#i do know that most of fandom goes for spock's full name being from... some other source than the show or movies

[anghraine]

Happy WIP Wednesday, y'all! Consider yourself tagged if you feel up to it.

I had fun poking at a femslash Spirk scene that's been percolating in my mind for awhile, from fairly early in the mission, I'm imagining not long before the T'Pring/Stonn romance takes off. (In the AU, S'paak is betrothed to Stonn rather than T'Pring.)

Stonn had his own life as much as S’paak had hers—or nearly as much. Thankfully. Only now and then did S’paak register the nauseating intrusion of his mind through their betrothal link. The connection was too weak and distant for him to see what she saw or know her thoughts, no security risk at all, just a tug, an assertion of himself. It wasn’t done with precision or elegance, though she had a lingering impression of his spoken voice, how it must sound these days. The impression pressed as forcefully into her mind as the fragile bond would allow.  Sa’dzhasifik Raelyek T’sai S’paak, parted from me and never parted. Never and always touching and touched. S’paak, child of Sarek, child of Skonn, child of Solkar … soon, joined. She set her teeth and blocked him from her awareness as much as possible, focusing on her responsibilities. The effort was unpleasant, like fire flashing through her nervous system—their bond, however weak, was not intended to be closed off in such a way—but, as she told herself, pain was a matter of the body, subordinate to the power of reason and will. When the bond had been forged between S’paak and Stonn as children, nobody foresaw this future for her, standing at the science station on the deck of a massive Federation starship. But the fact of it could not be changed. She always ignored the dull throbbing in her head except to grant her captain even greater than usual sympathy. It was on one of these occasions, with her internal composure disrupted by Stonn’s distant intrusion, that she agreed to a chess game with Captain Kirk. “In my quarters, if you don’t mind,” S’paak said without thinking. Kirk just arched a brow, rather as S’paak might have done, had she felt like moving any muscles of her face at all.

“Of course I don’t,” Kirk said smoothly, and they scheduled the game for later that evening. 

S’paak had hoped her headache would have vanished entirely by that time. Stonn never fought her barriers; it was enough to remind her of who she was, what she was, and what he would be to her within a few years. They were already thirty-six; his pon farr would arrive soon enough, even if her human heritage granted her the one grace of freedom from it. At any rate, blocking her sense of his mind should not come at so high a price that the piercing pain of it would linger hours later.

And yet it did, without reason or logic. She did her best to conceal it from Captain Kirk that evening, refusing to allow Stonn to strip this small pleasure from her. If she could have, she would have excised him from her mind altogether while in Kirk’s presence, something in her repulsed by the idea of him having any part in her relationship with Kirk.

Illogical, she thought again. Five months ago, she had never set eyes on Jessica Kirk and knew nothing about her. It was unreasonable for their pleasant companionship to seem more sacrosanct than her years of service with Captain Pike. Nothing, however, could lodge her judgment that it was nevertheless true. She could only accept the fact for what it was.

Kirk was studying the placement of the pieces with an unusual degree of puzzlement. She rarely bothered to hide or perform emotions when alone with S’paak, so here, nothing inhibited S’paak’s observation of her brows pulling together, a line creasing the skin between them.

“Is something wrong, captain?” S’paak asked.

Kirk glanced up at her, dark eyes steady. “I was going to ask you the same thing. You usually play better.” Then she gave a quick laugh. “I hope you aren’t letting me win.”

“Not at all,” said S’paak immediately. “I was simply … distracted. I apologize.”

“You, distracted?” Kirk said, with a flattering degree of surprise. “I mean, no apology is necessary, of course. We can play another time. But S’paak, you can just say no if you don’t want to.”

“I did—as you say, want to,” said S’paak. She could at least thank her headache for ensuring that her expression gave nothing away. “That isn’t my difficulty. I ...” She could not imagine telling Kirk the truth, even alluding to pon farr in her presence, yet couldn’t bring herself to altogether conceal it either. She settled on: “I received a message in relation to a task I must perform in the future, and have been considering how I might approach it. But I would rather continue this.” She gestured at the board.

“I see,” the captain replied, though of course, she didn’t. Even she seemed aware of that, her brows still knitting together. “I hope I didn’t assign this task.”

“You did not. It will be a Vulcan matter, not a Starfleet one,” said S’paak, blinking against the light that pooled painfully around just about every inanimate object in her quarters, and Jess as well. 

Kirk’s voice lowered into sympathy. “Bad news, I’m guessing?”

“Not news,” S’paak said. “But disagreeable, yes. It was simply a reminder.”

“Well, I won’t ask any more, if you’d rather not talk about it,” Kirk replied easily. But her gaze was still sharp, studying S’paak with the flitting, half-subconscious observation of humans. “Actually—sorry, I’m going to immediately renege on that. Are you sure you’re all right? You look a bit off color.” Even in the reddish cast of S’paak’s quarters, and even through the haze of discomfort, S’paak could not miss her sudden flush. “Ah, not literally. I mean sick or unwell. I really can go if you need to lie down or get something from Bones.”

“No. Don’t go,” S’paak said without thinking, her voice still thankfully composed.

Kirk smiled at her and nodded, absently rubbing her palm with one hand. “If you’re sure.”

If you’re sure. You can just say no. With a piercing ferocity, S’paak wished that either were true: that she could simply refuse Stonn’s pon farr, that she could have refused the bond when she was a girl of seven with no concept of what she would or would not find distasteful in the future, that she could turn away from almost anything she disliked with no greater rationale than I do not want to. It was, she supposed, a human failing; but from Kirk, it was also a human consideration, a kindness. Some return felt necessary.

