#but the entire purpose of a big bang event is to have a lot of (long) complete works come out at once

[vashti-lives]

My old lady fandom opinion is that big bangs are EXPLICITLY not for wips and if you can’t write the whole story before the deadline you can post it later when it’s complete or post it as a wip as it’s own thing.

Obviously this isn’t how these things are run these days but the children are wrong.

[rusakkowrites]

For the DVD commentary, I need some details on the furnishings of Hartfield :D

“… I have been thinking over the arrangements upstairs, and I believe I have hit upon a fine solution. We shall do over Mrs Weston’s old chamber for a second dressing room. It is a very comfortable room, and I believe it will suit the purpose admirably. The wall-hangings must be changed, and I should like to order new curtains to match, but apart from that, I do not think much is required.”

“I am quite certain that you are correct.”

Mr Elton’s eyebrows shot up. The second voice belonged to none other than Mr Knightley, whom Mr Elton had quite expected to be at Donwell Abbey waiting for him. It was yet more evidence of Knightley’s recent peculiar absent-mindedness that he should be tarrying at Hartfield instead.

“I will send for samples to see what might suit,” continued Miss Woodhouse. Her voice was now so close that Mr Elton surmised she must be right on the other side of the shrubs surrounding his hiding place. “Mrs Weston has a very pretty pattern in her sitting room. I do not think the colour is quite what I should prefer, but perhaps something similar may be found in a different shade.”

It was just like Miss Woodhouse, Mr Elton thought ill-naturedly, to be so assured of her own importance as to blithely imagine that Knightley would give a fig about her refurbishment schemes. He rather wished that Knightley would set her right. Miss Woodhouse, if anyone, was in dire need of being taken down a peg.

“… As for the bedchamber, I think it will do as it is. Another bedside table might be needed, I suppose, but I believe the rest of the furniture will need no alteration – unless you perceive some overlooked flaw in my plan.”

“The furnishings of the room matter little to me,” came Mr Knightley’s voice. It sounded as if he and Miss Woodhouse were headed in the direction of the side gate. “My requirements will be satisfied as long as you may be found within.”

For an instant, Mr Elton thought that he must have misheard. Mr Knightley’s words seemed entirely incongruous. What business could he possibly have with Miss Woodhouse’s bedchamber furnishings, and why the devil was he speaking as if he would be making use of the room himself?

Yet Mr Elton’s hearing was proven quite intact by what followed.

“Oh,” Miss Woodhouse replied in a saucy tone, “I shall remind you of your words when you complain that the curtains let in too much light or that the bed is too narrow for two!”

Yay, another chance to talk about Emma and Mr Knightley! <3

This was a fic that I really enjoyed writing. The three previous fics I had written had been for a Big Bang event, a Reddit challenge and Fandom Trumps Hate, which were all a lot of fun, but afterwards it was really nice to write something with no deadline and no prompts or other rules to adhere to. Just something self-indulgent and a bit silly.

“… I have been thinking over the arrangements upstairs, and I believe I have hit upon a fine solution. We shall do over Mrs Weston’s old chamber for a second dressing room. It is a very comfortable room, and I believe it will suit the purpose admirably. The wall-hangings must be changed, and I should like to order new curtains to match, but apart from that, I do not think much is required.”

My impression is that both Emma and Mr Knightley are fairly practical people at heart. They're both used to being in charge of their respective households and to making decisions. I think they'd approach Mr Knightley's move to Hartfield in an organised manner and enjoy discussing all the details of their household management. (They'd also have plenty of time to plan due to Mr Woodhouse delaying the wedding.)

I headcanon Emma as having excellent taste, and of course she has the means to accomplish whatever decorating scheme that catches her fancy. Mrs Elton would no doubt find Emma's style disappointingly conservative and plain, but everyone else (including Mr Knightley) would feel that she she strikes just the right note: appropriate for her wealth and station in life but not overdone. However, she rarely makes many big alterations at once because Mr Woodhouse hates change so much. Just subtle updates a little bit at a time, preferably making a point of how each change makes their house safer and healthier to live in. Hartfield would have all the modern conveniences that Emma could get installed, but the rooms her father spends the most time in would not have anything too newfangled on view.

“I am quite certain that you are correct.”

Mr Elton’s eyebrows shot up. The second voice belonged to none other than Mr Knightley, whom Mr Elton had quite expected to be at Donwell Abbey waiting for him. It was yet more evidence of Knightley’s recent peculiar absent-mindedness that he should be tarrying at Hartfield instead.

I love dramatic irony in fiction, and I had lots of fun with Mr Elton's point of view in this story. Emma and Mr Knightley know what's going on and so does the reader, but Mr Elton is just grumpy and confused.

“I will send for samples to see what might suit,” continued Miss Woodhouse. Her voice was now so close that Mr Elton surmised she must be right on the other side of the shrubs surrounding his hiding place. “Mrs Weston has a very pretty pattern in her sitting room. I do not think the colour is quite what I should prefer, but perhaps something similar may be found in a different shade.”

The logistics of this whole scene gave me a bit of trouble. I wanted Mr Elton to be able to eavesdrop and even peek at Mr Knightley and Emma without being discovered. My initial idea was to have him just outside the garden gate, behind a tree or something, but I felt like he'd be too visible there, so I put him in a little nook in the shrubbery instead. I'm not sure how realistic it would actually be for a Regency-era garden to have a bench almost completely hidden by bushes, though if people had garden mazes, I imagine a little walled-off bench wouldn't be too hard to accomplish.

It was just like Miss Woodhouse, Mr Elton thought ill-naturedly, to be so assured of her own importance as to blithely imagine that Knightley would give a fig about her refurbishment schemes. He rather wished that Knightley would set her right. Miss Woodhouse, if anyone, was in dire need of being taken down a peg.

Mr Elton spent the previous autumn praising everything Emma said and did, but that's definitely over! Mr Knightley, however, is another matter. In canon, the Eltons seem pretty eager to build a good relationship with him (which is unsurprising considering that he owns basically all the land in the area). Unfortunately for them, disliking Emma is a pretty certain way to earn Mr Knightley's dislike. And he's very invested in Emma's refurbishment scheme!

“… As for the bedchamber, I think it will do as it is. Another bedside table might be needed, I suppose, but I believe the rest of the furniture will need no alteration – unless you perceive some overlooked flaw in my plan.”

“The furnishings of the room matter little to me,” came Mr Knightley’s voice. It sounded as if he and Miss Woodhouse were headed in the direction of the side gate. “My requirements will be satisfied as long as you may be found within.”

I agonized over what exactly Mr Knightley should say to finally tip Mr Elton off. I wanted it to be inappropriate for anyone except a husband or future husband to say, but I didn't want to make it sound sleazy - I think Mr Knightley wouldn't be one for dirty talk before marriage.

For an instant, Mr Elton thought that he must have misheard. Mr Knightley’s words seemed entirely incongruous. What business could he possibly have with Miss Woodhouse’s bedchamber furnishings, and why the devil was he speaking as if he would be making use of the room himself?

Yet Mr Elton’s hearing was proven quite intact by what followed.

“Oh,” Miss Woodhouse replied in a saucy tone, “I shall remind you of your words when you complain that the curtains let in too much light or that the bed is too narrow for two!”

I wanted to show Emma and Mr Knightley being comfortable with each other, and I think teasing and banter would be a big part of that. I also think that their long-standing friendship would make it easier for them to discuss topics that are very relevant to their practical arrangements but also skirting the edge of propriety, such as sleeping arrangements. However, they definitely wouldn't be talking about such private topics if they knew someone else was in earshot!

I think Emma has a pretty good notion of what to expect from married life. She has both Mrs Weston and Isabella to talk to, after all. I also believe that Emma is the Austen heroine who is shown to be thinking most directly about her future children:

It is remarkable, that Emma, in the many, very many, points of view in which she was now beginning to consider Donwell Abbey, was never struck with any sense of injury to her nephew Henry, whose rights as heir-expectant had formerly been so tenaciously regarded. Think she must of the possible difference to the poor little boy; and yet she only gave herself a saucy conscious smile about it, and found amusement in detecting the real cause of that violent dislike of Mr. Knightley’s marrying Jane Fairfax, or any body else, which at the time she had wholly imputed to the amiable solicitude of the sister and the aunt.

I feel that the "saucy conscious smile" could be read as implying that she has some idea of how those children will come about. :D

Thank you for the ask!

[harrison-abbott]

All Looking Rosy

I thought I’d get in touch with them to see if they wanted to go to the big soccer game. I bought the tickets. Which were rather pricey, and was sure they’d be interested. Jep said he already had plans with his girlfriend that night. And Louie said she was feeling a bit under the weather, but thanks anyway. [I asked a few of my buddies if they wanted to use the tickets instead. But none of them were United fans, or they didn’t appreciate football much, or they had a date booked with the wife, yaddy yadda. So I sold the other tickets on eBay, and went on my own. It was a pretty good game and I managed to get through it with a lot of beer.]

I called Jep on his birthday. He picked up. Sounded like he was out in the street. There were girls giggling in the background and boys shouting. Asked him what he was up to. The connection was a bit awry and I couldn’t hear much of his words. “Are you all right, Jep?” I queried. There were pops and bangs and somebody was laughing. Jep eventually responded, “I can’t hear you, Dad; this line is a bit dodgy: I’ll call you tomorrow, okay.” And he hung up. And didn’t call tomorrow.

For Louie’s graduation I drove up to the ceremony. She was with her friends, dressed in her gown and hat and so on, and she blushed when she saw me. Her friends were skinny and dolled up and they went silent as I was there and looked up at me with snatched glances, and I fathomed that I was making Louie uncomfortable so I said to her “I’ll catch you after the event, doll,” and I kissed her cheek, and left. And sat through forty minutes of kids appearing on the stage to get their certificate. Louie got on the stage and I couldn’t tell whether she was enjoying herself and it only lasted twenty seconds. She graduated with a C grade. The gown/hat/cloak etc had cost £83 to hire for the day. She went out drinking with her friends following the event and I wasn’t invited. Not that I wanted to go, with them, because I fell out of love with pubs when I was around her age.

Jep called me up after seventeen months of not speaking to me whatsoever, about anything, not even replying on the various things I sent him on WhatsApp – asking for money, because he’d moved flats and needed a bit of a cash injection for his deposit. When I picked up the phone he spoke to me for a solid five minutes and seemed intrigued with what I was saying and I was surprised and thought he genuinely wanted to speak to me, until he got down to the purpose of the interaction.

Louie got engaged to this man whom she met when she was studying her second degree (which, by the way, she’d asked me to pay for, and I won’t tell you the amount). He was from Italy. Apparently. I only learned through social media that she’d invited the entire other-familial clan over to meet him and his parents, a meet the family do, downtown, in a plush restaurant; saw the photos, with my ex wife, and Jep was there, too, all looking rosy, merry.

I was diagnosed with prostate cancer last week. And I’m still waiting on further tests and scans to find out how serious it is and whether or not it may even be terminal. My own fault, in a way, for not going to the GP for checkups so regularly. This news was pretty stunning. But, what I did? Who I spoke to? I spoke to my old mate Henry about it. And he got emotional when I told him and said if there was anything he could do to help, just ask. Henry is my oldest friend and he’d just been there, for four decades. He’s an intelligent guy that has opinions and a lofty accent and voice that’s enjoyable to listen to. I didn’t want to talk to my ex wife, or Jep, or Louie, about having cancer. I doubt their words would be as wise as Henry’s. They wouldn’t be, I know. Fuck ‘em. Sometimes you have a license to be angry with people; you have a right to get furious with folks who don’t appreciate you.

[gameofsevens]

hey cowboy! for the ask game, I have a lot: 13, 16, 24, 46, 57 and 74

Howdy!

13. what’s a common writing tip that you almost always follow?

I don't know if this is a tip I saw or a rule I came up with myself, but I try not to start a sentence with the same word twice in a row. That usually applies unless I'm making a stylistic choice to repeat. One that I do know is a tip I saw once was how to tell when to start a new paragraph. I do think I'm a little too excitable when it comes to starting a new paragraph, but I think reading on my phone makes paragraphs look longer than they actually are.

