#fanwork roundups

[klaineadvent]

[lilydalexf]

👽 X-Files Crossover Fic Recs

The theme of International Fanworks Day in 2023 is When Fandoms Collide. So here are a bunch of very good X-Files crossover fics. Enjoy! Abner by Anonymous Mulder and Scully are assigned to investigate a possible serial killing in a small, very suburban neighborhood. The Beast Within by Yahtzee Also from the department of twisted crossovers comes this story – but I’ll leave the crossover for you to figure out as you go. Mulder and Scully’s journey to a troubled Louisiana town leads Scully to an encounter with a far more troubled man. Birdsong by @chekcough The plot of Silence of the Lambs, with Dana Scully replacing Clarice Starling, and a younger Agent Mulder, working in the B.S.U, assigned to help her. It is not at all necessary to have seen/read either 'The Silence of the Lambs' or 'The X-Files' to enjoy this. The Glimmering Girl by Tesla Mulder works a child abduction with Frank Black, while Scully is away for the weekend, but very much on Mulder’s mind. Homicidal Tendencies by Swikstr What begins as a typical ritual murder case with supernatural overtones for Mulder and Scully in Baltimore becomes something else as the two are forced to interact with some of the unique personalities on Charm City's murder squad. Scully's developing connection with a Baltimore homicide detective has far-reaching consequences in the evolution of her relationship with Mulder. Interagency (Mulder and Scully Meet the Director) by pinebluffvariant "You're wanted on a task force." Leap of Faith, parts 1 and 2 by Livengoo Sam Beckett has to keep Fox Mulder from becoming one more abductee, but when he leaps into Dana Scully's size fours he finds that might not be such an easy job. Letting Go by Joann Humby Mulder goes solo on a case in San Francisco. But when the killer isn’t what he was expecting, he needs the SF PD and the FBI’s finest to help him out. Lucky X in the City by @lilydalexf Samantha Jones meets Mulder in a bar. Fox hunting ensues. It’s more serious than it sounds. Samsara by Alicia K. Crossover of sorts, MSR of sorts. I don't want to say anything more, so we'll just let it go at that. Out of the Little Grove by @slippinmickeys I got an anon Tumblr prompt asking for an X-Files/His Dark Materials crossover in which Mulder & Scully were detectives in Lyra’s world. There may be some small liberties I took within the HDM world’s canon to make this story work for M&S, which I ask you to please forgive. Road Fools by denynothing1 Only one of the reasons that the X-File on a little town in Kansas is so thick it occupies its own drawer in the filing cabinet. She's Beauty, She's Grace by @sunflowerseedsandscience I was asked to write a Miss Congeniality/The X-Files mash-up… so here goes nothing. Travelling with Children by @seepunkrun and Sab In the armory we have: one revolver, some rope, a candlestick, a knife, a wrench, and a fork. Twilight, parts 1 and 2 by Shannon A serial killer is on the loose in Baltimore. Mulder and Scully are called in to assist the Homicide Squad in profiling and finding the killer before he strikes again.

[polyamships]

[ID: Text in the center says Polyam Shipping Day, 14th of every month, Feb 2025 - Epistolary. Below Polyam Shipping, and to the left of Day, is a red infinity sign that finishes in a heart on top. Surrounding the text are rows of stylized hearts in the colors of both versions of the polyam pride flag (black, red, bright blue, light green, dark green, light blue, navy). Either side of the prompt are emojis, notebook on the left and projector on the right. /end ID]

February 14th 2025 is our 46th Polyam Shipping Day.

The optional theme for it is: 📒Epistolary📽️

A classic take is long distance letter writing, or postcards when apart, or love notes just because. The letters could instead be with others talking about their love(s) rather than with them. Other choices are diary entries, travel/ships logs or other types of logs. Modern takes are email exchanges, DMs, voice memos, chatfic, blogs and social media AUs. This could also be document comments or replies on a ticket system if your characters work together. If in the public eye, newspaper and magazine articles or online speculation about the ship/polycule. For something more unusual you could tell a story with other types of documents, such as receipts or invoices.

This is also a great opportunity for a collab with another writer(s) or artist(s) where each of you writes for a character or illustrates the letters the characters send to each other. Think outside the box!

…

We’ll be tracking #PolyamShippingDay, and keeping an eye out for any @polyamships mentions too. We will reblog any polyam-positive fanworks featuring polyamorous ships of any configuration/type from any fandom. All ratings are welcome but anything nsfw/triggery should be warned for and behind a read more, as should very long tumblr fic.

You can also submit works directly to the blog or send us asks to let us know to check your blog for a post. If you’re posting on AO3, our collection name is ‘PolyamShippingDay‘ and you can post to the collection here. Only fanworks submitted/@ us on tumblr or in the official AO3 collection, or fanworks posted to our Dreamwidth community, are guaranteed to be included in our roundup. Please also let us know what prompt you created for, if any - people are always welcome to create for past prompts instead.

We have a Discord - invite here - if you want a place to chat about your ships or what you’re creating for them.

We look forward to seeing what people create for it. If you’re enthused about the day, we’d be especially appreciative of any reblogs to help spread the word about the event.

[silmarillionwritersguild]

Tolkien Meta Week is a week-long event to encourage fans to create nonfiction works related to Tolkien's world. Tolkien Meta Week will run from December 8-14, 2024 on Tumblr and here on the Silmarillion Writers' Guild archive.

How to Participate

Tolkien Meta Week is hosted by the Silmarillion Writers' Guild, but we welcome meta about any and all of Tolkien's works. On our archive, the usual rules about "Silmworks" apply, but we will gladly reblog all Tolkien-related content on our tumblr.

You can use one of our prompts or go rogue and do your own thing! As long as it is a nonfiction work related to Tolkien, it is welcome for this event. Note that "meta" doesn't have to be lengthy, finished, or polished. A paragraph describing a wild theory you had suddenly while brushing your teeth is just as welcome as a lengthy, detailed, essay. There are four prompts available for each day of the week. If you want to use the prompts, you can use one, a few, or all of them—your choice! You can also combine prompts from different days.

On the archive, choose Tolkien Meta Week from the Challenge dropdown when you post your work. On Tumblr, tag #tolkien meta week so that we can reblog your work!

The SWG also has a weekly newsletter, and we will include a roundup of Tolkien Meta Week submissions at the end of the event. If you do not wish to be included in the round-up, let the mods know before December 13.

We will not reblog or include meta that violates our Site Etiquette. This includes meta that promotes the idea that some people have more value than others or that insults or belittles other fans.

Make sure to give credit for ideas not your own and ask permission before using or discussing another fan's fanworks as part of your meta.

Prompts

Each day of the event will feature four prompts centered on genre, format, source text, and approaches that range beyond Middle-earth. However, these prompts are entirely optional, and any Tolkien-related meta is welcome for the event!

December 8: theory | infographic | The Silmarillion | the Tolkien fandom

December 9: open letter | podcast/audio | The Lord of the Rings | Tolkien's non-Middle-earth writings

December 10: literary analysis | wiki article | The Hobbit | adaptations

December 11: character study | video | Unfinished Tales, The History of Middle-earth, The Nature of Middle-earth, and The Fall of Númenor | books, articles, and meta about Tolkien

December 12: headcanon | meme | The Three Great Tales: The Children of Húrin, Beren and Lúthien, and The Fall of Gondolin | compare Tolkien to another text

December 13: ship manifesto | personal essay | Tolkien's art | apply real-world disciplines to Middle-earth

December 14: research | list (including link collections) | The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien | Tolkien fanworks (with permission!)

Prompt Definitions

Prompt definitions are provided for informational purposes only. We do not police how creators use our prompts for challenges and take creators at their word if they share a fanwork as part of one of our challenges. In other words, we are not going to be coming behind anyone, arguing that something should be posted because it doesn't fit our particular understanding of a prompt. All that being said, if you read the definitions below and still aren't sure what a prompt means, our mods are here to help!