“I am certain,” said S’paak. “I have a slight headache, but it shouldn’t impair me further.”

“A headache?” Kirk said, her expression clearing. “Why didn’t you just say so?—And you can’t take anything for it?”

“Nothing would be helpful. It really is not a great concern, captain,” S’paak said.

The captain looked more obstinate than usual. “I may be no doctor, but tension headaches are rather my specialty.” She lifted her voice slightly. “Lights—Kirk speaking, captain’s override four-two-seven-one. Lights, twelve percent.”

The illumination of the room dimmed so suddenly that S’paak blinked again. She could see the board, Kirk’s shadowed face, but the rest of the quarters were shrouded. It did, in fact, help.

“I’ll be right back,” Jess said, and with no further warning, she hurried out through the doors of S’paak’s quarters.

She was sometimes very human. S’paak had no idea what the captain was doing—not a new form of ignorance, to be sure—and did not care for the fact that she, S’paak, had failed to conceal such a trivial weakness, that she’d allowed Stonn to affect Jess in any way. But it bothered her less than she would have thought, all the more as her eyes adjusted to the lowered lights.

Right back turned out to amount to eleven minutes and twenty-nine seconds, but Jess was true to her word otherwise. She returned with slower, more cautious steps, detectable even before S’paak saw her, attended by a distinctly new smell. It was herbal without doubt, some combination of plants that S’paak’s tricorder could unquestionably have identified, but which she was in no condition to detect beyond the amorphously pleasant scent. As Jess came more clearly into view, S’paak saw that something was cradled between her hands and steaming.

Tea. 

“Here,” said Jess, setting the cup down beside S’paak’s wrist. “You like tea, right? And this one is my favorite for headaches. It might not affect you the same way, but …”

S’paak did not know what to say, but then, the circumstance didn’t require words. She eyed the liquid in front of her and took a cautious sip.

“This did not come from a replicator,” she said, then took another sip. It was very different from the beverages she’d grown up with on Vulcan, and even those her mother sometimes drank, but the blend of mild, half-familiar flavors was pleasant, as was the warmth of the liquid and steam.

“No, my brother sent it to me,” said Jess, sitting back down. “I don’t drink a lot of tea, but he knows I can be … a bit tense at times, and he’s done all kinds of experiments on what’s safest and most helpful for this kind of thing—he’s a botanist, so … well, anyway. Do you like it?”

S’paak drank a little more. Her head still ached, but the gift, the lowered lights, the easy understanding of the woman across from her, combined to settle the intensity burning under her skin. She could sense the thin bond to Stonn’s mind, as ever, but in that moment, he seemed very far away.

“I do,” said S’paak. “It’s helping. I would not have taken a family gift, however, had I known its origin.”

Jess shrugged. “There’s more where that came from. Let me know if you ever want another cup.” Without another word, she studied the board and moved her rook to the middle level. “Your turn, S’paak.”

[shutupanddance]

Master Post

If you’re looking for my Master List, check out this link:

https://shutupanddance.tumblr.com/masterlist

Okay cool cats and kittens, I’m creating this master post to help you navigate my page and stay updated :) It will be pinned to my blog, and it will have my fandom list, my prompt list, my to-do list, any current events, and a few frequently asked questions. So, looking for information about requesting? Suggestions for requests? Or wondering what I’m currently working on? Don’t know if I’ve received your request? This is the place to look! Just keep on reading <3

Current Events 

None!

Fandoms

Here are the fandoms I write for!!

+ Marvel (MCU)

+ DC (DCU)

+ Sherlock

+ Star Wars (trilogies, Clone Wars, Rebels, Mandalorian)

+ Star Trek (reboots, original series)*

+ Pacific Rim

+ Knives Out

+ Night at the Museum

+ LOTR / The Hobbit

+ Jurassic Park/World

+ The West Wing*

+ NCIS*

*fandoms that you will see the most of on my blog.

Prompt List

(Does not include prompts from any current events) Here are some prompts that you can use for your request, or for your own writing! As a reminder, not all of these prompts are properly credited. Please let me know if you have the original creator’s @!

#1: “I’d agree with you, but then we’d both be wrong.”

#2: “Should I ask why you have a knife in your purse?”

”It’s a dagger, actually, and no you shouldn’t.”

#3: “Close your eyes and listen. And trust me.”

#4: Rosemary, broken glass, and an old gun.

#5: “Do you remember when I loved you?”

”No.”

”Good, because I never did.”

#6: “He saw the notice in the paper.”

”Why would you let him see the paper?”

”What was I supposed to do, eat it?”

#7: “I didn’t catch your name!”

”I didn’t throw it.”

#8: “I’m not better than you, but at least I’m not you. And right now, that’s worth a whole lot.”

#9: Romantic dinner, but something is wrong.

#10: Forehead kisses during an apocalypse

#11: “This isn’t BBC Sherlock! You can’t just run around administering justice as you see fit!

#12: Trying to get a smoke detector to shut up

#13: Falling out of a closet during Hide N Seek

#14: Revealing a dark secret, but it turns out that they already know

#15: Once upon a midnight dreary

#16: The odds were never in our favor

#17: If I should die, think only this of me

#18: Attack hugs

#19: Afraid of ladybugs

#20: The dumb*ss God couldn’t stop

#21: “There’s a rumor going around that you’re the one to ask if someone needs to acquire rare and dangerous objects.”

”There’s a rumor going around that you’re an undercover cop.”

#22: A parking lot, a coroner, and snails

#23: “You’re the only person I know who calls me that.”

