#certainly not to write an over 30k fic in a month

[idyllic-ghost]

3k followers celebration !

Thank you so much for wanting to stick around with my blog for this long! I can't picture 3000 different people following me 😭

My most popular mini-series has been The Other Woman since I posted it about two years ago. Ever since then, I've also hated that mini-series. I find it rushed, and there are a few plot holes, but I still like the storyline and I wanted to do it justice.

So, since I wanted to do something other than an ask game for this celebration, I rewrote the entire mini-series into a 30k fic. Some parts will be the same, just worded differently, but other parts have been changed around.

The fic is still in progress, I have to finish a few scenes and then it has to be proofread, but it'll be posted in a couple weeks. In the meantime, I'll be opening up my requests for drabbles only. I won't be able to write a lot of them, but a decent amount.

Askbox is OPEN! Request to your heart's content! Just know that I won't be writing anything too long. Here's some navigation:

join my taglist

masterlists

guidelines

For more info, go to the navigation post pinned on my blog!

Read a teaser for the fic under the cut!

✦ .　⁺ 　. T E A S E R .　⁺ 　. ✦

“Well, I’m your next-door neighbor. So, if there’s anything you need you can let me know.”

Friendly and hot. This might have been the luckiest you’ve felt in over a year.

“Oh, is it your cottage?”

“No, no- it’s my parents’ place. I’m just fixing it up for them so that they can enjoy it during the summer months,” he explained and looked down at his box. “Oh, right. I got you a little welcome gift- I don’t know if you like muffins but…”

He held it out to you, and you finally got a proper look at it. The bottom of it was read, but the top was see-through. Dark red muffins, about six of them, were lined up perfectly inside the box. Red velvet. You wondered if he had made them himself, or if he had bought them from some expensive bakery.

“I love muffins,” you assured him and accepted the box. “Thank you, Mingyu.”

“No problem,” he said, “And, if you’re into barbecue, our other neighbor is having one later this evening.”

“Oh, I don’t know… I don’t really know them. I feel like I’d be intruding.”

“You can come over with me, I’ll keep you company all night if you don’t like them,” he joked.

“Well, that’s certainly a tempting offer…” You thought about your mom, and how much she’d want you to try to move on. “Alright, when is it?”

“I’ll come by around six and pick you up,” he recommended. 

“Sounds good,” you said. “See you then.”

“Can’t wait.” He sent you a flirtatious smile before leaving.

You watched Mingyu leave, not so subtly checking him out, before closing the door. Walking into the kitchen, you opened up the box of muffins and were immediately hit with a velvety aroma. After putting the box on the kitchen island, you picked one of them up and tasted it. The muffin practically melted in your mouth, it was perfectly fluffy and not too sweet.

“Holy fuck.” You put your hand over your mouth.

Was this man good at everything?

taglist: @enhacolor, @shuabby1994, @junhui-recs, @dkakapizzaboy, @just-here-to-read-01, @loviehan, @userjunhuii, @novalpha, @bubblymoon, @aaniag

[magicaltear]

Hi dear! For the "Questions for fic writers" ask game: how about numbers 1, 3 and 31? 💙

Of course! It's always a joy to play these Tumblr ask games with you ♡

I'm still answering asks from this post if anyone else wants to join~!

1. What fic of yours would you recommend to someone who had never read any of your work? (In other words, what do you think is the best introduction to your fics?) Oh wow, hmmm. I think I would rec my first ever fic, “As Long As We Both Shall Live.” I know the 1917 fandom is rather small, but I poured almost two months of work into that fic, and it went through plenty of rewrites and revisions. While I adore my other fics just as much, I don’t think any other one has gone through as critical an eye as that first one. It was my AO3 debut, I wanted to make a good first impression!

3. What are some tropes or details that you think are very characteristic of your fics? Well, I certainly do a lot of Canon Divergence in my fics. I’m always attempting to fix the parts that left me unsatisfied after watching a movie (and in the case of the MCU, I shamelessly toss the entire canon to the trash bin). A very specific detail I always try to keep in mind when writing is to keep track of my characters’ traumas and give them enough time to breakdown and reflect. I write mainly about WW1 soldiers and superheroes, so my characters have already been through hell and back. I try to be mindful of that and pay extra attention to the way they hold themselves and interact with others.

31. What’s your ideal fic length to write? Hmm, my ideal one seems to be in the range of 4k to 9k words. That length usually gives me enough space to really get into a character’s head and have Things Happen with enough time for a satisfying resolution. Plus, it allows me to complete and post a fic in about a month’s time. Otherwise, we’re stuck going on for ages like my two on-going projects. My IronStrange “An Outside Chance” is already over 50k words long and I’ve only gotten started, and my Blakefield “Please Don’t Go (Rushing By)” is stuck at 30k words in the WIP. I find shorter fics harder to write though. I need more space to pour my love of those characters into my stories!

[eldritchmochi]

Letter ask: the word PHANTOM

jesus christ mina youre going to kill me lmao

P - Invent a random AU for any fandom (we always need more ideas).

HMMM i have a couple weird ones, because im me, but i think the weirdest would be the one where i just slap ashton into the whole situation i have going on with my job where they get hired to be reception (somehow??? he's baffled too honestly) and then ends up taking over bookkeeping because he has some level of prior experience due to all the temping hes done while trying to get out of manual labor work to save their increasingly fucked up body at least a little, and then revolves around him navigating getting his health under control and the fact that hes like... financially stable and almost well off???? for the first time in their entire life, with added bonus of the IT guy they deal with most for getting all the stuff set up to do bookkeeping is fucking cute as hell and they keep running into each other at the gym and then maybe something about taking care of both fcg and milo (even tho milo hates it) because finally ashton has money to meaningfully contribute to the well being of his friends. i will eventually write it because i think it'd be fun to put ashton into Situations in an entirely benign office setting when he's defintely not the sort youd think to be there, especially not in some sort of management situation, i just haven't figured out the rest of the cast lmao

H - What is your favorite source text for fandom stuff (e.g., TV shows, movies, books, anime, Western animation, etc.)?

broadly, it really depends. i am all over the map with where inspo comes from and just because i find inspo in one particular piece of media does not mean i'll latch onto something in the same vein even if you'd expect me to. even beyond format or indie vs mainstream, i'm wildly unpredictable when it comes to things like how fleshed out the characters i claim as mine are in source material and like even the kind of characters i find inspo in a lot of the time. like, ive written (but not finished) fic for crime procedurals so like...... my mileage certainly varies lmao

probably the trends are like: indie media or cult classics, things with found family, and things with characters who either have a solid base of unique traits to extrapoliate into a good personality or characters that are very well fleshed out and very unique

A N T answered here!!

O answered here!! but i'll answer it again because its fun lmao

O - Choose a song at random. Which ship or character does it remind you of?

this one is very much on repeat when i work on the 30k+ ashrym character exploration pwp i have been writing off and on for like 10 months lmao

M - Name a character that you’d like to have for a friend.

okay so like, cherry was absolutely BAFFLED by my fmk answer for cr between my Big Three blorbos here because its absolutely fuck caleb, marry ashton, kill essek

BUT HEAR ME OUT so like ashton right?? we're both abrasive assholes who have a lot of things in common (brawling, punk diy, not touching people) so you'd think we'd butt heads a lot but i can absolutely see them being the sort to plainly state if i'm being annoying and how, and i also see him being the sort to respond well to the same. i think we'd vibe well because we just kinda get a lot of the bullshit we each go through and also have a similar enough way of communicating frustrations that there wouldn't really be hard feelings from frustrations. 10/10 good buddy, roommate, or husband material in my books

essek is the exact opposite. i would punch that wizard in the face like IMMEDIATELY lmao

caleb physically is aggressively my type (which is why i write so much porn from essek's pov lmao) but he would frustrate the hell out of me irl with the way he manages his trauma so id divorce him in like a year BUT the dick would be bomb so fwb but more benefits and less friends because i do not want to be someone's therapist i have been there

anyway.

there are several other letters in this ask game u can ask me bles it is very fun

[tabbytabbytabby]

Burnin’ For You by tabbytabbytabby

When Henry is sent to the Upside Down in 1979, he doesn't become Vecna. Instead, he's trapped there, biding his time, until Eleven opens the gate the night Will Byers goes missing. After his escape, he decides to enroll at Hawkins High and try to hide in plain sight until he can figure out what his plan is. What he's not counting on is Eddie Munson coming in and turning his world upside in a whole different way.

Read on AO3

[wild-aloof-rebel]

Some Favorite Fics from 2020

Like last year, I want to end 2020 by highlighting some fics that have become favorites over the last twelve months. Before I dive into it though, I just want to take a minute to send some love to all of the authors writing in this fandom.

As of the end of 2019, there were about 8.8 million words of fic on AO3 for this fandom. This year, more than 450 authors have added another 15 million more. That’s so incredibly impressive, especially in a year this difficult. Thank you, thank you, thank you to every single person who contributed to that, whether you wrote one fic or a hundred, a drabble or a novel. Thank you for giving this fandom the gift of your creativity and voice. Your work is so, so appreciated, and you’ve helped to create joy in a year where it was often in short supply. 💗💗💗

*

Okay, on to the fics. I’ve limited myself to no more than one work for any individual author to spread the love around as much as possible, and I’ve bumped up the number to 25 this time around because there was just too much fic this year for me to cut it down any further. 

So here we go. These are 25 fics I loved this year, and what I love about them...

Your heart is keeping time with me by yourbuttervoicedbeau • rated E • 33k+ confession before i start: i’ve never actually seen 50 first dates. but i thought this AU based on it was delightful. patrick’s love for david is so big, right from the start, and i love seeing david lean into trusting himself (and patrick) over and over again

will this ever get old? by startswithhope • rated T • <1k i just like seeing them domestic and soft and happy, okay? and while most of dee’s fics are like that, this particular one is a fave because of them thinking about their future and how they’ll change over the years but love each other right on through

Just to Hold the Hands I Love by DesignatedGrape • rated T • 20k+ it’s like a warm christmas hug, full of musical trolling, gentle pining, domestic nights in, and careful attention to fashion details, which are all absolutely the kinds of things i appreciate

A Case of You by DoubleL27 • rated T • 6k+ patrick is an absolute menace in exactly the way you would expect every valentine’s day. it’s funny and sweet and ends with them in exactly the kind of future we all want for them

Dulce by another_Hero • rated T • 1k+ original characters can be hard to do right. they have to be compelling enough to fit in with these characters we already know so well, and dulce is the kind of character who grabs you from the start. the whole series is lovely, but this first interaction with ronnie is my favorite of them

Tea-Kettle Love by ArabellaStrange • rated G • 5k+ even though this coda to “the pitch” isn’t technically canon compliant now, it still feels a lot like it is. it’s about the sacrifices we are and aren’t willing to make for the people we love, taking the new york discussion into more depth than we get in the show and still arriving in largely the same place

Vanquished by Codswallop • rated G • 3k+ if you’re looking for soft, fluffy sickfic, this is not it, lol. patrick is sick here but won’t let anyone take care of him. he’s stubborn and basically minor chaos ensues. it’s funny and sweet but not schmaltzy. the characterization is 👌, and it feels like the kind of thing that fits perfectly into the world of the show

To Come Out the Other Side by unfolded73 • rated T • 4k+ • warning for major character death i don’t want to read sad things about david and patrick very often, but sometimes the mood strikes. this one is definitely sad right from the start, but there’s hope and resilience through grief, and i think this year especially, there’s something to be said for stories that can make you feel like there is still good to be found after the bad

Hold Me Like You’ll Never Let Me Go by moodlighting • rated T • 21k+ i never would have thought that a fic would make me WANT to be trapped in an airport, but it’s 2020 and anything is possible, lol. this is what meet cute dreams are made of

Your mother keeps a spreadsheet by upbeat • rated G • 3k+ obviously i love a good spreadsheet, so this one was up my alley from the start, lol. but really it’s moira and patrick bonding through the cataloguing of her wigs (and all the stories that go with them) that makes this one an easy favorite

keep me in the pulses, keep me in the sound by dinnfameron • rated G • 2k+ this sweet little slice of a summer vacation made me ache to be with friends. plus, sometimes you just need some overwhelmingly happy david rose. he deserves it, and so do we

eggs and the flour, no higher power by withkissesfour • rated T • 1k+ i’m pretty sure this fic is the definition of sweet, in more ways than one. it’s a short piece, but the writing is lush and indulgent in all the right places, just like the cakes being described

sustineo by rockinhamburger • rated E • 10k+ before i was even done reading this fic, i wanted another 50k words set in this universe. the conversation between david and patrick is sharp in all the right ways, and because this david has such a hard shell to crack after being hurt in such a horrible and heartbreaking way, it’s that much more satisfying watching patrick break through it