Genre Prompts

Theory: Share your theories about one of the many mysteries or open questions about Tolkien's work. Unlike headcanons, theory meta uses details from the text rather than original concepts to formulate ideas about the legendarium.

Open Letter: Write a letter to someone, expressing your views on the canon as it relates to them. For example, you could write to a character, the creator of an adaptation, or Tolkien himself!

Literary Analysis: Literary analysis considers what makes Tolkien's work effective as art or literature, considering such elements as imagery, word choice, characterization, structure, and theme. Literary analysis can also consider influences on Tolkien's work, such as mythology, folklore, and other works of literature.

Character Study: Character studies take a deeper look at a character, considering what the texts say and imply about the character's backstory, motives, emotions, personality, and other elements.

Headcanon: Headcanons are your personal interpretations of the texts. They can be grounded in details from the texts but don't have to be. This is the meta where you elaborate on the original elements that you imagine for Middle-earth.

Ship Manifesto: Present the reasons why a particular ship is appealing to you and should be embraced by others.

Research: Share your research on a topic, large or small, in any format, whether your rough notes or a perfectly polished essay or anything in between—or a format totally novel and new!

Format Prompts

Infographic: Present your meta in visual form, using graphics alongside text. Note that while traditional infographics are of course welcome, other formats that combine information + visuals are welcome too.

Podcast/Audio: Record a discussion of a topic or a reading of a work of meta.

Wiki Article: Create or add to a Tolkien-related article on a wiki. (Fanlore is a fandom-specific wiki that is still missing articles on many Tolkien characters, ships, and other topics!)

Video: Share a work of meta in video form.

Meme: When we created this prompt, we had in mind visuals with catchy text that comment on Tolkien. However, the word meme has many meanings and permutations. Any are welcome here.

Personal Essay: Reflect on how Tolkien, Tolkien fandom, or aspects of Tolkien's world have influenced you personally. Note that while this prompt includes the word "essay," any format of personal reflection—video, audio, visual, something else?—is welcome.

List: Make a list of things related to a topic related to Tolkien.

Beyond Middle-earth

The Tolkien Fandom: Create meta about the Tolkien fandom, which is many decades old, vast, diverse, and complex. Note that exploring all aspects of Tolkien fandom—not just the fanworks fandom—is welcome for this prompt.

Tolkien's Non-Middle-earth Writings: Tolkien wrote original stories (like Leaf by Niggle), adaptations (like The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun), translations (like Sir Gawain and the Green Knight), and academic works (like "Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics"). This prompt welcomes meta that engages with these texts.

Adaptations: There have been dozens of films, radio plays, television shows, and games inspired by Tolkien's works. Use one or more of these adaptations to inspire your meta.

Books, Articles, and Meta about Tolkien: People love writing and ruminating about Tolkien. You're considering doing it now or you wouldn't be here! Discuss what fans and scholars have to say about Tolkien for this prompt.

Compare Tolkien to Another Text: Discuss Tolkien alongside another text or texts. Specific texts (like a specific book or movie) are welcome, as are groups or genres of text (such as the fantasy genre or stories that include dragons). Note that when we say "text," we mean that loosely, and you can engage with works in any format, not just books and stories.

Apply Real-World Disciplines to Middle-earth: Take your expertise in a real-world subject and apply it to the people, places, and situations of Middle-earth. This could be an academic or professional discipline (such as volcanology, astronomy, or psychology—all of which have been applied to Tolkien!) or a hobby or more casual pursuit (such as gardening, mushroom foraging, or horses) or anything in between.

Tolkien Fanworks: Write or make a work of meta that engages with Tolkien fanworks—roughly defined as amateur not-for-profit adaptations of Tolkien's works—either specific works or in the general sense. If you are going to discuss specific fanworks, please reach out to the creators first.

[doctorwhoisadhd]

i’ve been seeing ur blaseball posts for a while now and i have to say i have No earthly idea what it is. is it a webcomic? a band?? a sport??? pls give me a crash course on this seemingly cool thing

well shes dead forever unfortunately (riv) BUT blaseball was an absurdist baseball sim that u watched in ur browser, basically like if fantasy football was simultaneously massively multiplayer AND an ARG and also completely fucking insane. it was the best because it ran at all hours of the day and was so so fucking insane and spawned a LOT of memes and fanworks especially art and music! one of the best fan communities for fan music that has maybe ever existed if not The best. ur experience of it was largely filtered thru the team u followed (mine was the hawaiʻi fridays)

here are some blaseball sites for u

blaseball roundups from the youtube, i would recommend starting here itll give u the cliff notes And the vibe. these were done in character, the anchor is a guy who exists in the blaseball universe, also later on they started to be Plot

sibr faq <- this will probably be more helpful but do the roundups first because itll throw u into the lore (and while im at it heres sibr aka the society for internet blaseball research but most of that will. probably be unintelligible. when stuff makes no sense consult the wiki. or ask a fan)

the wiki, where u can read about history and the players and teams and such

BEFORE <- this is where you can still to this day watch old games!!! i love u so much before thank you sibr for allowing me to relive the beautiful game that we are all love (sobbing crying throwing up)

the garages bandcamp <- by far the largest of the fan bands (though there was also the park park rangers and the hades tigers and the los angeli juxebox) there is so much music on here. the majority of it was made in the span of like a year and a half. i got music on there! i recommend starting with away games or blattle of the blands or reunion tour or one of the world tours, they have the widest variety of vibes and will help u learn about most of the teams (im not biased <- guy who has a couple songs in there)

theres also sites like reblase and blaseball-reference and such but those are just catalogues of old data i wouldnt think youd want to trawl thru those as much. theyre probably accessible via sibr anyway

also frankly just ask fans to tell you stories, go in the tag on here and just go in random peoples inboxes. youll pull up some fantastic stuff that way. blaseball was so active and alive and changing and no two people had the exact same experience of it. and god there will always be stories. we will always be telling stories

rest in violence blaseball. i will always love you and i will always miss you and it will never stop

[hayffieweeks]

HAYFFIE WEEK ROUNDUP

Thank you for this successful Hayffie Week! We’ve been blown away by your creativity and passion. It has been lovely seeing new and returning creators. You all have made the HayffieWeek24 an absolute joy!

These are all your fanworks related to this year week 

DAY 1: FORCED PROXIMITY

AO3

Here’s looking at you, kid by changelinq (T, 782 words) 

Tied Together by @jisoomes (T, 3120 words)

Tip Toeing around by @giulyshipsarelife (T, 2168 words)

I love you, I’m sorry by @callmeshakesqueer (T, 3132 words)

Hayffie Week- Forced Proximity by @bestnoncannonship (G, 2159 words)

A Bubble in Time by @ellanainthetardis (T, 3073 words)

Bunker Down by @ilikeyoubetter-sober (T, 1195 words)

He will blame it on the alcohol Tomorrow by SincerelyA (T, 750 words)

Let’s go home and draw the curtains by @dust-and-thunder(E, 5438 words)

TUMBRL

Drabble by @asmisha-jaya (G)

Gif edit by @hayffieweeks

Art by @greywitchproject

Edit by @100years-to-live

DAY 2: CANON DIVERGENCE

AO3

Guessing Game by @cerseimikaelson (T, 2387 words)

My feet don’t dance like they did with you by callmeshakesqueer (T, 2239 words) 

The Price of Hope by EllanaSan (T, 4366 words)

Empty Space by changelinq (G, 706 words) 

Hayffie week - Canon divergence by BestNonCannonShip (G, 3130 words)

World Turned Upside Down by EnbyWanderluster (T, 2929 words)

In another timeline by SincerelyA (T, 1311 words)

TUMBRL 

Drabble by amisha-jaya

Gif edit by Hayffieweeks

Art by @greywitchproject 

DAY 3: REVERSE TROPE

AO3

I feel so high school everytime I look at you by callmeshakesqueer (E, 8215 words, modern au)