#24: This is not a drill.

#25: It’s the price we pay to feel

#26: A character is cleaning/sweeping the floor when someone walks by with dirty shoes (via @writingprompts365 )

#27: “I’m back from my mission!”

““You failed it.”

““How’d you know?”

They point at the TV.

#28: A character is pushed into some bushes/plants/flowers (via @writingprompts365 )

#29: A character picks up a very shiny rock (same @)

#30: A character combs another character’s hair (same)

#31: A character is forced to have a conversation with someone they don’t like (same)

#32: Laughing hysterically at their own joke

#33: Stuck under the same umbrella

#34: ““Well, this is a nice change of scenery!”

““It’s a jail cell.”

““I was being sarcastic.”

#35: ““Let me just be perfectly clear that this was not my fault.”

#36: ““Can I buy you coffee? For old times sake?”

#37: Fake dating

#38: Huddling for warmth

#39: Being high on painkillers and confessing undying love to everyone

#40: “That’s starting to get annoying.”

#41: “I fell asleep on the bus and woke up here.”

#42: “It’s freaking cold.”

#43: “You’re not exactly known for your great ideas.”

#44: ““Can you keep a secret?”

#45: Character A lives above character B, and always drives B insane with how much stomping they do. One day, A’s foot goes right through the floor, into B’s apartment.

#45: Character A and Character B, sworn enemies, are chosen to prepare the company Christmas Party.

#46: you’re a security guard at an art gallery and you held the door for me so I left you a note in the door where we met I hope you read it

#47: Person A and Person B both trying to break into the same place on the same night by accident, only to be chased by the police upon meeting and having to hide in a closet/cupboard/safe together until they leave.

#48: the first and the last word they said to each other

#49: your kid hates my kid

#50: ‘picking them up’ hugs

#51: an incredibly loud and painful high-five

#52: "Let me fix that for you."

#53: “Can’t we listen to something else? We’ve been listening to this CD for three hours now.”

“You know, I would but the CD slot is broken so it’s either this or talk to each other.”

“I wouldn’t mind talking.”

“[turns up the music louder]”

#54: "My kiss quota for the day hasn't been filled. I need a thousand more."

#55: Person A making fun of Person B's bed head

#56: Squeeze three times for “I love you”

#57: writing a love letter but keeping it to themselves

#58: Messing around in IKEA

#59: “Hey - what’re you hiding behind your back?”

#60: going to a bookshop and selecting books for each other

#61: smiling at each other from across the room

#62: arms wrapping around your waist from behind while you’re on a phone call

#63: “ rich coming from the guy who tried to kill me three days ago. “

#64: message in a bottle

#65: becoming the parents of the friend group as soon as they start dating

#66: “I love you.”

“Ouch.”

#67: “We...we did it. We did it! Oh my God, I could kiss you.”

“Well, don’t be shy.”

My To-Do List

Here is everything that I’m currently working on! If you’ve sent a request in, and I see it, it should pop up here!

REQUEST SLOTS: FULL

+ Sherlock / Reader (not requested) undetermined topic

+ Rusty Ryan / Reader (not requested) #4

+ Sam Seaborn / Reader (requested) slow dancing

*anything with an asterisks has already been started.

Tag List

@girloncorneliastreet​ for The West Wing

@wolviesbabes​ for Gibbs / Reader

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I submit a request? When you look at my blog, there is a link titled “Asks/Requests”. Click that, and submit something!

How specific does my request have to be? More detail is always better if you’re looking for something specific, but if you’re not picky, it’s no big deal! Even if you just say “could I have some more Spock content please?” I’ll answer it!

Do you write smut? Nope! Not for me.

Are your requests open? Not at the moment! They will be soon, though.

What do I do if your requests are closed? Send it later, when they’re open again!

Do you have a master list? I do! I also have a tag called #masterlist, which all of my work is under. You can access the master list itself by navigating to the page on my blog, or just clicking the link at the top of this post!

What’s your name? You can call me C :)

Why didn’t you reblog my post about social justice? In order to avoid burnout for myself and my followers, I am doing my best to keep this blog free of anything other than fan content. This does not mean that I disagree or agree with you, it just means that I’m not commenting. I do not need to participate in internet social justice activity when I am already an activist on other platforms, including real life.

What can I send asks or messages about? Anything!! Life updates, random questions, whatever! I love to hear from you <3

That’s all, folks!

[gumnut-logic]

Fanfic Asks 5

This one is for @louthestarspeaker who asked for D U X, @misssquidtracy who asked for H M O and @janetm74 who asked for W. Thank you for your kind questions ::hugs you all so much::

-o-o-o-

D. Do you prefer gen or romance?

If you asked me this two years ago, I would have said gen. Now…I see value in both. There is something just nice about having a couple who know each other so well that they can just fall into each other’s arms at the end of the day.

But I’ve always been a fan of bromance, two guys who will do anything for each other whether they are related or not. I’m a child of eighties TV and grew up on those kinds of relationships. Kirk and Spock are a prime example (yeah, I know they are from the 60s, but I didn’t exist then and the most of the movies came out in the eighties) .

Which leads onto the question of slash. I do read slash, but not so much in this fandom beyond a little Virgil/Brains. My heart truly lives in the friendship or family department. Even my ship could be considered monogamous happily ever after. This is not because I have any objections to one night stands or flings or whatever anyone enjoys, more of a case of I enjoy it (and Virgil’s character calls for it).