All-Natural Care, Locally Sourced by Siria • rated T • 2k+ siria’s fics are always funny, with banter that’s so perfectly on point, and that’s certainly true here. but there are also care packages and photos and just so much love. it’s a perfect balance, just like the show

hold on to me as you go by helvetica_upstart • rated T • 3k+ i love a good look at just how long patrick has been head over heels in love with david and how much he was in this for life all along. this fic does just that through the framework of times that they saw their new house before they bought it, and it’s everything that you would want that concept to be and more

Exposed Brick by swat117 • rated M • 9k+ this is such a lovely look at david and patrick a few years into their marriage, steady in all the right ways, even when old fears try to rise up between them. it gives david a chance to be the solid and supportive one in the relationship, something i never get tired of reading

We Could Turn the World to Gold by middyblue • rated T • 27k+ as someone who also did c25k at one point, i def empathize with david’s plight in this fic, lol. as much fun as that part of the story is, it’s really the house and everything related to that part of the story that makes this a favorite in my book. this was posted very early in s6, so it’s not the house from canon, but it’s beautiful either way to see them so excited about building their future together there

Waiting on the Day by High-Seas-Swan • rated E • 22k+ this is another fic that makes me absolutely ache for things i couldn’t have this year, namely my favorite local brewery and all the nights spent there with friends. beyond that, it’s just a very sweet AU, and the scene with their first kiss and the rest of that night live in my head rent free

Pot o’ Gold by ahurston • rated E • 22k+ where is the leprechaun/love of my life who’s gonna take me out to eat all of the best foods that my city has to offer? this one is a slow burn but their relationship is so much fun to read right from the start that you definitely don’t mind taking your time getting there. also, the palm reading scene. good grief.

there is no design by the_hodag • rated T • 12k+ this fic gives us a look at some of david’s art, and all the loneliness and love that inspires it. it’s poignant and painful and hopeful and sweet in turn, and i think it does a marvelous job of capturing so many of the facets of david’s past that have made him who he is

A Little Broken, A Little New by nameless_bliss • rated G • 3k+ i’ve read this fic several times now, and david and johnny having a conversation about their own relationship through the guise of talking about patrick and his parents never fails to make me cry

Une très bonne table dans sa catégorie by cromarty • rated T • 23k+ just the concept of this one alone would have sold me on it—like, hello? michelin reviewer and chef? sign me the fuck up—but it’s written with the kind of attention to detail i always expect from claire’s writing, and the fact that it practically starts with a first kiss but then pulls back makes for a delicious dynamic as they build a friendship over that foundational attraction, both tempering and intensifying the wait for them to find their way back into each others’ arms

happy golden days of yore by blueink3 • rated E • 17k+ i literally stopped in the middle of this fic, sat down on my kitchen floor, and had a good cry. i hate thinking about them ending up divorced in the first place, but even as exes, they’re so careful and gentle with one another and so, so clearly still in a forever kind of love. that makes it bearable to see them apart because even if it weren’t tagged for a happy ending, there’s such a feeling of inevitability to it, you know exactly how it’s going to end and just get to enjoy the devastating ride it takes to get there

Fifteen Hundred Miles by MoreHuman • rated M • 30k+ this is one of those fics where everything comes together just right and achieves a perfect balance of introspection and action, courage and fear, despair and hope, forthright honesty and cautious reservation... MoreHuman makes it all look easy, which says so much about all the care that had to have gone into the planning and writing. this fic does everything well, and it’s an absolute pleasure to read from start to end

840 Havenwood Road E by Distractivate • rated E • 10k+ we barely see david and patrick’s new house in the show, so it shouldn’t be possible for me to be as emotional about it as this fic makes me, every single time i read it. but it’s the home they chose, the place they decided to build a life together, and getting to see flashes of that life through the years and how much love they clearly had for each other within those four walls just makes me cry again and again

[thetpot]

Hello and happy ffwf! What is a fic you have been wanting to write for a long time that you haven't had the chance to start? What's an idea for a scene or dialogue that you want to include in it? Feel free to jot down a little snippet or just describe your thoughts! 💕💕

ooh, this question only has one answer. i want to write another long-form zukaang fic with a side of roku/sozin, that deals with aang and zuko finding a chamber under the caldera that sozin built specifically for himself and roku. it's a heavy fic idea that would bring aang intimately in contact with sozin's most private journals during the time he was planning and leading the genocide against the airbenders. so aside from the eternally interesting question of how do zuko and aang resolve the complexities of the fire nation's legacy to find their way to one another, it would also deal with sozin's relationship with roku, how it began as friendship, morphed into love, and as roku moved against him, twisted into possession and obsession. i want to write something for roku and sozin that fits within the canon timeline and doesn't change the outcome of anything, so i envision it as an extremely passionate, life-ruining kind of love that offers an alternative explanation for why roku handled sozin the way he did. this fic idea was singlehandedly birthed by the episode 'the avatar and the firelord', and the possibilities have lived rent-free in my mind ever since. the PARALLELS, the inherent drama, i live for it.

the reason i haven't started this fic yet in earnest is because i know it's going to be a VERY long boi and i simply don't have the energy, time and patience for it. i also want to be careful about how i center the fire nation characters in this story, because writing about aang, his pain and his loss is central to this story. tbh, the zukaang elements might end up being the least important part of the whole story. it's something that'll require a fair bit of research and empathy to execute. for all that after the flame, a pause deals with the impacts of politics+history on zuko and aang's relationship, it is nothing compared in scope to what i envision for this fic.

i had about 30k words of this fic written before i realized the scope of it and ended up splitting it into after the flame, a pause. this is one of the scenes from the original draft when after the flame, a pause was just a baby fic inside this larger one. 

Zuko looked at Aang and Aang looked back at him, his mouth open as if he was just about to speak. At that moment, he would have been glad for the earth to start rumbling around them, for the volcano they were in the heart of to start erupting - anything, really, to move them from this moment to the next. But nothing came and they both turned to stare at the statue again.

"Is that who I think it is?" Aang said weakly, a question and somehow also a statement.

"Roku and Sozin," Zuko said, just to make sure he wasn't the only one seeing it.

Aang laughed strangely. "I was hoping you saw someone different."

"Yeah," Zuko said simply, because he couldn't think of anything else to say.

"I should talk to Roku."

"And say what?" Zuko said with a weak laugh. "This is weird."

Out of the corner of his eye, Aang threw him a nervous glance. "Which part?"

"The part where there's a sculpture of my great-grandfathers kissing. Roku is your past life," Zuko said and then shook his head hard at the words he was speaking. "This is weird."

Aang made a sound that could barely pass as a laugh. "I feel like we shouldn't be looking at this. I mean, they're naked and all."

"I think that's the least objectionable part of all of this, but you're right," Zuko said.

Aang airbended the sheet back onto the sculpture and Zuko took several steps away, rubbing at his eyes. The low shelves running through half the length of the room were piled with scrolls. There wasn't a single empty spot in sight. If they'd been looking for secrets, they'd certainly found them but this was something else. Sozin had outlawed homosexuality in his time and it was a policy Zuko had dismantled in his time, but only in name. It took a lot more than just a law to change one hundred years of Sozin's legacy. To find a sculpture like this, kept deliberately secret, surrounded by scrolls full of who knew what, Zuko couldn't begin to imagine the implications. If this depicted some truth.

Even years later, he remembered the words Sozin had written in his last will and testament. Close to death, he'd written only about Roku. And what he'd done to him to ensure the Fire Nation's expansion.

Aang was still staring at the base of the covered sculpture, a frown on his face. "It's dated 27 years before the war began. And it has Sozin's name on it."

Zuko took a moment to count. "Sozin was 55 then."

"But they're much younger than 55 here."

"Maybe it's… artistic interpretation of a memory," Zuko said, feeling ridiculous even as he said it.

A sheepish look returned to Aang's face. "I can't ask Roku about this."

"You don't have to. I'm sure there's something here that's worse than this," Zuko said, trying to keep his tone light but the words fell flat into the space between them.

There were crates neatly stacked against the walls in this corner and a long marble tabletop, also covered by a sheet. Aang edged away from it and closer to Zuko. "Maybe we should take a look at some of the scrolls instead."

Zuko nodded and surveyed the rest of the room. This place had been set aside like a tomb and yet, it felt so lived in, so meticulously designed with an eye to both form and function that it felt alive. It wasn't like the tunnels outside and above, where the earth pressed in close and sound vanished as soon as it was uttered. It was like a room plucked from the Palace and nestled deep into the earth. And yet, locked behind a series of doors only an Avatar could unlock. But which one had Sozin meant it for?

Aang moved over to the living area and Zuko stuck close by, eyeing everything around them. There was a beautifully constructed bed here, next to two comfortable chairs and a low table. On the table, there was an arrangement of writing implements and in the center, next to a stack of blank paper, a bound and sealed scroll.

Aang stared at the scroll, his face progressing through a complicated series of expressions, giving the overall effect of a horrible stomach ache. Zuko reached over to pick it up but before he could grab it, Aang had already snatched it up and ripped it open. He began to read aloud, his voice pinched and rushed.

As death draws closer, I leave this chamber standing, not by choice but out of necessity. It seemed a grand idea when Roku and I first conceived of it, in the those bright few months we shared together, a place entirely and solely our own. But I see now the error I made in nestling our memories so close to home, in a place where only Roku could remove them from under the earth without bringing the catacombs crashing down on it, and the city too, eventually.

These scrolls and trophies, I leave for you to find, whoever you are. If you are the Avatar, as I hope, then I bid you welcome. I failed in my mission to find you and if I am to speak the truth I've never spoken to Azulon, if I did not succeed, he also will not. What mettle his descendants have, I cannot say from this vantage in time. If you are the Avatar, then we have lost, although defeat is also hard to conceive of. But I've lived a long life and I have seen plenty I once thought impossible.

I could have burned all of this in my final days in this realm, but consider it a gift. You will find plenty here that is close to your heart and familiar to your spirit. 

And if you are not the Avatar, then count it my final mistake leaving such treasures undefended.