Watching you without me by jisoomes (T, 4060 words, modern au)

Not a Capitol Act by EnbyWanderluster (T, 1572 words)

Hayffie Week - Reverse Trope by BestNonCannonShip (T, 2211)

Idem by changelinq (T, 633 words, au)

The Heat of Summer by @sincerelya-stories (T, 352 words)

TUMBRL

Gifsets by Giulyshipsarelife 

Art by @greywitchproject

Drabble by @sunflowerphotodoesentpost

Gif edit by Hayffieweeks

DAY 4: FREE DAY

AO3

Like nothing matters by callmeshakesqueer (E, 4182 words)

Sleep deprivation by Cersei_Mikaelson (T, 1160 words)

A glimpse for humanity by SincerelyA (G, 785 words)

Come one, come two, come all by changelinq (G, 949 words)

TUMBRL

Incorrect Quote by sunflowerphotodoesentpost

aesthetics by @likeyoubetter-sober

DAY 5: PRETEND/ACCIDENTAL RELATIONSHIP

AO3

Who are we to fight the alchemy? by callmeshakesqueer (E, 4190 words)

Alecto by EllanaSan (E, 9488 words, modern au)

Fake relationship by BestNonCannonship (G, 2543 words) 

TUMBRL

gif by @hayffieweeks

drabble by sunflowerphotodoesentpost

DAY 6: TIME

AO3

Sick Day by Cersei_Mikaelson (T, 2135 words)

The End and the beginnings by EnbyWanderluster (T, 4055 words)

Royalty by @ao3feed-multifandom (T, 709 words)

Gladiator AU by @bestnoncannonship (T, 3931 words)

TUMBRL

gif by hayffieweeks

drabble by sunflowerphotodoesentpost 

DAY 7: DOMESTIC BLISS

AO3

Hayffie Week - Domestic Bliss by BestNonCannonShip (G, 554 words)

TUMBRL

gifset by @giulyshipsarelife

drabble by @sunflowerphotodoesentpost

gif by hayffieweeks

—

WE HOPE EVERYONE IS INSPIRED TO KEEP THE CREATIVITY FLOWING <3

[hd-fan-fair]

H/D Muggle Fair Weekly Roundup: Week 2

Art Tangled Tension Twister (Digital Art, Teen)

Art & Fic Starry, Silver Anchor (19k, Digital Art, Mature)

Fic Of All The Things You Could Be (Convenient Has Never Been One Of Them) (10k, Explicit) Spellbound (23k, Mature) Draco Malfoy is everywhere and Harry needs a break (3k, Mature) What Doesn't Happen in Venice Stays In ... (13k, Explicit) My Father Won't Hear about This (5k, Teen) Change the Ending (54k, Explicit)

in chronological order

Muggle Fair Cup team members, please help us record how many entries you have entered as a team. You can also join our discord for discussions with other enthusiasts!

Do keep on commenting on our wonderful entries and help spread the word by reblogging our fanwork headers or by reccing the wonderful fanworks!

[marveltrumpshate]

December 2024 MTH fills

Happy new year! What better way to usher in 2025 than diving into fanworks? Here are the MTH fills shared with us in December.

The best way to see all the fills that have been shared with us is our monthly roundups tag or our #MTH-fills channel on our Discord, but you can also view them through the following methods:

Our Tumblr tags: 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

Our AO3 collection (only has works posted to AO3; see "subcollections" for specific auction years)

Completed works tag list

To find specific content, use our completed works tag lists above which includes instructions on how to search for a particular character, gen or romantic relationship, universe, and fanwork type. 

SOLO CHARACTERS

Bucky Barnes

Dogsled - "The Lost Day One Journal of James Buchanan Barnes, formerly The Winter Soldier" (handwritten journal belonging to MCU Bucky retelling his journey after the fall of Hydra and filled with recovered memories) for @buckybarnesdeservestobehappy

Kurt Wagner

@tiffycat - Art of 616 Kurt Wagner in his Uncanny Spider-Man costume, holding a glowing sword for @thelonebamf

Remy LeBeau

Jason K Jones/@jkjones21 - Art of 616 Remy flinging his cards for @corsets-and-cardigans

Steve Rogers

@secondalto - Cross stitch of the Captain America shield and the phrase "Obidience [sic] is not patriotism" for @betheflame

GEN/PLATONIC RELATIONSHIPS

Clint Barton & Loki

Griselda Gimpel/@griseldagimpel - "What Happened in Budapest" (MCU fic where Loki visits Natasha and then Clint to get their account of what happened in Budapest) for @pawpawholler

Jeff the Land Shark & Kamala Khan & Gwen Poole

Jason K Jones/jkjones21 - Art of 616 Jeff the Land Shark, Kamala, and Gwen Poole enjoying a day at the beach for Lore

Loki & Natasha Romanov

Griselda Gimpel/griseldagimpel - "What Happened in Budapest" (MCU fic where Loki visits Natasha and then Clint to get their account of what happened in Budapest) for pawpawholler

SHIPS

Bucky Barnes/Clint Barton

@ghostcwtch - Podfic of "Lucky in Love," a non-powered Bucky/Clint AU fic where they meet when Clint thinks Bucky is trying to steal his dog for @drgrlfriend

PoliZ's Stuffed Marvels/@polizwrites - Sleepy hand-sewn Bucky and Clint dolls wearing pajamas in each other's colors and symbols for @rufferto9

Bucky Barnes/Clint Barton/Jason Todd

@carcrash429 - Podfic of PandaMoth's "How to Acquire a Crime Lord in 3 Easy Steps," a Bucky/Clint/Jason MCU/DC meet-ugly crossover fic for @esoxwrites

Bucky Barnes/Emily Prentiss

ReformedTsunderePodfics (ReformedTsundere)/@film-in-my-soul - Podfic of "Her Guns to His Knives" (MCU/Criminal Minds season 6 Bucky/Emily crossover fic) for @hermit-writes

Bucky Barnes/Peter Parker

EvilDime - "But the Cat Likes Him" (post-No Way Home Bucky/Peter fic where Bucky thinks there's something off about his neighbor whose window Alpine keeps climbing into) for @maukree

@maukree - "Killer Moves" (hitman!Bucky/dancer!Peter AU fic) for lifflufflaff

Bucky Barnes/Sam Wilson

@daisytarget - Mood board for "No More Mistletoe," an MCU Bucky/Sam Christmas fic for @ineffable-snowman

phobean - Beta service for "No More Mistletone," an MCU Bucky/Sam Christmas fic for ineffable-snowman

Rubick - "Worn Around the Edges" (non-powered Bucky/Sam AU fic where Bucky helps Sam heal as he grieves his partner's death and Sam does the same as Bucky grapples with trauma) for phobean (MTH 2022)

Logan/Wade Wilson

@farmhandler - "Thunderstruck" (MCU/X-Men movieverse Logan/Wade fic where Logan is soft with an insecure Wade) for @some-stars

@finelydressedspacemen - "Heat of the Moment" (Logan/Wade A/B/O AU fic where Logan goes into his first heat in 20 years after a mission goes awry) for @spammooseubi

@panties-on-boys - "Tame" (MCU/X-Men movieverse Logan/Wade fic where Logan is jealous of Wade showering Mary Puppins with love and care) for @lintillathearchaeologist

Loki/Stephen Strange

Laily/@lailyn - "Pretend I'm Not Here" (Loki/Stephen hospital AU fic) for @ruquas (MTH 2023)

Peter Parker/Wade Wilson

Li Izumi/@li-izumi - "Assigned Couple By Ride" (616 Peter/Wade fic where they get paired up on a roller coaster that pairs up singles for the ride) for Hope (MTH 2023)

Peter Quill/Richard Rider

@manofbeskar - Art of 616 Richard Rider flying in space with Peter Quill in his arms for @magicasen

Pietro Maximoff/Peter Parker

@ruquas - "Rhythm of the night" (MCU Pietro/Peter fic where Wanda brings back Pietro from the dead and Peter finds him annoying) for maukree

Steve Rogers/Tony Stark

@elwenyere - "However Stern and Iron" (Steve/Tony North and South fusion fic) for @betheflame, @corsets-and-cardigans, @jehbeeeh, @gottalovev, @festiveferret, @vanilla-shoes, @bella-dahlia, and @tehroserose (MTH 2021)

Raine/@meralasan - Art of Tony bandaging boxer Steve's hand for @nostalgicatsea (MTH 2023)

@secondalto - Cross-stitch of Avengers Assemble Steve and Tony relaxing on a couch for @tehroserose

Vanessa Carlysle/Logan/Wade Wilson

@notesappwitch - "where is your boy tonight? (i hope he is a gentleman)" (MCU/X-Men movieverse Vanessa/Logan/Wade fic where Logan backs off from Wade so Wade and Vanessa can rekindle things except they don't and then the trio gets together) for some-stars

[bellisima-writes]

2024...

