT there are some all-time great episodes there and the start to a lot of very important arcs. And we get a little more Faith! Also yeah Buffy's s4 love interest (post-Parker) is not a fan favorite and I certainly have some criticisms of the boy but I DO think that Buffy Summers DESERVES to get laid as much as she wants and I think it's nice that s4 is finally where that happens for her (with fluctuating degrees of associated trauma).

Re: the Angel sleeper agent stuff - one of my favorite parts of my own Buffy rewatch was having my brain rocketed into the past by the theme song and other little moments that were just ingrained on me forever. I'm not generally a big rewatcher when it comes to TV but sometimes there is something genuinely so nice about revisiting a thing you really loved!

Also yeah the geography of the Buffyverse has been confounding fans and scholars for ages. You have to just roll with it. The implication DOES seem to be that they're only a couple hours apart, but if you factor in California having terrible public transit and Buffy having NO CAR the distance definitely feels a little more insurmountable

[jandjsalmon]

2023 FFRC - July🌞

Hello friends! July passed in the blink of an eye. I'm definitely not looking forward to the end of summer (because it snows like 9 months of the year where I live and I just want to freaking enjoy my back-yard okay!?) Anyway - I hope you've all been enjoying the sunshine.

As far as the @fanfic-reading-challenge goes- I’m 5 tasks away from finishing the whole thing - (4 of which I can’t finish until December) so that’s neat. Gotta get up to 15 million words and then I'll just be waiting to finish the monthly tasks. This month I got to help Juulna sort out next year's list of tasks though and that was a super fun time.

July 2023

As you can see, I read lots of really great stories this month. I reread a lot of fic and then double read fics too - there isn't a lot of new content for Wenvier so I reread over and over again. It's never a bad time to reread. I also read a Needle Bughead story that I'd held off on because of the tags - but it was wonderful - as all of her stories are. I'm glad I came back to that one. And given the circumstances, I think I'm going to deep dive into some Fexi favourites this week - so if you have any suggestions, please send them my way. 💔

As always - I’ve gathered a couple recs but I'm going to put them under the cut to save your dashboard. I hope you enjoy them.

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Dear Annabel Lee by @ozmathegreatand (Wenvier - T 6/6)  Summary: Wherein Wednesday is forced to Cyrano her own love story when she is tasked to take up the mantle of Annabel Lee, the school newsletter's biweekly advice column, and receives a letter from Xavier asking for advice on how to get over her. Notes: It's always a special treat when someone gifts you a fic. BUT it's even more special when the fic is as fun and lovely as this one. Wednesday is forced to be an advice columnist and Xavier unknowingly bears is soul to her. It's funny and sweet and yet still perfectly in character. It's wonderful. Read and Review. Do it! 😉

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Xavier Knows Wednesday Loves Him (series) by Agmo (Wenvier - T/E 4 fics) 

Summary: Xavier keeps a running list in a notebook in his desk drawer.

Notes: This story started out with one story with bullet points of how Xavier knew Wednesday Loved him - then expanded into this SUPER cute fic with a chapter for each one of those points (but the chapters are sometimes only a few lines long). Then there are a couple more one-shots to really flesh out some of the bigger points. And each and every one of them was delightful. All told, the series of 4 stories is only 20,000 words, so it's not long but it's wonderful and funny and touching and perfect. Give it a try!

Starving Faithful by @shesonlylittle (Fez/Lexi- E 1/1)  Summary: In most respects, he’s a nineteen year old. With the glaring exception that he can feel where his wings have been clipped— and that he can nudge the material world a little, here and there, from time to time.  He has childhood memories, a normal human’s wants and desires, but he also knows he’s got a divine mission. And that he has it because he fucked up somehow. Ash was supposed to be his redemption. He was supposed to watch over him, keep him safe.  -- or: Fallen Angel Fez has one last shot at redemption, his new charge Lexi Howard. Guardian Angels probably shouldn't be down bad for the humans in their safekeeping, though. Notes: I have a lot of feelings right now. After yesterday's news - the first thing I did was go find and read a Fexi fic to calm my broken heart. This one is SO good. Fez is SO well written. And there is a lot of neat religiosity that fits with him too. It hurts to read because we've lost Angus - but it has a happy ending and it's beautiful. So you should read it too!

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See you back here in a few weeks! Happy reading! 🖤

[tuafeedbackfest]

Prompts and Guidelines

The way the TUA Feedback Fest works is by collecting recommendations made by as many fans as possible! We need YOU to make a post about your faves. Here’s some ideas for themes for rec posts:

Artists

Gifmakers

Fanfic writers

Bloggers with great headcanons, tags, metas

Commenters and your favorite comments

Fic rec lists

A fic rec list can just be your personal faves, and it should be! But if you’ve got a lot of faves, maybe make a couple of themed posts. There’s plenty of space for crossover of these categories, but some ideas for specific fic rec themes:

Pre-Series: when they are kids! or when they are miserable in their 20s. they were miserable as kids too probably oops

Fixing the Apocalypse: right after season one ends - what happens?? what do they doooo??

Post not-Apocalypse: after all that apocalypse stuff is done. and now they’ve got new problems. or maybe even some healing?

Vietnam: ten months of character development and falling in love and it’s all offscreen - until now.

AU: fix-it fics, canon divergence, no powers. straight up coffee shops. crossovers.

Angst/Whump: it’s a perfect series for writing Sadness because they are all so sad all the time.

Fluff: it’s a perfect series for writing Fluff because they are all so SAD all the time!!

Short/Oneshot: a good word count for reading on your break

Chaptered/Series: a good word count for reading on your break. and another break. and another break. and anoth

WIP: unfinished, as yet. maybe an influx of readers and comments can help this get closer to finished??

Hidden/Underrated Gem: you can’t BELIEVE no one is talking about this. why does this not have a billion kudos. it is criminal.

About *insert character*: or insert pairing, or insert whatever it is that you cannot get enough fic about.

Self Promote!: fuck yeah, self promote, babey! which are your favorites of the stuff you’ve written?

To Read: you’ve heard good things, the summary sounds amazing, you love this author’s other work. you haven’t gotten there yet, but you are planning to!

This is just ideas, you might not want to do any of this, or do something completely different. Have fun with it; all positivity is good positivity! If you’ve got different theme ideas, reblog and add them on, or send in a submission or ask to the blog so we can share with everyone who might be looking for more ideas for making their posts. 

And of course, don’t forget to tag your posts with #tuafeedbackfest so that this event blog can reblog your recs! 

**IMPORTANT: This blog will not reblog rec posts with incest, or with bashing of any kind. And that includes bashing people who appreciate incest ships (e.g. posts with comments such as “incest is nasty”). We respect everyone's opinion, but this isn ’t the place to talk about it. Those kinds of comments are targeted comments meant to make certain fans feel bad, and we won’t allow that on this blog. We are sorry that you may feel excluded for our choice, but we promise you that we’ll make sure that you won’t be attacked for what you like. This is an event about positivity, and that can be done without being rude about any other fans/ships/characters.**

[ckerouac]

I miss the big rec posts of old, so… I’m gonna do one.  And I'm going to be real extra about it. I’ve read & reread a variety of things over the past few months that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed, and figured hey, y'all might enjoy them as well.  Is there a rhyme or reason?  Of course not.  Are they all new?  Hell no, that’s the joy of an archive.  I also realized like half of them are spooky season themed, so... *shrugs* viva la spooky season. 

Game of Thrones

Dornish Sand by Aviss - (E, 5K, Oberyn/Ellaria/Jamie/Brienne) 

Jamie & Brienne go to Dorne, and the four of them bone.  Why there aren’t more of these four together, I don’t know.  More fics should be about sexy folks worshiping Brienne and this definitely hits it.

Royal Flush by @astolat - (E, 85K, various)

Canon divergence - what if during the Battle of Blackwater Robb found his way into King’s Landing, rescued Sansa, and killed Joffrey?  Where does the game go from there?  That’s the premise and it really is best to ignore the tags and discover the story as it goes because it is deeply engrossing and this is the type of story where being surprised and watching the chess match unfold is part of the fun.

Justified

Bad Apple Blues by @laporcupina  - (NR, 7K, Gen)

A S1 day in the life of Raylan at work, including but not limited to a hostage situation where the whole team gets to show off what they’re good at.  From one of my favorite gen writers, no matter what fandom they’re writing in.

In the Heart of the Holler by scioscribe - (T, 4K, Gen)

The stories say there's a place in Harlan County that will grant your wish on Halloween night.  Raylan thinks Loretta should stay the hell away from it.  Another one to head into spooky season.  Because as someone who grew up in a rural area, some places are just creepy as fuck and this has the vibes.

Underground by @sholiofic - (T, 3K, Gen)

Another preview to spooky season (do I have a thing for Appalachian scares?  apparently) with Raylan, Tim, and Rachel chasing a fugitive into what feels like a haunted mine.  There are far too many things you can only see from the corner of your eye that far underground.