I’m a long term fanfic reader and have stumbled across a lot in my time in fandom. I just choose to read what I like and let everyone have their fun their way. I like a little whump, comfort and loyal and devoted friends. I guess I love the idea that people can stick together through anything.

As for writing, I like a challenge and will step outside my comfort zone time to time just to see if I can do it. However, you will always find a brother hanging around when Virg gets injured :D

 U. Do you prefer AUs or canon compliant fics?

I’m pretty open to all sorts of things…except for character breaking. If the character isn’t in character then it is no longer the character.

::chews nails worrying if I’ve broken Virgil’s character beyond redemption::

If it is well-written and hooks me, I’ll read pretty much anything (within my limits).

Writing…AUs require a lot of world building. My AUs tend to be branches off canon that diverge away, taking the built world with them. Things like coffee-shop AUs are a bit beyond my interest level (especially since I don’t drink coffee).

Marks & Wings is my first completely AU fic series. I did have to do some world building, but they are basically the Tracy bros with wings (except for Gordo, he is considerably different). To be honest, I use that universe as a place to write when I’m completely stuffed. The writing is more sensory than my other fics and I can just get arty farty and play with words.

But, as always, whatever I feel like at the time is what gets written.

 X. What fandom have you written the most fics for?

That would be Thunderbirds fandom. According to Ao3, I’m at 132 Thunderbirds fics with 750,000 words. Reactions plus a few other fics/chapters are yet to be posted.

That is over twice my combined other fandoms, heading toward three times. In two years.

You guys have just inspired me so much. Look what you’ve done! ::hugs you all like crazy::

 H. What is the longest fic you’ve written?

Written in 2003, The Asgard Sequence at 80,000 words (I thought it was shorter at 75,000 ::frowns at FF.net::) was my third Stargate SG-1 fanfic. Full of cliffhangers, it basically whumps Jack O’Neill within an inch of his life while exploring the Asgard people. Lots of plot written by the seat of my pants and nowhere at the quality I’m achieving today, but it remains my most popular fic on FF.net and I still get the occasional comment even 17 years after it was published. It was a landmark fic for me.

The question is…is there enough plotline left in the Kermadec Fic to overtake it? I don’t know. Possibly not, but we’ll see. I do have the tendency to ramble nowadays :D

 M. How do you come up with titles?

Write fic first and work out what to call it when at least partly written. I usually look for something short that sums up what the fic is about combined with an inkling of interest that might help draw the reader in. Sometimes I structure the fic (if I’m planning it) in a certain way that leads to the title.

Here are some working titles versus the final titles just for a little fun (the file names are all that remains – first name first, final name second):

Scott and Jeff – Suits

Riguadagnare – Il Mago

Virg and Gordo – A Good Day

The Visitor – Sky Candy

One of the brothers being ticklish – His Part

Marry Me – The Proposal

Hold Still – Lucky Shot

Gentle Showers – Gentle Rain

The Glacier – Access Denied

Tired Virgil – Tick Tock

Tropical rain is warm – Warm Rain

Veggie’s shower fic – To Hurt Us

Just a few from my computer. I still have several that don’t have titles at all.

 O. Is there any fandom you’ve been into that you haven’t written fic for? Why not?

Definitely. I’ve read:

Farscape

Avengers

How to Train Your Dragon

Arrow

Stargate Atlantis (did start a fic, haven’t finished it – also roleplayed a bit as Rodney McKay)

Sherlock

All the Next Gen Star Trek series (did dabble a little, but never finished anything, my heart lies in TOS)

There are probably more that I can’t think of at the moment. With the exception of Farscape and the Trek series, all of the above were read in the last ten years. They were simply relief from motherhood really. I love fanfic in general, hardly read anything else nowadays, but I wasn’t in the right place to write during my forays into the above fandoms. I was also very focussed on my professional art business.

TAG hit me at a point where I was struggling, in desperate need and I went down like a ton of bricks.

 W. Have you ever written anything that you are embarrassed by today?

Considering the thirty years since I started, sure, there are some fics that are a bit crappy. Heh, I still write crappy stuff from time to time ::eyes Reactions and kicks it with a toe::

But embarrassed? I may have been when I was younger. Especially outside of fandom. But now…I’m a perfectionist who has come to terms (mostly) that my stuff is never going to be perfect. All my stuff has had its purpose and is a step up the learning curve – that goes for everything.

Having said that, I do find myself hesitating to mention the one or two slash fics I have written in the past in other fandoms.

Mentioning that I wrote for Knight Rider gets the oddest looks. I wrote two slash fics in that fandom, but they are close to what I write here in content and plotlines.

I have also written a few explicit scenes in this fandom (of varying quality ::rolls eyes:: ).

Mentioning fanfic outside of fandom has its challenges and when it comes to the above mentions, these are likely not the ones I’d highlight to my workmates (though they all know I write fanfic). I had to stop myself from posting a link to Gentle Rain on Facebook a while back because while I’m happy with its novelish length and content, it does have that one scene…

So, yeah, maybe a little wary of what other people might think of things content-wise. Writing-wise, I’m fairly confident, except when I get the wibblies ::eyes floppy Virg and John…just John…no other Tracy gives me as much strife as Johnny::

-o-o-o-

Thank you to all the wonderful peeps who asked me all these questions. I hope I haven’t bored you silly with my answers (or scared you off with the last one ::chews nails:: ).

I also hope I haven’t missed anyone. Poke me if I have and I will apologise profusely and answer asap.

::eyes word count on questions:: Well, I’ve written 3,500 words about myself ::gulp::

And it is heading toward 1.30am with work tomorrow.