My dearest, craziest, feralist, funniest, wittiest, fandom fam:

I had originally wanted this to be a fanworks roundup of some kind but there are so many people out there reading way more than me so I will leave that to them. I've spent a lot of the last few days thinking about this year, and how it's coupled some of the highest highs I've had in recent history with the lowest lows, all mixed up into some weird life soup.

I've been around for quite a few years now, and what I am finding is that that's how it goes. The good and the bad come bound together, as though both a cost and reward for living, the price and the payment for authenticity, and the damage and the atonement for being offered the gift of time on this earth.

I, personally, really leaned into writing this year. I think there's only been two whole months out of the last 12 that I've not been actively working on one of my three fanfics. And I've loved every second of it. I've never allowed myself to have a hobby before, something I did just because it made me happy, and it's brought me more joy than I've ever been able to in my entire life.

But it's come at a cost. It always does. But that's the cruel truth of living. So if you're feeling a bit stuck in the muddy bittersweet soup of the paradox that is life, then let me assure you, I am here with you

And for the rest of this gorgeous fandom: I wish you a happy and healthy holiday season filled with whatever it is that brings you joy. I hope next year is filled with one of the following: inspiration to enable you to create what you want to; fortune to be able to achieve what you'd like to; a mind blowing new fic that will help heal you in ways you deserve to; a new connection in the fandom that will become a life-long friend to help guide you or whatever else it is that you need to get through the muddy soup that is life.

And I can't wait to spend the next year screaming about this show and these characters until we get to see their happy ending, crying together because we’re so sad it's over, but also eternally grateful that it existed in the first place and brought all of us together.

Peace and love to all of you.

[runsintheblood]

Family Bingo 2024 Roundup

A great big thank you to all the authors, artists, and commenters that participated in our inaugural Family Bingo event! We're absolutely blown away by the joyous enthusiasm with which everyone has made this such a resounding success, and created so many phenomenal fanworks for the fam, which are recorded below for your perusal. Go devour them and shower em with comments and kudos (our commenter role award is available until Halloween if you catch em all!) cuz there's some thoroughly fangtastic pieces here. First, some stats:

We got a jaw-dropping total of 38 works submitted!

We had 8 players, and 6 of them won Bingo! Congratulations!!

No blackouts this time, but both @bigbad1880 and @reallyreal-madeingold went above and beyond with 6 and 7 fanworks respectively

Our first player to get Bingo! was @reallyreal-madeingold

The longest work submitted was For My Toy Love by @myboyknows (girlpire) at 15,206 words

Conversely, the shortest was Latreia by @somekindofadeviant at 100 words

@queennhalloweenn got the highest word count total at 30,316 words

And @mamabewear gave us the most Puppet-pires at 1 Puppet!Angel (multiple times!)

Kicking things off with our most popular card!

MamaBewear (Bingo!)

Tickle Me Angel (Angel/Spike, Square: Long Distance/Tickling) It turns out that Puppet Angel is very ticklish! Also, Spike discovers an embarrassing secret that Angel’s been hiding from everyone.

Sexyme Street (Angel/Spike, Square: Clumsy/Costumes) Spike discovers something unexpected about himself, and Puppet Angel has a wardrobe malfunction.

Spoons (Angel/Spike, Square: Dream/Size Kink) Angel’s a little tired of being stuck as a puppet, but Spike sees it as an opportunity!

Puppy Love (Angel/Spike, Square: Pets/Sex Pollen) Lorne is dog sitting for one of Gunn’s favorite actors, and also, there’s sex pollen in the air! So, it’s pretty much just like any other day at Wolfram and Hart for Spike and Puppet Angel.

Something's Cooking (Angel/Spike, Square: Cooking/Dirty Talk/Phone Sex) It’s getting hot in the kitchen, as Spike insists that Angel entertain him while he’s out on a surveillance mission.

Harlow (Bingo!)

Curses (Angel/Spike, Square: Tentacles/Non-Human Genitals) Spike gets cursed by a witch, and ends up with a brand new "package". Oops.

I Called Him Mine (Angel/Spike, Square: Exhibitionism/Public/Surprise) Spike gives Angel a blow job, but that's not the only surprise Angel is in for.

Melon (Angel/Spike, Square: Foodplay/Messy) Spike and Angel play with their food. And make a mess in the process.

Welcome to the Family (Angelus/Darla/Spike, Square: Watersports) Darla and Angelus welcome a newly sired William to the family. Properly.

I'm My Type (Angel/Angelus, Square: Sex Toys) Angelus figures out a way to split himself and Angel into separate bodies, and takes everything he wants from Angel.

Shattered (Darla/Spike, Square: Noncon) Spike, a spy, breaks into an enemy base to steal some intelligence. Unfortunately for him, he gets captured.

In The Dark (With You) (Angelus/Angel, Square: Blindfold) Part two of Angel and Angelus's horny selfcest adventures.

Liv

Proposals (Darla/Drusilla, Square: Free Space) Darla wants something new, and Drusilla is willing to make it happen.

Negotiating (Darla/Drusilla, Square: CNC) Drusilla and Darla discuss their game plan.

Yes Mistress (Darla/Drusilla, Square: Hypnotism) It's playtime.

Eve

Creature Comforts (Darla/Drusilla, Square: Knotting) Darla is in rut. Drusilla is there to help.

Tea With Milk In (Spike/Drusilla, Square: Somnophilia) Drusilla and a sleeping Spike.

Next up, Blue

QueennHalloweenn (Bingo!)

Divine Comedy in the Withering Heart (Angelus/Darla, Square: Rough Sex/Biting/Scratching/Teasing) Darla is dead… again. It's the only thing she's actually sure of.

Divine Comedy in the Land of Sodom (Angelus/Darla/Drusilla, Square: Humiliation/Degradation/Dacryphilia/Lessons) Darla continues to seek out memories of a life she's forgotten.

Divine Comedy in the Pool of Lethe (Angelus/Darla, Square: Accidental Stimulation/Stuck Sex/Play Fight) Darla needs to hold on to her memories-- losing them is the same as losing herself.

Divine Comedy in the Białowieża (Angelus/Darla/Drusilla/Spike, Square: Orgy/Double-Penetration/Elevator) Darla remembers the last time she had her family all together.

Divine Comedy in the House of Flies (Angel/Darla/Drusilla/Spike, Square: Glory Hole/Anonymous/Free Use/Allergy) Final of the Fang Four Family Bingo 2024! (or is it??? 🤔🤔)

Vampbrat (Bingo!)

Adult Material (Angel/Darla, Square: Porn-Watching) The most divorced vamps in California tentatively attempt to reestablish a connection.

Breathing Lessons (Angelus/Darla/Drusilla/Spike, Square: Free Space) Darla usually leaves disciplinary measures up to Angelus but occasionally feels she needs to step in. A little drowning can be a calming factor for even the most recalcitrant brats.