The Mandalorian/Star Wars

ain’t no road i like as well as the road that leads to you by getmean - (T, 3K, Din/Cobb)

Post-BOBF, Din, Cobb, and Grogu go relax on a planet that is moist and green and definitely not Tatooine.  It’s soft, it’s sweet, and good lord the three of them deserve a break.

Find His Way Back by @catchclaw - (M, 9K, Din/Cobb/Obi-Wan)

What if Din and Cobb met 10 years earlier, and they ran into Tatooine’s favorite hermit and had to hunker down for the night?  It’s exactly what you hope it is, and turned me on to a new trio.

Hold Fast by @staranon95 - (E, 21K, Din/Cobb)

Post-S2, Din returns to Tatooine looking for peace, but he’s haunted by the darksabre, both literally and figuratively.  Cobb’s not doing much better.  Some of the best haunted by your past AND actually haunted that I’ve read and perfect going into spooky season.

Lest You Be Shining by @brightmouth - (M, 10K, Din/Cobb)

Cobb Vanth falls in love in the crux of a new era and it only hurts a little bit. It’s the 1960s, Cobb is an engineer working for NASA and Din is an astronaut.  Y’all, the absolute vibes on this one.  

take my revolution by @saltsprite - (E, 34K, Din/Cobb)

Take Din, Mandalore, and the darksaber, and make it Revolutionary Girl Utena. My 90s anime fan self couldn’t resist.

A Waste of Water by @magess - (E, WIP, Din/Cobb)

Din’s come back to Tatooine, Cobb’s past has come back to haunt him.  This one is currently a WIP, but the world building is great, the original characters feel fleshed out, and new chapters drop once a week.  I look forward to it every week. 

MCU

Can’t Keep a Good Man Down by @roboticonography - (M, 10K, Steve/Peggy)

After the serum, Steve has to deal with a persistent side effect. In his pants.  Did I get in the mood after Jen’s excitement in She-Hulk over Cap fucking to go back to an old favorite of the genre?  Yes.  This is exactly what you want it to be.

Rhythm, Interrupted by @staranon95 - (T, 1K, Gen)

Marc tries to keep his presence as minimal as possible in Steven's life for his protection even if Khonshu doesn't understand why.  I have such a soft spot for Marc trying to care for Steven before Steven realizes what’s going on, and this scratches that itch beautifully.  It’s short, it’s soft, it's what I wanted.

Ted Lasso

bell, book, and candle by fakelight - (T, 5K, Gen)

“There is something strange,” Ted announces gravely, standing in front of the whiteboard. “In our neighborhood. Well, our treatment room. But, you know, our general vicinity.” In large letters above his head, Beard finishes writing WHO YOU GONNA CALL? AFC RICHMOND.  A silly way into spooky season, for a change lol

Our Flag Means Death

The Keeper by @r0b0tb0y - (E, 7K, Ed/Stede)

Edward Teach becomes a lighthouse keeper. Everything goes wrong.  Another one perfect as we move into spooky season because it’s cosmic horror meets sea shanties.  And one you don’t want to know too much going into because the discovery is part of the fun.  

Like the Sea Around the Shore by @the-cimmerians - (E, 51K, Ed/Stede)

Are you looking for a fic that could easily be the first few eps of S2?  This is that fic. Ed and Stede find their way back to each other, the crew of The Revenge finds a way to talk it through as a crew, and a goldmine of callbacks and anachronisms are sprinkled through like the most fun easter egg hunt.  I can’t articulate how much I love this fic from an author who never disappoints.

A Night at Blackbeard’s Bar and Grill by soft_october - (T, 6K, Ed/Stede)

Restaurant AU. The manager at the new restaurant Stede is trying to review is being kind of a dick. A certain member of the waitstaff, however, takes a bit of a liking to him.  It’s fun, it’s light, it’s a delight.

The Sandman

Things That Never Happened In History Class by darth_stitch - (T, 2K, Dream/Hob)

Prof Hob teaches History 101, other immortals from other media make an appearance, it’s fun, it’s light, it’s a delight.  And Hob still gets irritated over Shakespeare.

[pocketfulofrecs]

ChilianXianzi was one of the first authors I (Dee) read in this fandom and These Mortal Treasures was one of the first fics I read. ChilianXianzi has a great writing style and you’re fully immersed into the story she’s weaving. We are really looking forward to anything she writes in the future.

She has written 39k+ words on 7 works, both mdzs and cql canon. You can find her @chilianxianzi on Tumblr.

Her fics:

To Not Vainly Break Branches - [mature | 3k | wip | emperor LWJ/empress WWX]

For Safekeeping Purposes - [mature | 2.9k | crime boss/sugar daddy LWJ]

The Shadows of My Old Places, Falling Across the Moats - [teen | 8.4k | QHJ goes to Burial Mounds]

To Start A Bridge From A Single Log - [teen | 4.7k | epistolary]

These Mortal Treasures (our post) - [teen | 9.3k | dragonji]

They say - [teen | 3.1k | LWJ is troubled by rumors]

Proximity to Knowledge (our post) - [teen | 7.2k | WWX protection squad]

Dee’s favourite: These Mortal Treasures, definitely. It is one of the first fics I read when I entered this fandom. It is also one that planted the idea of writing a dragon fic. I really love it. The story, the pacing, LWJ’s response to WWX, everything.

Ju’s favourite: Proximity to Knowledge! I love genius WWX, and I love WWX and his ducklings, and this fic gives me both so well! Jingyi pov is so much fun, and all the juniors doing whatever they can to be close to WWX and learn from him just makes me so happy. It’s a really good fic to read when you’re feeling down.

The Interview:

Q. When did you start writing fics? Did you have fandoms before this one?

A. I think around 2006-ish? I used to write character and quest mods for Baldur's Gate 2 before I went through the Knights of the Old Republic fandom and the whole ouvre of Bioware's games, although Dragon Age was the fandom I was most involved in and wrote the most for. There was of course a Harry Potter phase amidst all that, as one does, but also a good deal of Sailor Moon.

Q. What made you start writing for MDZS?

A. Definitely the worldbuilding and the issues and themes raised in canon. In a way, MDZS is the complete package of family issues, class issues, communal responsibilities, my childhood love for Wuxia/Xianxia, and the increasingly dangerous and volatile court of public opinion - which is also reflected very prominently in the MDZS fandom proper.

And let's not forget the Wangxian, because they're just a couple that works not just because they look good together (They do) and have a deep love for each other (Hell yeah they also do), but they also work perfectly together because they are constantly, stubbornly striving for the same values in a world where such values often come second after ideas of honor and performative righteousness.

Q. What’s your favourite fic you’ve written?

A. It's an ongoing one and it's called "To Start a Bridge From A Single Log" where I wanted to explore the possible uses of Cultivation outside of the super insular scope of the cultivation world and how that would impact both communities, because all of these hogging of spiritual resources, I cannot stand it. But it also has ridiculous amounts of Wangxian mutual pining so there's that, it's just all my favorite things piled up together.

Q. What’s your favourite type of fics to read?

A. Oh, it really depends on my mood at the moment like that's why rec blogs like this is just so *mwah chef's kiss* because there's just a ready selection of different stuff for different occasions! In the MDZS fandom, I do gravitate towards fics about Wei Wuxian finding a home and his place in the world outside of his Jiang upbringing, or fics where Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian just work together realizing their mutual vow, being a good role model for the juniors.

Q. What’s your favourite comment? Or type of comment?

A. Any comment is a favorite, honestly! Writing stories are just like talking to people right, so being answered is always nice :D I suppose whatever the comment is, it's just always really interesting and heartening to see that parts of what you're talking about resonates with other people, enough to get an answer in words :)

Q. What motivates you to write?

A. I think I'm inherently a very angry person. Like literally the way I set my career path had been to find what things made me the most angry and do my best to fix it, and I feel like that's also my approach to writing. I would tackle something I think is a problem or a question that makes me angry and try to find my way through it via the characters and worldbuilding - And even if in the end the problems don't get solved or the questions are not answered, there would still be dialogue incited and there would still be the process of seeing said problem from many perspectives as writing (and reading!) encourages you to do.

Q. Who’s your favorite author?

A. The authors that really stayed with me are the Shoujo mangakas of the late 80s and the 90s, because they gave me examples on so many different ways to express myself outside of the one-note "girls should be like this" sentiments that were still somewhat prevalent when I grew up. My favorite has to be Kyoko Hikawa, though. Other writers would probably be Margaret Atwood and Nnedi Okorafor because of the way they talk about many issues through stories so they're not directly talking about it but still kinda blatantly talking about it.

Q. What is your favorite trope to read and/or write?

A. Curtain fics! There's just something inherently telling about how a character approaches the everyday and its logistics, because in a way these everyday things around them are also the things that molded and shaped them to be who they are.