Nutty

(saluting off)

[wanderingthroughwonder]

Miranda’s Fic Recs

I’ve been wanting to do this for a while because I just have a lot of fics in different fandoms that I truly enjoy. These are mostly long fics because that’s what I read the most. Fandoms included: Teen Wolf, Harry Potter, MCU, Star Trek, Kingsman, and Avatar: The Last Airbender. Find them below! (Some fanfic spoilers ahead)

So I’m starting with completed fics and then I have a few not completed fics at the end that I’m just really liking.

Embers by Vathara

Rating: Not Rated, Word Count: 704,200 Fandom: A:TLA

Dragon’s fire is not so easily extinguished; when Zuko rediscovers a lost firebending technique, shifting flames can shift the world....

This is an Avatar: The Last Airbender rewrite. It’s Zuko centric and it splits off while Zuko and Uncle Iroh are on the run and Zuko learns of healing firebending. The world building is so good and interesting and the whole fic does a great job of reimagining the A:TLA world. You meet a lot of new characters that are super well written and fit the world nicely.

The Debt of Time by ShayaLonnie

Rating: E, Word Count: 715,940, Fandom: Harry Potter, Ship: Hermione/Sirius

When Hermione finds a way to bring Sirius back from the veil, her actions change the rest of the war. Little does she know her spell restoring him to life provokes magic she doesn’t understand and sets her on a path that ends with a Time-Turner.

This fic is so good and I’ve reread it before. I love Hermione centric fics and this is definitely one. When she goes back in time she goes through school again with the Marauders and it’s so good you guys. I think the fic does such a good job of showing her grow with these new people. The relationships in this fic are so intense and I love them.

Hook, Yarn, Sinker by pprfaith

Rating: Not Rated, Word Count: 65,675, Fandom: Teen Wolf, Ship: Stiles/Peter

Stiles is happy with his store, his hobbies, his friends. Peter’s just trying to figure out how to raise his nieces and nephews without fucking them up too badly.

Paths cross.

This is the first in a series of fics. It’s a Human AU with aged up Stiles and friends but with little kids Derek, Laura, and Cora. This fic is a good time and sweet and honestly low stakes which is so nice to have these days. I think a lot of Steter fics are more intense and I enjoy them but this is such a nice change of pace where you really get to know the characters in these fairly different circumstances. The whole series word count is 161,859.

A Sequence That You Never Learned by AnnaTaylor

Rating: E, Word Count: 64,624, Fandom: Star Trek: AOS, Ship: James T. Kirk/Spock 

“Spock,” Jim breathes out, completely overwhelmed by the gesture—not quite believing that Spock knows him so well, that he’s already started researching, that he trusts Jim with a member of his own endangered species.

When Jim gets it in his head to adopt an eight-year-old Vulcan, Spock presents a logical solution to the issue of Jim’s of humanity: marriage to a Vulcan citizen.

This was one of my first Spirk fics and I honestly love kid fics. Vulcan kids are so different from Jim, but I love the idea that Vulcans still love him anyway. This is such a great Fake Marriage fic.

If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out by mia6363

Rating: E, Word Count: 13,232, Fandom: Teen Wolf, Ship: Stiles centric but technically Stiles/Peter 

Commander Stilinski looks like he fell out of a propaganda video, his armor still smoking as he pulled off his helmet and handed it off to First Officer Argent. He had a few bruises down his neck but his smile was bright.

“Glad to see you safe and sound, Mr. Hale. I’d hate for Derek to lose a member of his family.”

“I told you,” Derek snapped at his superior, “he’s not worth this, Commander.”

This is the shortest fic on my list but I love this take. It’s got a Star Trek vibe and I LOVE how everyone is made into these different aliens. Stiles being human here is so interesting and it reminds me of those “humans are the craziest of the aliens” posts. It’s got multiple POVs and I think they’re written really well and do a great job of coming together.

Where Thou Art, That is Home by ShanaStoryteller 

Rating: Various, Word Count: 94,108, Fandom: Teen Wolf, Ship: Stiles/Derek 

Stiles is 10 when he saves the Hales from their burning home and Derek from a wolfsbane bullet, and this establishes a pattern that seems to continue indefinitely.

“Then he’s facing a burning home, and he wraps the hood of his sweatshirt around his mouth before he pushes the door open and steps inside. There’s Mr. Hale asleep - he hope asleep - on the couch, next to - Stiles thinks that’s his brother but there are so many Hales, who can keep track. He rushes over and starts shaking him, can see the rise and fall of the man’s chest so he knows he’s alive, but he’s not waking up. He shoves away his hood so he can shout, “Mr. Hale! You have to get up, there’s a fire! Mr. Hale, get up!” Nothing, he’s not even twitching, both of them taking in deep even breathes like they’re having the most peaceful of rest, and Stiles is going to cry. “Wake up, wake up, wake up!”

There’s a moment where all Stiles can here is the blood rushing in his ears and not the roar of the flames or the creak of wood, then with a violent, silent pop it’s all back and both men are gasping awake, eyes open and jumping to their feet.”

This is another series! It creates a Hales Survive AU and it’s got BAMF!Stiles. The Hales in this fic are so interesting and it’s an expanded family from what we see in canon. Magic!Stiles is written so well in this fic and things get intense but it’s so good.

Counterpart by sara_holmes

Rating: M, Word Count: 217,400, Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ship: Steve/Tony 

coun•ter•part [koun-ter-pahrt] [noun] 1. a person or thing closely resembling another, especially in function. 2. a copy; duplicate. 3. one of two parts that fit, complete, or complement one another. 