[flameraven]

2020 Fanfic Roundup

Well, that was a thing. I kept myself distracted from the various apocalypses by writing a lot this year, and using fictional characters to process some trauma. ^^;; It was certainly productive, though! Total Words in 2020:  75,385

This is, hands down, the most prose I’ve ever written in my life, and I absolutely owe it to the great community over at the Ace Omens Discord, for their support and constant encouragement to commit ever more soft crimes. Before I got into Good Omens, I wrote a fanfic here or there, but I didn’t really feel like I could do prose. The response to my fics has been amazing and it’s given me the confidence to consider doing a novel in the next few years. Completed Fics: The Weight of Words Unspoken - (G, 1.8k) The trouble with not saying things directly for thousands of years, is that sometimes you forget to be clear once you can actually speak openly. Small Mercies (T, 4k) It had been a long time since Crawly had run into an angel-- well, into any angel that wasn't Aziraphale. There weren't so many on Earth as there used to be, and they usually weren't too difficult to avoid. This one, though, had caught him by surprise. (Crawly gets smited. Aziraphale lends a hand.) What God Has Joined (T, 7.8k) Aziraphale turns to see a card sitting atop the stack of books he'd been sorting; gold ink on paper so white it fairly glowed. Picking it up with suddenly trembling fingers, he reads: We have him. Report immediately.Three centuries after the failed apocalypse, Heaven intends to make Aziraphale an offer he can't refuse. My first multi-part fic in the fandom, and the longest one up to that point! It was definitely a bit of a challenge, but I was incredibly pleased with the result. It remains one of my more popular fics. crack me open, feel me shatter - (T, 2.8k) Crowley dreams of the Fall. Aziraphale is there to catch him when he wakes. the sacred simplicity (of you at my side) - (G, 2k) - Crowley accidentally confesses his love to Aro!Aziraphale, whom he is sure does not return it. Aziraphale very gently but firmly corrects him. Started as a spite fic. As someone aro-ace myself I have a lot of Feelings about non-romantic love being considered “lesser,” and also because these two walnuts are 6000 years old and I needed a fic where they actually had a conversation instead of running off to pine sadly. It remains one of the softest fics I’ve written, and seems to have been very welcome as aro rep, which I’m rather proud of. Unpack Your Heart (G, 3.2k) The Scars that Words Have Carved (G, 2k) Crowley + Aziraphale processing 6000 years of pent-up anxiety and trauma. Both of these were fics that I originally came up with in 2019, but took ages to properly write; the Aziraphale fic in particular had 2-3000 words cut out of it at different points. Blood Makes Noise (M, 9k) - Crowley gets captured (and tortured) by a demon angling for his job. (Fortunately, Aziraphale is unexpectedly in the area.) Definitely the darkest thing I’ve written, but sometimes it’s nice to flex some different writing muscles. Hurt/Comfort and Whump are my favorite genres, but I don’t write much of it in GO mostly because I feel bad hurting the husbands. They’ve suffered enough (and 2020 was upsetting as it is without more dark fic.) Never Leave Your Side (T, 30k) - A canon divergence AU where Aziraphale actually was recalled to Heaven in 1800, and only returns to Earth in 2007. Just in time to thwart the Apocalypse. My longest work to date! This was an enormous challenge and took 6 months to write, but I am so incredibly proud of myself for finishing it. I never thought I could complete such a long work, so pulling it off gave me the confidence to consider other long projects. Just not for awhile. I burned out pretty hard finishing this one. Shed Your Shadows (G, 5k) - Shedding fic. Once a century, Crowley has to shed. Aziraphale doesn’t know-- but he’s about to find out. A belated entry for Snektember. I have been taking a break from writing for the last two months as I recovered from finishing that longfic, but I have been easing back into it, with a couple WIPs currently cooking. I’m looking forward to writing more fic next year, as well as possibly working on some original projects.

[jjungkooksthighs]

Hi! Idk if you remember me, but I was the anon who gushed about COC being a high class no 1 bestselling novel and mentioned that I wasn't a native English speaker😂. It's been a while but I read your newest story Yearn for you and I gotta say, it was one of the hottest fics I've ever read 😳 and I read a lot not kidding 😩 I loved it so much and the smut *chefs kiss 👌* I had a field day yesterday at 1am 👀👀 other than that, I really loved the dynamic between yn and koo and how you could tell how much they love each other. Even tho jk is really possessive over his partner, he still allowed her to have fun with another man and it was soo hot😩😩 anyways sorry for rambling so much I just wanted to tell you AgAIn how much I love your writing style and how much I anticipate any story you post. Thank you so much 😊😊💜

Hello, my darling. I remember you very well! It has been awhile, but how could I forget such a kind soul? I still don’t consider my work to be THAT good, but the praise you always lavished on me was such a wonderful balm for my fractured spirits. How have you been? Have you been taking care of yourself? 

You liked Yearn for You? I’m glad! Honestly, I surprised myself with how naughty it was, lol. While I was writing it, even I had to sit back and look at it and thought: Damn, this is raunchy AF. My fingers certainly didn’t have any problems stroking the keyboard because the words just WOULD NOT STOP. I guess I just have to accept that I can’t write anything short, lol. It feels like everytime that I say I’m going to do like a minimal word count at like 1-4k words, it never ends up actually being that in the fact that the word count is doubled, tripled, quadrupled (or in yfy’s case, sextupled), so yeah. I had worried for some time that the word count being over 30k would turn off some people since this fic is a longer one, but I hope that those that did read enjoyed that aspect of it. 

I’ve read quite a lot of fics as well and I am proud of to say that I wrote this one amongst the collection I have created within the last few months. It is very risque, but that’s one of the things I cherish about it because to be this filthy is HOT, let me tell you. I am happy to know that you thought so as well, lovely. I worked hard on this fic to make it what it was and am pleased to see that you liked how dirty it was XD !

Wait, you had a “field day?” Are you saying what I think you are? IF SO OMG I FEEL SO PROUD TO KNOW I INSPIRED SUCH SIN WITH MY STORY. Truly, it is so fulfilling knowing that I wasn’t the only one that had some fun with this story in my head. Like, the fact that you did stuff because of what I wrote??? THE POWER I HOLD KAJOEIAJOIGNOIAODNGOIE I HOPE YOU HAD LOTS OF SATISFACTION WHEN YOU WERE HAVING YOUR LITTLE “FIELD DAY.”

Ahem. Moving on, I am also ecstatic to hear that you liked the dynamic of reader and koo in the story. It’s funny, the person that commissioned the fic originally just wanted CEO!Jimin, but once I told her of Vice President Kook, it was over. The entire story changed from what I originally teased her with once I added him into the equation, but I think that the fic was made infinitely better with his addition into it. I wanted to show a personality of Jungkook I hadn’t explored before in terms of how far his love and devotion could span while wrapped within the shroud of dominance and desire, so I’m glad you enjoyed that facet of him in his relationship with the reader!

I am very happy to be told that you liked the story, honey. It took about two weeks to write, but those two weeks were filled with constant dabbling into the story until its completion and also until I was finally satisfied with where it stood. I’m so pleased to know that you enjoyed it and I hope you will look forward to more in the future!

[callunavulgari]

TOP 25 FICS OF 2019

1. these roads will take you into your own country by @notbecauseofvictories | American Gods | Laura Moon/Mad Sweeney | WIP | 33k

Here’s a joke for you: a Muslim, a zombie, and a leprechaun walk into a bar in Misery, Indiana. No one stares, because no one in the puckered, shitty asshole of Misery, Indiana gives a fuck. The Colts are playing.

Heather Says: So. It’s funny that another of @notbecauseofvictories‘s stories is at the top of my list again this year. Keep in mind this list is sorted by when the fic was read rather than favorites (because that would get real complicated real quick). Clearly there must be something about January. There’s just something about the writing that is easy to slip into, be it a Star Wars fic or a Labyrinth fic or even a fic about Johnny and the Devil. This was lovely and I can’t wait until it’s finished.

2. eighteen wheels on an uphill climb by @honkforhankcon | Detroit: Become Human | Hank/Connor | 91k

Hank is going to die. He’s going to die right here in Kentucky, 53 years old, halfway to broke, and tragically sober. Survived only by a nine-year-old St. Bernard and the 31-year-old twink who delivered the fatal blow.

Heather Says: I don’t think that this is the first DBH fic that I sought out after beating the game, but it is the first that I loved enough to make it to this list. I didn’t think that I would go for a modern au for this fandom, certainly not a modern au wihere Hank is a truck driver and Connor is a sex worker (albeit briefly?) but here I am.

3. Fuck pride (pride only hurts, it never helps) by ImogenGotDrunk | Detroit: Become Human | RK900/Gavin Reed | 41k

After the android uprising, Connor becomes a permanent fixture in the DPD. That’s fine. Gavin can accept that. The dipshit’s more human than he used to be, and a decent detective to boot. Gavin can deal with him being around. What Gavin cannot deal with is Connor’s replica; two inches taller, blue-eyed, and with a mouth that Gavin doesn’t know whether to punch or take between his teeth. The RK900 model has been assigned as his partner for the foreseeable future.

Heather Says: I also never thought that I’d like a fic with Gavin in it. But I got curious about all the Reed900, and well, this fic really won me over. The writing is fantastic, and it softens Gavin while still keeping him believable. Also, well, I like the enemies to lovers thing.

4. Almost Cool by @blacktofade | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Shane | 30k

While filming the Yuma Territorial Prison episode, Shane gets bitten by what he thinks is a bat. Spoiler alert: it's not.

Heather Says: This is actually the first thing that I read for this fandom. In fact, this is the fic that got me into Buzzfeed Unsolved in the first place. I’d seen a lot of art and gifs and fics pass my way, but I was only ever slightly interested in what I saw until this fic came through my inbox and piqued my curiosity. 

5. Pride by @astolat | Game of Thrones | Jaime/Brienne/Cersei | 22k

Jaime didn’t understand why Cersei suddenly insisted on trimming his hair and shaving his beard, but he also didn’t care to fight her on it, even though he’d just as soon have kept the beard: it was bitterly cold in the small tower room with its arrow-slits. 

Heather Says: Wowza. This fic was intense. I’ve always loved Jaime and Brienne. I’ve loved them since the second book, which was read at least a few years before I started loving them in the show. Adding Cersei to their dynamic would have probably been almost impossible to pull off if it was anyone else, but @astolat lives to surpass my expectations.

6. Skin and Scales by Ernmark | The Penumbra Podcast | Lord Arum/Sir Damien/Rilla | 18k

The man glares, and this time, Damien is certain it isn’t a trick of the light: those eyes are violet as amethyst. He wears disdain like a second skin–- or, perhaps, like the scales that he is missing. “Lord Arum?”

Heather Says: I was one of those people who skipped through all of the Second Citadel episodes during my first listen through of Penumbra. The stories were good, but the pull of Juno was too great. A couple months after I finished, I went back and listened to everything I didn’t. And let me tell you. Lizard monster. Honorable knight. Bookish girlfriend. Poly. It hit every single button I had and then some. This fic really hit the spot when I ran out of story.

7. someone you like by caela | She-Ra | Adora/Catra | 5k

catwithabat u think ur so hipster but u just look like a lesbian 27m she_ra @catwithabat bc… i’m a lesbian. lmao 5m

Heather Says: Noooot usually a big fan of high school fics. Namely because I’m not in high school anymore and well, after you read so many in your teenage years they sort of lose their luster. This one was phenomenal enough to change my mind.

8. Sands of Time by @tirsynni | Legend of Zelda | Ganondorf/Link | WIP | 98k

Link awakens in the desert with no idea how he got there, to encounter his worst enemy...except it was the King of the Gerudo, not the King of Evil, he faced.

Heather Says: I have seen a lot of really good Link/Ganondorf art over the years, but never really stumbled across a fic that didn’t have judicious amount of non-con involved. But the Breath of the Wild 2 trailer happened, and everybody started drawing really pretty art, so I went looking. And lo and behold, @tirsynni saved the day with this gorgeous time travel/fix-it fic. 

9. killed with kindness by veterization | Persona 5 | Akechi/Akira | 52k

Goro can't quite figure out why so many people keep acting like they're his friend. (Or: the one where the Phantom Thieves decide to know thy enemy, befriend thy enemy, love thy enemy, crush on thy enemy).

Heather Says: I’ve read a couple of veterization’s fics over the years, and to date they have never disappointed me. They published this in June, and I think I clicked on it mostly because I was bored and hadn’t read any good P5 fic yet. This was basically just what the doctor ordered, and I was really happy to find something where Akechi’s story went ever so slightly different.

10. paper thin by @ebonybow | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Shane/Sara | 9k

Shane’s new neighbors are a morning-sex kind of couple.

Heather Says: So I went into this one knowing very little about how Sara fit into things. I didn’t know she was Shane’s girlfriend. I’d never even seen her, but I clicked because I like poly and I trust the author. I was 100% not disappointed. There’s also another fic with a very similar dynamic here, which is also aces.

11. damn.nation, now available on itunes by @kaikamahine | Good Omens | Aziraphale/Crowley | 11k

When lowly tempt-pusher Amphora (formerly of Stairwell 7B North, before she Fell,) gets the notice that end times are nigh, she gleefully quits her job and cancels her Netflix subscription and takes her place among the legions of hell. This, it turns out, was a bad plan.

Heather Says: Elizabeth may have only written one fic this year, but she made it a damn good one. I’ve always loved her OCs especially, so I was pretty tickled that this is 10k+ of outsider pov. Also, demons! Demons are great! This demon is great! I want like 9 seasons and a movie about Amphora, just saying.

12. The Dragon and Her Wolves by hapakitsune | Game of Thrones | Jon/Sansa/Daenarys | 60k

When the truth of Jon's birthright is revealed, control of the North and Daenerys's claim to the Iron Throne are both called into question. To preserve their tenuous alliance and secure her rule, Daenerys puts aside her personal feelings to arrange a marriage of political convenience between Jon and Sansa Stark.

