#In a Fairy Tale / Fantasy verse

[captainseamech]

.... Damn are you hitting on the local cook? I'm telling the tea to Timon!

             “I ain’t hitting on no one! And don’t ye even dare spread misinformation!”

[folkorae]

Quick question: if I move my Evangeline Fox to a solo blog, would someone have interest in interacting and developing some sort of bond with her?

[lvebug]

@osb7 liked for a verse-specific lyric starter! fantasy: (retirement song by the longest johns)

"i'm staying right here!"

[captainseamech]

             Now it was High Tide’s turn to tap a digit on his chin. Making stories on the fly was sort of difficult, but he could do it!

             “Hmmm... That maiden... Was always keen to be radiant and energetic.” Was he doing it right?

" oh my , that is very good ! bravo , bravo ! " after the clapping , she taps her chin. " hmm .. let's see .. a castle atop a hill .. oh ! and within that castle was a beautiful maiden ! "

[avictimofthejazz]

The Ice Rescue--Melody and Street

@timeguardians

Continued from HERE

Knowing that Melody came back here, walking herself right into the lion’s den for him distresses Street more then he has the energy to show. She should have stayed away… but asking Melody to stay away when someone she cares for is in danger is like asking the sun to hold its position in the sky, and then set in the south. It simply cannot be done. “A new deal?” he sets as much of a firm eye on her as he can in his condition. “Melody, when are you going to stop making all these deals? Even if they are with my father, who I’ll bet was excited when you lined everything out for him…” He amends as she admits that she went to Gabriel for help. Street can about imagine what his father did when Melody finally confessed everything to him. While Gabriel is a rational and reasonable man, even in a temper, he does have good grounds for distrusting the merfolk. A war over a hundred years before saw the merfolk side in with his country’s enemies, which led to their combined domination of the seas. For a country with a strong naval presence, that had been devastating to Street’s people. The merpeople sank his country’s ships, drowned sailors, and made it virtually impossible for them to leave their own harbors. A few mers snuck in, and even sank ships in the harbors. Because his country lost control of one of the primary battlegrounds, they almost lost everything. It was only through a series of near-miracles that they were able to rally and shove their enemies back. The most galling part was that the merfolk only accepted the treaty for wealth. There was no great motivation or reasoning behind their choice, just money. That was why the bad blood had lasted this long—every man in his family insisted people who took on wars for financial gain were little better then mercenaries, no matter their species, and could not be trusted. Only Melody was not like that… she was sweet, and earnest, and the only price he could find for her was that she wanted to be loved and accepted somewhere. That was all… and that was a price that any sentient being might struggle under. As Mel urges him to take as much time as he needs, he glances at her with a raised eyebrow before slowly starting to push himself upright again. This time he has more luck as Melody helps him rise. He starts laughing at her offer, but it turns into a hacking coughing fit after a few seconds. The ache in his lungs is another gift from being left in the cold—one he hopes will not turn fatal. After a minute it fades, and he exhales slowly before looking at the young woman more fully. “You’re going to carry me?” Despite the seriousness of the situation, and the time running out around them before Morgana realizes her prisoner is on the verge of slipping away, he still manages a teasing grin. “How are you going to pull that off? I’m still quite a bit bigger then you are, you know… even if I have lost a few pounds.” He raises his head at the promise that Hondo is waiting. He would follow that man into hell if the Lieutenant asked it of him, and it is comforting to know that the man has come for him too. With Melody’s help, he gets his legs under him again. To his pleasure, once he is standing, he manages to hold up his own weight while she retrieves the trident. He eyes the magical device dubiously when she draws it close. While magic exists in his world, he takes after his father. Magic is neither much liked in their kingdom, nor trusted. The idea of being able to do seemingly amazing things out of thin air is a false idol—there must be a price somewhere. Since none of the great magic users he has met can tell him where that price is extracted from, he refuses to partake in the so-called science. Melody is a mermaid though, a magical being by her nature. She likely has a good reason why she has that trident. Still, he cannot help addressing it as they start making their way through the gap in the ice wall she created. “What are you planning on doing with that?”

[captainseamech]

Damn even the cook is looking at your cake buddy

When's the marriage?

             “What in the world are ye even talking about!? We ain’t even dating for those assumptions!!”