16. already answered

24. Worst writing advice anyone ever gave you?

I remember it clearly: sophomore year, accelerated English II. We were learning about passive and active sentences, and the teacher told us that in both creative and professional writing, you should aim to mostly use active sentences to keep your reader engaged. I then wrote a report that included a fair amount of passive sentences, and when he called me up to ask about it, he said he highlighted all the passive sentences--spoiler alert, he missed more than half of them because, like I'll say next, they didn't matter. He said I should've written those sentences he highlighted in active form, and I said "but I don't care about those sentences--they don't matter in keeping the reader engaged" because in my mind, they're transition sentences that are only there because of necessity. If you only have active sentences, it can become too much or bog down the entire piece of writing because nothing sticks out. If I want to build tension of scare the reader, I'll start by writing passively and build up to only active sentences, or if something's boring or depressing, I'll use passive sentences to portray something dull and monotonous. I still follow my own advice (and ignore his) to this day.

46. How would you describe your style?(Character/emotion/action-driven, etc)

Hm, this is a hard one. I guess I would say my style aims for the reader to be able to visualize it exactly as I do in my head: I try to paint it as a picture or a movie, one that you can see every expression or twitch of the muscle, can feel the environment around you, or hear the swell or decrescendo of music as the scene moves on. So depending on what I'm writing, it changes between character, emotion, or action-driven.

57. Do you prefer editing as you write, or waiting until it’s finished? 

Usually, I wait until after I'm finished so I don't get distracted. However, with the recent big bang event, I was editing as I went, which cut it very close to posting time lol

74. You’ve posted a fic anonymously. How would someone be able to guess that you’d written it?

This is also a bit of a hard one, but I think there's two things. The first is "lore"—I tend to over-explain, if you couldn't tell by my lengthy answers, so I'll always stick in some explanation for characters' reasonings and actions. This is also because I don't like characters being two-dimensional, so I want to give a history for the 'why'. Another would be symbolism. I like to have a deeper meaning and purpose for objects, actions, or dialogue, and for my longer works (like Monster Party was going to build to), have stuff that will make things click in the reader's brain. I'm also a slut for Chekov's gun, so I like to sprinkle that in there when I can, but that's almost solely for longer works, like mp or some original works

[steter-bang]

Steter Mini Bang 2022 Q&A

What is a “Bang,” in general?

A Big Bang (or "Bang" for short) is a specific type of challenge usually involving long fics and accompanying artwork.  Read more about Big Bangs and their history on the Fanlore website here.

What is the Steter Bang?

It’s a Steter focused Bang!  We’re big lovers of Teen Wolf’s Peter Hale x Stiles Stilinski round these here parts.

However… we’re kinda playing fast and loose with the exact definition of “long fic” and the exact definition of “accompanying artwork” for the Steter Mini Bang 2022.

… fast and loose?

Yup!  For the “long fic” part, we’re turning that into a 1,000-word minimum story (much shorter than the 10k – 50k minimum you typically see as part of Bangs!).  And for the “accompanying artwork” part, we’re broadening that definition to include all sorts of transformative works of fanfiction.  Some examples could be: manips, mood boards, playlist, icons, vids, filk, podfic, embroidery, tarot cards, fanart, or remixes of fanfiction.

I’ve seen most of these but what’s a “remix?”

Let me explain!  A remix is a piece of fanfiction that reimagines an earlier piece of fanfiction.  This could be by role reversal, a POV flip, a sequel or a prequel, or lots of other things!  Check out the Fanlore page on remixes right here.

It should, however, stay true to the definition of a transformative work and “add something new, with a further purpose or different character, altering the [source] with new expression, meaning, or message.”

Okay soooo how is this going to turn into the Steter Mini Bang 2022 this summer?

I’m glad you asked! 

Participants in the event will be split into two “Teams” based on their sign-up selections and will work with someone from the opposite “Team” in a sort of relay fashion.  Let’s call the first team “Team Alpha” and the second team “Team Red” (yes, I’m a sucker for dumb nicknames, why do you ask?).  “Team Alpha” will be the participants creating works of fanfiction for the first 6 weeks of the event.  “Team Red” will be the participants creating transformative works for the last 6 weeks of the event that are based on the fanfiction created in the first half.  Creators are more than welcome to sign up for both Teams!

When you sign up to participate in the Mini Bang, you’ll be asked if you want to participate as a fanfiction author, as a transformative-works-of-fanfiction creator, as both, or as either.  If you pick “both,” you’ll be creating both an original piece of fanfiction for the event that’s a minimum of 1,000 words for the first half of the event AND you’ll be creating a transformative work in the second half of the event that’s based on a piece created in the first half of the event.  If you pick “either,” you’ll only be creating in one half of the event but you’re open to either and will allow the Mods to place you on either Team.

Something that’s slightly different from the other Bangs you may have participated in is that you’re going to be partnered up with someone from the opposite Team from the get-go.  So, if you sign up to be on Team Alpha and are creating a piece of fanfiction for the first 6 weeks, you’ll already know who your Team Red partner is!  Ideally, you’ll be collaborating with them from the beginning and keeping them in the loop so they can start thinking about how they’re going to transform your work.  Bounce ideas off of them!  Get their feedback!  They love Steter as much as you do, so you already have something in common! :)

If you sign up to be on both Team Alpha and Team Red, then you’ll be working with 2 separate people for the entire summer (how fun!!).

How are we going to be partnered up?

When you fill out the sign-up form, you’ll be asked for your likes, dislikes, hard no’s, preferences, etc.  We’ll match you up based on that!

But, wait, don’t artists in Bangs usually pick which work they want to create art for based on a summary?

That is correct!  And then typically both the author and the artist finish their work near the end of the event and post them together.  However, that wouldn’t really work with the sort of relay format we’re using so that we can include other types of transformative works (podfic, remixes, etc.).  We’re mixing things up!

So, is this really even a “Bang?”

Ehhh, what's in a name? ;)  I'm choosing to still call this a "Bang" because it is very much not a gift exchange.  While we're hoping to pair people up based on "likes" and "dislikes," and also hoping that the pairs will be working together and communicating the whole time, the author on "Team Alpha" during the first part of the event is still very much in charge of writing whatever story they want.  This should not be explicitly tailored to their partner's interest - it should be the story the author wants to tell!  Like the fan artists in a Bang, our transformative works creators on "Team Red" don't get to dictate what story the author is writing for the first 6 weeks.  Instead, they get to creatively transform whatever work is written (how exciting!).

Additionally, my hope is that this event results in a massive explosion of Steter fanworks so we’re a “Big Bang” in spirit, if nothing else. ;)

Who’s running this thing, anyway?

There’s three of us!  I’m bri but you may know me as @teenwerewoofs​ here on tumblr.  If you’ve listened to my podfic at all, you’re probably accurately reading this all in my voice lol

Then we have @meggie-stardust​ (AO3: Wreck) & @midmorning-bomb​ (AO3).

All 3 of us LOVE Steter, use she/her pronouns, & are very excited to dive into this event!!

I’ve never done a fandom event like this, though…

Psst… let me tell you a little secret: me either!  But we’ll get through this together.  If you feel you can’t draw or can’t write, then create a mood board & a playlist!  Or make a vid!  Or create a podfic!  That last one is what got me, personally, into creating for fandom. 

As Neil Gaiman once said, “[W]e can take joy in the act of creation.”  I hope that you decide to dive in and experience that joy for yourself.  And the Mods will be there every step of the way, if you need any help!

Alright, I’m in.  What next?

Yay!  I’m excited to have you join!

First, review the rules here.  Second, check out the schedule here & the posting overview here.  Third, sign up here.  And you’re good to go!

If you have any additional questions, feel free to pop in the DMs or Ask a Question on this blog!  You can also send an email to: steter.bang@pm.me!

[aerialflight]

Fic Recs (mostly Naruto cause I read too many good fics in the fandom and now I'm in hell)

[Naruto]

Spirit-Touched by phooykazooi

Once upon a time, the Haruno clan were priests. It was said that they were spirit-touched, and that they walked among the downtrodden and the poor, and did not bow to royalty.

Or, an AU in which Sakura can see spirits.

Part 1 of The Realms Between

(Really, and I mean REALLY fantastic Shikamaru & Sakura friendship! Fantastic, beautiful writing, and such good worldbuilding, god, and the Haruno family is so badass!! Sakura and everything she does makes me want to scream!! Please read!)

Final Evaluation by Do_the_Cool_Whip

Progress evaluations are one-on-one consultation meetings between academy students and their teacher. Their purpose is to inform academy students of their strengths and weaknesses and guide them down their ideal path to becoming a strong shinobi. Upon graduating the academy and passing their jounin-sensei test, new genin return to the academy for one final consultation. (Or: The story of what happens when Umino Iruka uses his final meetings with his students as way to send them off to become the best shinobi they can possibly be.)

(Iruka! Is! The! Best! Teacher! Ever! End of story!!! Great interpretation of all the characters and their capabilities and I am so so excited for the sequel that will undoubtedly come! XD)

Celestial Bodies by Oceanbreeze7

Sasuke looked at the fire, eyes glowing red as the mutated corrupted seal on his throat. "Amaterasu blessed me. I see things. Like you with two normal eyes and the Hokage. And Sakura with a seal on her forehead. And I run Chidori through Naruto's heart. I keep trying to kill him. Over and over. And that knuckleheaded idiot never gives up.”

(Don't you get it? I saw it. The moon will bleed, the nations will die. The world is going to end.)

Part 1 of Celestial Bodies and Anomalies

(I swear, this fic freaking elevated my expectations on Sasuke-centric fics in general holy hell. Also, read the fucking sequel after this cause EVERYTHING GOES NUTS AND THE PLOT GOES OFF AND I'M HERE FOR THIS SHIT. Fucking Uchihas man. Also, you wouldn't think this series is funny, but it is, and it's amazing.)

A step to the left (and right off the cliff) by weavingBlue

Team Seven starts off on a different foot and Sasuke's canonical journey to get stronger goes off the rails a bit. It all works out though. Probably.

(This fic went in a direction I didn't expect and it's GLORIOUS. SO FUNNY, I honestly was dying while I was reading this. Please give this a chance!!)

promises by BombsAreForBabies

It's her first kiss and Naruto's last. She promises him that she will bring Sasuke home. It's his dying wish, after all.

(Naruto bleeds out faster than the kyuubi can heal him.

Sakura learns that being a ninja is more than fancy jutsu and fun.

Sasuke does not know that he just killed his best friend and turned his most loyal comrade into his worst enemy.)

(Listen LISTEN I know this sounds depressing but the relationship developments and slow healing is EVERYTHING and I think it's absolutely worth it to read this. Sakura's characterization is so good and Kakashi makes me want to hug him. A lot.)

Fang Under Fang by Vroomian

"Are we sure he's really an Inuzuka?"

(The answer is no.)

-

Someone reborn as Inuzuka Kiba not only has to deal with bullshit ninja magic, but soulmates being A Thing.

(Really good self-insert fic and its platonic soulmates, not romantic! I am always here for a good Kiba-centric fic and I won't say who the soulmate is. It's unexpected but so, so good! Trust me!)

Haunt The Lonely by Tht0neGal666

(Series where Sakura can see ghosts and the Things she gets up to due to this ability. The fics are short but man, you can already see the shifting differences in Team 7's dynamics, it's great!)

Perception by Ellie_Enchanted

Naruto can sense auras, which throws everything off it's balance. Because really, with someone as open as Naruto running around and peering into the depths of people's souls, something is bound to change. In other words, sometimes all that's needed is a push. Also, Sasuke apparently glows.

(Naruto the empath changing the plot and making it Better and I am loving it!)

Crossfire by DejaVu22

Following the events of Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke never makes it to Orochimaru's hideout. Instead, he is waylaid by a one-eyed man named Tobi, a man possessing a Sharingan, a terrifying dual personality, a penchant for always being late, and a single-minded mission to stop the Akatsuki in their tracks. When Sasuke runs into Naruto again years later, he must ally with his old teammate in order to protect him from the Akatsuki, while keeping him out of the two man war Tobi and Sasuke have started against the dangerous organization.

(I honest to god can't stop cackling when I read this, the Sasuke & Obito dynamic is so freaking chaotic and Sasuke's characterization is the best thing I've ever read. This boi is a mEsS and I'm fucking rooting for him. He cares so much! There's secret identity shenanigans happening on sasuke's end and it's HILARIOUS! This is the duo I never thought I needed but here it is! *cackles insanely*)

-

[Diamond no Ace]

Echo in His Hands by SportRayne (rayningnight)

Ship: Miyuki/Sawamura

What does it mean, when you remember snapshots of your own future?