Q. Do you have any advice for new authors?

A. I guess start small? I used to teach piano and after all the godawful finger exercises and endless scales it's always SO nice and validating for the kids (and adults!) to be able to complete an actual song, even if it's just a tiny piece of twelve bars. And I feel like it's a bit like that with writing too, the joy of just like, finishing something with your own hands and then having people hear/read it is such a great motivator to do more. Like we could totally start with super simple goals and as we go on, the goals or the objectives could become bigger or more diverse.

Q. What do you think is the most important element in writing? Plot, characterization, relationship?

A. I really think it depends on what kind of experience you're looking for your readers to have? For me, some plots or concepts are so engaging that you'd be fine even if the characters are switched to another fandom, and some fics have such good characterization that it happening in limbo would be fine with me, that kind of thing. I guess it's also fun to experiment with each pressure point and see which feelings and reactions from readers (and yourself!) you gain from each you love the most and how to combine each element in a portion that works out for you.

~

Check out their stories on ao3 and remember…

Comments and kudos feed the author’s soul.

[spnfanficpond]

Pond Diving - Imagineteamfreewill

Welcome to today’s Pond Diving Spotlight! We hope that you enjoy this little insight to our members and perhaps even find some useful tips for your own writing. Happy reading!

Want to volunteer, send us an ask! We’re looking forward to learning more about all of you! Not sure what PD is, you can learn more here.

“Don’t Be Koi About It” - All About You

Name: Meg

Age: 20s

Location: United States

URL: @imagineteamfreewill

Why did you choose your URL: I first started out structuring my stories as imagines, and the “Team Free Will” part was pretty obvious.

What inspired you to become a writer: Reading Supernatural fanfiction inspired me to get back into writing, but I’ve always enjoyed it. My mom likes to talk about how when I was in Kindergarten, I drew a picture about how I wanted to be an author and now I write in my free time.

How long have you been writing: According to tumblr, I’ve been writing fanfiction since 2014, but I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember.

What do you do when you are not writing i.e. Job/Hobbies etc? I’m a music teacher, so I sing and play piano, and I’ve played a bit of cello and tenor saxophone as well. I love movies, baking, sleeping, and a few video games.

How long have you been in the SPN Fandom? I joined sometime around Season 8 or 9, I think. I don’t really remember!

Are you in any other fandoms and do you write for them? I really enjoy Marvel and I’ve read a lot of Marvel fics, but I don’t write for them. I like a lot of TV shows (New Girl, Parks and Rec, The Good Place, Outlander, etc), but I wouldn’t consider myself part of the fandom.

Do you do any writing outside of fanfiction? If so, tell us about it? I love to write poetry. I had a poetry blog at truenorth-ink a while ago, but I haven’t updated it recently at all. Most of my poems aren’t published or posted anywhere.

Favorite published author: I love some of the early series by Rick Riordan and I also really enjoy poetry by Nikita Gill and Atticus. Lately, I've really been getting into Leigh Bardugo's books.

Have you ever read a book that made an impact on your life? Which one and why?: I think "East" by Edith Pattou really affected me! I read it when I was in 6th-8th grade and I think about it often. I think it's something that really stuck with me and got me interested in fantasy books so much. I read it at least once a year.

Favorite genre of fanfic (smut, angst, fluff, crack, rpf, etc): I love angsty stuff, and most of the time I prefer it when it has some fluff mixed in. Straight fluff is often hard for me to read because I need something that’s more realistic for my own life and point of view. I also really like whump, but that can be a lot sometimes so it depends on my mood.

Favorite piece of your own writing: I don’t know if I have a favorite, but I loved writing Back to the Start (my mermaid series) and The Switch (a canon-divergent apocalyptic Reader x Sam series). Right now, I'm really enjoying my Consort series (a Goddess!Reader x Dean series). Creating my own rules in my own little universes is one of my favorite things to do, especially since I can’t always do whatever I want in real life.

Most underrated fic you have written: Empire. I loved getting to write Boyking!Sam because it was so different from my normal Sam stories and I did a lot of research for it. I’m pretty proud that the story never got too bloody or gory, too, so if you want some Boyking!Sam that’s not drenched in blood (for lack of a better term), I’m your girl!

Story of yours that you’d most like to see turned into a movie/tv show: Probably Back to the Start or The Switch. I think those two series would be amazing to see with J2, the rest of the cast/characters I included, and special effects! There’s so much I’d want to explore with both of them that I didn’t put into the series.

Favorite Tumblr Writer(s): @luci-in-trenchcoats, @sunlightdances, @supernaturalfreewill, @lipstickandwhiskey, @smol-and-grumpy, @percywinchester27, and @kaz2y5-imagines

Favorite fic from another writer:  I don’t think I could pick just one, but I’ve read all of @sunlightdances Dean fics multiple times. Her works got me through some pretty sucky times in my life and I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of her writing! I’ve also been reading her Bucky fics recently and it’s made me love Marvel fics even more than before!​

Favorite character to write: Sam Winchester

Favorite Pairing to write: Reader x Sam (Reader x Dean is a close second)

Least favorite character to write (and why): I don’t like to write for Crowley or Gabriel. Gadreel is hard for me even though I can do it, but I don’t understand Crowley or Gabriel’s personalities at all because they’re literally so far away from mine.

Do you have anyone you consider a mentor? No, although @lipstickandwhiskey and @kaz2y5-imagines really encouraged me in my writing!​

Do you have any aspirations involving your writing? I would love to write a non-Supernatural work of fiction to publish, but that’s a long way off.

How many work-in-progress stories do you have: Oh Lord, I have so many! I have at least four series and two one shots in the works right now. I've also got over 100 one shots/series plotlines written out in the notes on my phone and various Google Docs.

What are you currently working on? I’m currently working on a Cinderella series, my Underworld series, my Puer Rex series, my Consort series, an Author!Sam fic, and an Author!Dean fic. I also write stories for my Words series now and again.

“Pond Diving” - All About The Writing

What/who has had the biggest influence on your writing? Reading other people’s work. The intense storylines of @luci-in-trenchcoats ’s fics have gotten me to be more bold with my writing and the emotions and description in @supernaturalfreewill’s works have inspired me to let my work have more feeling.

Best writing advice you've been given: Not necessarily writing advice, but I was once told that anything worth doing is worth doing at least a little bit every day. Think about it—if you wrote even just five minutes a day, how much better will you get over the course of a month? A year?

Biggest obstacle you’ve faced in your writing: Repetition of words and commas. So many commas and so many uses of the same word over and over again. It’s a hard balance between using the word and using synonyms without sounding like I’m sitting there googling synonyms for “said”. I also tend to spend a lot of time on things that I think are super important but aren’t really important in the long run. I’m wordy as hell and my writing would be dull if I didn’t edit it as thoroughly as I do.

What aspects of writing do you find difficult when you write fanfiction? A lot of times I have these ideas that I think would make a great series but I don’t think through them, so planning out the plot of a series (or even a standalone fic) beforehand is something I struggle with.

Is there anything you want to write but are afraid to (and why): I would love to write more fics that have the characters dealing with severe mental disorders or that take place in a mental hospital, but I’m afraid that I’ll portray something wrong and solidify harmful stereotypes about what it’s like to deal with those things.

What inspires/motivates you to write: Honestly, just wanting to write things that I enjoy. Sometimes I get sick of reading other peoples’ stuff since it’s not exactly what I want, so I just write my own!

How do you deal with self doubt: Understand that sometimes it happens. You’ll doubt yourself—everybody does. If I’m doubting myself or my writing, I’ll take a break until I remember why I write. Then I’ll remember that yeah, writing for an audience is fun, but I write because I have cool ideas I want to explore, not because I need the attention or love of strangers. Lastly, I’ll reread my old fics, especially the ones I love, and then I’ll go back and edit old fics that I haven’t looked at in a while. That way I can see how I’ve improved and I don’t feel so terrible anymore! Reading my own fics is a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine, and I’ll read through my masterlists every once a while just to remind myself of the things I’ve loved, where I’ve been, and where I’m going.

How do you deal with writer's block: Like I said, I reread old fics and edit old fics that I haven’t looked at in a while. Seeing the things I’ve done before always helps to focus me. I’ll also read other people’s stuff or talk about headcanons with some friends to try and find some inspiration.

Do you plan/outline your story before you start: Lately I have been, but only because my periods of intense inspiration and productivity are getting farther and farther apart because of my job. I’ve found planning it out to be more and more helpful, especially for my series. A lot of times if I get a great idea, I’ll outline the whole plot or any significant details I want to put in that one shot/series so that I can come back to it whenever I have the time or I’m inspired for it again.

Do you have any weird writing habits: I write best in places that are unfamiliar to me or in places/times where I shouldn’t be writing. Class? Writing. Airport terminal? Writing. 4am when I have to be up at 6? Writing.

Have you ever received hateful comments on your fic and how do you deal with it? Not that I remember! I feel like there’s probably been one or two over the years, but I probably just got upset about it with my friends for a while and then got over it.