The Stranger At My Fireside (Drusilla/Spike, Square: Accidental Stimulation) There's nothing like a seance for a bit of a horny night out. Things get a bit more horny than Spike anticipated.

Pretty Like A Knife (Angel/Spike, Square: Praise Kink/Spoiling) Angel caresses and strokes Spike in the aftermath of a sparring session, lavishing him with praise.

Dressing Down (Angelus/Spike, Square: Ageplay) William the Bloody takes his forfeit for losing at cards: a new wardrobe, fit for his new role in his new family.

The Dead Won't Bother You (Drusilla/Spike, Square: Hybristophilia) Spike and Dru are on a cross country road trip. Some people drive to famous battle sites or for bridges or foliage. Dru is keen on serial killers.

SomeKindOfADeviant (Bingo!)

Swallowed Whole (Angelus/Spike, Square: Sensory Deprivation/Blindfold/Confused) A spot of fledgling tuition. This is a practical exam, of course, isn't it always?

Mouthfuls of Thaumaturgy (Drusilla/Spike, Square: Marking/Tattoos) The best ideas are always had when drinking sailors while your elders are away. Spike wants Drusilla to leave a mark on him and she's eager to oblige.

Fly Soup (Angel/Darla/Drusilla/Spike, Square: Temperature/Sensations) The family get into a little spot of bother.

Latreia (Drusilla/Spike, Square: Authority) Spike has his rituals.

Principled Approach (Angelus/Drusilla/Spike, Square: Humiliation/Lessons) Actions have consequences

And skipping Yellow, which had no takers - we have finally, Green

Girlpire (Bingo!)

For a Good Time (Angel/Spike, Square: Glory Hole/Smile) This is the dirtiest thing I've ever drawn. :D

Control (Angel/Darla, Square: Machines) I might have been wrong. THIS is the dirtiest thing I've ever drawn. :D

For My Toy Love (Angel/Drusilla/Spike, Square: Macro/Micro) Set during season five of AtS, Angel and Spike are in an established relationship with each other when Drusilla unexpectedly arrives on their doorstep in the pot of a mandarin tree. She is only six inches tall.

Party Favor (Angel/Spike, Square: Accidental Stimulation) Spike casts a sexy spell for solo purposes, but it doesn't go exactly as he planned. Relatedly, Angel finds something relaxing to do with his hands.

Quality Time (Angelus/Darla/Drusilla/Spike, Square: Inflation) A newly-turned Spike casts a sex hex for attention, and Angelus obliges.

We can't wait to see you all next year! Until then, join us at the Runs in the Blood Fanged Four Discord Server

[lookingatacupoftea]

Too Many Layers?

Since the NG allegations (which I find very credible and disturbing and will not otherwise address in this post -- please see this roundup for more info and share to get the word out), I've been leaning more into fanworks and starting to let go of canon, particularly s2 and possible s3* canon.

I've also been taking a more critical eye to canon and revisiting my own interpretations of Good Omens the show. Here are the questions I've been rotating in my mind:

Can we trust NG to actually write a good ending for these beloved characters?

Is s2 more poorly written than I had previously acknowledged?

One of the most interesting things about Good Omens is the sheer number of themes and layers of text and subtext that it presents. I have been wont to think of these layers largely positively. Prior to recent events, I had repressed any fleeting concerns that this multiplicity of layers was so egregious as to be a weakness. But now I'm re-considering it.

In particular, the show presents heaven and hell in contradictory ways that are, in my opinion, the root of most of the vastly different takes. Is heaven Amazon or the KGB or the Catholic Church? Is hell better than, the same, or worse than heaven? Is being an angel or a demon a job, an identity, or both? I think you can see hints of all these possible interpretations in the show itself, and the ones you gravitate toward can dramatically change how you interpret the show and particularly Aziraphale's feelings and actions. Is this lack of clarity a purposeful mystery that will be resolved in s3, a reflection of the complexities of institutions and systems in the real world, or a sign of lazy writing?

I had thought my takes were right (don't we all?) because I thought I understood the purpose that drove NG and the smaller set of themes captured in the book that I thought were being expanded and tweaked but ultimately preserved in the TV show as a love letter to TP. (I recommend @nofomogirl's meta on the competing book and show canons, which does a very good job at capturing the discrepancies between them and the challenges one can have in integrating them).

But clearly NG is not the person I thought he was and so I feel much less certain than I did that I understand his purpose in GO the show. How far has he strayed from the characters and themes in the book? How much has he elevated his self-insert character, Crowley, over Aziraphale? To what extent is the TV show, especially s2, overstuffed with layers and themes and clues in order to appeal to as wide an audience as possible? To what extent are flaws in the writing papered over by the top-notch acting and dedication to detail shown by the crew? Will an NG-authored s3 effectively narrow and focus and resolve some of these contradictory layers or will it continue to be a bit of a (beautiful) mess?

I don't have an answer. On the one hand, all of these layers and subtexts make the show a fascinating one for analysis and a great jumping-off point for fanworks. On the other hand, maybe a show can be too packed with themes and texts and allusions, to the extent that it sacrifices clarity.

*I respect a variety of perspectives on the topic of whether there should be a s3 and, if so, whether one should watch it. This post isn't really about and I'd rather not debate it here. Here is one petition calling for NG's removal as GO showrunner and another calling for more investigation and for companies to pull back on working with him. I believe there are also plans in the works for a fandom fundraiser to support survivors of sexual violence.

[klaineadvent]

IT’S HERE!

The 2024 December Klaine Fanworks Challenge Starts Today!

Please take a minute to read through this post. It will hopefully answer most of your questions.

How to participate- No need to sign up! One word prompt each day for the next 21 days to inspire you!   There are no requirements to your participation (other than Klaine, of course) or limits to what you can do. This isn’t a contest! Write at your own speed, set your own challenges.

TodayDreamBelievers: This year again, we’ll be partnering with @todaydreambelieversfic. In lieu of the daily roundups, volunteers will be reblogging this year’s works to the blog for everyone to read, so if you don’t already follow them go ahead and do that, you’ll get the full force of all that yummy fic that way!

Additionally, authors and other creators for Klaine Advent who would like an additional place to promote their works are welcome to join as members. Just send us a private message to @todaydreambelieversfic with your email address and we’ll add you on. 

Tagging! We are asking this year that you please add the following tags to your post! 

december klaine fanworks challenge 2024

[daily word] (without the brackets) 

If you want to add additional tags go right ahead, but we’re hoping to make it easier for our volunteers to find the fics to reblog this way. If you think we’ve missed reblogging your fic (or you’re just excited!) please drop us a link in the submit box and we’ll make sure your fic gets reblogged to the @todaydreambelieversfic blog! 

(please keep in mind that our volunteers are helping from all over the planet, and your day might be their night, so be sure to give them time to get to all the fics!)

Archive Of Our Own: This year we have created a collection on AO3 for the Klaine Advent works, and you can post directly to the collection here. Alternately, when posting a fic, in the section labeled “Associations” enter decemberklainechallenge2024 (with no spaces) where it says “Post to Collections/Challenges” and your fic will be added to the collection. As with anything else, if you have any questions drop us an ask!

If you have any questions please feel free to drop a question into the ask box.

Happy Writing!

[wizardsvslesbians]

Isaac here, with another recommendation response masterpost! It's a long one!

Anon said:

oh my godyou guys HAVE to cover metal from heaven by august clarke as the next thing to add to the list i just saw the reviews and it literally looks like main wizlez for the first time in quite a while

We actually have had an ARC of this one for some time, and we were intending to cover it! And I bounced off it real hard. So that's on me. Once it comes out properly and there's an audiobook I'll take another crack at it.