Just because Hydra used the DNA of a Captain America from another dimension to create a lab-grown, six-year-old super-soldier, it doesn't mean that said six-year old super-soldier is biologically Steve's, right? 

(Where Steve wants to ban Clint from bringing things home from alternative dimensions, until he doesn't.)

This is an amazing kid fic. Things are so messed up because of how the kids was raised up to the point they find him.I love Tony so much in this fic but also you sympathize a bit with Steve. The kid whose name I will leave out is my absolute favorite. This is also a series!

Fallout by Whisper91 kingsman

Rating: E, Word Count: 164,971, Fandom: Kingsman, Ship: Eggsy/Harry/Merlin 

As far as the rest of the world is concerned, Gary 'Eggsy' Unwin is a registered Dominant. It's on his driver's licence. It's on his National Insurance card. Hell, it's even on his bloomin' GCSE certificates. And the fact that it's all a load of bollocks is a secret Eggsy had intended to take to his grave. 

Course, he hadn't been expectin' a bloody sub-drop to sweep in and knock him on his arse in the wake of the Valentine Massacre. Turns out grief and adrenaline ain't a good combination.

I really enjoy the dynamics between the three of them. D/s fics are always so amazingly well built and I love fics like this where they’re hiding their dynamic. I think this fic does a great job of going further with the D/S world and giving it more biologically. I just reread this fic recently because I love how it’s done. 

It’s Insanity But... by rosepetals42

Rating: M, Word Count: 71,477, Fandom: Teen Wolf, Ship: Stiles/Derek 

The doorbell interrupts what had turned out to be quite the epic shoe hunt but, really, he’s grateful for the break. Or at least, he is until he heads down the stairs to grab the door, trips over a stuffed animal of some kind, bashes his head on the wall and barely manages to catch himself from falling down the entire flight of stairs. As with all things, Stiles would like to state, for the record, that this is Scott’s fault. 

Or: Scott and Stiles are raising seven children. Derek is the entertainer they hire for a birthday party (not a clown though, he’s very specific on that fact.)

This fic is such a good time! I love two bro’s raising kids together. It’s a hilarious setup and also just so good for the Stiles and Scott dynamic. Each chapter is like a slice of life. Some chapters are more about the kids and some are about Stiles and Derek. It’s just a fun fic and I love that it’s still got werewolves because I think a lot of fics that focus more on regular stuff go full on human AU. Keeping werewolves is much more fun and it’s so well handled here!

So Wise We Grow by Deastar 

Rating: M, Word Count: 81,248, Fandom: Star Trek, Ship: James T. Kirk/Spock 

”Commander Spock, we have located your son,” the Vulcan lady on the screen says, which would be great, except Jim can tell by the look on Spock’s face that he’s never heard of this kid before in his life. “If it is expedient, the child will be sent to join you on the Enterprise within the week.”

This fic is two long chapters. Again, I love kid fic and this one does such a great job. We’ve got pining and hurt/comfort and all kinds of good feels here. There’s one line about t’hy’la that is just *chefs kiss* so good and hits you hard.

Play It Again by metisket 

Rating: T, Word Count: 63,206, Fandom: Teen Wolf, Ship: Stiles/Derek 

In which Stiles goes along with one of Derek’s plans and ends up in an alternate universe as a result. He should’ve known better. He did know better, actually, and that means he has no one to blame but himself. “Laura wants to lure the kid in with food and kindness and make a pet of him, like a feral cat. Derek wants to have him arrested for stalking. They’re at an impasse. (And the rest of the family is staying emphatically out of it in a way that suggest bets have been placed.)”

This is fairly Stiles centric. It really looks into the emotions of jumping universes. The alive Hale family is so good and it’s magic!Stiles which is always interesting. What I think makes it extra good is that in a lot of universe jump or time travel fics it’s more about adjusting to how things will be now. But this fic does that while also having the new universe with its own problems. It’s just fun to see Stiles deal with all these things.

Happy Lights by LadyShadowDrake

Rating: E, Word Count: 108,237, Fandom: MCU, Ship: Mixed 

An interdimensional portal opens over New York and drops a tentacled alien in the middle of Central Park. The Avengers are called out to investigate, and hopefully return the visitor home. Steve has been brushing up on his diplomacy, but he never expected to be a liaison to an alien in such an intimate capacity, or that the alien would be so friendly, and the unusual visit turns into the world's best team-building exercise.

This is a series that is so much fun. The alien (aka the colony) is so interesting and sweet in the long run. I love seeing the team grow and as you go through the series you really get to see more of them coming together. This is just a playful fic that you can have a good time reading.

Magpie by waldorph

Rating: E, Word Count: 57,648, Fandom: Star Trek: AOS, Ship: James T. Kirk/Spock

Spock met Jim when he was 7 and Jim was 6. It has since been generally agreed that this was a mistake (or: the one where they grew up together and things are simultaneously better and worse for it).

This is such a deep dive of both Spock and Jim. It’s them growing up together and it splits off some as far as events that happen in canon. It ends before they become Starfleet. I think this fic creates such an interesting bond between Spock and Jim. I also really love where it goes as far as Spock not having grown up alone on Vulcan.

These are the unfinished fics. The first two are in progress and the last one seems to be abandoned.

Survival is a Talent by ShanaStoryteller 

Rating: T, Word Count: 353,015, Fandom: Harry Potter, Ship: Harry/Draco 

In the middle of their second year, Draco and Harry discover they're soulmates and do their best to keep it a secret from everyone. 

Their best isn't perfect. 