[aroaessidhe]

aro & ace Fairytale books

retellings

Until The Last Petal Falls - beauty & the beast aro/aro m/m QPR (prev known as The Beast of Okeme)

The Language of Roses - beauty & the beast with an aro belle

More Than Enough - beauty & the beast ace/ace m/m

The Story of the Hundred Promises - fairytale inspired (+ a little beauty & best), aro major characters and aro themes, m/nb

Little Thieves - high fantasy goose girl retelling, demi/demi m/f

Dithered Hearts - cinderella retelling, fairy godfather is aro (and has some POV)

Create My Own Perfection - aroace medusa, short story

The Ice Princess' Fair Illusion - king thrushbeard, ace lesbian & aroace, in verse

Sea Foam & Silence - the little mermaid, demiromantic & aroace, in verse

original fairytales / fairytale vibes

Come Drink With Me (& other Tales of The Thread) - Chinese original fairytales with aro themes

The Dragon of Ynys - aroace MC

Royal Rescue - aroace MC

#aspec books / aspec database / tumblr masterpost

[captainseamech]

             Ah, yes, High Tide was also a cricket to add insult to injury. How awesome is that? He felt absolutely miserable right now, his eye angrily twitching when the insult was thrown back at him. Was that how he sounded like when talking to the others?

             “Well, arguin’ will get us nowhere now would it?” Even though he was admittedly angry at the situation, he had to somewhat stay calm... even if it was impossible. “Look, since ye know best about those pixie dust sort of magic tricks, just... Y’know, try to find a fix for us!”

Is that really what he sounds like? How profoundly humbling it is to hear your own accent thrown back at you like that. It takes him a second or two to even identify where the voice is coming from. Gosh, he has no idea how these big robot fellas handle this. Though he has no idea what a blip is, he knows an insult when he hears it.

"First of all, that's a perfectly average height for a cricket, I'll have you know. And why're you assuming I had anything to do with it? I don't know a lick of magic!" A very fleeting pause. "Well, maybe a bit. But certainly not enough to do something like this," even if he wanted to, which he doesn't. He's only ever used fairy dust to turn human, which is a much more reasonable change. "You sound even more ridiculous than I do, so I don't even wanna hear it!"

[fictionadventurer]

For all the talk about bad Christian fiction, I've seen several different ways that Christianity can be well-integrated into the story.

The story is about something unrelated to Christianity, but the characters are Christian and their faith affects their outlook and daily life. I recently stumbled across Wormwood Abbey by Christina Baehr, which is a light, fairly forgettable cozy fantasy that happens to do this really well. The story is about a woman who learns that dragons exist around her family's estate, but as the daughter of a rector, she often mentions prayer, sings religious songs, or thinks of Bible verses that relate to things she experiences. The Christianity feels organic to the character, and thus enhances the story rather than distracting from it.

The world is a Christian world where Christian beliefs are shown to be the correct framework through which to view the world. This happens in good Christian fantasy, like Lewis and Tolkien, but there are plenty of real-world stories where the themes line up with Christian truths, and this can make a story Christian whether or not religion is explicitly practiced by characters within the story.

The characters wrestle with how to apply their faith in their daily lives. Regina Doman's Fairy Tale Novels often feature this, as the characters struggle to deal with plot problems while living out their faith. Amy Lynn Green's work often features this as well--characters hold certain values (like, for instance, a Quaker pacifist) and have to figure out how they apply or don't apply to specific situations, especially when they conflict with other values, or they have to figure out how to live out their values (such as forgiveness) in moments where it seems impossible or even ill-advised. Charlotte Yonge's best works (specifically, what I've read of The Three Brides) do this as well--instead of preaching the one right answer, you have characters trying to figure out what the best answer is as they figure out what's right or wrong in this specific situation.

Characters face the revelation that there's a spiritual world that exists beyond our ordinary world, which can cause terror, but also provide comfort and hope. Elizabeth Goudge's novels often exist in this space, with very internal stories of characters coming to embrace the truths that come with living in a spiritual world. To a lesser extent, I'd say Amanda Dykes' work often fits here, with characters ultimately find comfort and hope from philosophies that line up with Christian truth. In less-cozy works, there's also the possibility of stories where an entirely secular person encounters God and has to figure out what that means for their life.

So our options are Christianity as character, Christianity as setting, Christianity as theme, or Christianity as plot. The ways this is integrated most seamlessly is when Christianity (or the ways they struggle with it) is a vital part of the character, so the plot that arises from it lines up with a Christian worldview. It also works well for the characters to just exist within a world where Christian truths are the way the world works. It doesn't even necessarily require the characters to be explicitly religious. Truth is something that everyone is searching for, and stories that honestly showcase truth or the search for it are going to resonate with a wide audience, even if they aren't Christian themselves.