Heather Says: What do you mean season 8 didn’t exist and the show totally ended with a three way relationship between the two most powerful women in Westeros and Jon Snow? Never been a big fan of Jon/Sansa before this, but this is another of those writers that I would literally trust if they wrote a fic about a fork and a spoon.

13. never tell me the odds by @wildehacked | Wolf 359 | Eiffel/Hera | 9k

“I tried Star Wars," he says, adjusting the phone under his neck, "and it was way underwhelming.”

A shaky breath from her end. “Well, where did you start?”

Heather Says: I don’t remember which of @wildehacked‘s fandoms I started reading first. Most recently it’s been The Magnus Archives (more on this later). The point is, they’d written Wolf 359 fic and it had Hera and Eiffel and it was literally everything that I’ve been looking for since the series ended.

14. Find Me Somebody by raiining | Good Omens | Warlock/Adam Young | 11k

“You left me,” he said. “You both left me, for him. And I can’t even blame you, because I’d have left me for him too.”

Heather Says: There was an Art. The art was lovely. So I went looking, because that’s what I do when faced with beautiful art depicting a rare pairing. And I found the holy grail. Like, possibly my favorite Good Omens fic? Ever? 

15. flirting with fire by @brawlite | Stranger Things | Billy/Steve | WIP | 7k

Steve's a cop, Billy's a firefighter. It's not a grudge, it's just a regular old small town rivalry.

Heather Says: Okay so brawlite has written a lot of great stuff this year (more on that later), but I read this in bed at the beach house this August while I was reeling from both a horrible sunburn and like seven hours of mild to moderate day-drinking while everyone else was still throwing back shots right outside my bedroom door. Jaws was playing on the tv and I wasn’t even paying attention to it, because THIS. Long story short, I’ve been thirsty for more ever since.

16. gold, when you find me by mmtion | The Flash | Iris/Barry | 53k

It's not that Iris hates The Flash, per say - more that she hates writing about The Streak in a weekly, pun-heavy comic based on The Flash.

Heather Says: I never would have thought that a canon pairing would make it to my Top 25 list, but here we are. I like Iris/Barry a lot better when they don’t grow up together and spend a lot of time playing the Superman game, apparently. Also, this was really well-written, and sexual tension has never been something I’ve felt from Barry and Iris, but I felt it in this fic. Just. Damn.

17. never gets old by @brawlite & @toast-ranger-to-a-stranger| Stranger Things | Billy/Steve | 78k

Falling in love with a cam boy named KingSteve isn't the smartest thing Billy Hargrove has ever done, nor is it the most healthy -- but the good choice is rarely ever the fun choice, and Billy is all about living life fast and loose.

Heather Says: Told you I’d come back to it. brawlite and toastranger are a fantastic team. last year was cherry pie and under the covers, this year it’s camboys and cop/firefighter dynamics. Also, I have a really strange fascination with fics where a character has an instragram. It’s really, incredibly strange. Also also, every time I see this fic title I get that one Discovery Channel song stuck in my head. And no, it probably isn’t the one you’re thinking.

18. ways to save the world by @wildehacked | The Magnus Archives | Martin Blackwood/Jon Sims | 19k

“I left you,” Martin says softly.

Heather Says: And we’re back at wildehacked too! The Magnus Archives was a thing that happened to me. This is I think the first fic I read for it while listening, and it was so very close to what we got in canon. I think when it comes down to it though, I still prefer this fic, even if the ending of this season was pretty fantastic.

19. The Denial Twist by beethechange | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Shane | 35k

“This is kind of surreal,” Shane says, taking a sip of his tea. It’s piping hot and delicious, except it tastes like hot chocolate and not like tea at all. “Sort of—Wonka-esque, right? Or Alice in Wonderland.”

Heather Says: While the vampire one is my favorite both because it is excellent and because it was my first, this one was bizarre and sexy and also I read it like only a month or so ago! The dancing was my favorite part, but having dreams to work with made this story fantastically interesting and I loved every second of it.

20. silver in our lungs by taywen | Spinning Silver | Miryem/The Staryk Lord | 4k

The marks had been with Miryem for as long as she could remember. There were a number of them, all the same shade, following one after the other around her left wrist. They were pale as old scars, though they felt no different from the rest of her skin, and her mother claimed that Miryem had been born with them.

Heather Says: I really like soulmate aus. There’s so many different ways to twist them and the way they can sometimes change the dynamic entirely and other times not change them at all is just fascinating. I’ve been hoping there would be more Spinning Silver content on ao3 and running into this while I was trying to decide what I wanted to do for yuletide was a real treat.

21. you got me begging, begging, i'm on my knees by plalligator | The Queen’s Thief | Attolia/Eugenides/Costis | 5k

Costis has a particularly enlightening evening. (or, that struggle when you're a guard who's in love with your rulers and it turns out you would kind of like it if they bossed you around a little)

Heather Says: I accidentally re-read the King of Attolia and it made me consider ships I had perhaps not previously considered. This was really lovely and just steamy enough.

22. something more alive than silence by pageleaf | The Queen’s Thief | Attolia/Eugenides/Costis | 21k

It was a good thing that six months after the king had promised to halve the guard, he still hadn’t done it, because since then, there had been two attempts on the king’s life.

Heather Says: I want to only type the words AGONIZED NOISES to describe this fic because that’s basically my headspace when I get 21k of a shiny new ot3, but I mean. Really. This is super good and maybe my favorite yet? Why didn’t I start reading this fandom when I first read the books?

23. Timing it Right by DragonBandit | The Bright Sessions | Mark/Damien | 14k

The dragon chooses, Mark knows that as well as any boy born in a weyr. He'd never considered what that would mean if the dragon picked someone you hated. He's starting to think that was a mistake.

Damien's gold rises at Whitney. Mark tries to make things right.

Heather Says: This should actually be somewhere back in March, but I apparently closed out of the tab at some point. I never really got into Pern much. I have the first three books, but got most of the way through the first one a long time ago and then never picked it back up. I didn’t think I would like this, mostly because of the fact that I hadn’t gotten into the books, but was surprised to find that I absolutely loved it.

24. Keep It In Your Sights Now by LuckyDiceKirby | Shades of Magic | Lila/Kell/Holland | 9k

Holland travels with Lila and Kell. Somewhere along the way, they reach an equilibrium.

Heather Says: I love the new things I’ve discovered during my yuletide trompings. I don’t think I ever actually considered this pairing when I first read the books, but I am just so enamored with the idea of the three of them together. Like, why did I not realize that potential back then? This was lovely, and I loved it, and I want so much more out of this pairing than what ao3 has to offer me.

25. Charioteer by petrichoral | The Queen’s Thief | Gen & Costis | 13k

Captured in battle and stuck in the Mede capital, Costis has given up all hope of seeing his country again. But Eugenides has a habit of turning up where he's least expected.

Heather Says: Technically this shouldn’t be on here because I only read it today, but it was really wonderful and so canon typical. Gen and Costis were perfect in it, Irene was perfect in it. Everyone was perfect and nothing hurts.

[shealwaysreads]

WIP Monday

Okay so it’s Tuesday - what’re you gonna do?

Tagged by the lovely @tackytigerfic​ and @tepre​ who both apparently are happy to ask me to expose myself as a dirty great WIP hoarder. 

My writing muse has rapidly evolved from a timid little creature into some kind of obsessive dragon. I blame all of you.

If you see something you like - come and yell at me about it - I need the motivation because none of these have deaaaaadlines!

So, exposure and accountability, here I come:

Recently finished: a little ditty inspired by @potter-art​‘s glorious leather-clad Draco. Call me a fandom cliche but I couldn’t resist: it’s here if you fancy a peep!

Onto the actual WIPS:

The Loch fic: Currently at 14k - a love letter to Scotland, to survival, and what it means to be honest - in which I make D&H submit to the mortifying ordeal of being known. Spoiler alert: they hate it.

Excerpt: It had been five years and four months since the fall of Voldemort.

It had been five years and two months since Draco was defined by law as a ‘child soldier’ and saved from vengeful punishment under hasty legislative changes made in the wake of a truly stupendous display of impassioned debate on the part of Hermione Granger, and the crackling storm of barely restrained power that was Harry Potter standing at her right shoulder. Even if half the Wizengamot weren’t convinced that sending a seventeen year old to Azkaban was morally dubious, they were certainly confident enough that Harry Potter might casually obliterate them just like he had the most powerful dark wizard their world had seen in a generation if they didn’t vote unanimously in Granger’s favour.

It had been five years and twenty-five days since he walked back into Hogwarts for his Eighth Year, his second chance; every shred of bigotry and fancied superiority ground into dust by the vicious contrast between Voldemort’s lunatic sadism, and Potter’s savage compassion. Terror, humiliation, gratitude, and searing, aching regret had scoured Draco’s personality to the bone. 

The one with Unspeakable Draco: 200 words of ‘Bella woke from dozing at midnight with the crystal clear aesthetic of “bamf!powerful!sexy!Harry” (direct quote, yes, don't laugh) and then strung some vague plot points around the notion. Peril! Magical theory! Unspeakable Hermione! Dark Magic!

The BDSM fic(s): Yes. Fics plural. Because I have two very distinct head canons about how drarry would go kinky, and it requires two fics. Butterfly-wings. The same but different. One with Dom Harry/sub Draco, and the other with the opposite. I have a lot of feelings about BDSM in general, and more about drarry and BDSM. 

No official words yet, but 600 words of thinky-thoughts and concepts.

The Goblin fic: Post-war, goblins, reparations - who owes who? 

The one with lawyer Draco: An idea I’ve had on the back-burner for months now - Harry realising quite how regressive the Wizarding legal system is in the wake of the war, and finding an unlikely ally for reform in one Draco Malfoy, barrister.

Original fic: Shamefully neglected over the last couple of months, I’ve been up to my elbows in fests - but I’ll be back on it after Christmas! 30k and a mile of world-building that will never make it into the book!

Hozier prompt game: I saw Mr Hozier this September (and fell in love with every member of his band) and just - every fucking song is such a drarry vibe okay? - SO I’ll be doing a prompt thing for the first time ever. Look out for it and prompt me, else I’ll look a right twat, yeah? 😉

Now I’ve so thoroughly exposed myself - I’m gonna make the rest of you do it!

Tagging: @dualwieldteacup​ @clotpolesonly​ @fictional​ @tedahfromtayla​ @quicksilvermaid​ @malenkayacherepakha​ @keyflight790​ @tsundanire​ @maesterchill​ @lemonbuncake​ @coriesocks​ @drarryruinedme7​ @diligent-thunder​

I also tag YOU reader - join me ❤️

[captain-aralias]

Fanfic year in review - 2019

yeah - i’m going to answer all these questions too. just watch me. 

List of Completed Fics this year:

Keep Calm (Carry On, S/B and ensemble, Teen, 69k)

Sex and Blood (Carry On, S/B, Explicit, 16k)

The Sound of Silence (Carry On, S/B, Teen, 10k)

Coming Up For Air (Carry On, S/B, Explicit, 4k)

Hang the Moon (Carry On, S/B and ensemble, Teen, 30k)

The sky isn’t black anymore (Carry On, S/B, Explicit, 9k)

This is fine (B7, B/A and ensemble, Teen, 4k)

Total: 7 fics, 142k words - making it one of my most prolific years ever in terms of word count! (even though i wrote about 30k of ‘keep calm’ last year, which would take the total down to a more reasonable level). 

i answer some questions about them below the cut... 

Best/worst title?

Keep Calm is the best title, for sure, as it’s a role reversal of ‘Carry On’. The only bad thing about this title is that i love role reversal fics and i can never use it again. also... i guess as i got to the end i started to think... ‘Should i bring out this theme of calmness...? is this even a theme????’ It was a bit distracting, essentially. 

worst title is ‘Sex and Blood’, which does what it says on the tin - can’t deny it. it’s supposed to be about how vampirism links the two things for baz, right? .... but i don’t like it. also - when people comment on it (thank you! please do comment on it! please keep reading it!) this stupid title that i wrote appears on my lock screen of my phone, which i just leave lying around at work. 

but i know - i did it to myself. i should have thought of a better title. 

Best/worst summary?

i don’t know if i already pointed this out on tumblr, but i noticed recently that all my ‘carry on’ fic summaries have a [Clause A - bad or good situation] but/or some other conjunction [Clause B - something happens that causes a fic to exist!] structure, except for ‘The Sound of Silence’. 