Is it your future at all, if you change it?

Would you even want to change it?

(Look I am WEAK for BAMF Eijun and time travel fics and Miyuki being a tanuki bastard, okay? Time travel fic where Eijun gets feelings of people he knew before in the future. Really good so far and am so excited over this fic!)

The path we walk by WindsOfTime

Ship: Miyuki/Sawamura

Eijun goggles at the magazine she just shoved into his hands. "W-Wakana!" "I know!" she says, beaming. "That's my soulmate!!" "I know!!" "My soulmate plays baseball!!"

(Became such an instant fave so fast it's unbelievable. I LOVE THESE IDIOTS SO MUCH! Best soulmate fic in this fandom, hands down!)

-

[One Piece]

switching places by fireflywitch

Zoro is 21 and wakes up in a desert they already saved, on a ship that they burned two years ago, and standing next to a man who is supposed to be dead. Except, that can’t be right, can it?

Zoro is 19 and wakes up on a ship that’s too big, next to a robot wearing a swimsuit, and he’s supposed to fight something called a Kaido. Also, he’s missing an eye, and no one’s even a little worried about it?

(or)

Time travel is a shitshow, and Zoro didn't sign up for this.

(FUCKING HILARIOUS ZORO IS THE BEST PERSON TO SEND BACK IN TIME CAUSE HE'D BE TERRIBLE YET FANTASTIC AT IT I CAN'T MAN FIEWNOPFEW)

No Time To Crank The Sun by VIKAN

He’s surrounded by strangers, but they’re all trying to convince him otherwise. Or, Zoro faces a mysterious and relentless challenge that he just can’t wrap his head around.

(This ripped my heart open, I cried reading this my god. Please read this, the pain is so worth it and Zoro and his relationship with his crew is so good here. This reminded me why I love the Straw Hats so much!)

-

[Fairy Tail]

to learn about a lucy (with a look into the future.) by るる凪 - nagi (arurun)

A watching the future fanfic.

It's currently X781, three years before canon. A group of Fairy Tail mages find themselves in a large building, with no known way out.

They sit down, and they watch the future.

(This is so much more fun than I thought it would be and I'm so happy I found this fic. This fic reignited my old love for this fandom and I hope it does for you too!)

-

[Harry Potter]

sunflowers by Marnie27

One day, a young girl sits on the edge of a well. On this day, she falls in. Then the next, she’s not even a ‘she’ anymore. He’s Peter Pettigrew — doomed to die at the hands of his (betrayed) friend’s son.

Peter is selfish, bitter and brash. He’s not some fairy tale hero, he doesn’t care if everyone around him dies, as long as he lives. The marauders are annoying and childish. Survival is his priority, and he can’t afford to face distractions.

This just makes the fact that soulmates are now apparently a thing all the more godawful.

(And then another day years later he falls into an entirely new impossibility, Remus Lupin in tow, right into the third book of Harry Potter. Smack bang on the other Peter Pettigrew’s grave).

It’s confusing and graceless, and entirely something that would happen to him of all people.

(Self-insert fic where a girl reincarnates into Peter Pettigrew! And there are soulmates! And it's angsty and hilarious and Peter is an Asshole (somewhat unintentionally lol). Always a fan of biased pov fics and characters slowly improving themselves and their mental health! Cause dying! Is! Traumatic! *smiley face* Please read!)

-

[Crossovers]

he's a killer queen, sunflower, guillotine by hoye

Fandoms: Fullmetal Alchemist, Harry Potter

He has to be the weirdest Hufflepuff Harry’s ever seen. Scratch that, he’s the weirdest Hufflepuff Hogwarts has ever seen.

(One thing everyone could agree on: NEVER call Edward Elric short.)

(This is peak Edward Elric and all the best things about him and I'm just having a Good Time. Friendships! Logical solutions! Marauder screentime! And so much More! *bright grin* It's a fun place here!)

[babieateez]

after literal months of trying to write this, here it is!! i completely trashed it after a few attempts and rewrote it in the span of two hours after probably too much coffee but i hope everyone enjoys it nonetheless !!

you didn’t know jung wooyoung very well but you also felt like things were better off that way since he was the type of guy to hang out with the wrong crowd

y’know, the ones who probably smoke cigarettes on campus and cut classes to get drunk at whatever party was happening on campus that day

you could be almost positive that jung wooyoung would rather stick his hand in hot oil than be acquainted with you, since pretty much every time you accidentally made eye contact with him in your shared class, he looked just about like he was ready to commit murder

the first time it happened, you hadn’t even realized you were looking at him, not until you felt someone’s red hot stare on your face

and the second, third and fourth time have also all been less than purposeful, getting called by the professor to hand back certain papers, dropping your pencil too close to him, quickly glancing around the room to see if anyone had caught you tripping over your own shoelaces and seeing the cold eyes of wooyoung staring back at you, every single time has been returned with a sneer crossing his face and a dangerous look in his eyes

it’s not like you wanted to be looking at him, you had much better things to be doing, like your classwork or writing in your notebook, but it’s like you were fated to annoy wooyoung

it was like a curse, you couldn’t escape that guy, especially not when your professor told the class about how the project that he was originally planning to be done alone was to now be completed in partners (randomly assigned!!)

lord knows you had just the worst luck, so of course you got paired up with jung fucking wooyoung of course you had!

you’re sure that as soon as he heard your name in conjunction with his, he was ready to drop the class entirely but you were more than willing to do all the work by yourself if it meant not having to deal with him

you told him as much as soon as class was over which obviously didn’t go over so well seeing as wooyoung just narrowed his eyes at you and told you that he didn’t trust you to not fuck things up, adding that he was going to be in the library later in the day to get started

you almost snapped back at him that you were surprised that he even knew where the library was, but you held your tongue out of fear for your own safety and well-being

so later that day, you walked yourself to the library despite every bone in your body protesting spending extra time with the man who all but hated you

you refused to let him do the work alone because you weren’t overly confident in his mental facilities and dedication to getting at least passing grades

and after about five minutes of walking through the library, you spotted wooyoung sitting at a table with a book pulled out, along with a snack which you were pretty sure were prohibited in this area

but as long as it didn’t get you in trouble, you didn’t want to waste your time arguing with him over the rules

as he looked up from the snack he was examining for whatever reason, he spotted you, a sour look crossing his face as he leaned back in his chair

as you approached and pulled out a chair on the opposite side of the table, he made some remark about how he didn’t actually expect you to show and that he’s disappointed that he has to spend extra time with you

to which you can’t help but retort by saying you figured he might need help actually figuring out how to read the books on the subject but you leave it at that, opting to ignore whatever comes out of his loud mouth next in favor of pulling out your laptop to actually start working on the project

the table becoming silent other than the sounds of munching whenever wooyoung took a bite of his snack and after a few hours of research and tense comparing of ideas, you call it a day and head home to ponder how you and wooyoung didn’t tear each other apart from limb to limb

these quiet library sessions filled with very little talking and a lot of awkwardness in the air continue for a few weeks, each time you meet up getting less scary and annoying, and in turn becoming more relaxed and productive

the insults haven’t stopped being slung from either side, but now it’s less of actual hatred and closer to frenemy-esque banter which surprises you almost as much as when you forgot to eat lunch before going to the library

your stomach letting out a loud grumble in front of your project partner, and him glaring at you with an accusatory look, only to reach into his bag and grab out one of the snacks he always seems to be carrying around

you weren’t sure how to respond to this so you spluttered out a “no thank you, why do you think i want your shit anyway” only for wooyoung to shove it onto your side of the table anyway

telling you that it was probably stale from sitting at the bottom of his bag for weeks anyway but when you open it and take a bite of one of the crackers, it’s not even close to stale, it’s not even crushed up like most old snacks would be

this unexpected act of kindness (could it even be classified as that when wooyoung was probably just annoyed by your stomach making noise???) shut you up for the rest of the day, and even some of the next time you saw him

until you realized it would be the last day you’d have to work with him for the project, seeing as it was due the next day in class and leaving the table that day felt almost bittersweet

you didn’t know what to do with yourself now that you had so much wooyoung-free time, but it was nice knowing that you didn’t have to worry about annoying him any more

that is, until you show up to the library the next week, near the same time you and wooyoung usually met up to work, since you weren’t sure what else to do during that time, only to find wooyoung sitting at the same table you usually worked together at

you were shocked of course, but he looked even more shocked when he saw you approaching, asking you what you were doing here, if you knew that the project was over or if your tiny brain couldn’t remember that, the same banter you’d usually encounter while working

you let him know that you just didn’t know what else to do with the free time, now that you don’t have any big projects to work on so you figured you’d just chill here anyway

and nothing much really happens, it’s a mix between you feeling awkward and trying to act natural until you realize that you have to leave

when you meet up with your friends after for a little de-stressing hangout, they ask you if you’re still going on those dates with wooyoung and you can’t help but laugh- you???? attracted to jung wooyoung???????? the man who has only felt contempt towards you????????????? as if.

yet, despite it being a passing comment meaning no harm, you can’t help but ponder over it for far longer than someone who actually isn’t in some way attracted to wooyoung should

it practically takes over your life, thinking and overthinking every word you’ve said to him and every interaction you’ve shared with him, you could’ve sworn at the time that you hated him but maybe the flutter you got in your stomach before meeting him every week wasn’t so much out of fear as it was attraction

you stay in your dorm the next week in favor of going to the library, fearing that you’d become physically ill if you had to see wooyoung and confront your feelings and biases towards him, not even slightly suspecting that he’d find you in class the next day and ask if you were okay, since you weren’t at the library yesterday

offering you once more a snack from his bag which you accept weakly with a weak snide comment about not wanting his pity, him responding with a small smile that he was actually plotting to give you food poisoning but you could tell that he cared at least a little bit, a fact which got your heart racing and you brain trying to deny totally

the next week, you actually do show up to the library, not wanting to seem weak for skipping the unofficial hangout with wooyoung, only for you to lose yourself in the book you were reading

not realizing it had gotten dark until you looked out the window nearby, wanting to bang your head against the table since it’s never safe to walk alone in the dark, until wooyoung sees your plight and offers to walk you home

you feel like you’re about to combust but you shake your head quickly, saying you can call a friend to come pick you up, but wooyoung doesn’t seem to be listening to your protests, telling you that you’re too stubborn and to just let him walk yo back to the dorm

it would probably be less out of the way for him than your friend anyway

which is how you find yourself standing beside him, walking to your dorm in the dark

when you get to your door, you see the gears turning in his brain and can’t resist one final jab for the day, remarking that you’re surprised it’s not actually hollow in his noggin

and since jung wooyoung never fails to surprise you, he forgoes a response to instead start leaning toward you with a small smirk on his face

the heat in your face feels like it’s on turboblast, your heart is going three hundred miles per hour and you can’t think of anything logical to do other than to run inside your dorm, quickly shout out a thank you, and all but slam your door in his face

your roommate asks why you look so panicked and you respond with “i think my mortal enemy slash crush just tried to kiss me”

you have more than a few crises about it that night, even dreaming about the events of the day, only to show up to class the next day, seeing wooyoung look less energized than usual

this time you’re the one to approach him, asking if he’s okay and him sort of scoffing and asking why you would care anyway (at this point you know he’s hurt but you were nervous that the guy you thought you hated but ended up being attracted to was trying to kiss you okay you’re valid)

so you steel your nerves, check that the professor hasn’t walked into class yet, and quickly grab wooyoung by the front of his shirt and give him the quickest kiss you think may be humanly possible before rushing to your seat and burying your head in the textbook, leaving wooyoung standing there in shock as the professor waltzes in

if you think you can escape the clutches of wooyoung after class, you’re sorely mistaken, as soon as the professor dismisses you, he’s shooting out of his seat and grabbing your hand, basically dragging you into a quieter part of the building before asking if you meant it, you shooting him a silent, bashful nod, and him pulling you in for a much longer kiss than you gave him before

it’s like breathing after a lifetime of not knowing what oxygen was, but you pull back to ask him why he hated you and the words get caught in his throat