[000marie198]

Are there any sonic au’s you would recommend? I am trying to find more to get into so would love to know if you have any favourites out there :D

Hello! Oh there are so many! :D I definitely have some favorites and some which aren't favs but are pretty great.

Putting these under the cut because there are so many! And there's definitely more cool AUs that I haven't seen or haven't saved.

Anyways, please enjoy my personal selection:

Seven Years Too Soon by NightFuchia. Basically what if a much younger Sonic accidentally set Shadow free from Prison Island. It has awesome characterization and happens to be one of my favorite stories. The rest of Team Sonic is also present

Brotherhood's Twist by @/drawloverlala even though I don't think it counts entirely as Au but it still sort of does. Unbreakable Bond ageswitch due to Zeti's meddling.

Passion's @sonic-tangled-au . I love it! So very much. The lore and backstories are so good.

Noonui's World Restored in Imbalanced Chaos au. Extremely engaging and good. Has a bunch of world building and fun concepts and lore.

Sonic's Super Totally Awesome Mixtape, though it seems to be discontinued, I'm not sure. It's pretty good so far! Takes place in the movie verse.

@brainworms-all-night-long is working on a Dreamtale Au which I'm hyped for. The tag in use is 'dreamtale and sonic tomfoolery'.

@/the-starlight-project comic is pretty good too. Mystery! And emotions. So many emotions ough.

And there's @the-emerald-isle-au by @0vergrowngraveyard . Very intriguing. 👀

Please do check out the Pandora Au by @/starrjoy. It's great!

The Fair Folk by Irritable_Fabulamancer, this fic is one of my favorites! Team Sonic as Fae my beloved! I love fae AUs.

On that note, if you're alright wanting to read a Fae!AU which is pretty much a sonadow fic, there is also I don't believe in fairy tales [but I believe in you and me]. Fantasy and Fae! Satbk inspired, another one that had me hooked.

My Arms Are Blue by thekyuubivixen and its unofficial, fan-continuation (My Arms Are Blue! Final Four Edition) by PlaystationPassenger. The story doesn't completely count as an AU but I'm recommending them anyway cuz they're really really good and has that watching your own show from different dimension trope. It's also hilarious and fun.

Burning Arrow, Wildfire Heart by Taranea is SatSR novelisation AU with Sonic's other friends present too, it's pretty fun. Not very accurate regarding the desert but it's a good read and I come back to reread it often. Must read in my opinion. Just don't dare use it as guide for desert travel or you'll be shriveled up in the sand somewhere

This fic. Read it, I will not elaborate this one. Just trust me :]

And don't miss out on @shadofiredragon's Legends Never Die fic. It's a future fic! And an awesome one. I won't spoil much but it is so good. She also has lots of fun AUs in the works.

Down the Foxhole series by MoonlitNightin. Sonic Prime AU series which is great! Tails' pov. The Shatterverses have their own Sonics. Engaging and great.

Feel free to check out @/Son1c's 10verse and other AUs. Those are some pretty great ones. Love the different lore and variants given to the Shatterverses in 10verse.

Spirit of the Wind by TrenchCoatGecko. Satbk inspired fantasy au. Sonamy, has focus on magic and lore and other characters as well.

If you'd like some Forces angst with Unbreakable Bond focus, please do read Illusionary are your arms around me by @nixoon-again. The feels will kill you /pos

Chaos Barren by but_why_not. I forgot to add this earlier (this is an edited addition). Takes place in the Blue Devils AU, great story!

Baby Tails shenanigans by @myymi . Tails got turned into itty bitty infant kit. (And also check @0vergrowngraveyard 'baby tails' tag for more little gremlin scenarios)

Myla is also working on @tails-and-the-ink-machine au

Feral au by Oneshot_bravo. Little short stories or drabbles taking place in Unleashed but the werehog is feral yet keeps his memories. Very lighthearted and fun and cute

Three or more foxes form a skulk by @/chiropter36 . Post Prime au fic, loved it! Go read.

Also, @donelywell 'roadtrip! sonic au' and 'Casino Nights Au'

Haven't yet started reading The Fox's Burrow by @/space-gutz but I'm planning to. Recommending it either way cuz I feel like it's gonna be good. Unbreakable Bond but ageswaped au.

@/sonicchaoscontrol comic. Another in-progress au which is also quite intriguing. Sonic jumps through a portal and exits in future where the planet is a mess. The mystery of what and how it all happened and what's going on slowly unfolds.

The Buzzsaw Dillemma by redpenship. I haven't personally read it myself but I've heard many good things about it, especially it's world building.