Even having realised that, I’ve still written a summary with the same turn for my as yet unnamed bodyswap fic... 

I think the best summary is probably ‘Keep Calm’. 

Worst summary - Coming Up for Air, but I was trying not to give spoilers for Wayward Son. and it’s a PWP.

Best/worst first line?

generally i love my first lines, and hate my last lines. 

i would say all of my 2019 first lines are indeed pretty good. ‘The sky isn’t black anymore’ is straight into being X-rated so i’m not going to quote it here in case that’s not your jam, but i like it a lot. 

i also like: There’s something wrong with Baz. (Sex and Blood). Obvious - but, it works.

i don’t not like any of them, even the really long rambling first line of ‘This is FIne’.

i will call out the first line of ‘Keep Calm’ though, because i spent ages trying to work out how to punctuate it, and i still don’t know what i should have done. it currently reads: The Mage is waiting for me, outside the door to Mummer’s House.

depending on when you read it, though (and i’m sure you didn’t notice) it may have had no comma (The Mage is waiting for me outside the door to Mummer’s House.) or it might have been a dash where the comma was, or even - gasp - a full stop (because rainbow likes to break sentences into fragments so that’s ok).

 i kept changing it. this may seem like a complete waste of time (and i think the right-right answer is that there shouldn’t be a break at all - no comma is correct), but i wanted the first sentence to FEEL like ‘the mage is waiting for me’ - the place is merely corroborative detail. the point is the mage is there, about to take simon away and change the plot. hence ... the punctuation.

Best/worst last line?

as i said - very few of my last lines are what i wanted. i have not mastered them at all. too often it’s just ‘this is where i ran out of story’. the worst is the ending to the ‘Sound of Silence’ where i literally resorted to ‘Carry On’ cliche to get out of it: And he kisses me.

it’s fine, it works - but i could have done better.

the actual ending line of ‘Hang the Moon’ is pretty good i think, but the pacing of that ending is all wrong. i’m much happier now i wrote a whole extra fic so the weight of everything ending isn’t on those final hundred words. 

the BEST last line i wrote... the one that actually really works (for me) is ‘Coming Up For Air’. And I feel like I can breathe again. 

Looking back, did you write more fics than you thought you would this year, less than you thought, or about what you predicted?

apparently i wrote a lot - which i probably wouldn’t have predicted last year, although by this time last year i’d written ‘the mage’s heir’ and the first half of ‘keep calm’, which did provide much of the wordcount for this year. so - i guess if i’d thought about it, it would have seemed plausible. 

first person helps me write long. and in b7 i learned to write long. 

i guess i’m surprised because it felt like i wasn’t writing that much in comparison to some people in the fandom (and i probably still didn’t in comparison!) and i wrote several long things rather than many short things, so the list is still pretty short despite being MANY words.... 

What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted last year?

strange though it may be to say - i probably wouldn’t have predicted i’d write blake’s 7 this year. ‘never go back’ - that’s my motto. or rather ‘i can’t go back, my brain doesn’t work that way’. but good to have done it. 

What's your favourite story this year? Not the most popular, but the one that makes you the happiest.

hard to say. it’s a draw between ‘keep calm’, which i love because it did everything i wanted it to. and ‘hang the moon’, which is a collection of all my favourite tropes loosely disguised as a fic. 

they’re also the two longest - and i tend to like the long ones better for reasons i have gone into before.

Okay, NOW your most popular story.

it’s pretty much a tie between ‘keep calm’ and ‘sex and blood’ - and since ‘keep calm’ was many chapters long, is earlier, and much more heavily promoted by self and the big bang, i’m pretty sure that means ‘sex and blood’ is more popular over all. 

thank you fandom, for loving vampire porn as much as i do.

Story most underappreciated by the universe?

we all know (well, those of us who know what it is) that b7 is a tiny fandom, so with that in mind, i think ‘This is Fine’ is well appreciated! <3

the story that is (to me) surprisingly about half as popular as most things that i’ve written for ‘carry on’ is ‘Coming up for air’, which i have now re-linked for you in case you never read it.

it disproves the rule that shorter porny things will be more read (although obviously the vampire porn suggests the opposite). idk, i thought it would catch those who were in the post-wayward son crash, like i was. 

the other thing to say here is that it was still extremely appreciated - i mean, it’s got about 50 times as many kudos as any of my b7 things, and overall i would say it is a thing that is well received. i know i’m fortunate to be friends with people who re-blog my stuff and people who comment, and i (in turn) really appreciate THAT. 

so - it’s not a whine. just an observation

Story that could have been better?

i think i would have written ‘This is fine’ better if i’d written it five years ago. i definitely could have written a blake-travis mindlink to make the gods weep with its perfection ;) what a prompt.

i’ve talked about how i don’t rate the endings of ‘Sound of Silence’ or ‘Hang the Moon’ as well, so i think these could have been better. if only i was better at waiting.., and thinking of an ending. or just - if only i was better at endings. 

Sexiest story?

i think that’s the one that has the word ‘sex’ in the title. because vampires are sexy. and so is informed consent.

Saddest story?

sad?? what is this SAD? 

‘This is fine’ is quite sad given that it’s also about telepathic pornography. because we know everyone’s going to die soon. 

and ‘Sound of Silence’ isn’t sad, at least i don’t think it is - but Baz certainly is sad while it’s happening. 

Most fun?

i think ‘hang the moon’ is the most fun - because it has all the things that i like best happening in it. they fight some merwolves together, they go plate shopping, simon fights lots of people, fiona is there - it’s very fun.

Story with single sweetest moment?

hang the moon, probably. the bit with the moon. 

although i was thinking... surely i should talk about ‘keep calm’ a bit - isn’t it my equal fav? and i was thinking - what is the sweetest moment there... and the answer honestly is that i think the sweetest moment is the bit where the mage and simon are gardening together and simon doesn’t know if their relationship is doomed forever ... AND THEN the mage tells simon they can watch some VHSes of lucy next time simon comes back and they dont hug, but it is ... enough <3

I’M SORRY - I LOVE AWKWARD FATHER-SON RELATIONSHIPS BEING REDEEMED. 

Hardest story to write?

‘keep calm’ took me months and there were moments when i thought - fuck, this is not ending, and i hate not being able to talk to anyone about this because this fest is going on for months. and i was fortunate that i had the idea of emailing sharkmartini who i then did not know at all, and she was enthusiastic and getting that feedback made me think - ok, this is worth doing. i can finish this. 

but also - i started writing ‘sound of silence’ immediately after the ‘mage’s heir’ finished and i eventually published it over a year later. because the device i’d chosen meant that simon couldn’t say or do anything for most of the bloody story. and that meant that nothing happened, baz, thanks for nothing, and it was very hard to write.

and ‘This is fine’ - i must have written it in a few weeks. so it clearly wasn’t that hard. but in comparison to back when i (though i) knew everything that Avon would ever think or say... it was hard.

Easiest/most fun story to write?

Coming up for air was the easiest story. i haven’t written anything else in a day for this fandom, although it is something i’ve done before, back in the day. 

most of the others were also really fun to write, unless i put them in the ‘hardest story to write’ box. so, you know - about half. 

Did any stories shift your perceptions of the characters?

i started to write ‘no’, but that isn’t true. writing ‘The sky isn’t black anymore’ shifted my perception of the way that i’d written Baz in ‘Hang the Moon’ i.e. my own fic (how wanky is that?) 

most of the others are me putting things that i think about characters into words. so i did the thinking before, rather than during. 

Most overdue story?

i wanted to post ‘This is fine’ on Gauda Prime Day and didn’t :( but i know bunnacula said that was ok ;) so i think the most overdue was the one that took me over a year to finally bother finishing. 

Did you take any writing risks this year? What did you learn from them?

eeeeeer... 

yes, maybe. i would say writing a happy ending for simon in ‘keep calm’ where the happy ending is that he gets a better relationship with his father (see above) as well as getting to go out with baz (whose happy ending is also not just about simon, but mostly is) is a risk in a fandom where everyone hates the mage so much. 

and then i finally wrote my thing about how i think the mage is actually right about many things, and fiona is classist. what i haven’t ever said explicitly on tumblr, i don’t think (though i said it on LJ) is that another reason it is so much easier for me to be sympathetic towards the mage is that he literally is a version of roj blake (the main character of my old fandom and my personal fav). obviously the mage is a blake who is a bit more autistic and significantly further off the deep end on the ‘greater good’ scale than blake ever was. but blake even also dresses like robin hood and is from wales. i haven’t said this before because i feel like it cheapens my semi-championing off him/might make people who really can’t tolerate the mage think ‘wtf? is aralias mental? why does she like roj blake so much?’ to be fair - lots of people in b7 hated him too. 

ANYWAY. what i learned from that is - these are the stories i want to tell and no one got upset, so that is awesome and i shouldn’t be so worried about what people think before i know what people think. 

i also wrote vampire porn, but i didn’t consider that a risk. because i knew that sharkmartini would love it - and that was one person and that was enough. are we all going to write more vampire porn in 2020? i hope so.

This year's theme and the story that demonstrates it most:

good question but hard to answer. 

i think the theme is ...... possibly influenced by ‘wayward son’..... poor communication is bad; good communication is good. maybe? 

and the fic that most demonstrates this is one that i have the most problems with, and that’s ‘The Sound of Silence’ where simon literally can’t communicate for the first half of the fic. and then baz solves his own problem by saying ‘sorry’ and giving back simon’s voice. 

‘The sky isn’t black anymore’, which i really like but feel i haven’t talked about much (it’s an unproblematic fav!) feels very similar and in fact i struggled to make it less about communication/saying what you want than it kept wanting to be. because i was thinking - this isn’t the problem of the fic! the problem is that it’s all too fast, right? but actually - and here we come back to the learning about the characters - it was both. 

because baz is a character who doesn’t communicate. and, like simon in ‘sound of silence’, he was also shut out from the POV in ‘hang the moon’.

What are your fic writing goals for next year?

write more! i want to get my ‘wayward son’ bodyswap out the door before the end of february..... maybe even january, but february sounds very achievable.

i have to finish my zine fic and then lop about 2000 words out of it, probably. 

i want to write another epic thing that is also about politics and vampires. it’s the one where natasha is alive, as well as other things. the problem with this one is that while i know a lot about it, i dont know exactly what the arc is - and i’m bored of re-writing simon giving up his magic to fix the humdrum (which i did... once... but i guess that was too often). so i have to try and work out what the climax is if it isn’t that - and i like to know the ending before i start...... but. my goal is to figure these things out and then write it. 

vampire porn - obvs. 

aaaand - for all of us: i will run a remix! oh yes, i will run a remix. ‘carry on big bang’ (which i definitely won’t do, it’s too solitary for me and too slow, alas - even though i keep thinking ‘i could do my vampire thing! it’s long’. it’s got to be a no) and the zine are in the first half of the year....... and i’m busy and stuff. so i thought it was going to be in december - but now i’m probably going for sign ups in march, post in may. I LOVE REMIX. i’m excited already.

[darkpoisonouslove]

2019 in Words

I didn’t find the time to do this summary of how 2019 went for my writing yesterday but I am doing it now so let’s see what happened this last year!

Word Count:

Let’s start from here.

My word count for 2019 is... *dramatic drum roll*

334, 485 words

I am absolutely shocked and also very proud of this result! I would have never thought I could write so much in a single year but these last few months especially have convinced me that it is possible. And if I was shocked in November when I got over 56k words written, December nearly had me crying from happiness with the 91k+ words that I have put down during it.

Also, the total word count does not include things I have written but haven’t published which would have it around 370k words in total total written.

It is impressive and I can’t comprehend it yet. But this second half of 2019 (in which August is the only month with a word count lower than 30k) was amazing for my writing and I am bursting with happiness over here.

Fandoms:

I joined a new fandom aka the Winx Club fandom this year and it has been so amazing writing for it. I am bursting with ideas and I hope to continue this exciting journey throughout the entirety of this new year as well.

Once Upon a Time has gone to the periphery the last few months but I am feeling some new sparks of excitement here so perhaps I will return to the world of Once and the characters that have been my home for 4 years now.

I don’t really have much to say for Fairy Tail since I am mostly lurking in that fandom but I hope to find the inspiration to write at least some of the stories I’ve come up with for it because there are a lot of those.