it’s like he’s choking on his pride when he tells you that the first time he saw you he was so enraptured by you, but how he also couldn’t help but be bitter that you’d never see him like that since you were so out of his league (in his mind- he was the “bad boy” after all)

he knew what sorts of rumors circulated about him around campus, skipping class to smoke and party, getting into fights

but the reality was just that he worked at a shop to be able to pay his tuition and sometimes the hours were in the middle of when he had to be in class or whatever

he even always let the professors know and they were always okay with it as long as his grades didn’t suffer

you were sitting there listening to him say all this with his arms still around you like :0

because wow you’d never guess it

but because you can’t help yourself, you remark that he was so much more sexy when you thought he was a real bad boy, to which he shuts you up by kissing you once more, a common theme you discover in the coming weeks of courtship

your meetings at the library migrating to small cafes and cute diners and movies at his apartment, all feelings of tension and hatred and remorse becoming almost a joke with you two, hardly being able to believe there was a time in which you weren’t so enamored with each other

the both of you hardly being able to go a single weekend without staying the night with each other, waking up in a pile of blankets and pillows and tangled in the warm embrace of the other, making breakfast (or brunch, since it’s sometimes hard to get out of bed) with each other

wooyoung often opting to hold you from behind rather than actually helping though you can’t exactly say you mind too much as long as he’s quietly making corny jokes in your ear or kissing you on the head

the best times, you think are the times where he, in his typical wooyoung fashion, surprises you by taking you out on dates

sometimes they’re fancy restaurants where you feel much too young and broke to be, playing footsies under the table and giggling at each other

other times he just takes you to the middle of a field of flowers where he unveils a picnic basket and cute quilted blanket (which he reveals to you that he made himself) and the two of you lay outside for hours, sometimes running around and playing goofy games, sometimes laying in each others’ embrace and basking in the silence that you now feel so comfortable in

sometimes he just pulls you into bed for a midday nap, sleeping next to each other like it’s where you were made to be

as if some higher being had made it so that the place you melded to was wooyoung’s side

as if he was the only place you were ever going to be complete, and you figured that’s how it was since wooyoung was your home, he was everything you ever needed and he was the only thing that made you feel such otherworldly love

[lovelylogans]

parallax

parallax, noun: the apparent offset of a foreground object against the background when your perspective changes. at a given instant, the moon appears among different stars for observers at widely separated locations on earth. astronomers directly calculate the distance to a nearby star by measuring its incredibly small positional changes (its parallax) as earth orbits the sun.

warnings: staying up late, unhealthy study habits, please let me know if i’ve missed any!

pairing: virgil/logan

word count: 2,211

notes: this is for day 2 of @analogicalweek! the prompt of the day is “song/stars” and i have decided to write about stars! please enjoy!

⁂

“Barlow lens,” Virgil reads off the notecard.

“A lens that’s placed into the focusing tube to effectively double or triple a telescope’s focal length and, in turn, the magnification of any eyepiece used with it,” Logan recites. His glasses are off, his hands are over his eyes, and if not for the absurd amounts of coffee they had both consumed and the bright lights of the empty classroom they are occupying, Logan would probably fall asleep.

If not for the fact that Logan loves astronomy so much, he would gladly fold it in for the night and get some much-needed rest. As it is, Virgil is also in his class, and he does not hold the same inclination for the subject.

And also, Logan has a massive crush on Virgil and would likely do anything he asks, except Virgil doesn’t know that part. He likely thinks that Logan is helping him study because of his deep love of science.

“Good. Me now.”

Logan picks up a notecard at random and squints it, resettling his glasses on his nose. “Nebula.”

“Great clouds of glowing gas, lit up by stars inside or nearby.”

“Dark nebula?”

“Not lit up and are visible only because they block the light of stars behind them.”

“Latin for?”

“Cloud.”

“Good,” Logan says, tucking the notecard at the bottom of the pile, or as close as a pile as he can get. Their study materials have made quite a mess. The notecards that Logan made are sprawled across the table, some tucked under their notebooks, and Virgil’s pens are tossed along the table within easy reach. The whiteboard is already filled up with mixtures of both of their handwriting, highlighting key concepts that they’d wanted to go through in this study session. They’re almost all crossed out—all that’s left is general review of key terms.

“Oh, here’s a hard one for you,” Virgil says. His black hair is sticking up in tufts, because he’s been running his hands through it and tugging at the ends for the entirety of their marathon study session. It makes him look very cute. “Albedo feature, and tell me a prominent one.”

“A large area on the surface of a reflecting object that shows a significant contrast in brightness or darkness compared to adjacent areas,” Logan says. “And Syrtis Major, on Mars.”

“You didn’t even hesitate,” Virgil says. “You’re definitely gonna ace this final.”

“Well, obviously,” Logan says, and it only occurs to him to perhaps pretend at humbleness when Virgil snorts. Logan feels his face heat, and he says, “I mean—”

“Nah, nah, it’s cool,” Virgil says, stretching out his long, pale arms, and Logan hopes he isn’t too obvious as he stares at the subtle lines of his biceps, his triceps, his flexor carpi radialis. He had taken off his hoodie two hours in, and his binder not long after that, leaving him in a loose black cap-sleeved t-shirt. Seeing him in it is its own unique brand of torture. Surely if he can manage to recall terms while staring at Virgil’s collarbones and the hollow of his throat he will be able to withstand whatever foot-tapping and pencil-chewing will occur in the large lecture hall during their final.

“You’re the one who’s gonna go for a doctorate in this, it makes sense that you’re incredible at it,” Virgil says. “I know it’s a big deal for you.”

“It is,” Logan says. Virgil knows this. They know quite a lot about each others’ life stories—Logan is the first in his family to attend college in America, let alone achieve a doctorate here. His parents immigrated from Nigeria shortly after his birth and all of them have worked hard—his parents, to provide a life for him here, Logan, to get into a good university in the first place.

“I’m the one who has to worry about making it out of their lab elective with a decent enough grade.” 

He knows that Virgil works hard, too. Their scholarship depends on maintaining a certain grade point average. There is no way Virgil would have achieved this scholarship if he did not work hard, let alone the fact that they have been studying in each others’ presence for the entire school year.

“You’ve done wonderfully this semester,” Logan says stubbornly. “The only way you will fail is if they feed the scantron in wrong while they’re grading and that’s easily remedied.”

Virgil’s brow quirks. “Thanks, specs,” he says, then makes a face, as if realizing how much he sounded like Roman just then.

“It’s just,” Virgil says, then hesitates before he shrugs and looks down at his notebook, avoiding Logan’s eyes. “I dunno. Um, I never really thought college would be an option, ‘till I got my scholarships.”

Logan, familiar with this story, just nods.

“And I,” he sighs, before he says in a whisper, “I really like it here. At university. I didn’t expect to like it so much. I need—if I want to stay, and I do. I need those good grades. And I want to stay, and the scholarship’s let me put aside enough money so I nearly have enough for top surgery, which I won’t be able to do if I lose my scholarship. So. I’m a bit.” A drum of his fingers. “A bit anxious.”

Logan surveys Virgil for a few seconds.

Virgil’s black bangs has swept over his face, obscuring most of his expression from Logan’s view. But he can see the muscle in Virgil’s jaw jumping, his shoulders practically hiked up to his ears. Even without the verbal acknowledgement, Virgil is portraying enough of the physical signs of anxiety that is obvious even to Logan’s emotionally oblivious eye.

Logan pauses, before he reaches across and places his hand on Virgil’s wrist. He likes the feel of it there—Virgil’s skin, chilled from the air conditioning, cooling Logan’s warm palm. He likes the look of it, too, the contrast of them, Logan’s skin seeming even darker against Virgil’s paleness. Considering Logan is black, this is something of a feat, and Virgil would likely have some sort of joke about how he is so absurdly pale that he manages to refract light.

Virgil looks up and chuckles awkwardly.

“But, y’know,” he says. “When am I not a bit anxious, right?”

He does not dislodge Logan’s hand, though. Instead he covers Logan’s hand with his own—his hand is quite large, and it is also cool from the air conditioning. The temperature of Virgil’s hand does not quite explain the jolt in Logan’s stomach.

Logan considers him for a few more moments.

“I have another astronomical term for you to learn,” Logan says decisively, and slides off the desk, standing on his own two feet “But you’ll have to follow me to learn it.”

Virgil’s lip quirks up. “Yeah?”

“Yes.”

Virgil smile widens. “All right, then.”

Logan’s stomach flutters, and he quickly turns his attention to gathering his notecards and notebooks as tidily and swiftly as possible, placing them into his backpack.

Virgil puts all of his things in his own backpack, and when Logan asks him if he’s ready, he simply ambles along after Logan as they walk out of the empty, quiet building on their university campus’ quadrangle. 

Logan leads them to the center of the grassy area, looking around, before he nods decisively and sets his backpack on the ground. He opens a pocket and fishes out the compact travel blanket he has in there.

Virgil laughs as Logan unfolds it. “You have a blanket in there?”

“Of course I have a blanket in here,” Logan says, shaking out the blanket before he lays it out on the grass. “Blankets are ideal for providing significant warmth and offering protection from hypothermia and precipitation.”

“You and your Mary Poppins backpack,” Virgil says, but there is a tone in his voice that Logan... hesitates to describe.

Is it, perhaps, fondness?

No. Logan is likely projecting his crush onto Virgil. He has a tendency to do that. Wishful thinking has been studied by various disciplines of thought and it is a very common occurrence for many people.

Logan wishes it would not be so common for him, though.

Virgil sits on the blanket, then.

“So,” he prompts. “That astronomical term you wanted to teach me?”

Logan smiles, just a little.

“Star party,” he says. “A gathering of amateur astronomers for the purpose of observing objects and events in the sky.”

He tilts back so he’s lying down on his back. He would be looking directly up at the sky, but he tilts his head so he can see Virgil instead.

Virgil’s smile has gone soft. “You want to star-gaze with me?”

As an answer, Logan pats the blanket, as a silent entreatment for Virgil to lie back. Virgil grins, shaking his head, before he acquiesces, settling on the blanket.

It would be so easy to reach over and touch him. It would be only a little bit more effort to roll and balance himself on his elbows, so his face hovers above Virgil’s. And from there it would just be the slightest downward tilt—

Logan redirects his attention to the night sky.

Though it is, obviously, not quite as good a view as they would have had in a more rural location—light pollution is a given on such a large campus—it is still quite a nice night. There are very little clouds in the sky and it is late enough that the moon hangs almost directly overhead. 

Logan points upward at a slight slant, using his right arm rather than his left, so that he will be able to look over and see Virgil’s face without having to lower his arm. “Polaris.”

Virgil shifts, close enough that it would only take the slightest jostle for their arms to touch. “The north star,” he says, and squints up at the sky. “Which means,” he reaches up to take Logan’s wrist in hand, using his outer arm, not the arm that is nearly touching Logan’s, and directs it slightly and Logan can’t breathe, “that Ursa Minor is right over here. Shame we can’t really see it.”

Logan hesitates, biting his lip, before he directs both of their hands again. 

“We can slightly see Ursa Major, though.”

Virgil shifts again, his shoulder pressed against Logan’s. “Huh. We sure can.”

Logan traces the shape in the sky, Virgil’s hand cool, loosely wrapped around his wrist. Logan hopes that Virgil cannot feel how quick his pulse is. “Colloquially known as the Big Dipper.”

Virgil shifts again. Their legs are pressed together now.

Logan continues, trying his hardest not to react, “Though of course, the Big Dipper is only part of Ursa Major. An easy point to find so you can see the rest of the Big Bear, which is—which is a more direct title for Ursa Major.”

“Mhm,” Virgil hums. He can feel the warmth of Virgil’s breath at the shell of his ear. “Hey, I think I see Orion?”

Logan would look up at the sky to continue his quasi-lecture, but instead he turns his head so that he will be able to see Virgil.

Virgil turns at the same time. There is a soft smile on his face.

Logan swallows hard. A hand around his wrist. Continually shifting closer to touch him. What he’d thought might be fondness in Virgil’s voice.

Conjecture: perhaps... Logan isn’t submitting to wishful thinking. Perhaps Logan is simply observing.

“Virgil?” He whispers.

“Yeah?”

“Are you flirting with me?”

Virgil’s eyes crinkle up as his smile widens.

“Logan, I’ve been trying to flirt with you all semester.”

“Oh,” he breathes out. “Okay.”