Seiya said:

“A Sweet Sting of Salt” by Rose Sutherland is for all the girlies who read Charity and Sylvia and wanted more of that. or, 19th century Nova Scotia selkie lesbians. the wizard is less a wizard and more a condemnation of the selkie folktale in general, but also the vibes are nice and this was a nice book

We're going to need a vibes are nice book - the vibes have been either rancid or very complicated for too long and I'm missing the simple days of boat lesbians and The Duke. Also it would be nice to follow up "Selkie Stories Are For Losers" from our last short story roundup.

Spiralochete said:

Not wizlez, but if you're ever in the mood, I would love to hear you guys discuss Borne by Jeff Vandermeer. It features a non-narcissistic parent of an extremely monstrous child, and I think it would produce interesting discussions in conversation with some of the previous entries in the podcast. I also think that the ecological themes would be an interesting change of pace. There are no prominent lesbians, but there are definitely wizards. If either of you have bounced off Jeff Vandermeer previously (I know that some people do), it's definitely a bit more accessible than the Southern Reach Trilogy.

I liked Annihilation! Then Authority bored me enough that I never bothered to finish it, so I'm, like, medium interested in this as a concept. Sounds like a guest episode, and so we'd need a guest who wants to cover it.

Anon said:

i think i might have just watched the first actual bona fide wizards vs lesbians film i've ever seen other than adolescence of utena, and i'm shocked i never heard of it before: harmony (2015), but for the podcast you guys might be more interested in the novel of the same name it's based on by project itoh (who i believe is also famous for having a kojima game dedicated to him posthumously). the novel is less explicit in the romance between protagonists (antagonists?) tuan and miach, which might be a point towards reviewing the film rather than the book, but it's up to you guys! really, really interesting stuff from this film, despite its flaws. it's good scifi

Any skepticism I might have had about this went out the window when I saw that Michael Arias co-directed the film. He directed Tekkonkinkreet, which is one of my five favorite movies of all time, one of the only pieces of media that makes me cry no matter how many times I go back to it, so I, at least, will be giving this a shot. Can't guarantee any more than that.

Anon said:

i know you only rarely cover graphic literature but tbh the more i think on it the manga land of the lustrous not only counts as (enby) yuri but also absolutely fits in the lesbian space atrocities/wizlez genre, the tragedy and war and double crossing and mental illness stuff with the initial motivation for everything being a gay crush that ruins everything.

I'm gonna be real with you: I had such a viscerally negative reaction to the anime when it came out that it would take a lot for me to dive into the manga. Toooo many lovingly rendered amputations.

Anon said:

have you guys ever read stuff by qing jun mo xiao? her baihe serials all are very much in wizlez mode as far as i can tell - clear and muddy loss of love has a full english translation available online, i dunno about female general and eldest princess but it's getting english volume releases!

There is an english translation online, but it's definitely fanwork, and with all respect to the person who made it it's probably best if we wait for an official release. When that does happen, I'm all for it.

Short recs:

the passion by jeanette winterson is a vintage wizvwlw novel i found recently which is magical realist napoleonic wars in venice - it might be of interest to you guys

On the list it goes!

the women could fly by megan giddings def looks like wizles, maybe it's worth checking out since it looks pretty interesting

On the list it goes!

i've not read it, but the light brigade by kameron hurley looks like interesting wizlez to me if you wanna check it out

I suspect we haven't done any Kameron Hurley books yet for a reason, but on the list it goes!

And finally, presented without comment:

Look I'm aware that due to the time commitment which is on par with reading Homestuck and the audio format it's basically impossible to cover all of it. But fellow wizards vs lesbians listeners should know that the magnus archives probably counts as wizards vs lesbians. There are a million wizards, women fall in love, and lesbians definitely attack the wizards. plus there's an assortment of bad mothers and monstrous children. It somehow has a coherent plot and themes by the end as well, if you can stick with the motw format long enough. However it's mostly wizard pov

[polyamships]

[ID: “Polyam Shipping Day / 14th of every month”. Next to the text is a red infinity sign that finishes in a heart on top. Above the text are rows of stylized hearts in the colors of both versions of the polyam pride flag (black, red, bright blue, light green, dark green, light blue, navy). /end ID]

November 14th 2024 is our 43rd Polyam Shipping Day.

The optional theme for it is: 🥀 Revive 🧟

This could be about reviving a current relationship or an old one. Or it can be about a character reviving plants and healing through the process. You can think about reviving knowledge or skills that the characters had or characters choosing to revive knowledge that is nearly forgotten. What about reviving someone who's injured? It could be about giving/receiving comfort that revives the spirits. Is one of your blorbos no longer with us? Well, you could revive them: zombie AU angst, characters teaming up to perform necromancy, or characters trying to revive their old selves. For a different perspective, what about reviving a show? If you're feeling meta, what about reviving a dormant fandom? Are you thinking about art? What about a fashion revival? Are your blorbos in a universe where music is key? Then what if they revive a musical genre or a band reunion AU where they revive their old music?

…

We’ll be tracking #PolyamShippingDay, and keeping an eye out for any @polyamships mentions too. We will reblog any polyam-positive fanworks featuring polyamorous ships of any configuration/type from any fandom. All ratings are welcome but anything nsfw/triggery should be warned for and behind a read more, as should very long tumblr fic.

You can also submit works directly to the blog or send us asks to let us know to check your blog for a post. If you’re posting on AO3, our collection name is ‘PolyamShippingDay‘ and you can post to the collection here. Only fanworks submitted/@ us on tumblr or in the official AO3 collection, or fanworks posted to our Dreamwidth community, are guaranteed to be included in our roundup. Please also let us know what prompt you created for, if any - people are always welcome to create for past prompts instead.

We have a Discord - invite here - if you want a place to chat about your ships or what you’re creating for them.

We look forward to seeing what people create for it. If you’re enthused about the day, we’d be especially appreciative of any reblogs to help spread the word about the event.

[capim-tinybang]

2024 Cap-IM Tiny Reverse Bang Amnesty Week!

Round 6 has wrapped up with our two final fanwork prompts for the 2024 Cap-IM Tiny Reverse Bang. Thank you to all our wonderful creators for sending in their artworks and to our speedy fanwork-fillers, who have already created some lovely accompanying fanworks inspired by this year's TRB submissions.

We would now like to announce our Amnesty Week!

From now until the end of September 6th, anybody can create fic, fanvids or podfics for the artwork prompts that were revealed in the six rounds of the 2024 TRB. If you started a ficlet, or missed a week and didn't get round to posting, now is the time! Maybe a prompt has grown on you, or a Cap-IM Bingo card has provided the perfect complement to kickstart a fic! Challenge yourself to some last minute drabbles and earn your badges!

All fanwork fills will be included in our final Tiny Reverse Bang roundup.

Rules and information on how to participate and post can be found here!

To see the existing fills for the prompts, check out our AO3 Collection. You can browse and leave feedback on all the fanwork prompts in our 2024 TRB Submissions Collection on AO3 or follow the link to each fanwork below:

Round 1 - Nomad | Winghead

Round 2 - Oath | Invincible

Round 3 - Silver | Serum

Round 4 - Extremis | Armor

Round 5 - Commander | Gold

Round 6 - Timely | Shellhead

Feel inspired?

Write fic of at least 100 words for any 2024 TRB fanwork prompt (note that you can also be inspired by several for one fill!), or create podfics or fanvids as fills - there are no minimum requirements for these formats. You have until the very end of September 6th (any timezone) to earn a badge for every prompt you write for!

[lynne-monstr]

QZGS Fanwork Rec Bingo 2022 (Roundup)

In late 2022, the QZGS fandom had a rec event. I posted each rec in its own post, and now two years later, I finally have a masterlist.

I added some new recs in addition to the original set. These were in my notes at the time, but I didn't get myself in order in time for posting. I'm very glad to be able to include them now.

Rec guidelines: I tried to limit myself to one fic per author. I did not always succeed. This list is heavily biased towards yuhuang and Blue Rain because that's where my fannish interest lies.

NSFW recs or fics with content warnings will be indicated on the rec itself.