Ships:

I found my new love, namely, the Griffin x Valtor ship. I get all the feels and have all the ideas so I hope to really write much, much more here! It is one of the most interesting playgrounds I have been on since both characters are so layered and complicated and their relationship has so many twists and turns, considering it was just hinted at on the show (it was hinted at, don’t @ me). There is so much to explore and I hope I will get to explore it all. I really want to!

I’ve got Griffin x Faragonda and Faragonda x Hagen in here and I am also excited about getting to explore these some more. Plus, I have some more ships in ideas I didn’t get to write this year and I hope I will get to that in 2020. It looks like a promising ride.

From OUAT the most prominent ships of 2019 were Curious Archer, Golden Queen and Red Queen. Some Dragon Queen and Evil Charming also made their way into my works, and the family dynamic of Knight Rook sparked some interesting ideas in me. It seems that those are the relationships that keep me coming back to OUAT and that was an interesting thing to learn.

In the Fairy Tail fandom Gruvia was the only ship that I wrote for this year and it was the only reason I can show some activity in the fandom.

Stories:

Let’s see how many stories I wrote this year (I’m counting a collection as one story)

Winx Club - 31 (3 of which unfinished)

Once Upon a Time - 26 (only 1 of which unfinished)

Fairy Tail - 1

That is a total of 58 stories (4 of which unfinished) this year! Wow, that’s more than one story a week on average (and three of these have over 25 chapters)

First fic of the year - “Fire and Ice” (Griffin x Valtor)

Last fic of the year - I finished “Heaven or Hell” with Stranger (Griffin x Valtor)

(I last updated the 3rd chapter of “Happy New Company” but since that is not finished, I am not counting it.)

Favorite writing moment - I think coming up with the worldbuilding details in ”The Heart’s Magic” or “Your Call” has to take the first place. (I’m not counting the thinking up of the Arranged Marriage AU or the Sci-Fi AU because those aren’t written yet. Otherwise, it would be those two.)

Wildest writing experience - Definitely chapter 3 of “Happy New Company” since I was at it all day and wrote over 9k words in one sitting which is most certainly my highest word count of a single day. It was definitely wild. (But if we’re talking content, then perhaps “A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes”).

Apart from the works I need to finish, I have a lot of series that are yet to be launched since the first parts are published but I haven’t written the rest so the series aren’t officially announced yet.

Main Takeaways:

Apart from the statistics that showed which ships I favor and how many words I can write in a year, I also watched my writing improve a lot. I have taken note of things that are hard for me and that I need to work on. I have learned new things about my process. I finally noticed what are some key elements of my style. And I learned that ideas come to completion when they and you are ready, not sooner. No matter how much you want it to be otherwise. You can just keep improving until you can come at a level that allows you to execute the idea.

I want to give special thanks to @trashcankitty12, @her-majesty-wears-jeans, @silverdragonstarlight, @intothewickedwood and @theonceoverthinker for their support, encouragement, feedback and help with brainstorming! You all made this journey possible by keeping me excited, inspired, motivated and, most importantly, sane! Thank you for all you’ve done for me! Know that I appreciate every single conversation (whether through DMs, asks or replies) and comment and value all the moments and emotions we’ve shared over our shared interests! Thank you for making 2019 what it was! It wouldn’t have been the same without you!

[meremennen]

This is going to be a thematical series.

1: Work In Progress Works

Okay, hear me out. Work in progress works are so underappreciated. 

And even though I’m not sure if all of these works will be continued, some probably not, but I love them for a reason and they deserve a shout out. They are all honestly so great for various reasons (for plot, for characterisation, for the idea itself, for writing style or for editing, etc.) and I don’t regret any minute of reading them. 

The list, sorted by current ratings:

aphelion (modern/ G /space pirates, loosely based on Firefly, multiple POV)

Arrangement of a Lifetime * (modern/ G/ fake/pretend relationship)

Heaven Can’t Wait (canon/ G/ kidfic, fluff and angst)

Hello, Princess  (modern/ G/ college/university, slow burn, Maths nerds, humor)

I Know I Don't Deserve It, But Stay With Me A Minute (modern/ M/ 10 Things I Hate About You AU (loosely)

Let’s Go to the Mall! * (modern/ G/ denial of feelings, high school)

mind if i check you out? * (modern/ G/ bellarke library au, rivalry)

The Rest Was History * (modern/ G/ fake dating)

The Will ‘o the Wisps (modern/ G/ fantasy, faes)

This is where you fall, this is when you get up * (modern/ G/ cowboy!Bellamy)

Baby Mine (modern/ M/ Jane the Virgin AU)

Now and Then * (modern/ M/ best friends to lovers, past and present)

The Art of Disappearing * (modern/ M/ fake marriage)

Up In Flames * (canon/ M/ post season 1 AU)

Win a Date with Bellamy Blake (modern/ M/ slow burn, fake dating)

All Is Love (modern/ E/ kid fic, unplanned pregnancy)

Bite Me (canon/ E/ season 1, affectionate insults)

Friends With Benefits (modern/ E/ college/university, friends to lovers, humor)

The Prisoner and The Cure * (modern/ E for gore/zombies)

Weave Me A Myrtle Crown * (modern/ E / firefighter!bellamy, paramedic!clarke)

Happy reading!

I don’t know everyone’s tumblr, or if they have any, so if anyone is actually reading this and you wanna tag them, please do so.

Ratings are indicative and might change.

* – probably won’t be updated, but we can always hope

***************************************************************************

All Is Love (E) by @bisexualbellamyblake (AO3: lightyears )

135k+

Summary: It all begins because Raven declares that she's on a sex ban for three months. Clarke reminds her of this when her life is turned upside down. Raven reminds Clarke later, when everything finds its place again. / Or, Clarke finds out she's pregnant six weeks after Bellamy leaves. 

*** S l o w burn. And that moment when they reunite, or when Bellamy finds out about Clarke’s little secret tortured me in ways that hurt a lot. But hey, still breathing ;-) ***

aphelion (G) by @kindclaws  (AO3: kindclaws )

45k+

Summary: It's been two years since the spaceship Aphelion mysteriously disappeared, its crew branded by the ARK as traitors to be shot on sight. Jake Griffin was on that ship, and with him, a dangerous secret that could change civilized space forever./ Now, Clarke wants some answers - and revenge, if she can get it. Bellamy wants a bigger ship - specifically, Clarke's. Wells wants to fix the system his father broke. Octavia wants a little fun. Miller wants everyone to stop making poor life choices. Harper wants to kiss the new girl. And Raven? Well, Raven just wants to blow shit up./ The universe won't know what's hit it. (Space pirates AU!)

*** what I love the most about this fic is the multiple POV! It is so rare to have these kinds of stories, and honestly, it gives such a unique feel to it. I am so, sooo grateful for this fic. ***

Arrangement of a Lifetime * (M) @ FFnet: moomolie1709

55k+

Summary: He needed her to pose as his girlfriend, and she needed him to make her unfaithful ex jealous. But what began as a simple transaction between two business partners soon becomes more complicated than either of them could have ever anticipated.

*** without giving too much away, there is a really cute bedsharing scene and another scene with Clarke in a dress that I loved a lot. Sadly, it also ends after a huge cliffhanger, and I really doubt this will ever be finished, but it deserves to be on this list. And like with every other WIP, You NeVER kNOw. Your comment might just be the one that makes the lovely writer to finish it.*** 

Baby Mine (M) @ AO3: stumblesun

80k+

Summary: A routine doctor's appointment, a mix-up and an artificial insemination...what could go wrong?

*** I haven’t watched Jane the Virgin, but you don’t have to. S l o w burn ***

Bite Me (E) by @notnicorette (AO3: notnicorette)

10k+

Summary: 'Bite me' is a common insult, right? People say it all the time. Except...Clarke ends up screaming it at Bellamy... And, for once...he does take one of her orders.

*** good old season 1 feels!!! And you know, who says it didn’t happen, just because we haven’t seen it on screen ***

Friends With Benefits (E) @ DreamofInception on AO3

60k+

Summary: Clarke Griffin and Bellamy Blake hate each other. But they like each other naked.

*** Such an excellent humor!!! And heartbreak. ***

Heaven Can’t Wait (G) by @randomly-random-jen (AO3: justanotherjen ) 

45k+

Summary: With the Apocalypse banging at their door, the Arkadians and what's left of Trikru take refuge in the remains of Alpha Station and hope for the best./ Over 500 souls crammed into a tin can, but there's only one that has Bellamy wrapped around her little fingers.

*** post season 3 canon divergent, it’s so raw and emotional, and I love this Bellamy so, so much!! ***

Hello, Princess (G) @ AO3: moonyredmoon

Summary: Professors and TAs were supposed to teach and help you. They were supposed to appreciate students who took the time to come see them and ask questions. If nothing else, they were supposed to have a clear explanation when it came to questions on grading. Instead, Clarke had even more questions and only one new piece of information… / Bellamy Blake was an asshole.AU with Clarke in college as a pre-med student, and Bellamy her Calculus TA. More characters and tags will be added as they are introduced.

*** SLOWBURN, Maths nerd Bellamy tutoring Maths nerd Clarke is such a unique concept and I love it so much!! ***

Let’s Go to the Mall! * (G) @ AO3: Willaphyx

20k+

Summary: Clarke Griffin was looking forward to a summer of working at her favorite art store in the local mall. That is until she found out who works at the bookstore across the hall: Bellamy Blake, who quickly becomes Clarke's least favorite person. But it would seem like Bellamy doesn't quite feel the same. With the whole summer ahead of them, who knows what could happen?

*** It’s super cute. ***

mind if i check you out? * (G) @ AO3: earthandsky

5k+

Summary: "'Literally, he’s the only clerk to get requests from patrons,' Monty had told Clarke a few days ago, rolling his eyes. 'People come to the desk with all of their stuff and will specifically ask for Bellamy to check them out.' / Raven had grinned. 'I think they’d rather check him out.' / Monty had pulled a face but didn’t disagree. Apparently, Clarke was meeting him today. And he was going to train her. Awesome." / Bellarke Library AU.

*** Just read it. It’s great! ***

Now and Then (G atm, though it’s rated M) by @100yearsofbellarke (AO3: InfiniteBeauty93)

30k+

Summary: Growing up since birth together Bellamy and Clarke have been through the best and worst of times. But when Bellamy gets engaged and Clarke confesses her love to him he rejects her leaving her heartbroken. Now spending a week at her family's vacation house with Bellamy's in preparation to his wedding the past and present collide.

*** well, normally I don’t read anything with e.cho but this story was posted before the dark days, and trust me, it’s good. I’m really loving the alternating timelines!!! ***

I Know I Don't Deserve It, But Stay With Me A Minute (G, possibly turning M) @ AO3: belgardebells

45k+

Summary: Octavia Blake isn't allowed to date until her big brother Bellamy does, so she calls in a favour from her best friend Clarke Griffin. All Clarke has to do is seduce Bellamy, fake date him, and then break things off when Octavia starts going out with her waiter conquest. It's supposed to be quick, easy, and painless. And it is. Until Clarke starts falling for real.

*** this author has multiple WIPs (I recommend them all) and a really unique writing style and humor ***

The Art of Disappearing (M) @ AO3: Jenye

20k+

Summary: The first night they met they witnessed a grisly murder. Now they’re being placed into the Witness Protection Program. Starting life over in Ark, Minnesota was definitely not part of Clarke’s five-year plan. And gaining a wife certainly wasn’t something Bellamy saw himself doing this year.

*** Bellamy and Clarke falls in love in witness protection ***

The Prisoner and The Cure * (E for gore) @ AO3: PaintedGhostOrchid 

30k+

Summary: The US has been transformed into a barren, post-apocalyptic wasteland after a viral outbreak leaves society in shambles. But Clarke Griffin is a girl on a mission to her mother's research facility to deliver the only-known cure- if only she can avoid the free-roaming criminals who are determined to kill her, led by one particularly terrifying (and handsome) escaped prisoner who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. / Loads of Bellarke tension, human survival, the occasional zombie (but not much), jealousy, and romance.