Virgil lowers their hands from pointing at the sky so their arms rest upon their bodies, and he shifts his hands so that his fingers intertwine with Logan’s.

“I really like you,” Virgil says. His voice is trembling. His hand is shaking in Logan’s.

Logan’s eyes sting. He squeezes Virgil’s hand tightly. “I really like you too.”

Virgil laughs, but it sounds relieved more than anything.

“Um, okay,” Virgil says, looking a little stunned, as if he did not expect this to go as well as it is going. It’s very likely he did not, considering his anxiety disorder. “Cool. That’s—yeah. Great. Um. Wow.”

“I,” Logan says, and he bites his lip. “I do not have much experience with this. Liking boys. Dating, at all. I would like to have that experience with you. Would it be acceptable if I were to kiss you right now?”

“Incredibly,” Virgil says, “Incredibly acceptable.”

Logan releases Virgil’s hand, and carefully rolls so that he is hovering over Virgil the best he can. He has never approached kissing anyone like this before.

He has never kissed anyone before.

Logan takes in a deep breath, swallows hard, and figures he may as well just make an attempt. His heart is thundering in his chest. His hands are sweaty. He angles his face toward Virgil’s and closes his eyes.

Virgil’s hand settles on Logan’s back, and their lips meet.

And very suddenly, the two activities presented to Logan right now are star-gazing or kissing Virgil. And now he is kissing Virgil. He finds that he does not want to stop kissing Virgil.

Star-gazing would have to wait.

[arctimon]

A “Vision” of The Future

Imagine, if you will, that you’re the son of the most famous robotics expert in the entire world. Well, if you’re Tadashi “Dash” Hamada, you don’t have to imagine.  You are that person.

(Borrowing @baymaksu​‘s drawing of him for illustration purposes.)

Now, also imagine that there’s a new family that moves in right across the street, and your parents take you over to introduce them.  You’re extremely bored because you want to get back to making EMP grenades or whatever will help you be the best leader of the new generation of Big Hero 6 you can be.  Your mom and dad are shooting the breeze exchanging pleasantries and recipes and whatnot, and you just want to go back to work.

And then you see...her.

A girl that you can’t stop staring at.  And she can’t stop staring at you either.

Dark hair.  Tanned skin, almost exotic.  A strand of light purple and lime green going down her bangs.  The brightest electric green eyes you’ve ever seen in your life. Yup, you’re definitely- “Dash?  You OK, bud?” His cheeks were burning red, and he felt extremely hot in his neck.  Panicking, he pulled his hood over his head.  “I-I’m fine.”  He beelined toward the house and went through the front door, ready to splash an entire sink’s worth of cold water on his face.

“...What’s up with him?” “Oh, Hiro.” He turned to Karmi, who was shaking her head in mock disdain.  “What?” 

“Your son has, in the thirty seconds we spent over there, has very clearly developed a gigantic crush on their daughter.” “Really?”  Hiro looked back at the neighbor’s house.  “I didn’t notice.” 

Karmi lightly patted his cheek, chuckling to herself. “Of course you didn't.” -----

Yeah, even in The Future, Big Hero 6 stories of mine wouldn’t be Big Hero 6 stories without some sort of young romance involved in it.

Also drama.  And Dash will undoubtedly be dealing with both. Because we are talking about Vivian Vision.

For those of you who may not know, Vivian is the “daughter” of Vision, and one of three synthezoids that he created to help him become more “human”, along with his “son” Vin and his “wife” Virginia.  They made their first appearance in Vision’s solo comic back in late 2015:

By the end of the the twelve-issue run, Viv would find herself on the Champions, a team of young superheroes that had a falling-out with the Avengers after the events of Civil War II and wanted to do things the right way.  The initial roster consisted of Viv, Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan), Spider-Man (Miles Morales), Nova (Sam Alexander), Hulk (Amadeus Cho), and a time-displaced younger Cyclops (Scott Summers):

(They would later expand the roster in more recent years, but that’s not really the point of this post.)

One of the conflicts in the first Champions run was “Worlds Collide”, a six-issue event where the High Evolutionary set the Earth on a collision course with a Counter-Earth to basically reset the planet, and the Avengers and Champions worked together to save the world. During the course of that, Viv (via the High Evolutionary) gets turned from a synthezoid into a real human girl:

Eventually, the Avengers and the Champions save the day, but it involves Viv sacrificing herself to do it.  Distraught, Vision immediately begins construction on a new “daughter”, unaware that the first one had survived. A lot of stuff happens in the in-between, but the long and short of it is that Viv had somehow turned into data, was able to be ported back to life, and did so right as Vision activated the second Vivian synthezoid. Resulting in what I have previously posted before. This lovely little picture.

One synthezoid Vivian.  One human Vivian. Now, I’m not going to spoil what ends up happening later in the Champions run, but it did lead me to an interesting hypothetical question.

Robots are a commonplace thing with a futuristic city like San Fransokyo.  Baymax himself is a robot, but has essentially become part of the family.  But we clearly know he’s a robot.

What would happen in the line between human and robot was blurred?  If you couldn’t tell the difference between what was flesh and blood and what was circuitry?  What if someone came to the leading robotics expert in the world for help on how to be more “human”?

And what if said child of said robotics expert got himself caught in the middle of the conundrum? Would it end in heartbreak...

Catastrophe...

Or something much, much worse?

Yes, my fanfics wouldn’t be mine without a Hamada becoming immediately lovestruck with a girl two years older than him...and all of the drama that you can fill a story with. But the ultimate question will be which Vivian are we talking about here?  Which Vivian is the girl that Dash’s infatuated with? The human one?

The robot one?

...A mix of both? Many, many questions.  Maybe we should ask someone who knows what’s going on.

Viv?

...Ohh boy. Dash, you’re going to have your hands full with this one.

[wolfsneedles]

My Re-read of a storm of swords and i just cant get over how interesting it as book with iconic lines and carefully crafted dialogues and some miserable important deaths of some of my fav characters. Like this book, is really the iphone of asoiaf lol. A fine wine. Arbor gold. It starts from same events left incomplete in clash of kings but only that now every person meets their consequences and disastrous results of wrong moves & mistakes end so perfectly and painfuly in conclusive way. A feast for crows obviously focuses more on king's landing events and some of the riverlands with brienne and jaime. Might say it isn't my fav book yet since im reading it too apart from some breathtaking prophecies and aemon declaring how prince that was promised could be --> dany

However, ASOS is best best book ever. So much mess and bittersweet endings.

You see catelyn, robb and riverlands arc ending in the most tragic way as result of all small excusable mistakes to the reader that piled up and finally execution of red wedding with bangs and drums, not to mention this event was so catatonic and an irreversible tragedy that almost all characters had visions and dreams of it (patchface, Ghost of high heart, theon, daenerys, jon perhaps later) knowing half of these characters never met the victims of the red wedding.

This event also meant - northern power of houses and faith of independence and somewhat retribution they deserved or wish they had is thwarted now and almost all of them die there esp strength of dustin, manderlys along with boltons betraying them and roose coming out as an iconic cold hearted brute and villain somewhat.

This book also shows how stark sisters had their paths turned after the tiring chasing and running away like arya through war torn lands and sansa finally fleeing KL to Vale with littlefinger - in a way a complete revival again of her and arya embarking on to braavos with an entirely different name now and somewhat purpose we dont know yet also ends her arc of sadness and despair she felt when chasing and running towards her lady mother and robb at the twins. kind of tragic tbh more for her how she saw or heard almost every death of a stark. near to her or family, she saw horror unfolding in front of her eyes.

You have lannisters coming off as victorious ( not really then...) since tywin and tyrion's last scene is iconic. Its like how the might of house lannister which in case tywin refers to himself is broken on a freaking privy - somewhat bittersweet ending since we know cersei and jaime are already not so in a good mental state to make up for heir of casterly rock - and then we have tyrion fleeing too again, once more, finally, to essos as we know. This ending of his arc in KL is also imp since he entered this city like tywin as hand of the king and is leaving like a prisoner. Idk seems perfect to me how he runs and tywin who came as hand of king replacing his son, now goes back in ehh coffin...glory indeed.

You have bran and rickon already parting in ACOK, BUT now the most importent part of brans journey also begins somehow. and therefore him abandoning winterfell and that side of north for further journey is too sad for me too in a lot of ways. His connection to his own home as the last stark who was residing there has ended too (prob bloodraven has more action for my boy i hope).

You have Lysa Tully in the Vale before sansa arrived there with baelish, and she also ultimately gets too much of frightening end in same castles and doors she never opened for anyone - even refusing to help her sister during war because now i wonder had the vale signed for stark side, how different circumstances would be but then tywin wanted to play rains of castamere so bad (i hate him sorry)

Jaime and Brienne still were busy in their road ventures and romantic comedy but him arriving as cripple and maimed to KL, is again of uttermost importance since he in his thoughts lose a lot of confidence in himself now not really making him a perfect candidate for so many things,,, again he has to sort out some issues with his big of bully sister and not-so-accommodating power hungry deluded father but he chose to argue and decline offer for heir of rock and also confessed his utter disregard for poor kids he have, joffrey especially. Idk im so confused what this golden lion & a trained chivalrous warrior is onto since jaime's chapter is like a realistic slap on your face & we see his POV in ASOS only and then he just goes thru huuuge turmoil lol. (not good day or year for him tbh)

Lastly we have daenerys who then vows to settle in mereen making it evident in way how she isn't obsessed with utter power and throne of her ancestors as some ppl speculate, ofc she appears in ADWD again but her freeing slaves and singing dracarys is my another fav momet of ASOS, since dany is really not a frightened confused child she was, she is getting hold of things in realistic way too, and meets barristan, gets to know abt their betrayals, basically gets Unsullied, idk a major iconic moment if u see in contrast to how everyone is losing war now in westeros and wo5k is coming to kind of an end, with balon dying, robb and joff dead, and stannis...(well he is another spiritual case) going to the wall, we see how horrifying brutal war did come to an end in ASOS in the end eventually with tywin also dying. So dany getting an army of unsullied opposed to all other armies kind of dissolving in westeros is quite a distinction. ( bonus points she is young and woman and alone and has 3 dragon )

On the Wall - jon plays and practiced swords with emmett and then struck by memory of him and robb playing & above all how he wants to be lord of winterfell. In the end Jon Snow wins the vote in a landslide victory and is named the 998th Lord Commander. His entire journey from start of ASOS was with ygritte and Wildlings and then finally giving up on mance and returning to Wall with no expectations of him being commander after having spent moments alone and with wildlings and others with him just a ranger.

Realising in the end now, how storm of swords puts people in power like jon and dany and others like boltons and freys in north & riverlands, at the same time starks and lannisters are in way battered and struck by at a time tragedies. Half of people who were away from their families unite or return back like jaime while other half return somewhere more far (arya sansa at vale and braavos with bran more far from winterfell, rickon too), most of the 5 kings are dead too. Also aftermath of war at end of ASOS and AFFC also describes perfectly the attitude and responses of smallfolk towards whoever results in being the king of no concern to them. Most of the small roads and inns were damaged and plundered with woman and children killed or raped and men usually dead too. When we see arya or jaime and brienne usually, we read their POVs, we also see the wrenching elements of war too and how main message could also be that lords play their game of thrones but peasants suffer dreadfully more, we also see how smallfolks have no trust or loyalties towards any house or liege lord. They usually refer to starks and lannister conflict as 'wolves came...or lions did this'. Major point i noticed.

not to mention again, in essos and on the wall 2 different realities and places that mid westeros, we see dany and jon and their ingrown different experiences and attitudes towards smallfolks. freeing of slaves and getting some loyalties tied to you, while living with wildlings and seeing how they rule and eat and sleep like a commoner is so important. The Wall also gives meaning to how real breathing humans are segregated from westeros and other houses as result of prejudice and inborn enmities. The slaves in chains indicate how their little lives in Yunkai is not of importance when they are...utterly children. some of them.

ASOS has major shifting thoughts and stories tbh. Its like gospel of asoiaf for me.