Incomplete and won't be updated anymore but if you haven't read them yet, DO NOT miss out on Ghosts of the Future and The Murder of Me fancomics by Evan Stanley (spiritsonic) and Gigi Deutrix (gigi-D) respectively. They're a must read. Both are available on DeviantArt.

The Heart of a Monster comic, @/the-heart-of-a-monster. It's in progress and updates regularly. Unleashed retelling, really really good with some extra lore and everyone involved.

Sometimes the Picket Fence isn’t Perfect and Sharp Edges (Sonic Prime AU) series by @/skimmingthesurfaces. I'm holding off the first one to read later, like that one book you've been saving so I'm not sure if it completely counts as an AU, still putting it in recs, and the second one is intriguing so far. I have heard a lot of good thing about the Picket Fence series.

Dark Boom by Smash50. The entirety of Team Dark in the Sonic Boom universe. Alongside it, there's also Boomtober by the same author.

It Always Snows by the 24th by Selendred had me hooked even though it's a oneshot. Great au and would love to see it explored more.

No One said I Wish by SylWritesStuff. One of my fav stories from the Sonic Platonic Fairytale Week event. It's really funny.

Sonic Phantom Forces (SPF) au comic. Sonic Forces au, blue boy gets taken away but not in the way you think, pretty cool story so far. It's in-progress and available on both Tumblr and DeviantArt. @/spfau

If Black Doom tried to be a better father by Tirainy. Don't take this one seriously. It's pure comedy and I love every second of it. Shadow is having a time for sure XD.

Silent Talkers by @brainworms-all-night-long. Takes place in the Prime Bros verse, feels intensified, all the good ones. A must read, trust me.

And speaking of the Prime Bros AU (in which all Shatterverse foxes also got adopted by Sonic and are now brothers), feel free to scroll through the 'prime bros' tag here. So many awesome posts for this particular au by everyone!

There's so many more, cool ones, epic ones. I haven't saved all and I'm probably forgetting some great ones too so I'm leaving this open for others to add. If y'all have more cool AUs, plz add to these (I wanna check em out too)

....

And now a few from the Fanfiction.net site because it doesn't have much audience compared to AO3 and there are some actual gems hidden there;

Premonition by thekiyuubivixen (not entirely an au but it feels like one due to the unique ability Sonic gains)

The Sonic Project by SconnieSA. Rated M but it's a pretty awesome AU and the rating is due to more serious themes and uncensored language in some parts. Highly recommending this one

Survivor's Resolve by DC111. Not entirely an AU but I must rec this fic it's so good and doea havs some AU vibes.

Sonic the Hedgehog: Attorney of Law by thedraconicwerewolf. Ace Attorney type AU with Sonic and Tails as main characters. Not too adventurous but very very fun and interesting and still managed to keep Sonic in character. Though it has a sequel started, I only rec the main story, not the sequal as it seems to be abandoned and isn't needed to be read like them cliffhanger stories.

beLIEve by Meow21. I have only read snippets from this, waiting for this story to continue but it seems to be discontinued. Felt like an epic story too and deserves to be recommended.

Sonic and the Golden Journey. Sonic gets thrown in another storybook, this time it's a children's classic fairytale. Short but very comedic and fun. Go read it.

Tales of a Samurai. I am begging you to read this one, please it's so good. Also by Taranea.

Wonderful and it's sequal Sanctuary by Inflamore for some Unbreakable Bond angst. (Kindly ignore the obliviousness of earlier ff.net for not knowing the meaning of certain symbols, there's nothing of the sort in story, trust me.)

Regrets by MazzyBooks. A high school au of sorts. Sonic centric with some heavy angst. I'm not kidding about the angst part, trust me. It had me hooked from the first chapter though and I believe it deserves a rec.

You need the cracks (to let the light shine through) by king.needlemouse. Istg this is the most underrated thing I've ever come across, it's one of my absolute favorite fics which I can never forget. Do read it.

Within this Nightmare by sonicfan1990. Sonic get transported to an alternate universe which has gone post apocalyptic and his counterpart in that universe has been dead. Pretty great story, lots of angst and everything.

And that's all I could remember and have saved for now. I'm leaving this open to more AU recs (yes even self plugs are welcome) so if you know any I missed, plz feel free to add. I hope you enjoy all these great AUs!

Thanks for the ask!

[pokeshippingweek]

POKESHIPPING WEEK 2024!

It's that time again, pokeshippers!