Conversely: what’s been some of your favorite feedback on your fanfic? A long time ago, when I was writing Back to the Start, I had one person who sent me asks for every single series update. I screenshotted them and saved them on my laptop. There’s one particular one where they say that they’re happier because of my writing and honestly, isn’t that what we all strive for? That people’s lives are better because of our stories? I’ve also had some pretty great friends recently who’ve made it a point to reblog and send asks/messages on all my works, which has been so meaningful that I never replied to the asks. They’re sitting in my inbox and I go through and reread them sometimes when I’m feeling down.

If you could give one piece of advice to a new and/or struggling writer, what would it be?  ​Write down everything. If you come up with an amazing piece of dialogue, even if it’s just one sentence or one person talking, or if you come up with something you’d think would be a great title… WRITE IT DOWN. It doesn’t matter if it fits into whatever you’re currently writing or not, it’ll come in handy! I don’t know how many times I’ve gone through my idea list and found really obscure lines/titles/inspiration that didn’t make sense when I wrote them down, but are now exactly what I need to finish a fic. Even if you don’t end up using it, jotting down your ideas is still writing, and that’s good practice!

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Oh wow, I just read your post about feeling really drained, and I literally want to give you a hug in person but I cant. I hope you know that you're a beloved person in the fandom, and your fic recs are absolutely beautiful. Sometimes, when I'm having bad days i come here and immediately get cheered up by the fluffy recs. Just, know that you're sending a lot of love through the internet to tons of people. Hope some of our love finds its way to you too. Wish you feel better soon. Lots of love

ALSO, please do get a therapist if you feel like you need a source to help you get past your difficulties. They're HIGHLY underrated, and literally so many more people should see them too, regardless of whether their emotions have reached a breaking point. You shouldn't LET yourself stretch to the point of breaking. Take care of yourself, and have a good vacation. Also, good luck on the job search, I'm sure you'll do great!

(referencing this post)

Hi Nonny *HUGS*

Thank you so much for your generous words, love, and support. Seriously, sometimes my dumb brain just decides “today, you’re gonna have a terrible day” and every little thing I do just upsets me if it goes wrong, or exhausts me, etc. I just really need a break. And not just from work. I’ve been doing a LOT of thinking lately and I might have to take a break from Tumblr too, if only because right NOW, I’m only on my laptop from the time I wake up to the time I go to bed, and it’s making me lazy, depressed, and stressed and I just need a break. 

And yes, I agree about the therapist. My current job offers free therapy services, but they’re currently not taking new patients until we go back to offices, so I imagine their waitlist will be long after All This™ given how many of my co-workers are all in the same sort of mental state as I am :P

My mental health is better on days like today, where it’s sunny and comfortably warm out (not gross hot out where you can’t escape them) so I’m looking forward to my walk at lunch today hahah. 

And yeah, I’ve decided that so long as stuff doesn’t get shaken up too much in August with the changeover of higher-ups, I’ll stick it out and see if it gets better, or hopefully I’ll still keep my job, but update everything and put my feelers out there for something comparable. I make decent money and genuinely like the work I do, it’s just the people above me, I feel don’t respect me, and I’m hoping when the changeover happens I can have my say to the new people. *shrugs* Wishful thinking. 

Anyway, so YES, I need a break, I just feel REALLY BAD that it might also include a break from here too. But it’s rare I’m EVER allowed three weeks in a row off from my job, so I think I should take advantage of that. We’ll see.

Thank you so much, Lovely, for this, really. I keep a lot bottled up (in real life too) because I don’t want to upset anyone here because they need me to be their support, so yeah. Anyway. 

I hope I find love soon too, hahah. I’m THIS_CLOSE to sending in the adoption forms to the Humane Society to apply for cat adoption, so does that count? LOL. 

Love you Nonny, and Love all of y’all very much.

[biillyhargroves]

hello, I'm the one who made the fic rec you mentioned. :) So, my idea is basically this: Billy survives the mindflayer incident but just barely and Steve becomes super worried/protective of him while he's recovering. He even has nightmares and wakes up needing to reassure himself that Billy is alive. I just want all the angst basically. lol

Hello, friend!! Thank you so much for resending, I’m so pumped to write this one!!

i felt it too(fic requests open)

Steve didn’t see it happen.

He saw the blood. He saw Max crying. He saw paramedics swarming like bees around a broken body, saw the bloodied, sweat-soak rag of a shirt cut away and saw fists pound on a chest that was barely held together. He saw Mike and Eleven ushered away, saw them vanish in the sea of flashing lights outside as more ambulances and fire engines and police cruisers flood the parking lot. He saw tubes and wires and gauze attached to the source of her deepest hurt and he felt his heart sink when Billy Hargrove is strapped, limp and lifeless, onto a stretcher. 

“I have to go with him,” Max starts to say, rising even as medics try to bandage her cuts and scrapes. Steve can hear her as he rushes down the stairs. He sees her shaking an EMT off her and straining to get closer to Billy as he is carried outside. “You can’t just take him. Billy! I have to go with him. He’s my brother! He’s my brother!” 

As Billy is lifted into the back of an ambulance, one sympathetic medic offers her hand. Steve catches her eye just before the doors swing shut. 

Billy is brought to Hawkins Mercy Hospital, where he is quickly evaluated and airlifted to a larger facility in Chicago and rushed into surgery. The papers talk about a single teenage victim left in “critical condition” following the Starcourt fire, but don’t mention Billy by name- his father won’t allow it. The family has moved into a motel on the outskirts of the hospital grounds, and Neil is giving reporters hell. He won’t talk to anyone, and he won’t let Susan or Max talk, either. If Billy wanted to talk, he couldn’t. He’s been in a medically induced coma since his surgery. Neil has used the money he hasn’t spent on the motel room and Billy’s care on a private investigator to find out what really happened, unconvinced that the gashes all over his body could really be from a fire.

“He doesn’t even care,” Max says over radio static. “Not about Billy. He just wants someone to sue, so he can get paid.” 

Steve has taken to camping out by Cerebro. The kids kept him company for the first few days, but the novelty of sleeping under the stars wore off quickly. Steve, for his part, has not done much sleeping. Whenever he tries, all he can see is Billy’s body, sweat-drenched and sickly, being carted away under sirens. He dreams about worse outcomes: about the heart monitor flatlining, about Billy bleeding out on the tiled floor, about Billy’s veins going black and that thing ripping him to pieces from the inside out. 

One night, he dreams about Billy sleeping beside him. He feels Billy’s breath against his skin and his arms around his middle. He has scars were all his wounds were, and Steve is afraid to touch them. He is studying them when Billy becomes restless; he tosses and turns like he’s having a nightmare, and as he moves his scars start to open. Blood spills from their seams and soaks Billy’s shirt, and then the sheets, and it gets all over Steve’s hands as he tries to staunch the bleeding. He is desperate, frantic, but he does not work fast enough. He thinks that all of Billy’s blood is on his bedroom floor and when he looks at Billy’s face he knows he’s gone and-

Steve wakes with a scream. His heart pounds so hard he can feel it in his throat. He tries his best to swallow it back down and he frantically grabs for Cerebro’s receiver. 

“Max?” he asks, voice bleary and shaky. “Max, are you there?”

There is some feedback and then a soft click.

“What the shit?” Max whispers. 

“It’s Steve.”

“I know,” Max says. “What are you doing?”

“I know,” Steve groans. “I know, it’s late. I’m sorry. I just- is Billy okay?”

“He’s been sedated for a week, he’s got a tube shoved down his throat, and he’s peeing into a plastic bag,” Max says. “So, he’s not great.”

“I’m sorry,” Steve says. “I’m sorry. I know.”

There’s a long stretch of silence before Max says, “The nurses are talking about taking the breathing tube out. If he can breathe on his own, they think they can wake him up soon.” When Steve doesn’t say anything, she continues, "Neil wants him out of here.” After another long pause, she says, “He...he looks like shit, Steve. He looks-”

“Don’t say it,” Steve says. “Don’t say what I think you’re gonna say.”

"I have to go,” Max says.

“Wait!” Steve says. “Max?”

“What?”

“Just...promise me you’ll tell me if anything changes?”

“I already said I would.”

“Good or bad,” Steve says.

“Good or bad,” Max agrees. “Signing off.” 

It’s another few days before Billy is taken off his breathing tube, and a few days more before Max says he’s woken up. The news makes Steve’s heart jump. 

“He’s pretty out of it,” Max says. “He can’t stay awake for long. He’s, like, in and out right now. He’s still all fucked up on pain meds. But the doctor said he’s stable enough to be transferred.”

“What does that mean?” Steve asks.

“We’re coming back to Hawkins.” 

On the day that Billy is returned in Hawkins Mercy Hospital, the kids make a trip to see Max. Steve chauffeurs, only to be disappointed to be directed to Cherry Lane instead of the hospital. He hangs out long enough to get an update: Billy still sleeps most of the day, he’s rarely coherent when he is awake, but the doctors are happy with his progress and his father is trying to get him discharged. 