[dani-of-the-cosmos]

*how the signs are acting during quarantine*

~with a touch of unsolicited advice: my venus in cancer’s specialty~

<3 pick your sun, moon, rising, mars, mercury, venus, or dominant sign <3

aries

overall, restless. the day seems to drag on and on, and they cope with it by playing video games and snapchatting someone every 20 seconds. self-hatred lingers in the back of their mind, because of all the time they have to analyze themselves. at random times (usually at night), they may be hit with big waves of profound emotions, where they just need to cry it out and acknowledge how lost they feel. may wonder what their purpose is, or where they fit in in the big scheme of the world. gets philosophical, but not in that condescendingly vague, optimistic way--they truly want answers, because the nothingness is just getting to be too much.

taurus

is actually doing pretty okay. is reading a lot about how they can improve themselves, and probably have a few google docs open with plans on how to upgrade their life. they’ve probably started a garden of some sort, or bought some plants to take care of. the day may seem to pass by quickly for them. they fill their time with watching movies and discovering new recipes to cook. has started getting more sleep, which makes their alluring eyes even more beautiful. the downside is that they may feel a bit groggy, or their head feels heavy, because even the most security-loving, routine-oriented zodiac sign needs some variety. 

gemini

getting really excited about all these new methods for self-improvement: exercise, mental health, new projects, clearing their skin, etc. is consistent with these newfound activities for a few days, then gets annoyed when they don’t have 45 inch hips, a 22 inch waist and graceful, 11-shaped abs after less than a week of the chloe ting hourglass program. talks on the phone as they sit on the toilet. watches youtube videos about how to achieve the glow-up that they crave, but can never commit to a single video’s advice. wants something exciting to happen in their life, so they lean into their big emotions and taboo curiosities to compensate for the lack of stimulation. on their phone a LOT.   

cancer

has gotten even more beautiful since the quarantine started. loves the simplicity they’re getting accustomed to, but also constantly worries if they’re “making the most” of all this free time. probably will scold themselves after all this is over for not being more disciplined during self-isolation. goes on walks outside a lot, and finds that connecting with nature significantly boosts their mood. observes the quiet beauty around them as a way to cope with the universal chaos of our world. since cancer tends to be a very empathetic sign, they may feel like a sponge for fatigue and suffering whenever they read the news. being aware of the world is great and necessary, but take care of yourself, cancer. know when to take a break from the news.

leo

is really excited about reinventing themselves--they want it all! new clothes, improved mindset, cleaner room, a kinder social circle, new hair--the works. they want to bust out of quarantine looking even more striking than before, with a wardrobe reflecting their new style. probably has either already done something drastic to their hair (like dying it, or the dreaded 2 am impulsive bangs cut), or is at least seriously considering it. really wants to get out of their house and camp out on the beach or something--they miss seeing their friends face-to-face, and try to make up for it by calling them to hear their voices. is irritated that they happened to be born at a time where the pivotal years of their life are being wasted by such an awful series of world events.

virgo

has upgraded their bedroom to look as aesthetically pleasing and soothing as possible. their social life has most likely downsized to 2-3 super close and genuine friends that they call, text, and/or facetime with daily. since virgo is a mutable sign, they’ve probably done a great job adjusting to their surroundings and are helping their family with domestic tasks. however, they may feel anxious, and unsatisfied with their current mindset and resources, so they feel the urge to expand their horizons and feed their genius mind as much as possible! it may be hard to find motivation, virgo, but the world needs a physical manifestation of your potential right now. if you have an idea you want to pursue but are too scared to, take the plunge. this sounds cheesy and cliche but, this is your sign to start!

libra

reminisces a lot about the past. thinks about how they would have handled past situations differently, and mentally shames themselves for it. is probably doing a lot of self-reflection, which is good for their sweet hearts and furthers the progress of their mental health, but also depresses them, as libra energy tends to be highly critical of itself. sleeping in too late and talking aloud to themselves at ungodly hours of the night. finds their mind going on the philosophical route more often than usual. might be posting passive-aggressive mood quotes on instagram

scorpio

is actually exercising pretty consistently like they said they would. their body has been getting curvalicious and toned, and to that i say WOOHOO GO SCORPIO! however, they’ve probably completely messed up their entire sleep schedule, and may be practically nocturnal some days. probably feels really emotional at the moment, and is overwhelmed with the amount of pain in the world that they wish they could singlehandedly stop. may be pretty loner-ish at the moment, and is probably not very active on their social media, because they’re realizing who their truest friends are. scorpio does well with transformation (they’re ruled by pluto, the planet of regeneration) so rest assured, they will emerge from quarantine new and improved! 

sagittarius

is eating too much junk food. sagittarius, if you’re reading this right now, PUT DOWN THE CHIPS BUDDY BOY. is probably finding ways to hang out with their friends in person, like yelling across the sidewalk to them while wearing a mask. has been super active on social media regarding current social justice issues. feels enormous compassion for the oppressed and has been signing petitions at the speed of light. probably getting in fights with their family and being a little feistier than usual. i can’t blame them though...sagittarius is a sign that needs entertainment, so they’re gonna be a little punchy in this stagnant yet catastrophic time. 

capricorn

has established a daily routine that keeps them feeling grounded and stable. they may realize how little they’ve actually prioritized their own joy in the past, and they’re using quarantine as a way to get to know themselves again. purchases luxury pajamas and is most likely drinking a hot beverage in a mug right now. probably on a health kick. is getting even closer with their closest friends, and basically forgets about acquaintances. cuddling their pets a lot (or fantasizing about adopting a pet if they don’t have one). misses putting on mascara and stepping into that cute skirt, because that sPeCiAL pErSoN isn’t there to see it lol

aquarius

thinking about ways they can make money. getting bursts of hyper inspiration to flip their life around and start working super hard for their dream life. is masking hopelessness, and finds themselves pondering the fragility of human life. may experience thoughts of nihilism that they don’t act on, and is increasingly worried about the state of their environment. is stuck between feeling motivated and believing in their ability to positively transform, and getting depressed and detached from their earthly obligations. 

pisces

probably painting their nails a lot. is finding ways to put a little spice of excitement in their life--like making a nice breakfast (at 4 pm, which is like an hour after they wake up lately), giving their pet a concert of them, naked, singing ski mask the slump god songs into a hairbrush they’re pretending is a microphone. stares at themselves in the mirror for too long, letting their insecurities get the best of them. has probably gotten in touch with their grandparents (or any other relatives they usually don’t keep in close touch with) over the phone. may be dealing with worsened anxiety and feelings of depression at this time, and sleeps a lot to try to escape it. their room might be pretty messy at the moment as well, which they’re overly hard on themselves for. pisces: you are such a uniquely sweet and tender soul. take it one day at a time and never underestimate the power of reaching out to someone <3

[dsmp-bigbang]

What actually is a Big Bang and how does it work?

So what is it?

A Big Bang is a fandom event that involves the collaboration between authors, artists, and betas. Typically, each work has 1 author who writes a fic, an artist who creates a corresponding piece of art for that fic, and a beta who will help edit the fic. Authors will provide a summary of their work, and artists and betas will pick an author to work with based on that summary. After this, everyone works together to create a fic with accompanying artwork. The idea is to create more fanworks, as well as build connections and collaborations with people you wouldn’t normally.

What is produced:

For authors, there is a minimum word count to hit for their fic. The first ever Big Bang had a minimum word count of 50,000, but minimums today range anywhere from 3,000 to over 100,000 words. Don’t worry, this bang will be on the smaller end of that range, although we haven’t set an official minimum word count yet. There is no maximum word count.

Artists produce a piece of art to accompany the fic that they have chosen. However, the piece of art does not have to be drawn fan art (although that is welcome). Art can be anything from moodboards to animatics to music. Basically, so long as it's not another fic, it’s welcome as art!

Betas will mainly assist as editors for the fic, but they can also help artists if they need it. Betas really help bring together the team, and make sure the finished product is as polished as possible, and something everyone will be proud of.

How does this work?

After the interest check, sign ups will open. There, you will be able to sign up as an author, artist, beta or pinch hitter (I’ll explain what those are later). You can also sign up for multiple roles, as long as you’ll be able to handle it. Typically, author sign ups close first, because that role needs to provide summaries for the artists and betas. 

After author sign-ups close, the authors will be asked to provide a summary of their planned works. These will be then shown to the artists and betas, anonymously. The artists and betas will be able to select the stories they would like to work with the most. We’ll provide more information on the exact way this process will work as we get closer to it.

After the selection, the teams will get in contact with each other, and will begin working together to produce their final products. Throughout this entire process, there will be check-ins for all of the members. The main purpose of these check-ins is to ensure that everything is going smoothly, and to offer help if it’s needed. We want to make sure that everyone has fun and is able to create something. 

If at some point someone needs to drop out for any reason, that’s where the pinch hitters come in. Pinch hitters are authors, artists, and betas who are willing to step in and take over for someone who dropped out.

This whole process lasts months (exact timeline to be announced), with lots of check-ins and support throughout the whole thing. The mods are all very excited to do this, and we can’t wait to get started!

[tmabigbang]

Masterpost of TMA Big Bang 2020 Fics

To prevent clogging up anyone’s dash, we have put all of these fics under a read more since there are 28 wonderful fics created for this bang, which makes for a bit of a long post! Below the cut are links and summaries to all the fics created for this bang! 

In addition to this post, you can also check out our fic page (which you can find here)! The fic page includes links to all the fics, art, and the team members that helped create them! You can also use some basic filters for rating and oneshot/multichapter to find fics.

Thank you again to all our participants, and we will see you next year!

Your Job’s A Joke (You’re Broke) by @bisexualoftheblade and @desert-lily

Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tmabb20/works/27590578

Summary: Working at the Magnus Institute was stressful by default. With monsters, mayhem, and potential primordial entities, it has very little expectations for being a comfortable job. However, everyone is allowed to have a little fun sometimes - even an archivist, their assistants, and their really creepy boss. Fueled by spite and a rampant lack of heterosexuality, they all try to balance their work life with a bit of fun and a healthy dose of bullying twelve-times divorced Elias Bouchard.

I Know The End by @williammatagot

Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tmabb20/works/27947966

Summary: Except, for all that beautiful poetry, Eliot was wrong, because the world doesn’t end with a bang, sure, but it doesn’t end with a whimper, either. It ends with the distant-yet-deafening voice of the man Martin loves shouting through a ragged, wild throat--I open the door. (The world ends, Jon shatters, and Martin tries to fix it. The house tries, too, in its own way.)

From the Depth of the Spiral by @trickstergod14

Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tmabb20/works/27842941

Summary: Michael had no idea what was going on. He suddenly woke up in the tunnels under the Magnus Institute with no memories of the past seven years after that fateful trip to Sannikov Land. Watch as he slowly spirals into madness, regaining his memories while strengthening his bond with the Distortion along the way. Can he hide all this from the other Archival Assistants? What will happen when Jon wakes up from his coma? And what does the newly crowned Distortion Avatar, Helen, have to do with all this?

Every Word I Say is Kindling (But The Smoke Clears When You’re Around) by @ohnoimdeathing

Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tmabb20/works/27956897

Summary: The unknowing left Jon stirring in the nightmares of others, watching their torment and suffering and making everything worse. He wanted to wake up, to go back to Martin, Tim, Basira, even Daisy. But he didn’t know how to. Until a voice told him to choose Though, to be honest, he doesn’t remember actually making the choice to stay a monster and live rather than be human and die. The only injury the doctors will talk about is his missing eyes, and why are all the doctors Scottish? At least Martin is here.

Spinning ‘Round (like two sides of a coin) by @awayofunderstandingit

Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tmabb20/works/27835756

Summary: Time is a construct. What we know as past, present, and future all exist at the same time, ad infinitum. • Guided not by time but a spoken word poem, follow along the lives of two intertwined souls, Timothy Stoker and Sasha James. The story of their friendship from the time they meet, through growing apart, to when they fall back together, and through their time working at the Magnus Institute. Witness slices of their lives—not memories, memories would suggest the past—as they exist, ad infinitum, even at The End.

retrouvailles by @jet-siquliak

Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tmabb20/works/27818092

Summary: The Magnus Institute burns. The archivist, for all intents and purposes, burned with it. In a dingy hospital room lies what remains - Jonathan sims. weak, powerless, and insignificant. On Jon’s last day in the hospital, Martin awakes from a coma, unscathed. Melanie King kicks the dirt that once housed the institute. Tim stoker wakes up in the middle of nowhere. Elias Bouchard is dead. No one knows where to go from there. Or: the destruction of one home and the making of another.