~ 

“Are you trying to get killed, Potter?” Malfoy drawls, stalking forward. Quick as a serpent himself, he reaches out and grabs the snake just below the head. It thrashes in his grip, but is no longer able to bite anyone. “This is a poisonous snake, and I doubt anyone brought a bezoar with them.” 

Harry glares. He opens his mouth, and feels the beginning the snake’s language pass his lips, and this isn’t what he wants, what’s the point of insulting Malfoy if he can’t understand him – 

Malfoy’s eyes widen. He slaps his hand over Harry’s mouth, “Potter, what the hell–”

This fic is in progress updated within 2020. It’s a rewrite of the Harry Potter series where Harry and Draco are soulmates. As you can imagine, that changes some things. I love this so much, I’ve read it like 3 or 4 times now. The characterization is amazing and I love the differences we see. Harry is Indian in this fic and the way it ties in is so good. You really get to see the difference in culture as well between muggleborns and blood traitor families and the purebloods.   

You great unfinished symphony (you sent for me) by ketchupcrisp

Rating: E, Word Count: 227,792, Fandom: MCU, Ship: Steve/Tony and also the whole Team 

The last thing Steve Rogers ever expected to see on a Wednesday afternoon was his (their) dead submissive tumbling out of a portal and practically into Phil’s lap, very much alive and frantic about Soul Stones and timelines and some other version of the team.

This is an AU but like literally. Tony comes from the universe we know into a D/S universe. The worldbuilding here - again like I think a lot of D/s fics excel at - is so good. It starts with everything a mess and things are intense. There’s multiple POVs which I think is really helpful in a fic like this where the relationships are so tangled. 

Born From the Earth by venusm 

Rating: E, Word Count: 277,602, Fandom: MCU, Ship: Tony Centric, Steve/Tony 

Tony Stark's born an omega in a world where that means he's supposed to follow certain social rules. He becomes Iron Man anyway: Fuck biology.

If only his biology (and the world) would quit fucking him back.

To start off, some warnings: this fic gets a bit messed up. It’s an Omega verse in the worst possible way at certain points. It’s not a fluffy fic. It also doesn’t get that far into the Stony stuff because it’s unfinished. Honestly I’m worried this writer has died and I’ve gone through the comments and looked for them online to see if they’re out there and just not writing but I haven’t found any proof of that. BUT ANYWAYS. This fic is intense but it’s such an interesting take on Omega fics. It gets pretty dark but that darkness is pre-Steve and I’m hopeful that one day it might get finished so I can see where it was going to go. 

[tomfooleryprime]

Hello! I just wanted to say how much I love your writing! No Winter Lasts Forever was brilliant! And I’m throughly enjoying your newest OC-centric story. Question: do you fully outline before you begin writing? Do you have any advice on how to do that? Also, do you create character sheets to get to know them better and such? One of my biggest challenges is characterization, and I can’t seem to be able to outline. So, any advice in that department would be much appreciated. Thank you! :)

Thank you so much!

I do outline before writing. It’s the only way to go, as far as I’m concerned. No writer’s block once you have an outline. 

You can outline for plot, setting, characterization or all three, however, outlining still has its drawbacks, especially if your story is super long and full of original details. 

This is the problem I ran into with No Winter Lasts Forever. I had hundreds of characters spread over a colony world I basically designed from scratch and it ended up being more than 300,000 words long and took me two years to write. The amazing thing about an outline is it organizes little details and it reminds you to include certain things in current and foreshadow things for future chapters. I call it “sprinkling details.”

For example, you might casually mention your character has a lot of scars in the first chapter. Then in a later chapter, maybe they’re rubbing their neck and they’re reminded of how they got one scar in particular—say, a crazy sword fight with a pirate where they almost got their throat cut, I dunno? Then later your character is abducted and has a bag over his head, about to be shot execution style when he’s rescued at the last minute by a guy who owes him a favor. Your character asks, “I had a bag over my head so how did you know it was me?” Favor dude points to his neck and replies, “I would recognize that scar anywhere, boy-o.” 

Ugh, so cheesy, but you get the point. If you wait until that very chapter to inform readers, oh, he has a scar on his neck and this is how the other guy will recognize him, it just seems like some weird afterthought. 

Sprinkling details throughout the story gives your readers a chance to get to know your characters and their situation slowly, just like you would get to know anyone in real life. When you sit down next to a coworker for the first time, you don’t get the exhaustive Wikipedia version of their life in the first sitting, you notice little details and ask little questions over time. You see a picture of kids on their desk and think maybe she’s a mom. 

There isn’t some narrator to inform you, “Hey readers, this is Susan. She has three children and their names are Lucy, Bobby, and Asshole. She’s really self-conscious about the mole on her cheek. In her spare time she enjoys pilates and bareknuckle boxing.” If you want to show rather than tell, maybe you mention that you see Susan constantly pulling her hair over her left cheek and eventually realize she has weird bruises on her hands and you resolve to ask her about it later. 

In a normal human relationship, you would discover these things about your new coworker over time. Giving a giant info dump in the beginning is tedious and it’s telling rather than showing. It’s been one of the biggest challenges of bettering myself as a writer: learning to show though dialogue, actions, and details rather than just tell my readers what they need to know to get on with the story. 

Unfortunately, there comes a point at which no matter how detailed your outline is, you will start forgetting details as the months wear on because it makes no sense to have an outline so detailed that you invent a whole life story for a character you barely mention once, unless you’re J.K. Rowling and still milking a wildly successful boy wizard series nearly two decades later. There were many times I had to go to AO3, click “Entire Story” on my own story, and search for tiny details like, what color is Hadrian Moore’s hair or what was Ann Svendsen’s second-oldest kid’s name again?