Last year, we announced that the format of Pokeshipping Week - one theme per day - was getting retired. We also said that we'd still put on a celebration of some kind going forward. Well, the time is here, and I'm happy to announce that we are planning a pokeshipping zine...next year!

If you'll forgive the bait-and-switch there, we have seriously talked about doing a zine, but time got away from us this summer. So, while we do hope to tackle that undertaking in 2025, for this year, we're planning what you might call an open Pokeshipping Week!

How does it work, you ask? Simple: over the years, you all have submitted a lot of potential themes for Pokeshipping Week. For every seven that got chosen each year, plenty were left behind. Well, now you can fill November 1 to 7 with art, fics, AMVs, GIFs, graphics, etc., all about our favorite Poke-couple, using any seven you'd like from the unused themes list.

Any and all contributions are welcome, and if they're tagged #pokeshipping week 2024, we'll reblog them here and on the main @pokeshipping blog. Besides Tumblr, we’ll keep our eyes out for the tag on Twitter and DeviantART for artwork, for fanfics on FF.Net and AO3, and for AMVs on YouTube (no NSFW, please).

The full list of unused themes (from years 2020 through 2023) is below the "Read More" break. Use, combine, and create as your heart desires, and we'll see you November 1!

A bad fight A day in the life  A never-ending road A ship full of shippers Alola sunset scene Amusement park Anime characters meet their game/manga counterparts Anniversary Art classes together/Drawing each other Ash and Misty in Sinnoh Ash’s hat Avatar: The Last Airbender AU Birthdays  Breakup Cameran Palace ball (as in Movie 8) Celebrating Celebrities Champions/Masters  Cheerleader Misty Childhood sweethearts Chocolate Comfort during a natural disaster Comforting each other Competition Confiding in one another Cooking disaster Costumes Criminal/Detective Crossover Crossover with game/manga-verse D&D Dealing with Team Rocket’s teasing in “A Scare in the Air” Dewpider/Araquanid Different hairstyle Disaster dates  Disney AU Double dating Elder years  Elders Ash and Misty Evolution Fairy tales/Fantasy AU Fankids Fireworks First day on the job Food Fortune-telling/foresight Game of Thrones AU Giving advice to a younger generation Grey hair Gym leader Ash/beginner Misty Halloween/horror/ghost story Hanahaki disease Handkerchief Happily Ever After/Fairy Tales Hiding Hogwarts AU Horizons Hot tub/Hot springs If Ash heard Misty’s Song If Ash or Misty weren’t from Kanto If Ash started his journey at 16 or older If Ash’s journey had ended after winning the Indigo League (in season 1) If Misty caught Lapras If one came from another region If their parents met If they didn’t meet on Ash’s first day In-universe Pokéshippers Intimacy Japanese-style confessional love letter JRPG AU (ie, Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Monster Hunter, etc.) Karaoke Ladybug and Chat Noir Last goodbyes Learning a different language Lost Pikachu Love Letter  Love triangle Lovers across the multiverse Lovestruck (if Ash acted like Brock) Meeting the parents/relatives Mewtwo Strikes Back alternate ending Misty and other Pokégirls discuss their loved ones together Misty meets Goh and Chloe Misty overcoming her fear of Bug-types Misty the coordinator Misty’s Bug-type phobia Mixtape/playlist  Mystery dungeon Nervous Ash  Never have I ever Other Pokemon games AU (Detective Pikachu/Pokemon Masters/etc) Out of their element  Overprotective Misty  Perspective of Oak Ranch Pokémon on their relationship Photo shoot Pirates Plot twist Pokemon daycare Pokémon Mystery Dungeon AU PokéNav communication/Video calling Possessed/evil Misty Pregnancy/Birth Pro-gamers Puberty Reappearance of Ash’s father and/or Misty’s parents Regency Era Romance  Return to Orange Islands Romeo and Juliet Sci-fi AU Scuba diving Secret identity/superhero AU Slow Slumber party Spies AU Stargazing Studio Ghibli AU Sunshine and Rain  Superhero AU Swimming lessons Sygna suits Tabletop RPG AU Taller (height differences)  Tauros ranchers Ash and Misty Time capsule Training together Umbrella Vacation Visiting Oak’s ranch  Water and electricity/water and fire What if Ash didn’t take Misty’s bike? Yoga together Z-ring/Mega Stone

[sunlit-skycat]

Pale by Wildbow shill post

“The practice, as we call it, is best summed up as an ongoing contract. By pledging to make your word inviolable, forces in this world will start listening. Routine, ritual, and expectation have formed the grooves and determined how best to communicate with those forces. Diagrams, symbols, knowing who and what to appeal to. Many, many things become possible. If your word is inviolable.” [...]