Still, I’ll Always Keep the Memory by @revolutionnaire-e

Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tmabb20/works/27932125

Summary: [MARTIN turns, stepping out of the shadows towards him. It is blood, not tears. His left eye is not his own. His eyes never shone that blinding green, never shone with such malice or self-satisfied pride.] MARTIN BLACKWOOD Pleasure to see you again, Archivist.

Making Home by @cuddlytogas

Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tmabb20/works/27664805

Summary: After the events in the Panopticon, Jon and Martin rush to leave London. But making their home in an idyllic safe house isn't that easy: between the layer of dust, and Forsaken still clinging to Martin's heels, it could be some time before they reach an understanding.

called your name ‘til the fever broke by @corpsesoldier

Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tmabb20/works/27845161

Summary: Basira made a promise to her partner. At the end of the world, a monster comes and demands she keep it.

assorted family photos by @lesbianbirds

Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tmabb20/works/27903979

Summary: When setting off on a research trip, it is advised that you prepare yourself for certain oddities that may greet you. or; key moments in a world where the entities are weaker and everyone got a bit more therapy

Timothy Stoker’s Guide to Dating by @pezilla

Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tmabb20/works/27841267

Summary: Timothy Stoker has a lot of advice when it comes to matters of the heart, online agony aunt, gossip monger and general love guru. He has a list and he sticks to it. Or he did. That was before he took a job at the Magnus Institute and before he met three of the most fascinating and frustrating people to ever come into his life. Rule #7 under no circumstances fall for a co-worker. Yeah, that rule was starting to become a problem.

Running the Institute by @drowsy-salamander

Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tmabb20/works/27878306

Summary: Caroline Ferguson, the entirety of the Magnus Institute's legal department, is furiously ignoring any weirdness that could be going on in her workplace, from the tech issues to the vanishing colleagues to the everything about Artefact Storage, Caroline will turn a very deliberate blind eye. They're are not her problem. Now if only those murders could also stop.

kindred spirits (not so scarce as I used to think) by @pollylittlehigher-littlelower

Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tmabb20/works/27914821

Summary: An Anne of Green Gables inspired AU, set in modern day England. Jon and Georgie are childhood best friends, but the two stop talking after a falling out. Even doing their best to avoid each other, Georgie struggles to escape him, even while dealing with her own mental health issues and a blossoming romance with her housemate, Melanie. Is Jon truly the kindred spirit she once considered him? Or will the two eventually part ways for good?

Friends of Empty Graves by @artswaps

Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tmabb20/works/27974807

Summary: After the coffin, she cuts her hair. Who is Alice Tonner? People are searching for her in the space she left behind, in the person she was. Daisy looks elsewhere, and tries not to choke.

just let the feeling grow by @ajkal2

Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tmabb20/works/27838447

Summary: Jon is a musician. He plays songs for a living. Except love songs. He doesn't do love songs, and he makes this quite clear with anyone interested in working with him. Except his manager has booked him for a wedding. Without asking. With days before the festivities start, Jon needs help. Desperately. He won't get it from his hosts, the Lukas family. He certainly won't get it from his manager. However, there's a certain amateur poet on the Lukas' staff who has a talent for making love sound genuine.

World Cold and Hard, Moth Boy Warm and Soft by @lcjenkinswriting

Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tmabb20/works/27827491

Summary: Jon, a young moth fairy, leaves the nest in search of a place that feels like home

tapes winding forward by @ghostbustermelanieking

Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tmabb20/works/27858721

Summary: Martin ignores him, stops him mid-sentence to say, "Jon, what have you heard about time travel?" --- Martin and Jon wake up two years in the future. It goes about as well as can be expected.

MAG 26.5: Beach Episode by @ebenrosetaylor

Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tmabb20/works/27882746

Summary: Sasha is aware of the rising tensions in the archives after Martin was stalked by Prentiss and after she had her own encounter with Michael. In an attempt to boost morale and bring them closer together, Tim suggests that they all visit the beach to unwind and get their minds off of all things paranormal. Sasha takes it upon herself to make sure that everyone has fun and relaxes, but she forgets to give herself that luxury.

Rewrite The Rulebook by @radiosandrecordings

Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tmabb20/works/27823774

Summary: "Panic! Bloody panic! I've been out since I was fifteen and never once actually brought someone home. I think I just wanted to seem like I had my life together, y’know? Mainly I just... I think I just wanted someone to be there with me, so I wasn't just alone with her the entire time. A bit of comfort.” There was pause as Martin let out a dramatic sigh, seemingly relieved to ramble out his thoughts. "... I could go with you. If you want."

A Test In Patience by @talking4the1

Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tmabb20/works/27917749

Summary: Elias is going about his day as the new head of the Magnus Institute in 1995. Some spreadsheets to do, meetings to attend mundane and supernatural. Nothing seems out of place until The Eye calls him to Bournemouth.

Of Mothers and Memory by @loverdontleave

Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tmabb20/works/27856585

Summary:  There is a story to be told, of two people, a mother and a son. Of their history together, and the sacrifices they made for each other. Perhaps they loved each other once, but that thread of connection has weakened on one end, fraying away. And it is so, so cold.

Would That I Were Golden Dust by @that-one-girl-behind-you

Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tmabb20/works/27734197

Summary: The world is a lot more dangerous with your soul walking by your side, and Entities aren’t shy about feeding on golden Dust.

Till Death, Parted by @bigowlenergy

Ao3 Link:https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tmabb20/works/27749680

Summary: Jon gets caught after ripping out Gerry’s page by Trevor & Julia, and through a comedy of errors ends up engaged as an excuse. Somehow, Jon gets out alive, Gerry is freed, and they have the two hunters accompanying them as bodyguards - and as best man and best woman - without a fight. Living alone in Gerry’s London safe house afterwards will be totally fine. Jon is fine. He knows what coping is and everything! Totally fine.

The Spoken Word by @drumkonwords

Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27802708/chapters/68066326

Summary: Jon wants. Their pinky twitches — stretching and curling to the tune of something musical. The song of wanting, with its motifs of long, low notes. Starting quiet and mumbling up into Jon’s chest until the strings of their heart vibrate like the strings of a double bass and all they can do is wonder who’s tune they’re matching. But they know.

First Aid by @platypik

Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tmabb20/works/27948284

Summary: Jon is certain Martin has been acting strangely all morning. When Martin offhandedly mentions he took a bad tumble off the tube to work, Jon suddenly Knows that the fall had given Martin a nasty fracture. Despite his desperate pleading, Martin stubbornly refuses to let Jon drive him to the hospital. In fact, it seems he would much rather take care of it himself than have Jon worry and fuss over him. Jon would disagree.

Burning Bright, In the Forests of the Night by @triffidsandcuckoos

Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tmabb20/works/27915400

Summary: The safehouse bursts into flames at their backs. You can choose to change the path. Just be ready for what else you might change.

i’ve been static for too long by @furryjefferson

Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tmabb20/works/27887878

Summary: Jonathan Sims ends up with a stranger’s phone on the way home from work. All signs point to the Magnus Institute, and all roads lead to its mysterious archivist: Martin Blackwood.

through the clouds like a moonbeam by @digital-waterfall 

Ao3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/tmabb20/works/27877402

Summary: After passing through the Vast’s domain, Jon is left with an unexpected surprise-- a pair of wings. Unsurprisingly, Martin finds them beautiful. Also unsurprisingly, Jon does not.

[oneweekoneband]

i didn’t though

When I was twenty and tractable I listened to “Treacherous” and I believed Taylor Swift was telling me something, because “I’ll do anything you say / If you say it with your hands”, is not content meant for straight people, even though legally they, too, are allowed to hear it, and they do generally have hands. When Taylor Swift drank beers with Karlie Kloss at a Knicks game in 2014, I believed she was telling me something even more forcefully, because, really, why be at Knicks game if not just to kill time politely before fucking whoever you’re there with. When reputation was released and it contained “Dress”, a song about buying a certain item of clothing to look good for a person you love specifically not “like a best friend” so that after “all the pining and anticipation” they can remove it from your body and you can drink wine together in the bath, I believed Taylor was screaming a confession at me, and I was more than ready to receive it. When I heard from multiple sources just last year, amidst the aggressive rainbow-deluge of the Lover promo cycle, an ultimately false rumor that said Taylor was going to come out in a Rolling Stone cover story I, somehow, incredibly, brain as smooth as a baby’s ass, believed that too.

I have believed a lot of things. And it’s a nice diversion, to believe like that. But, more recently, I’ve found that the detective in me has turned away from this one. The only facts I’ll ever know about Taylor Swift are those she wishes to share, and speculating about what secrets she may or may not be hiding is a distraction from the real, joyful work of appreciating all these already literally, unequivocally, very gay songs. I’ve found, well, that I just don’t care anymore, which sucks, as I detest the squirmy idea that I might be growing as a person. But the truth is one really can write extremely, objectively homoerotic love songs yet be, for all intents and purposes, terminally straight. And like that poignant tweet about Lin Manuel Miranda tells us, you can seem gay, because of, like, your whole deal, and then it turns out you’re just annoying. You can even have a torrid love affair with your one-time supermodel best friend and in the end just want to marry some guy from The Favourite (Allegedly from The Favourite. I have seen that film three times and could not pick that man out of a lineup if my life depended on it.) and maybe there’s nothing to announce to anybody about it at all. Sexuality is complex and personal, and Taylor’s own sexuality doesn’t much matter to me, outside of how I always think it’s nice to know there’s yet another bisexual white woman out here in the world being even more irritating than me. (I say this strictly in terms of labeling; it ought to go without saying that Taylor’s various psychosexual obsessions with things like Amy from Gone Girl, and The Kennedys, and her house in Rhode Island matter to me immensely.)  It doesn’t matter because it has no bearing on the fact that she keeps dropping queer classics.

Anyway, yeah, most good Taylor Swift songs are gay, just like most good things, generally, and there’s a number of viable picks on folklore, except not “betty”, no matter what the collective banshee’s wail of the Internet tells you. The gayest thing about “betty” is that it’s Taylor putting herself in the mind of a skateboarding teenage boy, which, yes, admittedly, is a big homo vibe, but nowhere in or around this song are any people of the same gender identity smashing bathing suit parts together, or even thinking about doing so, and when there are so many better options available, I feel it is prudent that we have just the barest hint of standards. As queerness itself is malleable, wonderfully, painfully individual, and comes in no one standard format, so too is determining which song on a Taylor Swift album is the most gay a singular, complicated calculus we all must do for ourselves within our own hearts, and, of course, there are no wrong answers, unless it so happens that your answer is not “the 1”.

“the 1” made me lose my grip for a moment. A cool lament, calmly wrenching, right off it was sucking out my bone marrow and I wasn’t able to name why. (Well, except, obviously, that the twin unit of, “You know the greatest films of all time were never made,” and “You know the greatest loves of all time are over now,” is pure, not from concentrate, peak embarrassing & devastating & all the more embarrassing for being so devastating Swiftian lyricism.) Finally, weeks after the release, out walking the streets of Los Angeles midday, masked and fractious, lower back sticky, brain a little mean, buying a soda at the gas station just to talk to someone, it came to me that  “the 1” is a spiritual sequel to Red’s drum-heavy forever banger “Holy Ground”. The Taylor of “Holy Ground” reminisces frantically about a lost love, some near-miss from youth. That drumbeat is a racing heart. The animating nervousness of “Holy Ground”, the way you can almost hear the narrator’s limbs flapping wildly against her body when she says that she’s dancing, has from the beginning marked this song to me as a story of looking back on some sort of formless and magical teenaged queer encounter. “Holy Ground” is looking at a precious memory like it’s a firefly in cupped hands—small and special and easy to lose—being not entirely certain what the memory means, since whatever it was that happened back then, you never really talked it out. “Holy Ground” is about a love that for all its vitality did not work out, but it is appreciative rather than sad. “But sometimes I wonder how you think about it now,” Taylor sings, “and I see your face in every crowd.” 