“They can’t let him go, can they?” Steve asks, worry gripping him so hard it hurts his chest. “They wouldn’t do that, would they? They can’t let him go if he’s still like that?”

“I don’t know,” Max says. “I mean, the infection’s cleared. His stitches aren’t out yet, and they have him on this feeding tube. His doctor doesn’t want to let him go, but Neil keeps talking about home care, so...I don’t know.”

That night, Steve has another nightmare. He sees Billy in his bedroom on Cherry Lane, but there is an IV pole and a whole array of tubes attached to him- digging into his stomach and stuck up his nose and poked in the crook of his arm. There are little circles stuck in the spots of his chest that aren’t covered in gauze and their gray wires lead to a machine that prints his heart rhythms on a strip of tape. Steve watches the tiny needle print shaky little lines. 

He approaches Billy, his heart hammering, but as he gets closer he sees another figure in the room. There is a shadow that falls over Billy and Steve feels a need to hide. He presses himself against the wall and he watches as the shadow turns into Billy’s father. He is yelling, but Steve can’t make out what he’s saying. When Neil Hargrove raises a fist, Steve panics. He lunges forward, but it is as if there is a forcefield surrounding Billy’s room. Steve tries to scream, but everything he wants to shout gets stuck in his throat: don’t touch him, get away from him, leave him alone. Steve fights and fights in vain, and the little needle tracking Billy’s heart rate trembles when Neil strikes his son. 

Steve’s eyes pop open. 

He is soaked in sweat and his heart is throbbing in his ears. He looks to the clock and the little red numbers blink out two sixteen a.m. Steve scrubs his palms over his eyes. He sighs. He throws his blankets off and pulls on shoes, not bothering to tie them as he grabs his keys and forces his bedroom window open. As carefully as he can, Steve clamors down to the ground and sneaks into the driveway. He slips around his father’s car and ducks into his own, speeding off without a clear plan in mind. 

The hospital comes into view before Steve realizes where he’s headed. His is the only car in visitor parking, and the halls are empty when he goes inside. He uses to stairwells to get to Billy’s floor (which he had guessed about, because Max had said he’d moved from Intensive Care to the recovery wing of the Medical-Surgical unit). He sneaks passed the nurse’s station and whispers Billy’s name over and over again as he reads the little tags outside the door.

“Hargrove, Hargrove, Hargrove,” he repeats like a mantra until the name on the door matches the one on his tongue. 

The door is open a crack, and its hinges squeak when Steve pushes on it. The lights are off save for one thin strip buzzing softly over Billy’s head and the little green and red numbers boasting his heart rate and oxygen levels. 

Billy himself looks small, swallowed up by the white hospital sheets and the machines towering around him and all the bandages and stitches wound around him and holding him together. There is a plastic strip feeding oxygen into his nose and heart leads stuck to his chest. A little white clip is clamped loosely on one finger, and a thick plastic tube snakes out from beneath the blanket near his belly. His lips are chapped and parted and his eyelids flutter as he sleeps. The sight of him makes Steve ache. He hovers in the doorway, afraid to go closer. When he finally does approach Billy, Steve is afraid to touch him. He is terrified to hurt him. He pulls a vinyl-padded chair closer to Billy’s bedside and sits. 

“Billy?” Steve stammers. “I don’t know if you can hear me.”

He raises a shaky hand to take Billy’s, mindful of the IV feeding fluids into his veins. 

“I needed to see you,” Steve says. “I’m sorry I haven’t come.” Steve gently squeezes Billy’s hand. His eyes flit to the heart monitor, which tracks a strong and steady beat. “I can’t stop thinking about you, and I just...God, you’d call me a pussy if you heard me right now, but I just really needed to see that you were safe. And alive. And I really need you to stay that way. Okay? I need you to be okay. Please, just...please be okay.”

[feynavaley]

I'm sorry if you've been asked this before but what fanfiction platform do you think has the most reader engagement? I cross post to ffn and Ao3 and I was considering making a wattpad account, but I was nervous because wattpad seems to have a bad reputation in the fanfic community?

Thanks for the question! I have already talked about this a bit, [x] but I certainly don’t mind elaborating more. 😊

I don’t think there is a definitive answer to your first question. Engagement depends on too many factors to determinate which site yields the highest engagement in an absolute way, I think it’s something to look at on a case-by-case basis.

Concerning FFN and AO3, I’m pretty sure of my conclusion that, while FNN’s audience can be interested in a wide range of genres, AO3′s one mostly only care about shipping. (Or I could even say porn, actually.) So, if you’re writing genfics, FNN would generally be a safer bet. The difference isn’t so great, but I think there is one. However, this isn’t absolute. I have one story (White Lies) that initially didn’t do very well on FNN (compared to my other stories) but got a lot more feedback than I was used to on AO3. This story is completely gen, so I cannot explain the reason. The same can also be true on a chapter-by-chapter basis, actually… I’ve had instances where I didn’t get as many reviews as I was used to on FNN, only to get more on AO3. I don’t have any explanation.

However, there is something else I should point out. On FNN, I can even get an engagement that is almost close to some of the popular writers around, genfics or not. (Contemporary writers, clearly – making a comparison with older fics is useless as the feedback used to be much richer.) In contrast, on AO3 my feedback is definitely a lot lower than most other writers, especially those who write romance. This could be because their fics are much higher quality than mine, of course. However, it’s a phenomenon I have observed quite consistently. This would bring me to the conclusion that, while posting a genfic on a site or another doesn’t make such a big difference, the difference may be more significative for shipping fics, that get a much a higher engagement on AO3. (Of course, this is, once again, not absolute. And it always depends on the ship and many other factors.)

But that’s only for AO3 and FFN. As far as Wattpad is concerned, instead… as I have already mentioned, the site not being built for fanfiction but simply allowing it along with original fiction generates a lot of issues in terms of tagging and classification. I think that both AO3 and FFN are better than Wattpad for posting fanfiction. This doesn’t mean one couldn’t also crosspost on Wattpad in the hope of getting a few more readers, however. I just wouldn’t recommend it as primary posting site.

As you mentioned, Wattpad has a bad reputation. To be perfectly honest, I think it’s earned: from what I was able to see, the writing quality is generally abysmal. You can find some hidden gems, of course, but they’re few and far in between. I don’t think this should discourage you from posting there, however. The quality of your fics doesn’t depend on the site you post them on. If you write good fics, they will be among the rare good ones you can find on Wattpad. 😊 

You should also be aware that the userbase tends to be quite young, though – young teens and even pre-teens. I actually don’t think I would have made an account on Wattpad if I had known this, it feels kind of too childish. But I didn’t realize this until I had already posted a few fics and gained a few readers who only use Wattpad, so deleting everything felt unfair to them.

The main reason I wouldn’t recommend Wattpad is that new stories are really hard to see. There is only one way to see stories in chronological order, but it’s not straight-forward and I suspect not many people use it. (And it doesn’t even always work.) In general, people read stories because, when you click on a work, you also get a list of recommended ‘similar’ stories. How they get recommended, however, I have no idea. In general, the recommended stories are already a bit popular. You need to already have a bit of engagement for your story to be recommended. I really don’t have the slightest idea of how you can get from a completely new story with no engagement to having just enough engagement to get your story circulating through recs. For months, I didn’t have a single comment or like. I don’t know what made things change.

On a more positive note, Wattpad users tend to be very generous with their comments. Since you can leave a comment for each paragraph, you can also follow their impressions and reactions as they read the chapter, something I really like. I should probably also mention that you get a lot of comments that aren’t relevant to the story in a way I have never seen on other sites, however. That’s the price of getting a lot of comments, I guess. But, there is no guarantee your fic will get noticed quickly, if at all. It could also be a complete flop, due to the navigation issues I have mentioned above.

In conclusion, if you feel like crossposting on another site as well, I’d say to ignore Wattpad’s reputation and go for it, but don’t expect too much. Especially at first. And, if you are intentioned to go through with this, don’t delete your fics if you haven’t gotten any feedback in a couple of days or even weeks. Due to the odd algorithm, it may even take months for them to be noticed – but once they do, they’ll quickly find a wider audience. 😊

I hope this was useful, and good luck with your fics! 😘

Edit: I just saw another thing that’s relevant to the discussion. To give you an idea of how much Wattpad’s algorithm to recommend stories sucks…

…I keep getting recommended my own stories. And it’s not even the first time. [x]

…We’re on a Tumblr-like level of bad. 😅

[stu-dyingstudent]

third war continued/Sakura sent to war prematurely fic recs

Okay, I'll be completely honest, this is one of my ultimate favourite tropes when it comes to Sakura-centric fanfiction! Unfortunately, there really isn't too many of these out there and most are not completed, so if you know of any more then please send them my way. I'm begging.

Started: 2024.07.23

Last Updated: 2024.12.14

note: feel free to check out my master list which has a bunch of Sakura Haruno fic recs (all organized)!