“Something terrible happened, of a scale that words cannot easily convey. We need you to look into it,” Matthew said. “No need to solve it. Simply… look into it.”

Overview

Pale is an urban fantasy web serial about three girls Awakened into a world of magic in order to solve the murder of a Judge, a supreme being that oversees magic in an area. Soon, however, they discover that the very roots of magic are built off of systemic injustice, and that outside forces want to destroy the meager sanctuary that they have been charged to protect.

Why you should read it

Pale has a huge meta-system that tries to provide an explanation for how all fairy tale type of magic works. When one Awakens, they give up their ability to lie, but that doesn't stop Practitioners from trying to mislead everyone around them. Nothing comes for free. The easiest way to deal with the costs of Practice is to pass them off to someone else, which over the years has led old Practitioner families to exploit magical creatures and each other to do their bidding.

In a way, Pale really reminds me of the Harry Potter fandom, particularly the newer fics that try to examine all the unexamined issues that Rowling put into the worldbuilding and never explored. It tackles subjects of imperialism, child abuse, community building, and justice. There's a lot of fun things to discuss about it, including whether the protagonists ultimately got it right at the end.

Many of the characters in Pale are marginalized in some way. Of the main characters, Lucy is the only black girl in a rural Canadian town and sick of it, Avery is a lesbian and doesn't know how to come out to her dubiously tolerant family, and Verona's single father is an abusive emotional black hole that wants to drag her down with him. Overall, there are a lot of well-realized female characters who are allowed to let their sharp edges cut others in the story.

The fandom

Pale had an earlier prequel work set in the same universe called Pact, which features different characters and settings but has roughly the same magic system. Because of that, it's most useful to think of the fandom as an being composed of an umbrella group, called Otherverse or P-verse by different places, and then subcategories of Pale, Pact, and OC focused works.

The main cast runs young, so shipping isn't big in the fandom, but if you like f/f potential Pale is pretty decent for it. The OC fic tends to have a lot of queer main characters as well.

On Dreamwidth, I run sister communities at blueheronteanook for canon character based fic and meta, and hillsgladehouselibrary for OC fics. There also is a discord server for these communities, the Blue Heron Tea Nook.

You can read Pale fic on Ao3 here.

Where to read it

Pale can be read online here: palewebserial.wordpress.com/

There also is a fanmade audiobook that goes up to arc 10, about 1/3 of the story. It's on Spotify and Podchaser.

[rwrbficrecs]

First monthly faves for 2024 !! ❤️

Leave a message by @sherryvalli (book-verse)

@dot524: In the mood for some cute, heart-melting fluff? This is a one-shot that recounts Alex’s voicemail messages over the years from those who care about him - including Henry.

would you be my love, my love? (would you be mine) by ohprongs (book-verse)

@wilmonsfolklore: a strictly come dancing AU with a lot of feelings that I've been thinking about ever since i read it!!!

even though we know it isn't true by @matherines (book-verse)

@wilmonsfolklore: for everyone struggling with academic pressure, or anyone, really. it's pretty sad but of course there's comfort personified in Henry!!

beyond infatuation, how obsessively i adore you by @waterloolovers (book-verse)

@wilmonsfolklore: a new fandom classic if you ask me. Henry works at the daycare Alex's daughter goes to and their relationship progresses really naturally. the kid content in this fic is some of the cutest i have ever read and this is the perfect fic to go on your reread list for comfort.

And They Were Roommates by @14carrotghoul (book-verse)

@na-dineee: Alex and Henry get to know themselves and each other after they move in together. This story is not sugarcoated at all, very realistic - just how life is, and so so sweet. Also, unfortunately, rather short, but still worth the read - as are many other stories by this author, such as the 'Las flores' series.

Spirit of the Season by @pridepages (book-verse)

@heybuddy-drabbles: A little late to the game but I finally read E.J's Christmas story. Her way of story telling doesn't disappoint in this shorter tale (by her standards). It's not lighthearted and it touches some difficult topics (mostly canon) but it's all worth it because of the way they fall in love through Christmas Eve/night. Can't recommend it enough!

Where There Are Octobers by @iboatedhere (book-verse)

@na-dineee: 31 short chapters that are just really fun to read! Some are post-canon or canon-compliant, others are AUs - but in all of them the characters are so beautifully drawn, true to how we know and love them! A vet AU, a hospital AU, major fluff, even an X-Files AU - and who knows, maybe one or two dribbles will turn into more?! Fingers crossed!