*** Bellamy as a grumpy prisoner trying to save his sick sister. And then, there is Clarke. She is special. They are fighting their way through the zombie apocalypse.  ***

The Rest Was History * (G) @ AO3: Tate

25k+

Summary: Historian Bellamy Blake needs to impress his potential bosses at ARK Enterprises. He's got everything they're looking for, except the girlfriend that his best friend Raven Reyes assures him will win them over. But that's okay, because Raven's found just the girl. Only, there's one problem. Bellamy Blake and Clarke Griffin really, really hate each other.

*** ummm, quite a few tropes in this. One of the details I really, really loved is the name of the car and fLUsTeREd Bellamy.  ***

The Will ‘o the Wisps (G) @ AO3: DracoTerrae

5k+

Summary: With his kingdom falling to darkness, Jake Griffin barely managed to escape to another world, his young daughter, Clarke in tow. Twenty years later, Clarke wanders a little off the designated trails and stumbles into the very world her father left behind. Now desolate and under the shadow of darkness, Clarke slowly gathers a ragtag group with whom she will fight the powers that brought this world to its knees.

*** it’s very mysterious at the moment, only a few chapters in, but I cannot wait to read more. On hiatus, but I have faith ***

This is where you fall, this is when you get up (G) by @queenofchildren (AO3: queenofchildren )

35k+

Summary: In which Bellamy is a grumpy cowboy, Jake knows a good steak when he eats it, and Clarke makes a decision.

*** COWBOY BELLAMY, WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED? ***

Up In Flames * (M) @ FFnet: lucawindmover

60k+

Summary: AU Post Season 1 finale. They were meant to be used as a new influx of genes for Mount Weather. But Clarke Griffin and her band of survivors would not be going along willingly.

*** The MM made them do it. Sooooo, I wish I could say this story will continue!! Anyway, I just love this one so much, it has to be on this list. ***

Weave Me A Myrtle Crown (E for abuse and sexy times) @ AO3: AJRedfern

75k+

Summary: Clarke's not a woman easily shaken - she has a reputation of being 'logical, level-headed if a little cold-blooded'. And then she gets assigned as the new Paramedic In Charge to Firehouse 82. Amidst the people she's starting to call her friends, is Bellamy Blake: heroic firefighter, exemplary Lieutenant, complete asshole. Normally, this would have been fine - it's not the first time she's had to work with someone she despised. Except dreams keep plaguing her. Dreams that start the day she first met him. Dreams of a different life, a different time, a different world. Dreams of him, of her, of them. Dreams that start to feel like memories. Yeah, her carefully constructed facade isn't going to survive Firehouse 82.

*** Reincarnation (?) AU. I wish I could say this will be updated, but I have doubts. Regardless, the parallel timeline/flashbacks are giving the story an amazing flavour, and the UST is excellent ***

Win a Date with Bellamy Blake (M) by @bittyab18 (AO3: Bittyab18 )

125k+

Summary: Clarke Griffin's best friend enters her in a contest to win a date with Bellamy Blake, famous actor/Hollywood heartthrob/bad boy. Except, Clarke already knows Bellamy, and she's not a fan of him or his movies. Because her life sucks, she wins, and now she's reintroduced to the guy she loved to hate in high school. 

*** So much UST, so much angst and so much cuddling. A true s l o w burn. ***

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I hope you will give it a go and show these writers some love.

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Coming up next (probably): 

Fake dating/Arranged Marriage/Accidental Pregnancy

[missytearex]

Monthly Favourites - July

Hi! So I’ve decided that I wanted to do a “what I read this month” post, however, I realized that list is just gonna be too fuhking long so...I’m gonna choose a favourite of each pairing from everything I’ve read this month! 

Here we go!

Larry

Walk That Mile by purpledaisy | @daisyharry (149k)

Summary: Harry stares at him, the line of his jaw standing out scarily. “I wanted to get the most out of this trip so I planned it carefully.” His voice is low and steady and somehow that’s worse than when he was yelling. “So far, you’ve put your sticky fingers on everything I’ve tried to do.”

“Sticky fingers?” Louis repeats, offended. “Are you saying it’s my fault you got stung by a bee? Had you been alone you would have gotten halfway to the Dotty Diner and ran the car off the road because of an allergic reaction, so don’t go blaming me.”

“Polk-A-Dot Drive In,” Harry spits before getting out of the car. He slams the door shut with a deafening reverb and Louis rolls his eyes. - A Route 66 AU where falling in love was never part of the plan.

My comment: Ok so I probs haven’t been in the fandom long enough to say for sure but THIS IS MY FAVE LARRY FIC EVER! The whole thing is just so well written and perfect. My attention span isn’t that great, so I usually have some trouble with fics this long, but not with this one. It’s just so easy to read. Road trip fics are the best tbh. 

Lilo

I Only Come Alive Under the Moonlight by remivel | @remivel  (54k)

Summary: Louis knew he hadn't seen action in months, but this was just the universe making fun of him, he was sure of it. Because when he woke up in the middle of the night, he discovered that his new dog was missing, and standing in its place was a very confused, very fit... and very naked man.

Or a romantic comedy with a furry twist. Liam turns into a dog at night, Louis tries to help him get back to normal-- and ends up falling in love somewhere along the way.

My comment: Guys! This one had me laughing out loud! I found it quite unpredictable and it was fun constantly wondering what would happen next. And the entire thing is just bizarre and SO CUTE! Also lilo writing songs together is my favourite thing ever.

Lirry

Even When We Fight by threeturn | @valencing (30k)

Summary: University AU. Liam's the star of the debating society until Harry shows up and steals the spotlight. Meanwhile, Niall's in love, Zayn lives while he's young, and Louis looks after his friends.

My comment: I’m kinda cheating with this one as I read it in June, but SO WHAT SUE ME. It was such a fun one to read! I thought the whole debate club thing would stress me out, but it’s so interesting to read about the whole process. It also features boys being unable to deal with their feelings, which I really love.

Narry

move your world a little closer by countthestars | @moondoggiestyle (45k)

Summary: In which Niall is a bit lost, Liam and Louis can't seem to get their shit together, and Harry is literally out of this world.

(aka: alien narry)

My comment: What’s not to love about alien!harry?? Such a quirky character and he fits it so well tbh. PLUS! side!lilo is what I live for!

Niam

If It Makes You Less Unhappy by cmdf (19k)

Summary: “Listen. You can do whatever you’d like, but you told me that you were going to be taking a year of your life living here— in Italy, right?” He looks into Liam’s eyes for confirmation, squeezing gently into his shoulder. “Right?”

Liam nods. He shivers at the realization that he’s going to be here for a year. His pilgrimage has only just begun. He hadn’t really thought about how much a year could change a person—perhaps even a week. He can already tell by the end of this conversation with Niall, change may come more quickly.

___________________________________

Or: Liam travels to Italy and gets more than he ever anticipated.

My comment: In my experience, niam is defs the hardest pairing to find good fics for. That being said, this one is absolutely wonderful! Liam’s character is so well done, I just wanna give him a hug!

Nouis

shooting stars and satellites by temerity (forsanethaec) | @whoatherepickle | @1dgaf (12k)

Summary: "Is that what it says it's like?" Louis points vaguely to Niall's phone. He doesn't want to say the name of the thing.

"It says, um." Niall's mouth twists as he tries to figure out the words. “When you're bonded with someone, you’re for each other, after that. You’re -- like, you and me – you’d be the person I’m happiest with, all the time. Who I.” His toes curl on the tiled deck of the pool between their chairs. “Who, you know. Who I end up with.”

"Niall," Louis says, and has no idea where to go from there.

My comment: I feel like everyone has a slight kink for soul bonding. I certainly do. I really lived myself into this one and empathized with everything they were feeling. I think I even got a headache at some point...but don’t mind me, I’m just being dramatic. 

Zarry

Ready, Now by zarah5 (15k)

Summary: AU. Maybe Zayn shouldn’t have told Louis about his crush on the fit boy from the supermarket. Because the thing is, Louis likes to meddle.

My comment: Features one of my favourite things on the planet which is awkward!zayn!!! I really really love fun little lighthearted fics like these. Also really appreciated Louis’ unsubtle meddling. 

Ziall

Not Forgetting Who I Was by slashter | @slashter (40k)

Summary: Niall wakes up in a world where he's brunet, tattooed, and not in One Direction. In fact, no one's in One Direction--it doesn't exist. Determined to find out what's going on and if any of the other boys are as confused as he is, he leaves whatever life he's built so far behind in Ireland and sets off for London, his mind set on reuniting the five of them and reclaiming their spot in music history, no matter what it takes.

But the boys don't know who he is. The boys don't know anything about their other lives. They've got jobs of their own and goals they've set, and not everyone is ready to drop it all to chase some wayward dream, regardless of how good it may sound.

So now, for Niall, doing the seemingly impossible's just become a lot more difficult.

[Or the one where Niall has to bring One Direction back together, even if it means breaking his own heart in the process]

My comment: Where do I even start?? I LOVE parallel universe fics and this one is SO GOOD! The whole group dynamic, brotherly love thing throughout the story is something I REALLY appreciate in a 1D fic. And the idea of Niall being the one to bring them all together is so sweet! 

Ziam

Underneath by secretswekeepxx | @theficwritersblock (17k)

Summary: “And this is how fucking horror movies begin. I’m in the middle of fucking nowhere, taking a right onto ‘Payne Lane.” He mutters to himself as he flips his turn signal on and starts making his way slowly down the bumpy lane.

He’s surrounded on both sides by expansive, fenced fields with sparse trees, randomly placed sheds and lean-tos, and various breeds of livestock grazing about. The grass is long and rustles in waves with the dry, late August breeze. There’s a beauty to it, though Zayn’s momentarily unable to appreciate it because the further along he goes the stronger the urge to turn around becomes. It’s as the lane opens up and he can finally see a house materializing in front of him that he sees the sign for ‘Payne Farm’.

It's finally Zayn's last semester of graduate school, and the only thing standing in between him and his freedom is his thesis project. Deciding to live off campus for some peace away from the hustle and bustle of university life seems like a good idea in theory. That is until his best option is living on a farm that's owned by the very rude and boring Liam Payne.

Maybe this wasn't the best idea after all...

My comment: This one contains ~misunderstood!liam~ which, come on, that’s the BEST! I love the setting and Liam’s beautiful kind soul and Zayn realising he was wrong and it’s just...the best.

Zouis

we go together by aliferuined (7k)

Summary: T-Birds are forever. Very, very, very loosly based on Grease. It's basically a whole bunch of pining and quiffs.

My comment: I am an absolute SUCKER for friends to lovers. And this one is so cute! Liam not being allowed to wear the jacket, Louis’ pink car, Niall drooling over Demi...I could probably go on forever as I just love everything about this fic.

Tomlinshaw

loose lips sink ship all the damn time (not this time) by MediaWhore | @mediawhorefics (39k)

Summary: “Louis Tomlinson is gay,” Fiona announces and she sounds calm at least. “That’s not a scandal,” Nick replies automatically even though he feels slightly sick. He needs to call Louis back. Now. “No,” Fiona agrees quickly. “But his underage gay sex tape is.” The one where Louis is outed via a sex tape he made before the X-Factor and Nick can't resist flying to America to give him a shoulder to cry on. Told through flashbacks, this is a story of getting together and getting back together.

My comment: There’s something about Tomlinshaw that I absolutely adore. I can’t quite put it into words. Anyway, I really loved how quickly Nick dropped everything and got on a plane when Louis needed him. Such awww.

So that’s it for now! If you’re interested in keeping up with what I’m reading, I have a blog where I bookmark everything like the obsessive person I am ---> @niccihoranson

[louisfeatharry]

* newly added fics to my fic rec page as of 10/04/17 (30 fics in total) all fics are larry unless specified otherwise • more recent recs

✨ indicates favorites of mine!

a love like legend by butterflylungs (2k) [au, ou, soulmates, angst]

Harry and Louis are soulmates destined to lose each other.

All this Delusion in our Heads by mmaree (30k) [ziam, au, amnesia, neighbors/roommates, exes to lovers, angst]

the one where Zayn contracts amnesia, Liam has regrets, and the entire universe conspires against them…until it doesn’t.

✨ cupid’s defence by rhuubarb (116k) [au, fantasy & supernatural, slow burn, fluff]

In which Harry is Cupid, Louis and Liam own a law firm, and they're all getting sued.