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Your Move, Instigator (draw your weapon and hold your tongue) - Laysan_albatross || ao3|| third war extended AU || complete

“We are still under wartime policy,” the recruiter had told her parents. He had an envelope in his hand. He sounded sorry. “She has two parents who are successful ninjas. We would be remiss to overlook her potential based upon that alone.” The Third Shinobi War never ended. Konoha needs more soldiers, grabbing anyone who can fight, especially those who can't say no.

You guys, I love this one to death. It's definitely a darker take on the Naruto universe, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The civilian born shinobi are deemed as more expendable and thus thrown into war while the clan born remain sheltered. I found it quite interesting that the Uchiha were also lobbed into this group, but it was more done as punishment instead. Very raw and properly gets across the devastation that this brings.

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still waters by Vulpecula_et_Anser || ao3 || gen || M || Sakura sent to war early AU || one-shot complete

Sakura is twelve when she queues up in front a desk with a bunch of other equally-terrified looking shinobi. The ages range from younger than her to old enough to be her grandpa. The man sitting at the desk is stony-faced as he doles out assignments. Sakura obediently shuffles forward when it is her turn, and recites her shinobi identification number in a shaky voice when asked. When the provost marshal looks at her, looks down at his paper, looks back at her, and grimaces, Sakura knows it’s not going to be good. OR How Sakura survives the war, told in bits and pieces.

Canon-fodder! Sakura makes her shinobi debut on the front lines, forcing her to get creative in her means to survive. It's gritty, raw, and the clever use of seals is great! In most of the other works of this type, Sakura is placed on a team of sorts or has some "support" (kinda), but here she is all alone. She is forced to fight for her life, to keep going despite how she feels because ultimately, Sakura does not want to die. She does meet some people later on though and it was great to see. Y'all know this type of story is my personal guilty pleasure (also one of the best I've read thus far)...

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Find Your Place (whatever it takes) - Dovey || ao3 || third war extended AU || incomplete

The war lasts longer than in canon, and has only just ended. While most of the 'Konoha 12' are clan heirs and thus protected from having to go to war prematurely, Sakura is from a civilian family, with naturally advanced chakra control, and thus is thrown immediately onto the frontlines. Now she's on a genin team in peacetime, and she's struggling to figure out how to live when she's not constantly at risk of dying. Team seven bonds in new weird ways, The Uchiha are actually all dead except for Sasuke (including war-hero itachi) who's got a chip on his shoulder the size of Konoha, Naruto isn't the kyuubi container and he finds Sakura kinda scary. Sakura would just like to have a hobby.

Find Your Place (whatever it takes) is the og fic of this category as far as I am aware. The main difference to consider is that it primarily focuses on the aftereffects of the war and the impact that it had on Sakura as a person.

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team. - waterpllar || ao3 || gen || third war extended AU || complete

She’s under Neji's command, which apparently means she’s under the Hyuuga’s command. The Hyuuga’s role is on the frontlines, but Neji must be special for a kid from the branch family, because they mostly send him and Sakura out after the big battles are done, to pick off the wounded, and burn bodies. Sakura kind of wishes she had someone to keep her from the big fights, too. Her job is with Neji, taking back kekkei genkai and retrieving important people’s bodies, but she has other assignments, too. She’s given a dull kunai and told to go through the battlefield, dodging blows and jutsus from friend and foe, slashing at whatever isn’t wearing a Konoha headband.(the third shinobi war doesn't end, dragging on for years. konoha is running out of troops, and unimportant children in the academy with even a modicum of talent are snatched up to the warfront. sakura, unfortunately, is one of them. so is neji.)

Such a strong beginning, although, I gotta say that the ending was rather disappointing imo. There was so much potential, but the author admitted to not wanting to continue the story so it was cut short. Hopefully more works of this nature will come to light!

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Induction - Anonymous || ao3 || M || gen || third war extended AU || incomplete

in·duc·tion /inˈdəkSH(ə)n/ noun: induction 1. the action or process of inducting someone to a position or organization. enlistment into military service.   or; The Third War does not end soon enough. Children pay the price.

Definitely not my favorite take on this trope, but it fits the bill, so it's here! Anyway, tbh I never actually made it far enough reading to get to the actual war part, so I don't have too much to say.

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Ground Zero - TheIzzatron || ao3 || gen || T || third war extended AU || incomplete

Desperate times call for desperate measures. If this means forcing weapons into the hands of children, then so be it.

AHHHHH I'm praying for the day we get another chapter of Ground Zero!! I really appreciate how we actually get a training arc where we get a base of the characters and how this system works before they properly get dispatched. The characters and their emotions are so well done that you truly feel how unfair the situation is. They aren't heartless, they are children. Highly recommend.

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Control - Dragonist || ao3 || gen || no rating || Sakura sent to war early AU || incomplete

Kumo kidnaps a child of Konoha. Sakura graduates from the academy only a year after starting it. There's a war going on, and she's obedient enough to stay quiet and follow orders. Then the war ends, and it's unclear who is really giving them. (a mystery from a child's perspective)

I haven't read Control yet, but I really need to get around to it!

Ok I just noticed I forgot to add the link to this one, but that has been fixed!!

Edit: it seems the author deleted it 😭

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The War ate me and spat me back out - Faircrown || ao3 || gen || E || third war extended AU || one-shot complete

She was a child for a whole six years of her life before being forced to graduate early on and thrown into the war.

Sakura graduates early and is sent to war. On all of her placements she has been one of the only survivors to come out.

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your war heroes (are my war criminals) - silentpoints || ao3 || gen || E || third war extended AU || incomplete

A girl who was supposed to die young survives to see adulthood, and thus the Third Shinobi World War rages onwards with the odds stacked against Konoha.  Sakura, on the other hand, is one of the many children placed in the Academy's new "Accelerated Program" under the reign of the Yondaime Hokage, who is a man that cannot possibly be human—and she grows up to be really fucking angry, waging her own war against Namikaze Minato.

The fic isn't quite long enough for the story to have properly gotten going. Therefore, I don't really have any comments.

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The spines of trees we take for dead - FacelesssMoon || ao3 || gen || T || Sakura sent to war early AU || one-shot complete

Haruno Sakura is not special. A war goes on. She does not feel special. They tell her she is. She likes to lie.

Sakura it sent to war at a young age with the justification that she is "special." It is there she meets Minato and Kakashi and chooses to stick by their sides. Pretty short if you want something quick.

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Under All Anger is Fear - SheepiBoPeepi || ao3 || T || gen || Sakura sent to war early AU || ongoing

Sakura has always known that she's broken, unlike all the other kids. Emotions? They don't come naturally. Blood, pain, and loss don’t shake her. But the war breaks her in ways she didn't think possible.

Assigned to Team Four with Neji and Sai, Sakura faces more than just the external battles of the world. Sakura’s journey is a haunting exploration of what it means to be human — even if she isn’t sure she is one.

This is a story of survival, struggle, and self-discovery, where the hardest battles are fought within.

Basically, Sakura is kinda a weirdo to the point her parents feel it's the best decision to send her to the academy lmao. Anyway, she ends up being conscripted into the war where she later forms a team with Neji and Sai. It's actually really heartfelt to see how the three of them grow to cherish and rely on each other. The dynamic is truly great because they do not get along at first. With Neji as their captain he's stuck trying to deal with the bickering Sai and Sakura. It really makes them feel their age. It's also interesting to see how their growing reputations within the camp affects each of the characters. Definitely try this one out!

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Please send me more like these!!!!

[clumsyclifford]

hello!! i am back and on desktop this time. the blog is just as pretty. alex + yellow = v v attractive jfc. this is a long one so buckle in.

to begin: i hope you have the most fun on your day road trip and sing your heart out to atl and taylor swift. i love driving long distances and idk just driving in general is fun. have the absolute best time MWAH

my birthday is in november!! november 23 to be specific. i share it with miley cyrus which is something i always found to be very cool when i was growing up and watching hannah montana. it also means i am a sagittarius and funny little fact i realized is that my best friend is a gemini. alex and jack are also a sagittarius and a gemini. from being 13 i know that tyler and josh from twenty one pilots are also a sagittarius and a gemini. something about sagittarius and gemini besties idk.

also yeah!! ao3 year in review!! it's a bit complicated to figure out at first and if you read a lot the finding pages thing can be pretty tedious, but it's def worth it once you figure it out. it gives you a lot of different stats about everything you read and it's pretty cool. now i am going to go look at your fics to remember my favs. you deserve the praise so i am willing to offer it. jeez you write a lot i respect the motivation sm. you write quite a bit of angst and i won't lie i try to stay away from angst so i haven't read your fics that seem super angst-y based on the tags. BUT there are still so many i recall reading and loving nonetheless. on a quick scroll-through: i usually don't read high school AUs but "paint me in trust (i'll be your best friend)" was super adorable and lovely. "thank god i'm yours" is one of my favs iirc. also i love love love "it's not always easy (but i'm here forever)" like yes please romanticize alex gaskarth i love it sm. "i won't be silent (and i won't let go)" and "i fell asleep in a city that doesn't" are both super fluffy and romantic and are favs of mine. in case you haven't picked up on it i adore very fluffy and romantic fics lmao. alright i am continuing to scroll and there are so many more i could list that i love but this section is getting quite long. just know if it's about a kitchen or hotel rooms being for lovers i probably read it and adored it and that pov is so valid.