“But we were something, don’t you think so?” asks “the 1”, imploring an ex to confirm her version of events, to agree that she’s remembering it right. Taylor has not ever struggled in her work with place and the self and matching the two against one another on the wriggling timeline of the human life. I was there I was there I was there. The question here is something else. Not was it real, but was it real to you, and do you remember now what that was like. Do you remember who I was then? What we were? The truth as it pertains to the heart of another is guesswork at best, and a troublesome kind. Memories break and bend, or weren’t even recorded right to begin with, every brain a dirty liar, and for two separate, imperfect creatures to share the responsibility of preserving one history together is a disaster. The hard facts then are grounding. Essential. “I thought I saw you at the bus stop / I didn’t though”.  Everyone has past romances that they still ask questions about, yes—I am not practicing my virulent heterophobia today—but none of my queer friends are without at least one were-we-or-weren’t-we in their past, a clinch with another that was incandescent and unnameable, long over but dangling forever there loose outside the neat boxes of friend or lover. To be a queer person is to exist already beyond and without the organizing structures of heterosexuality, and this can be difficult, dangerous, but in liminality there is freedom, and in years of painstakingly debating whether I wanted to be or bang so many various somebodys I have, along the way, put the pieces of myself in the order they fit best. So then there are loves where you aren’t sure if that’s technically what it was, if it’s what they’d call it, too. Or loves that were undeniably real, only we were too busy back then with trying to turn into ourselves to keep it. And loves from the very start, from walking together on colt legs, exuberant and unprepared, and the memory is a blessing, and the memory is guilt.

 “the 1”, to the ear, is softer and slinkier than “Holy Ground”, but the lyrics are dismantling. “Holy Ground” says, “And darling, it was good / Never looking down”. Full of longing, but cheerful and sure. “the 1” is older, resigned. On “the 1” Taylor mourns a love not only because it has ended, but because she can sense, from the safety of time’s remove, that it was a love which deserved better, could have been better, if things had been only a little different, if they’d felt brave enough to try just a little more. In this version of nostalgia, the golden haze of “Holy Ground” is ribboned by a vaporous shame, a regret. The song relates a story of a love that is farther out of reach and meant more than what the little girl of “Holy Ground” could have dreamt. “In my defense I have none / for digging up the grave another time / but it would’ve been fun / if you would’ve been the one”.

[theotheroccassionalfanficwriter]

Mammon's Prayer

Summary: A short story about the comical and blasphemous interaction between God and his son Mammon's girlfriend.

A/N: It's a roman catholic thing to be a little bit critical about God and maybe commit little day to day blasphemy against God and the Roman Catholic Church.

Tags: Casual Blasphemy, Prayers, Begrudgingly in Love, You is a thot for Mammon, we is a slut for Mammon, Mammon and Mammorons share two braincells and we get it all the time, Roman Catholics Pray to Ask for Blessings, We pray to God to complain about our love life with Mammon, 5+1 Fic, Hurt and Comfort, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, God is the Deus Ex Machina

-

1.

"In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit...

Our Father who art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name...

Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us for our sins and trespasses. And those who trespass against us.

Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from Evil...

I don't know if you can hear me all the way here from Hell and I know I haven't prayed to you for a long time since my Confirmation or the fact that I only go to Church during important Holidays or the fact that I never fasted or stop eating meat on good friday... But I've done my best to be a good and morally upright human being even so...

That's why I hope you don't mind if I complain to you about your son a little bit, I don't mean Jesus...I'm cool with him. It's Mammon I'm here for..." You sigh deeply before taking a long sip from the glass of water you brought with you.

It was almost empty.

"What kind of shitty parenting did you do? Huh? Are you proud of your parental skills? Your idiot son keeps on sending me mixed signals! I can't fucking tell what he wants! Do you know how hard it is for me to communicate? You fucking nerfed me with social anxiety that it made me look like a functional human being! He's lucky he's cute or I'd have punch him in the face for being annoying...

Amen."

From Their throne in Heaven, God sat alone and mulled in silence. The two Cherubim who were on shift to accompany God blinked at what they had just heard.

'What kind of prayer is that!?!' They both thought.

Finally, after a long time had passed, God spoke "Do humans pray like this nowadays?"

No one answered Them.

2.

"In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit...

Lucifer's Daddy who art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name...thy Kingdom come, thy Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven...

Give me this day my daily bread and forgive Lucifer for his trespasses and Mammon who trespassed.

Lead me not into Asmodeus, and Mammon on the Volume 6969 Cover of Majolish but deliver me from Evil...

Amen...

Okay I know that's not how the prayer goes but I've had a long week and your son Mammon has no consideration for me, his magicless Master that bought 3 copies of Majolish that had him for a cover.

I mean I'm not asking for much you know? I just want him to stop sending me mixed signals! The Piles of Little D of Greeds keep telling me he has a crush on me but he goes and act like he doesn't! And then he went and told me to answer his call before he even called!!

Did you purposely make an idiot? A dense fucker? A fucking adorable tsundere??

Why doesn't he just admit that he wanted me to call him from time to time??? I wouldn't have laughed at him y'know!!! Why is voice so nice over the phone!?!!

If he keeps this up either I'll date him or someone else!!!"

You did a sign of the cross and drank two cups of water before going to bed.

"...Chamahel was perfectly fine as a child! The war changed him!

Hmph! impudent human! All my children are perfectly fine as they are!" God fumed and thought of a way to punish the human that dared to say Their children weren't perfect.

Michael talked Them out of it but God still grumbled about it from time to time.

3.

"You already know what this is about...I know I look stupid saying my prayers aloud here in Hell but I like to pretend you can hear me...I...I know that you didn't like how some of your angels wanted to bang humans but... Would the same thing apply to Demons?

They're both cut from the same cloth afterall...and it's not like I want to do it with Demons but...if...this is just an if! A very big IF, a hypothetical scenario!!

I... I want to know if a demon-human relationship would get into trouble from both Heaven and Devildom...I don't know if I have the right but I'm asking it anyways...even if no one might be listening from up there...

Can you give me a sign, God? That if being in love with a demon isn't sin?

Thank you for putting up with me...goodnight God."

"...maybe this could be the exception..."

The next day Michael had to teach God how to use Akuzon Delivery to send a bouquet of White Poppies to the House of Lamentation.

4.

"There isn't a lot of things I'm thankful for...to be honest I hated you a little bit for letting some of us to do evil things in your name...you could turn an entire town into salt for being rude and inhospitable before but now you can't even slap divine retribution to the bastards that pollute your Church...even so thank you for Mammon...

And the other brothers too but mostly thank you for creating Mammon...He isn't an out and out evil you know? He...he's disgustingly human like with his ways... He cries over fictional characters and looks after me above and beyond what he has to do...

He's an idiot that doesn't know how to ask for help properly but...I think that's because of his circumstances...I really love him...I don't know if you're actually the one who sent those white poppies but...I'm taking it as a sign that everything's going to be alright...

I want to be with Mammon...even if this could only last for a year or even if one day he stops loving me...

I don't really understand love and things like emotion but...for Mammon...I want to. I want to make him happy! I don't want him to feel sad or pretend to be fine...I know it's impossible but even if it's a little bit...I want to do it!

For Mammon, That's why if possible...can I ask your help from time to time? You don't have to do anything God...just please hear my prayers out for him?

Thank you...and Goodnight."

"Oh they're dating now! My, my...that son of mine didn't really changed at his core huh? Still so shy with affection and a coward..." God idly mused, "but...he's willing to change...all for this human..."

God then briefly wondered if unlike his love for humans...his children's love never faded.

5.

"In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit..." You paused for a long while thinking about the events that transpired...the you that died and the Mammon you've left behind.

"O' God...I am heartily sorry for having offended you," You thought of all the prayers you've sent...blasphemous in nature and irreverent...you smile bitterly " and I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of Heaven and the pains of Hell"

'Even if I'm already here'

"But most of all I offended you my God, who are all good and deserving of my love..." You closed your eyes and for the first time in a long while prayed with all of your heart and soul, "I firmly resolve with the help of your Grace, to confess my sins, to do penance and to amend my life. Amen."

'Please let them be happy...the ones I left behind...let them move on from the hurt and heal together...I'm sorry that I ended up hurting them again.'

For the first time in a long while...God made a miracle.

+ 1

"I take you,Mammon, to be my lovely wedded husband—to have and to hold—from this day forward" You looked at your openly crying husband, "for better and for worse,for richer and for poorer..."

You gently wiped his tears away," in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish—till death do not us part. According to your Father's Holy Law," The whole place erupts in gentle laughter "This I solemnly vow."

You slid the ring into his finger, gently and slowly as if he was fragile glass. You turned to look up to him and smile. Heart breakingly happy at being by his side again.

God spoke at the reception, a familiar glint in Their eye that made Michael sigh and Lucifer wary.

"In all years of my life I've never met a human so bold and courageous to complain straight at my face and commit blasphemy at almost every conversation we had. But I've also never met someone willing to pray for Demons and even come to love one so much with their entirety...in every version of you I saw this remained and I know it isn't because of your lineage but simply because of you who are."

You sat up straight wondering where this was going.

"Human life is fleeting...a mere blink in the eye for us who lived long but in there is beauty in that brief moment. Keep on living as you are, love the beauty that is timeless and ephemeral! And when the time comes the Kingdom of Heaven welcomes you!"

They raised a glass to you and said, "Yours is a love built to last, willing to sacrifice and endure, you have my blessing."

They turned to Mammon and smiled. A smile that reminded you of Mammon's and you turned to your husband and held his hand tighter. Everything would turn out fine.

[davidmann95]

Today's comics?

An unusual week: while I got plenty of stuff, over half of it was non-Big Two. Would have been even more if not for the tpb for Bang! not showing up at my LCS, I’ve heard good things about that; hopefully soon.

Dark Nights: Death Metal #5: I’m still largely enjoying this, but it’s weird that after a prior event and a run leading into this that perfectly balanced pure comics bullshit lore and wild comics bullshit fun, it’s the absurd maximalist finale with the Chainsaw of Truth and an evil Darkseid arm and a zombie army commanded by Batman in a trenchcoat that it goes all the way into Lore as the heart of the thing.

Batman #103: I’m really enjoying the hell out of Ghost-Maker, the idea of the 90s globe-trotting uncompromising ass-kicker superhero with all the resources, guns, katanas, smooth self-assurance backed up by ruthless competence, and badass one-liners contemporized, made as cool as you always wanted it to be, and taken to its horrific logical conclusion. Also his name is Ghost-Maker because he kills people and that’s how ghosts work, never gonna get over that. I would for real read an ongoing about this dude, or at least legit hope somebody takes some inspiration from his new model of the template.

Catwoman #27: A lot of fun! The logistics were more than I could fully follow on a casual read, but bit-by-bit this does feel like it’s turning the Brubaker paradigm into something uniquely its own.

Rorschach #2: I very much liked it. I wonder if the stuff with how it played with time visually might have been influenced by Pax Americana, and I cracked up at the bit you’d assume I cracked up at. Again, “I liked it/didn’t like it” and maybe one or two comments are all you’re getting out of me with this one.

Ice Cream Man #21: Great as usual, but I can’t say I grasped the purpose of the riff.

Stillwater #3: This feels like it’s tending back up towards what I really dug about the first issue.

We Live #2: Didn’t quite measure up to the first issue - there’s a storytelling choice here that wasn’t entirely clear at first and left me confused for the back half of the issue, I needed to reread it to get it - but I’m still quite pleasantly surprised by this one and would recommend it even if you’re tired of the post-apocalypse.

DIE #15: I assume either next arc is the end or it completely changes up after #20, given the countdown on the back (and of course how that matches up with the physical die). Totally lost, still loving it, glad I have time to reread it and make sense of things.

Once & Future #13: Tidily answered a question I’ve had for awhile, and as much as I’ve moaned that while this is good it hasn’t been fully clicking with me, that opening was an all-timer.

Die! Die! Die! #13: Still an extremely dumb hoot.

Commanders in Crisis #2: Once again reviewed it for AIPT! And also once again would recommend checking out the site’s exclusive ‘interviews’ with the members of the team courtesy of Ritesh Babu and Orlando, this month’s being with Sawbones.

Marvels Snapshots: Avengers: Aside from the Chaykin Spider-Man one I skipped, this was the first one to leave me ‘meh’. I’d say pass.

The Immortal Hulk #40: Some of the more recent forays into more traditional superheroic territory in here - while still great - haven’t hit me as hard as its pure horror, but this is as Marvel-ass comics as the book’s gotten thus far and it’s a total blast. And among the volumes that will be dedicated to this book when it’s over, some of that writing better be dedicated to how hard each and every issue’s title fucks month in and month out, because damn.