Fanworks under the cut

Pre-canon - That Dream, Passing On by kaleidastra

Author’s summary: Fang Shijing celebrated Blue Rain's first championship; along with someone he never expect he'd meet again. Rec notes: This fic makes me so happy!! It’s chaotic and funny and emotional all at once, and manages to have a lovely emotional resolution while still sucker punching you in the face in the best way. I love all of FSJ’s internal narration. And have I mentioned it’s funny! Adaptation: Novel/Donghua Characters: Fang Shijing, Wei Chen; gen No content warning

A work from before 2020 - they're never hiking ever again please and thank by andthenabanana

Author’s summary: “This,” Zheng Xuan says between heavy breaths, “is not bonding.” Rec notes: Ahhhh this fic is so wonderful. Blue Rain goes on a hike and there are Shenanigans. Full of teasing and team bonding and Huang Shaotian being the best vice captain. This fic brings Blue Rain to life and gives great warm fuzzies. Adaptation: Novel/Donghua Characters: Blue Rain; gen No content warnings

Rare Relationship focused - One big exhale (never did me no good) by UndeadRobins

Author’s summary: Different players need different incentives to help them improve. It doesn’t take long for Xiao Shiqin to figure out what Sun Xiang needs. Rec notes: The xsq/sx fic of my dreams! Their live action dynamic was begging for a fic like this, and this one delivers!I love how the dynamic between them creeps up slowly until it fills the entire page. Truly a gem of a fic. Adaptation: Live Action/Novel Characters: Xiao Shiqin/Sun Xiang Contains: light D/s, rated m

Glory focused - china's sword and curse by snoflakesun

Author’s summary: It… it could’ve been a fluke, or just a lucky moment. This was what most of the audience thought. Perhaps he had seen Yu Wenzhou’s screen, or maybe the mic didn’t pick up what he had said. But all of the pro players knew, this definitely wasn’t something that happened by chance. Rec notes: They’re partners your honor!!! Um I love everything about this. Fun banter, teamwork, and Huang Shaotian gets to trash talk as much as he wants! So much fun! I am a sucker for yuhuang synergy and fun battles and this delivers on everything. Adaptation: Novel/Donghua Characters:/Ships: Yu Wenzhou, Huang Shaotuan, Sun Xiang, Zhou Zekai; Yuhuang No content warnings

A fic longer than 10k - Memorable by Saxifactumterritum

Author’s summary: Huang Shaotian’s retirement is announced to the world at the last moment, right at the end of the season, but Blue Rain know about it a long time before that. Huang Shaotian retires, everyone expects him to stick around Blue Rain, but he doesn't. And then it's sad. Rec notes: Sad retirement fic 😭😭😭. My favorite thing about this fic (besides all the feelings and character stuff and friendships and OCs and everything else) is the very realistic look it takes about what happens when people move away. It’s so easy to pretend nothing will change but the truth is that it does, and it takes work to maintain those connections at a distance. The journey Huang Shaotian (and Blue Rain) take when Huang Shaotian leaves is, in turns, sad and sweet and funny and it feels like getting punched in the gut in the best way. Adaptation: Live Action Characters/Pairing: Huang Shaotian, Yu Wenzhou, Blue Rain; background yuhuang No content warnings

One of your favorite tropes - my baby brings heat like a mama does by wolframvonbielefeld

Author’s summary: GLORY FORUM POST #89566: huang shaotian is NOT in love with yu wenzhou. false alarm. Rec notes: A bit “idiots to lovers,” a bit “didn’t know they were dating,” and a whole lot of mutual pining and also friendships! This fic is just so much fun! Bonus for one of my all time favorite visual moments with huang shaotian getting caught (bewildered) holding a massive tub of lube. Brilliant, a masterpiece. The fic is unfinished, but I believe it’s just the epilogue that isn’t posted, and the existing fic delivers on emotional resolution. So even if you avoid WIPs, I still recommend this one. Adaptation: Novel/Donghua Characters/Ships: Yu Wenzhou/Huang Shaotian, various pros Contains: NSFW (Rated Explicit), sexually explicit, omegaverse

Free Space - Out With the Old and in With the New by smallspace 

Author’s summary: Everything is swapped! The avatars are playing a slice of life tabletop roleplaying game where they are the players and the esports pros are the characters. But not everyone wants to play the same character forever. Here is a series of snapshots of avatars changing their characters. Rec notes: What a fun idea! The way the TKA storyline is adapted for the swap is so clever, and the humor is top notch. I laughed all the way through (except for the knife part 😭😭) Adaptation: Donghua/Novel/Live Action Characters: avatar and player ensemble; gen No content warnings

Post-Canon - at the edge of a new leaf by GeniusCactus

Author’s Summary: Wang Jiexi and Yu Wenzhou bond over tactics and good quality tea Rec Notes: The power of teamwork!! This fic is such a lovely quiet moment between Wang Jiexi and Yu Wenzhou, and filled with all the things I love: friendship, introspection, parallels, the occasional pun, and people being stronger together than apart. Also tea metaphors! Bonus for both Tiny Herb and Blue Rain having a very strong presence in the fic despite not appearing in the story. Adaptation: Novel Characters: Yu Wenzhou + Wang Jiexi; gen No content warnings

Missing Scene - The Old Man and the Dream by Dayadhvam

Author’s summary: During Season 10, Wei Chen goes to All-Stars for the first and last time. Or: a brief sojourn down memory lane ft. one Troubling Brat. Rec notes: My heartttttt alksjdlksjfsd. It’s fine I’m fine (that’s a lie I am NOT fine I am drowning in feelings). I love them, I love them, I love them. I have so many emotions about Wei Chen’s conflicted feelings over Blue Rain and Glory and Swoksaar, and where he fits into it all. This fic packs so much of a punch and I love every second. Characters: Wei Chen + Huang Shaotian; gen Adaptation: Novel/Donghua No content warnings

Female character focus - lightning strikes thunder(clap) by afincf_tirwer

Author’s summary: Dai Yanqi knew they were wrong. She knew where Thunderclap’s strengths lay, and it wasn’t solely Xiao Shiqin’s burden to bear. It rested on everyone’s shoulders, everyone who played, to support each other and cover for where others lacked. And right now, they were lacking Xiao Shiqin. Rec notes: Dai Yanqi tactician fic!! Love this glimpse into Thunderclap without Xiao Shiqin, and Dai Yanqi finding herself and her place and growing up. I particularly love the balance between her as a serious player and also having a happy, shiny personality. Get a girl who can do both! Adaptation: Novel Characters: Dai Yanqi, Thunderclap; gen No content warnings

Made you laugh - my captain, my tortoise by Fayah

Author’s summary: “Sun Xiang, don’t you have any pride at all? Even a tortoise is more professional than you are! But saying that is an insult to my cute little pet tortoise!” Huang Shaotian gets a bit too carried away with his trash talk in Blue Rain’s match against Excellent Era and accidentally reveals that he is secretly raising an illegal pet tortoise. Rec notes: this didn’t just make me laugh, it made me howl, it’s so funny omg. Top notch humor, 10/10 amazing. Beautiful. The live action turtle fic of my dreams. RIP Huang Shaotian, he’s trying his best. Blue Rain, best team. Adaptation: Live Action/Novel Characters/Ship: Blue Rain, yuhuang No content warnings

Comic or Fanart - the adventures of tiny swoksaar by saxifactumterritum 

Rec notes: This isn’t a traditional comic format, rather a series of art across two tumblr posts depicting a tiny Swoksaar breaking out of his snowglobe to seek a tiny snowglobe Troubling Rain.  The art is so rich with details, I really feel like I am getting a glimpse of Huang Shaotian’s living space and all the knickknacks he owns. All the poses are so dynamic and full of motion, and the facial expressions are fun and evocative. And the story it tells is adorable! Bonus for live action-based art, which is particularly rare and brings me endless joy. Adaptation: Live Action Characters/Pairings: Swoksaar/Troubling Rain No content warnings