waterparks!! will not lie i only really started listening to them about 6 months ago having been distantly aware of their existence for several years by being a fan of bands in the same genre. listen as long as you let yourself be vaguely annoyed by awsten is prevents you from being in love with him. follow him on any social media platform for like a day and you'll be sick of him typing in nothing but all caps within hours. simply do not romanticize him and you can keep yourself from falling!! so this is coming from a slightly fake parx fan, but some of my favs by them have been peach (lobotomy), crave, numb, fuzzy, violet!, you'd be paranoid too, and lowkey as hell. that is a very songs-from-their-most-recent-album-heavy rec, but whatever. i did give the disclaimer about being a fake parx fan.

yeah hayley does have 2 solo albums now!! petals for armor and flowers for vases / descansos. pfa is the one i didn't really like upon first listen but has grown on me. i haven't even listened to the second one in its entirety oops but we won't mention it. dead horse is good but simmer (pretty sure that was the other single??) just ain't it for me. the album has some lovely songs but it's just a hit or miss album all the way through. some favs of mine on it include pure love, taken, crystal clear, watch me while i bloom, and why we ever. it's sorta a storyline album about healing if that adds anything to it?? but anyways. i started listening to paramore around the time after laughter dropped and it grew to be one of my fav albums in existence. idle worship is probably one of my fav songs like ever. i def understand being slightly put off by bands with songs that make religious references (me with twenty one pilots' earlier music that makes a lot more religious references considering i'm not religious whatsoever) but i think i am blinded by being in love with hayley williams and just ignore it. idk that she's like super religious?? she's addressed believing in god and stuff a few times but she's def not the "rub it in your face" type and if she's making refs in music more recently then they're subtle enough i'm not noticing them. ik albums like brand new eyes had a lot more because it was shortly after that the band split and the songwriting process was essentially her and ex-bandmate co-songwriter arguing about their religious beliefs (turns out he ended up being super homophobic and transphobic all based on his religion so do with that what u will and thank the clown for leaving). i feel u on the "i meant to start listening to them" because that's essentially how i started listening to them. i told myself i was going to and then finally forced myself to do it. fuck falling for awsten knight what's more risky is falling in love with hayley </3

also yeah!! you've articulated my feelings towards tde. every song is so vastly different that it's hard to like it all. #1 fan is pretty decent though, and that's not just my bias about finding both ross and his gf hot and a cute couple and getting to see them together and ross half naked in a mirror in the video nope not at all. he's my fav himbo!! he has no personality!! no thoughts head empty!! i still love him and his strawberry-growing saga on twitter tho <3 the hazard of being in love with ross lynch since i was 12. girlfriend better be a fucking banger and there's quite a few already released singles in the tracklist so i have hope. i believe my show is in chicago on november 19 which is a thursday. kinda sucks since i intentionally bought the chicago tix nearly two years ago (the show was originally supposed to be april 25 2020. lol.) because the show was on a saturday and i have to drive 3 hours to get there. obviously i can't speak for them as tde but r5 shows always fucking slapped and i can vouch for them (realized i haven't seem them live since 2016?? 5 YEARS?? wtf) so if u genuinely like them. would recommend going to see them.

anyways. i have not listened to luke's solo album yet. i plan on it. this has gotten so long but i tried to respond in all areas and even organized it in different paragraphs this time (thanks being on desktop!!). hope you are well. hope you have a lovely day. hmm what's a little "going on in my life" fact. i got new glasses a few days ago and my eyes essentially said fuck off because adjusting to the new prescription has left me with eyes that hurt and occasionally slightly nauseous. here is to hoping my eyes get their shit together. mwah LOVE YOU TOO - the other bella/cubs anon/idk

okay hi hello. i have put this off because holy hell it's long but let's do it. i am putting a cut because this whole thing is long even without my answer

first: the road trip was super fun thank you!!! i am intrigued by this information regarding sags and geminis, we should do some scientific inquiry. enquiry. i don't know if there's a difference between those words.

aha! well i tried the ao3 year in review thing and i would say it had about 55% accuracy but still i agree it's fun to look back at that kind of stuff. and i feel you on the angst thing i go through phases of writing angst-heavy stuff and then writing very fluffy stuff and it is entirely based on my mental state buuuut i have lots of fluff and i'm glad you found it all and that you liked it yay <333 KITCHENS ARE FOR LOVERS i will die on that fuckin hill. hotel rooms as well but primarily kitchens.

dfgjhgdlfkhgdfmj honestly i dont use twitter enough that i would see his tweets enough that that would bother me also the fact that he tweets in all caps means that i just picture him yelling everything he tweets which i find absolutely hysterical so i don't think that would help. i have added these parx songs to my listen asap playlist and will get to them when i get a chance thank you i am excited also i already know lowkey as hell and it slaps super hard so im very much lookin forward to the rest of these. merci merci

YEAH simmer was the one i didnt vibe with. and honestly i feel zero compulsion to get into hayley williams as a solo artist. i just don't vibe enough to want to do that so i doubt i'll be listening to her anytime soon but maybe if i hear the songs in passing or get super bored one night, idk who can really say. but yeah christianity typically puts me off of music (speaking as a very jewish bitch) although there are notable exceptions in the cases of thomas rhett and the driver era. i'm just not attached to hayley enough to be like ehhh this doesnt matter. does that make sense

FAVORITE HIMBO PLEASE HGSDFGDFGKLFGJ i dont follow him on twitter but i have seen some interviews of ross and rocky and tbh they're great i love the way ross speaks like i like his speech mannerisms and i like his FACE and HAIR and. yeah. i think hes pretty. and i think he and 5sos SHOULD collab i think that would be sexy as hell. can you imagine that. oh my god can you imagine a ross lynch/luke hemmings collab. i'm not even really talking to you anymore bella because i know you haven't listened to luke yet and don't have a stake in it but if anyone else is reading this long ass answer. ross & luke collab. okay im going to move on and not think about that now. but i probably won't see tde unless i get a job this semester because i'm trying to stop spending so much money on big indulgent things like concerts likeee i was in a really good habit of not spending that much and then suddenly i got paid for one summer and i was just goin Crazy and i need to dial it back. plus i wanna see ajr and noah kahan equally bad so like. i have to make some calls about priorities here. it's Much to think about

good luck to your eyes i'm sure your new glasses are hella cute tho!!! LOVE YOUUUUUUU

[christinesficrecs]

Hey babe!! So I'm really really new to sterek and teen wolf and I was wondering if you could rec me some iconic sterek fics? So fics that everyone just loves. If it's not too much to ask can it also be canon? So it included the supernatural element?? Thank you so so much 💕💕

Hey :) 

Welcome to the fandom!! Here are some classic monster of the week type fics you might like and you can find some great classic fics here and other pack fics here 

Important Things by  suzvoy | 71.4K

Stiles learns that even with werewolves, giant lizards and psychopathic hunters on the loose, life can still find other ways to screw with you. Case in point: everyone keeps assuming he and Derek are a couple. What the hell?

Lock All The Doors Behind You by  entanglednow | 25.9K

He has no idea what you’re supposed to say when you find one of your…werewolf acquaintances, completely out of their mind, growling like they’re about to see what your insides taste like. There’s no handbook for this. Stiles is thinking that if he survives he might write one.

Wayward and Down by  affectingly | 32.3K

That time it took not one, but two separate troll attacks and a malevolent coven of witches for Stiles to figure out how he felt about Derek.

We’ve Written Volumes (in Blood and Scars and Ink) by  notthequiettype | 25.9K

Stiles is on his back on hard-packed dirt. He’s cold and there are leaves stuck to his neck and there’s a four inch gash in his side that he thinks he can feel his ribs through. There’s so much blood around him he feels like he’s floating on a pond and everything is so much dimmer above him than it was a minute ago, which is saying something because he’s in the dark center of the forest in the middle of the night. And the worst of it is that he’s alone, totally alone with the smell of his own blood drowning him and the soft side of him run through by a tree.

As his eyes slip shut, the last thing he thinks is, “This is going to kill my dad.”

will to follow through by  owlpostagain | 42.4K

It depends entirely on how you look at it, I guess,” Stiles shrugs. “On the one hand, instant healing and the apparently inherited ability to pull off leather at all times. On the other, serious attitude problems and a suspicious disappearance of eyebrows.”

“Even Derek’s?” Danny snorts, “that’s a lot of eyebrow to lose.”

“I know,” Stiles agrees. “You should see, it’s so weird. Every time I want to ask him where they go, except he’d totally eat my face off.”