The Art of Losing by bigfishbigpond (book-verse)

@dot524: If you think the mid-story breakup should have been longer and more angsty, here’s the story for you. An interesting and heartfelt story of what Henry and Alex are like apart, and what pulls them back together.

I know that you hate me (Do you though?) by @arand0mdutchgirl (book-verse)

@magnificentandcoolfez: A bit of good ADHD angst (with some comfort ofc). I like the focus on how hard adhd can be and it's a short and good read for those who like comfort that comes in the shape of your crush holding you until you feel grounded again.

blushing ears and beating hearts by @kill8a (book-verse)

@na-dineee: This story is not just slow burn, it is glacial burn. It's an college AU, set in New York, and so slow, so tender, so fluffy - after reading it I was floating on cloud 9 for quite a while. I don't know if you feel the same way, but it's funny how changing one given variable somehow changes the whole dynamic between the two of them. Or is it just me?! Either way, it's so wholesome to tag along as their love blossoms, I still feel so hugged and cared for.

all so human with our guards down by @maxbegone (book-verse)

@myheartalivewrites: a post-apocalyptic story that is unlike any other. There are no zombies or gore, but instead it focuses on rebuilding and the softest love growing between Alex and Henry, surrounded by family and friends. I kinda wanted to live there by the end of it.

The Snow Prince by @orchidscript (book-verse)

@zwiazdziarka: several fairy tale tropes meet to create this absolutely amazing story. It has dreaminess of a fable, best kind of yearning of your favourite slow burn fics and a little bit of adventure of a fantasy novel.

but to say that I'm a rainbow, to tell me that I'm bright (when I'm so used to feeling wrong, well, it helps me feel alright.) by What_Is_A_Mild_Opinion (book-verse)

@zwiazdziarka: Fandom is really sleeping on this one! This story is a canon rewrite with characters reimagined as creatures with animal characteristics. The wordbuilding is so fantastic that even if you are not a fan of long fics following canon step by step, it's absolutely worth to check this even for a chapter or two and get to know these wonderful versions of Alex and Henry. (Alex is literally rainbow.)

safe with me / more than I ever (in a thousand years)by @indomitable-love (book-verse)

@na-dineee: I think the author is very well known among all rwrb fanfic readers. I really, really liked these two stories, like a lot: Two 5+1 fics, one from Pez's point of view, the other from Bea's - unfortunately both characters are given too little attention in the book imho. As expected, both narrators are sharply observing, protective of Henry, loving, honest, tender - and you end up loving Henry (and Alex) even more.

check out our past Monthly Faves here ❤️

[captainseamech]

He's not ready for the drama in tonight's tea party.

[ragnarokhound]

trick or treat!! 🧡🖤

Hi Tauria!! Happy Spookmas UwU

Since you shared some behind the scenes verse details with me, I wanted to share some ideas I have cooking for a verse with you!!

This is for the very silly and self-indulgent Little Red Riding Hood AU I thought of a zillion years ago, and it's very much under construction still haha. I've changed a lot of things about the premise from that original post, so here's a breakdown of the idea (with spoilers!) plus a small scene snippet from the beginning of the fic:

Little Red Riding Hood AU:

Fairy tale setting - so think hand-wavingly feudalist kingdom in fantasy land, very 10th Kingdom in its approach.

(Side tangent: 10th Kingdom is an excellent miniseries that I love dearly from the 90s - it features a character named Wolf who is the love interest. No one who's been following me for any length of time would be surprised to discover that I had a massive childhood crush on this man lmfao definitely formative media for me ✨)

Jason is a knight of the realm (who wears a red riding hood ;) ) and his adoptive father Bruce holds a wooded country estate. Sent to war (and presumed dead (!)), Jason hasn't been home in years. He's coming home now, ahead of official correspondence correcting this misconception.

Along the way to Wayne Manor he stops to hunt, but that movement in the bushes wasn't prey; he accidentally grazes a lone wolf. And the wolf isn't very happy about that.

Reminder that this is fairy tale universe; the wolf's cheeks are ruddy, his thick black hair hangs in his pale blue eyes. He's a beautiful creature - but Jason knows better than to let his guard down. Wolves are clever, and that makes them dangerous. They're untrustworthy, and liable to bite. (Enormous prejudice against wolves in fairy tale land that will be unpacked later ;) )

This is, naturally, one big misunderstanding - the wolf thinks Jason attacked him on purpose and lashes out, and Jason's not about to sit back and let a wolf kill him. They get into a scuffle (riddled with banter and sexual tension of course) that only ends when Jason has him pinned to the forest floor with a blade against his throat-- but he hesitates to kill him.