Art link

Alternate Universe - A Life Given, A Life Restored by NR_Red

Author’s summary: Yu Wenzhou was a cyborg, and sometimes he thought he may have forgotten what it was like to be a ‘complete human’. Rec notes: A yuhuang meet cute AND super cool worldbuilding! All the rich details make me feel like I am getting a glimpse into a much larger world. The contrast between Yu Wenzhou’s matter-of-fact acceptance and Huang Shaotian’s enthusiasm is just as wonderful here as it is in canon. Adaptation: Novel/Donghua Characters/Pairing: Yu Wenzhou/Huang Shaotian No content warnings

Team focused - Initial Actions (Not Initiations) by Syncogon

Author’s summary: Team Blue Rain welcomes their newest member. It’s a great time! Almost no regrets are had whatsoever. Rec notes: I admit I am biased on this one because this fic was gifted to me for secret santa but also it’s amazing so i am in fact not biased at all. Rec Notes: I love this both for the team dynamics (new player traditions! Spicy noodles! So much teasing! They’re a family!!) and how all the players get distinct personalities, and the individual character moments (Zheng Xuan!! And the tiny hints of Yu Wenzhou and Huang Shaotian’’s history glimpsed around the edges). This gives me such happy warm fuzzy feelings and I love it every time I read it. Lu Hanwen’s outsider POV on the team is a constant delight. Adaptation: Novel/Donghua Characters: Blue Rain; gen No content warnings

Crossover/Fusion - Lu Hanwen and the Wizard of Oz by SeiryuuSuzaku

Author’s Summary: Lu Hanwen is now the Captain of Blue Rain and trying to do his best to lead his team. But he has his doubts and his impulsive indulgence in chicken is going to give him a very strange dream that night. Gods of Glory are everywhere; Even in your dreams (●'▽'●)ゝ Contains: no content warnings Rec notes: Whimsical and delightful but at the same time, such a lovely character study of Lu Hanwen as captain of Blue Rain. This is exactly the kind of humor/crack I love, with just the right amount of seriousness woven into the shenanigans. And so many hilariously funny visual descriptions! I snorted out loud several times!  Adaptation: Novel/Donghua Characters: Lu Hanwen; ensemble No content warnings

Made You Cry - somebody that i used to know by BlueberryAsh

Author’s Summary: “I’m not him,” she says. “Nobody can ever be him. But I’m here. Ye Xiu, I’m here. Let me help.” Set within the confines of s01e35. Rec notes: I’m starting off my recs with an easy one, because this fic came immediately to mind when I saw the prompt. There’s just so much packed into all 533 words of this fic. I love the vibe of it—so much history and emotion and nearly none of it is said out loud and it doesn’t need to be. One of my favorite parts of this is that Su Mucheng and Ye Xiu are in this together, and there’s such a heavy weight to their history that comes across in the fic. And also it’s sad pegging, which I think is great. Pairing: Su Mucheng/Ye Xiu, past Su Muqiu/Ye Xiu Adaptation: Live Action Contains: pegging, angsty pegging, nsfw, canon character death

A non-english work or translation - 夜莺 by 青山为雪 (Verdancia)

Author’s Summary: L向群星致意。(t/l: Greetings to the stars) Rec notes: i have sadly only read this via machine translation, but even with the clunky “translation” this fic is gorgeous and I love it deeply. A lot of the story is told in flashback,and follows Astronaut/explorer Huang Shaotian and his relationship with Yu Wenzhou over the years. A series of partings and reunions set against the backdrop of a mystery in the current day. There’s some cool funky stuff the author does with time and perception that eventually rips your heart out in the end, but it’s worth it. Adaptation: Novel Pairing: Yu Wenzhou/Huang Shaotian Contains: There is major character death involved but it’s a bit of a twist that unfolds as the fic progresses. If I were to tag it as if it were my own fic, I would use “Choose Not To Warn.”

Prequel Era - This rec is a 2-for-1. Art and fic!

Fic: not yet by saxifactumterritum

Author summary: just a little moment before ywz is captain, before he and hst are in a relationship, before they've quite got to friends. anyway they're dancing in a dark room instead of doing chores. Rec notes: ASLKJSDFLKJS! One of my favorite things about this fic is how it says so much in so little. It’s a tiny slice of life moment but it’s also a silent turning point for Yu Wenzhou and Huang Shaotian, the shift from two people towards a real partnership. It’s quiet and soft, like a liminal moment made real. Characters/Ship: Yu Wenzhou, Huang Shaotian; pre-relationship Adaptation: Live Action No content warnings

Art by bienmoreau

Artist caption:  “I’m glad you found me.” “I nearly didn’t.” Rec notes: There is so much life in this art that it blows me away every time I look at it. The poses, the facial expression, the amazing use of light and dark. I feel like this art just reached into my brain and scooped out the fic and brought it to love. It’s so gorgeous and amazing and absolutely stunning.

As an extra tiny bonus, I will link the podfic I did for this fic. Advance apologies for my pronunciation. I can only hope it doesn’t overshadow the vibe of the fic. (Is it tacky to link my own podfic? Perhaps, but this fic is so great that I want people to be able to read it in multiple forms)

A fic shorter than 1k - Curse or gift by UndeadRobins

Author’s Summary: Swoksaar knows curses. After all, he’s a warlock and there’s no one knows curses better than a warlock. Rec Notes: Short and sweet and right in the feels. I love the matter-of-fact tone that gently eases from statements of facts and into feelings. And bonus for avatar fic <3 Adaptation: Novel Characters/Pairings: Swoksaar/Troubling Rain No content warnings

Meta - Raindrops to a Downpour by TheDefenestrator

Author’s Summary: How could two people so different ever make an effective combination? Rec Notes: While not technically meta, this fic gives me cool meta vibes so I'm going with it. Meta in a fanfic hat, perhaps. Anyway, I love the thread of mirroring and parallel that runs through the fic. Under the surface of fast vs slow lies something much deeper and more complex Adaptations: Novel/Donghua Characters/Pairings: Yu Wenzhou + Huang Shaotian; Yu Wenzhou/Huang Shaotian No content warnings

A “Comfort Food” work -  What do you want? By Saxifactumterritum

Author’s Summary: Huang Shaotian meets Sun Zheping by accident. He's a little bit overwhelmed by how cool Sun Zheping is. This is going to be very fun.  Rec Notes: This fic is so fun! Huang Shaotian swooning over Sun Zheping is so adorable. And huge bonus for all of Huang Shaotian’s other friendships in the background - with Ye Xiu, with Zhang Xinjie, his relationship with Yu Wenzhou that’s mostly in the background but no less strong for it. At it’s heart, this is a getting together fic but all the various friendships breathe so much life into the story. Also, Sun Zheping’s jacket is super cool. Adaptation: Live Action/Donghua Characters/Pairings: Huang Shaotian/Sun Zheping; Yu Wenzhou/Huang Shaotian (polyamorous relationship) No Content Warnings

Minor Character Focused - I (don’t) wanna be the very best by jellysunfish

Author’s Summary: Zheng Xuan's season 8 quest to find Zhang Jiale and make him un-retire himself so Zheng Xuan doesn't have to carry the burden of being the GPA'S #1 Spitfire. How stressful. Rec Notes: Another fic where I’m maybe cheating because this fic was gifted to me. But is it not in the spirit of a gift exchange to love your gift? So perhaps it’s not cheating after all. This fic is such a delight, I reread it all the time and it never fails to make me laugh. Zheng Xuan is so relatable in his search to not work too hard or get too much of the spotlight. And I appreciate him gleefully throwing his teammates under the bus in his efforts. I cackle so much at all the shenanigans! Adaptation: Novel/Donghua Characters: Zheng Xuan, Zhang Jiale No content warnings

And that's a wrap! If you made it this far, please give the fic authors and artists some love <3