“There are worse ways to die.”

A Life Less Ordinary by  Jebiwonkenobi | 19.2K

It takes a few years but eventually they manage to agree on something; Derek Hale is an asshole, and Stiles Stilinski is in love with him.

According to Plans by  eldee | 72.7K

Five times Stiles and Derek pretend to be boyfriends, and the one time they didn’t have to pretend at all. (Or: in which Stiles’ plan for senior year is completely ruined by a supernatural creature stalking him.)

warm shadows by  stilinskisparkles | 22K

“Fine,” Stiles spits back, “We’ll die together, it’ll be dandy.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” Derek snaps, “I’ll get some peace and quiet for once.”

Stiles grins suddenly, blindingly. There’s blood on his teeth, and his eyes are dark and desperate as he looks up at Derek, but he’s never looked more stupidly, infuriatingly beautiful.

between the click of the light and the start of the dream by  thepsychicclam | 105.1K

It’s Stiles’ senior year, and he’s trying to concentrate on normal things - like the lacrosse championship, spring break, prom, graduation (and definitely not Derek) - when he starts having nightmares and waking up in the middle of nowhere. Oh yeah, and he’s being haunted by a hag. Great.

He’s Not Mine  by  Sunnee | 68.5K

Derek comes home to find an abandoned werebaby on his front porch and Stiles volunteers to help him out. Surprisingly, that is just the beginning of his problems.

[distant-rose-archive-blog]

I loved your fic rec posts and reviews for captain swan. I'm just wondering if you have a top writer list or something (like you automatically feel the need to read them if you see them post) and if you do, who is on it...

Hi! Thank you for the kind words. I do spend a lot of time and effort when I do get asked to rec things mainly because if I’m rec’ing someone or something, it’s because I love them and want to give them the praise and attention they deserve. With that being said, I’m always surprised how many notes my rec posts do get because I am virtually no one in this fandom. Literally a nobody. So when people ask for my opinion on things, I’m always flattered, surprised and very confused. Like now.

But anyway, I’m guessing that you’re asking who my favorite authors for Captain Swan are, and yes, I do have favorites. Please note that there are a wealth of amazing authors out there who put out brilliant fics and might deserve to be on this list, but those are the ten who come to mind. This is just the personal favorites of a fandom nobody. So without further ado, Rose’s favorite Captain Swan authors are as follows:

@welllpthisishappening​ | AO3 | Favorite Story: You Play Ball Like a Girl

She only has a few things posted right now, but so much coming in the works - all of it is just fantastic. She enjoys sending me on emotional rollercoasters and messing with my feels. As mentioned before, she’s one of my many true loves and writes epic sports fic that is both knowledgeable and realistic. (I will never get over her referring to Derek Jeter’s walkup in You Play Ball Like a Girl because that was the moment I realized she was my soulmate.) Regardless of whether it’s Captain Swan fanfiction, a story involving two idiots and a broken down amusement park or a huge epic fantasy romance involving time manipulation, I will fucking read her work and you should too.

@technicallysizzlingcloud​ | Favorite Story: Mawaige

Words cannot describe the quality of her work. The English language simply doesn’t have any word to truly convey the sheer amount of talent she has. The only way I can describe it is absolutely fantastic and that isn’t good enough. Honestly, the genre of her work varies, she doesn’t have a niche genre, but fuck me, she’s good at it all – pregnancy fic, angst, hurt and comfort, missing scenes, etc., etc. You name it and she can write a fucking masterpiece. There’s just so emotion that she conveys her fics and they also feel grounded in a way the show isn’t. A lot of her stories have become my personal headcanons. Her work is just a joy to read.

@unfolded73​ | AO3 | Favorite Story: Scent

Do you know how hard it was for me to pick out a favorite story for her? Pretty fucking hard. Like it’s basically a multiway tie between Scent, What Comes Next, New Babies Smell Amazing, Sex Ed and Another New York City Serenade. It’s just wonderful to read her interpretation of Killian and Emma because even when there’s conflict and/or angst, they’re still so loving and understanding of one another. It just slays me. Also, her smut is fantastic and she does write a lot of it. (I am not complaining in the slightest.) Furthermore, I love the way she writes the relationship between Killian and Henry. There are authors who add him as a footnote to their CS fics and she incorporates him well.

@sambethe​ | AO3 | Favorite Story: Casual Fridays

There’s no other way to put this, so I’m just going to say it plainly but sambethe is without a doubt one of my favorite smut authors. Not that all of her work is smut, because it isn’t but she’s just so excellent at it that it needs to be said. Anyway, on top at being epic at writing sex scenes, she writes one of the best interpretations of Emma Swan I’ve ever seen. Her Emma is closed off and on-guard but not unfeeling. While this seems like such a minor thing, it’s a huge deal because I’ve read a lot of really cold and basically unfeeling Emma’s in my fanfiction days. Hers is perfect; Emma still has her walls, but they always, realistically, come crumbling down. So yeah, come to her for smut and realistically done Emma.

@peglegsjones​ | AO3 | Favorite Story: I belong to you, you belong to me

Hands down probably one of the best kid fic authors out there. I don’t even know why I try to make a niche in the genre, because she perfectly meets the quota. I try to stay away from fully realized child original characters because I’m a horrible cunt and I’m like “yeah, but my babies” but her children are delightful and I’m content to live with the idea that her universe lives beside mine in a Jimmy Neutron/Timmy Turner kinda way if that makes any sense at all. Might be dating myself there. Anyway, her universe is delightful and creative, and I always look forward to reading more about Ian. If you haven’t read her work and enjoy child fic, then I don’t know where you’ve been hiding and you need to rectify it immediately. (Also I’m pretty sure if Ian and Wes officially met, they would destroy the world and Harrison would have an aneurysm.)

@acrobat-elle​ | AO3 | Favorite Story: Breathless

This is another author who I struggled with finding a favorite story for because she has a lot of amazing work. Make a Wish, Possession and Touch could have easily been in that favorite story spot instead of Breathless. Elle’s a triple threat. Like a lot of people on this list, she writes ridiculously good smut, but she’s also fantastic at writing angst and fluff. There isn’t a single story in her archive that wouldn’t recommend and I’m eagerly waiting to see how Harbor in the Tempest is going to end. (No pressure or anything. Take your time.) I don’t know what else to say other than she’s fantastic and you should stop just taking my word for it and just got read her fics.

@lenfaz​ | AO3 | Favorite Story: Separate Lives

Without a doubt one of my favorite alternate reality writers with multiple great works. Separate Lives is a masterpiece without question, but Private Dancer, The Pirate Chef, Old Habits Die Hard and The Rembrandt Files definitely deserve honorable mentions because I also adore those stories. The worlds she creates for her stories are clever, creative and honestly, just to a joy to immerse yourself in. She knows how to carry a story, which as more than I can say for some published authors who will start a story than it putters out and dies. Her stories are incredible consistent and my brain thanks her for it. Anyway, I am forever in love with her work and I’m currently following Time upon Once and you should to.

@justanotherwannabeclassic​ | AO3 | Favorite Story: Roses in December

Another queen of fluff and angst that I love. If you haven’t read Roses in December or Bloom, then you need to get the fuck off my page and go read them. Legit. They’re some of my favorite stories and as I mentioned before (I think?) I’m super picky about child fic and stuff. She has a lot of wonderful domestic focused stories that are so sweet that your teeth will rot out. I also have a great fondness for Lobbying, which I read right after the American Election to feel better about the bullshit happening in my home country. She’s definitely someone whose writing you want to read after having a shit day.

@this-too-too-sullied-flesh​ | AO3 | Favorite Story: Theoretically

Another author who writes some pretty amazing and wonderfully dirty filth. (I feel like I’ve been too honest about how much smut I read and now everyone is going to think it’s all I read. It isn’t, I promise.) Once again, that’s not all she writes and she does some amazing fluff pieces but she has blown my mind and caused many an evil grin to spread across my face in public spaces and make the fiancé nervous. While Theoretically is definitely at the top of my list, I feel compelled to also point out The Next Wounded Soul, A Good Man is Hard to Find, Miles to Go Before I Sleep and HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LOSER (I debated whether or not to put that in caplocks but the original title is in caps so why not.)

@killians-dimples​ | AO3 | Favorite Story: Put Me in Coach, I’m Ready to Play

Okay, if Laura made me fall in love with baseball!Killian, this chick with “put me in coach, I’m ready to play” made me want more of it. It’s literally one of my favorite stories of all time and is on my other rec list. With that being said, her brilliance goes beyond this one story and she has a very versatile selection of genres for you to read. I have a particular fondness for Sin Bin, and not just because it’s Jessica Jones inspired. Anyway, she got a super rude anon the other day about her writing taking the backseat and her “used to be so prolific and now [she’s] not,” which pissed me off because 1) she’s allowed to live her goddamn life and 2) she’s still in my top ten so that anon can rightly fuck off.