As they catch their breath, they realize their errors, and Jason gets a name out of him. Delivered with no small amount of sass.

“My, Tim, what a big mouth you have,” Jason says dryly. “Don’t make me say it,” the wolf, whose name is apparently Tim, groans. But his pale eyes flash yellow as they flicker down the length of Jason’s body to the place their hips have met, his pink tongue swiping out to wet his lip. Jason catches sight of a sharp white fang, and abruptly his breeches feel tighter across the front. “But it’s right there,” Jason says absently, leaning in closer almost against his will. He doesn’t mean for his knife to break skin, but Tim’s throat bobs against the edge as he swallows, calling up a thin red line. Jason can feel the rush of his breath, soft across his own chin. He watches, fascinated, as the black swallows the blue of Tim’s eyes. “Fine, Sir Red-Riding-Hood. The better to taste you with, you brute,” he murmurs, and Jason closes the gap between them.

After, they part ways, both satisfied with the encounter and with the happy memories they'll be keeping for long nights ahead. ;)

Jason advises Tim not to sneak about in these woods if he can help it; he'd hate it if Tim were reduced to nothing more than a pelt adorning some hunter's wall. Tim teases back that Jason himself might prefer that honor, then melts back into the shadowed boughs of the forest. Goddamn.

aw, a happy ending! Right?

When Jason gets home, shocking Bruce and Alfred with his arrival (and the whole 'not dead' thing) (i'm still waffling on whether Jason knew about his presumed death lmao) Jason himself is shocked to discover that the son of their tragically departed neighbors the next county over, who has been staying with Bruce and Alfred for most of the years since Jason's departure, is none other than Tim. The wolf Jason just said his farewells to yesterday in the woods.

Cue the rest of the fic.

A discord message I sent to a friend when I was explaining Jason and Tim's feelings about this mutual revelation of their identities:

Jason, pulling Tim aside and whispering harshly: what do you think you're doing here, do they know you're a wolf, what are your intentions did you think to replace me-- Tim, whispering equally harshly: I swear I had no idea who you were, but youve been gone for years you have NO idea what it's been like while you were away, so don't you DARE-- Jason: I was AT WAR-- Tim: AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, HOWEVER--

Obviously, they fall in love.

(For the trick or treat ask game! Send me a trick or treat ask and I'll share jaytim WIP snippets, or new 3-sentence -paragraph fics, etc :^) through the 31st!)

[squarebracket-trickster]

Writeblr Intro

Hi everyone! I'm starting a new blog to chronicle my thoughts as I work on my current WIP. I've been on tumblr for a while but this particular blog is brand-spanking new. I'm really just doing this for me but I wouldn't mind making some writeblr friends to gush about our wips together. So without further ado...

My name is Kate (she/her) and I mostly write fantasy with the occasional sci-fi project on the side. I love epic high fantasy (in the vein of LotR or Wheel of Time) and YA fantasy romances equally.

Funny enough, my current project is none of those things. I thought I was writing a YA fantasy for the longest time but once I finished writing my first draft I realized I hadn't included a single fantastical element.

It's more like a YA twist on a Shakespeare comedy than anything else -- if I had to pick a genre. Something like Twelfth Night, Cymbeline, or As You Like It. It's got a young women running from an arranged marriage, a b-plot to prevent a war, forbidden love, mistaken identity hijinks, a forest setting, bandits, a fairy-tale High Medieval backdrop, and it wouldn't be truly like a Shakespeare comedy without cross-dressing and queer characters.

I have several other wips on the go but this is the one I am furthest along on. As of yesterday I was 10% of the way through my second draft!!

I won't be posting full chapters of the wip because I am hoping to query it one of these centuries... but I will definitely be posting about the process (the good, the funny, and the tufts of ripped out hair) and sharing my favourite lines.

I write each draft in one giant MS Word doc. My first draft for this wip clocked in at 112 572 words (163 pages in 11pt Times New Roman) but I am trying to cut it down to around 80 000 for the second draft -- a feat, seeing as I am a chronic over-writer.

I would love to chat with fellow writers, particularly anyone writing in a similar genre but sci-fi, fantasy, YA romance writers and anyone really --writer or not -- is welcome if you are interested in watching someone else go through the revision process of writing a novel, or if the concept itself intrigues you. I am also happy to answer questions about first drafts and writing in general.

I'm not as well-versed in Shakepeare as I pretend to be so any avid fans of his comedies who want to talk about them are most welcome too!!