Even When We Fight by threeturn (30k) [lirry, au, university AU, enemies to lovers]

University AU. Liam's the star of the debating society until Harry shows up and steals the spotlight. Meanwhile, Niall's in love, Zayn lives while he's young, and Louis looks after his friends.

✨ Every Story Has Its Scars, Ours Is a Brand New Start by Rearviewdreamer (57k) [au, hurt/comfort, kid fic, secret relationship, angst]

Life as a devoted husband and an amazing father turned out to be a little different than Louis had expected. Everyone tells him it doesn't have to be that way; that he's worth more and that he's so much stronger than any one person trying to keep him down. It's all just words though until he meets the one person who makes him truly believe it.

Golden Like Sands of Time by afirethatcannotdie (51k) [au, summer, fluff]

AU. Harry and Zayn are spending the summer on an island, and there's a plethora of booze and bonfires and boys. Or in Harry's case, just one boy.

Green Eyes (I’d Run Away With You) by salem (31k) [lirry, au, university AU]

After a frenzied party results in an accidental switch up of phones, Liam and Harry welcome each other temporarily into their lives as they casually chat about meeting up to switch back. It’s not hard to get to know each other while they wait, but when what should have been an innocent blip in each of their lives turns into months of endless texting, meddlesome friends, pot noodles, too much Shakespeare, and plenty of confusions, their feelings are put to the test.

Heaven’s Just Begun by sweetlullabies (35k) [au, fluff]

Harry is wholly convinced he's quite literally a sad excuse for a young adult, but this doesn't seem to stop the "boy next door" from developing the world's biggest crush on him.

✨ Hiding Out in the Kitchen by LittleMousling (28k) [au, famous/nonfamous, coming out, friends to lovers, fluff]

Harry's in an internationally famous boyband with his three best mates, he gets laid on a pretty regular basis, and he's headed to Australia in a week. He doesn't need anything else, and he certainly doesn't need a boyfriend. If this nice guy he met in a coffeeshop wants to date him, great—but that's all it is. Right?

✨ Homegrown by casuallyhl (51k) [au, friends to lovers, fluff]

a gardening AU where Harry is new to town and the newest volunteer at the local gardening club, Louis is the attractive grandson of one of the members, and the nosy volunteers hatch a plan to get them together.

It’s All Brand New Because of You by supernope (16k) [au, summer, fluff]

Louis starts a new job as a summer camp counselor at the local aquarium and Harry is a biologist who really likes teaching people about the ocean.

left all the stars in your city nights by petals (23k) [lirry, au, university AU, secret relationship, coming out]

“He’s got a roommate?” Niall asks, frowning.

“Yeah, but he usually only hangs out with grad students. I mean, it’s a smart plan all things considered. I think there’s like a rule that all graduate students have to TA, so like, it probably helps him with his grades or something. I don’t know. I’ve met him a few times but Zayn swears he’s great," Louis explains.

Liam nods, taking another drink from his glass, turning in time to see Zayn. He smiles at him but his smile falls immediately when Harry steps out from behind him, standing there smirking at Liam. He remembers him, obviously. They just fucked last night.

Fuck.

Liam’s screwed.

living love in slow motion by jmcats (39k) [ziam, au, growing up together, friends to lovers, pining, coming out, fluff]

they've been tucked into each other's side since they were five years old... and Liam's been a little in love with that and much more since then

Manifest Destiny by Anonymous (15k) [au, historical, friends with benefits, fluff]

Louis is a Pony Express rider and Harry runs a station along the trail.

never mind the odds (i’m gonna try my luck) by spit_on_me_larry (64k) [au, enemies to lovers, pining]

Louis Tomlinson is going to be the journalistic voice of his generation. He’s just waiting for his editor to realize it. For now, he’s stuck writing fluff pieces for the Life and Style section of London Now Newspaper.

His latest assignment is more of the same rubbish: a profile of Harry Styles, plastic surgeon and one of London’s most eligible bachelors. Louis is intent on writing something smart and biting and unexpected; if it makes Harry look like an idiot, that’s just the price of good journalism. That is, until Louis gets to know Harry and realizes he might be kind of perfect.

Featuring Louis as a writer/workaholic, Harry as a plastic surgeon with a heart of gold, Zayn and Niall as Louis’ colleagues and long-suffering best mates, and Liam as everyone’s favorite pediatric surgeon and Harry’s right-hand man.

No Place Without You by fackinglouis (19k) [au, neighbors/roommates, pining, university AU]

Harry's in love with life and he's in love with the world.

Louis' in love with Harry and he doesn't think there's anyway he can possibly compete.

A Wanderlust AU in which Harry doesn't have a permanent home and stays with Louis when he visits NYC.

Pyar dhosti hai (Love is friendship) by backonefish (39k) [au, road trip & travel, angst, pining, fluff, friends to lovers]

When Zayn and Harry's thesis project hits a snag, they feel a bit hopeless. Liam's just gotten out of a relationship. Louis is stuck wondering if Harry will ever open his eyes. And Niall's still searching.

This is a story of love and friendship. Of five boys who travel to India on a quest to find themselves and each other.

Ridiculous by scottmcniceass (24k) [ziam, au, high school AU, enemies to lovers, neighbors/roommates]

They are every cliched high school story. The jock and the rebel. The popular boy and the outsider. They shouldn't fit, and they definitely shouldn't work, but they sort of do anyways.

Sonnets Behind the Flame by jmcats (55k) [au, high school AU, road trip & travel, enemies to lovers]

Liam has been anticipating a weekend away at Louis' family's cabin for years. It's nothing but wilderness, bonfires, football, his best mates, alcohol, and an escape from their last year in Sixth Form. Oh, and Niall has invited Harry Styles and Zayn Malik along. The same Zayn who's a complete prick to Liam's mates. The same Zayn that Liam has spent so many years hating, he doesn't know the reasons anymore.

Suddenly, Liam doesn't think this is such a brilliant idea after all.

The Summertime, The Butterflies, All Belong To Your Creation by PumpkinspiceLou (11k) [au, kid fic, fluff]

When Louis decides to help out a lost little girl at the park, he never expected it would lead him to finding his home.

these wings (are made to fly) by orphan_account (35k) [au, friends to lovers, pining, fluff]

Despite the fact that he’s good at his job, Louis’ problem is that he’s constantly on the move and puts everyone else’s needs before his own. Add probationary crew member Harry Styles into the mix, and Louis is definitely in trouble. Flight attendant AU, minus the mile high club.

this relationship we’re staging by dancesongsoul, lookatyourchoices (44k) [au, pining, fluff]

West End AU in which Louis is a former Royal Shakespeare Company actor looking for his way back to the top, Harry is an actor best known for his work in unknown bits of experimental theatre and being the darling of London's new age theatre scene, and Simon Cowell is the renowned director who brings the two of them together.

to feel your heart as it’s keeping time by wearecities (36k) [lirry, au, bakery AU, fluff]

Harry owns a bakery, Niall and Louis are sickeningly in love, Zayn hates clip-art and Liam’s the only one that laughs at Harry’s jokes.

✨ Two Steps Behind by sacredheart (38k) [au, growing up together, high school AU, pining, fluff, angst]

Louis is two years younger than his neighbors, Harry, Liam, Niall, and Zayn, and he grows up bending over backwards to get their attention and acceptance. Especially Harry's.

✨ we may fall (but we get up again) by jmcats (58k) [ziam, au, weddings, movie AU, enemies to lovers, fluff]

a 27 Dresses AU where Liam is everyone's favorite best man and he just might be madly in love with his boss ... and maybe with an arrogant writer who hates weddings as much as Liam loves them, too

we were boxing the stars by justaboat (30k) [lirry, au, university AU, sports, summer, friends to lovers, friends with benefits, pining]

au. liam and harry play football and their feelings have a bad habit of getting in the way.

✨ what this world is about by isntrio (34k) [au, high school AU, secret relationship, historical/past setting, angst]

An eighties American high school AU; there are first times, football games, and feelings.

Alternatively titled: the beginning.

wild card (nobody, nobody) by dramaturgicallycorrect (30k) [lirry, au, sports, movie AU, sports, fluff]

Harry is Britain’s Best Chance and Liam is a wild card at the Championships, Wimbledon.

you could be my cure by jmcats (41k) [ziam, au, university AU, fluff, prose]

Nothing about Zayn is traditional, especially not the way he falls in love with Liam, or everything before and after that

Yours Faithfully, Friend by badjujuboo (20k) [lirry, au, famous/nonfamous, exes to lovers, pining]

Small gigs turned into larger ones, radio interviews turned into playing on Chatty Man and that Irish program where Niall was treated like a superstar. It got to the stage where even Liam couldn't remember the last full week he'd spent in their home. Harry tried to be there, but it wasn't as if he could come out to every show. The last few times when he would have been able to because they were playing close, Harry'd had exams and Liam understood why Harry couldn'tcome along. He did. Even if it hurt to look up and not see Harry mouthing along to the words, doing his dumb dance moves at the front of the crowd. He just wanted Harry to himself, was all. It was irrational to be annoyed that Harry couldn't be there all the time, no matter how much Liam wanted him to be.

Love is easy, relationships are not. Somewhere along the line, Liam forgot that.

[festiveferret]

The WIPList

I was tagged by the lovely @sabrecmc (thank you!) so here we go!

Do Dis: List all the things you’re currently working on in as much or little detail as you’d like, then tag some friends to see what they’re working on. This can be writing, art, vids, gifsets, whatever.

This will force me to set aside my comfy denial and accept all the things I’m working on, oh no.

1) Noises - Working title for a plot bunny I found under a lettuce leaf in the Stony discord. Teaser/thesis statement is: “Tony hates silence after the wormhole. Steve hates loud noises after the war. But, somehow, they like each other.” (thanks for the idea guys!). At the rate I’m going, this will be the next non-Held thing to be finished but by saying that I’ve probably cursed it so never mind don’t read this sentence please.

2) Do Not Reply - shmoopy, tropey, cliche-ridden romcom fic that I kind of adore. I’m thinking it’ll be about 25-30k so I might save it for the Cap-IM BB, but I haven’t decided yet. This is my on-going largish thing that I occasionally leave at home alone dripping tears on a photo from our romantic trip to cancun while I’m out late flirting with drabbles and going home with smut prompts.

3) @ashes0909 and I are always working on our Held Series and we have lots of lovely things lined up for that. We went into planning overdrive so I expect we’ll have a steady stream of updates over the next couple months (assuming life cooperates!). When we are 90 and living in a retirement home together with our Marvel poster covered walls we’ll still be writing Held, I imagine. Oh no I hope I haven’t cursed this one too just stop reading, maybe turn in three circles with some salt and spit, I dunno, but whatever it is, do it quick.

4) A thing I have dubbed 100k SlowBurn, which may or may not actually turn out to be 100k, but will be a longfic. Kind of an action/adventure, romance, divergent AU, travelling together thingamabob. Who knows. I certainly don’t. Am I supposed to know these things? I’m only like 15k in so far, so it’s okay if it doesn’t know what it wants to be when it grows up yet. It’ll be Stony though, so it’s all good, guys. I’ve already written the end.

5&6) I have two things in the beta-queue. One has been betad and I just need to suck up and edit it and maybe add some dialogue I left out oops. It’s just a short romanticy thing I’ve been calling “Pool Kisses”. Oh, it needs a real title too, hmm. I also have my first Stuckony fic in the queue (no rush darling, but seriously, get on it already slacker), called “Equilateral”.  

7) I don’t know if I can officially say I’m “working on” a sequel to If Running’s A Plan, but it’s been sitting there, like a quarter done, for a long time, so if I’m not, maybe I should be!

I also have about 20 bunnies in the hutch waiting for their turn to graduate to WIPs and sobbing softly every time I jump the queue for a new idea. Don’t worry buns, you’ll get your turn (maybe). This includes notes for a sequel to Cracks In This Reflection but that fic almost killed me in a myriad of wonderful ways so I don’t know if I’ll ever have the strength to face that one. Maybe after a lot of therapy and about 30 lbs of chocolate. I have a very cool collab lined up as well that I’m super excited about! 

I’ve got the next two weeks off work, how much of this do you think I can get through? :D

I will tag @deejaymil (or at least your “after Tuesday” answer :P), @enoliel, @notebookishtype, @sirsapling, and @foldingcranes IF YOU GUYS WANT TO!