I would say most stories aren’t as stupidly ambitious as that one though. I don’t think I can stress this enough: if you want to become a fiction writer, fanfiction has to be the best place to dip your toe in the pond. It’s a ready-made template. It’s easy to spread your wings in a world that has already been designed for you so that you don’t have to worry about making everything from scratch and can focus on storytelling, dialogue, and voice instead. Spock has a very well-formed character, so if you start writing him as a guy who drops f-bombs for no reason, you’ve royally screwed your characterization. 

The same goes for outlining. Creating an outline using canon characters who already have fairly established backstories and personalities is so much easier and if you’re just starting out writing, I’d recommend doing that. It’s too easy to just go to Memory Alpha if you can’t remember how old Leonard McCoy is, or if you’re writing for another popular fandom, most have their own wikis. Bless the people who compile such websites: they’re doing the Lord’s work. 

So if you need help with characterization and outlining the plot, that’s my advice: start small. Start with familiar characters in a familiar setting, and write a short fic of 10,000 words or less. Then write a longer story. Then incorporate your first central original character and spend a lot of time fleshing this person out. The more you do it, the more you’ll learn what works for you and what doesn’t. My first outlines were really bare bones, my later outlines were too detailed. I think I finally hit a happy medium with my new OC story. 

If you want, I can email you my outline for my latest chapter of my new story so you can get an idea for how much information I include. Hit my up at jtomfoolery@yahoo.com.

[goldenworldsabound]

Little biographies of each of my SIs below - post inspired by @benobiships​!

From left to right

Fandom: Breath of the Wild - with a few modifications. Unbeknownst to most people (my SI included) the Champions didn't die - they got put into resurrection chambers, complete with puzzles to unlock and discover them. Is She Me?: This is one of my SIs who is a bit more of an OC than exactly being me, as far as personality goes. Like me, she thinks she's kind of clever (and to a degree she is), she's silly, she can come off a bit clumsy sometimes, and is sometimes lacking in the commonsense department. Her interests are pretty different than mine - she's fixated on the old Sheikah tech that's around, and desperately wants to get into a shrine. She's fairly in tune with the spirits and other mystical beings in Zelda-verse, because she's a Chosen One like Link/Zelda (though her role is much smaller). She's also hilariously weak like myself and doesn't know when to quit (also like myself). She can become easily hyper-fixated by ancient things, which is not so much like irl me. Role: My SI grows up in Kakariko Village. While people are nice enough, and Impa kind of takes care of her, she always feels like an outsider. She is not a Sheikah herself, and that is obvious. She often goes to visit the other Sheikah out in Hateno and Akkala, to learn about the tech and everything. However, she becomes frustrated with not being allowed to research certain things ("the shrines are for the Champion, don't touch them"), so she runs away. Impa knew that she was a Chosen One, part of the legend, and panics a bit that she's run away. But unfortunately, Kakariko cannot spare to send anyone to find her, with the Yiga Clan's returned presence. And thus begins her journey to ultimately resurrect all the Champions (starting with Urbosa, followed by Mipha, Daruk, and Revali). She later meets Link (and Zelda once the world is saved). F/O(s): Romantically, Urbosa and Mipha (sometimes as a polyamory, but typically a V if anything). Platonically, Daruk, Revali, Link, Zelda.

Tags: Modern History (Urbosa x Wendy), Rainfall in the Ruins (Mipha x Wendy), botw aesthetic, Urbosa, Mipha

Fandom: Star Trek TOS Is She Me?: Very literally. She is me but through time travel shenanigans she ends up in the future (Star Trek is the future!!!) on the USS Enterprise. She even used to watch the Star Trek tv show! Very literally me. Over time as she becomes a science officer and computer specialist of the future, she diverges from me a bit, as her time on Vulcan helps her calm her emotions, and she learns to defend herself a little bit. And Starfleet grows more discipline in her. Role: Once she orients herself to being spontaneously transported to the future and gets through the grieving of losing everything, she starts trying to learn and grow on the ship, with the story that she is McCoy's niece (Everyone kinda knows this isn't true but opt not to question it). Kirk and McCoy take it upon themselves to take care of her while she acclimates, and Spock gets roped in as well. He kind of knows she has a crush on him, but he doesn't really know what to do about it or how he feels, although over time he figures out both of those things. He helps teach her about technology and science in the future, and she is kind of like his apprentice. Eventually they confess their feelings to each other. After some time, it is decided that it is too dangerous for Wendy to stay on the ship long term. Now that she has acclimated to being in the future, they want her to go to school on Vulcan and properly train for Starfleet/Science Officer duties. She is super scared to be away from everyone but ends up doing it. She and Spock bond before that. She goes to school, makes some friends, some shenanigans happen (including a traumatic event of someone else trying to break her bond with Spock), and then the Enterprise comes back to pick her up after some time. F/O(s): Romantically, Spock. Platonically, Kirk and McCoy (who waffle between familial and best friend depending on the day tbh), and the entire bridge crew. Amanda and Sarek are her in-laws and she loves them like family.

Tags: Love is Fascinating (Spock x Wendy), Uncle Kirk, Uncle Bones, Spock, Star Trek Aesthetic

Fandom: Fantasy setting Royalty AU - an AU entirely of my own creation, in a fantasy setting that allows for magic, different sentient species, etc. Crossover with all faves and their verses. Is She Me?: She looks like me, but in fancy dresses. Our personalities are fairly different though. She's a very magnanimous Princess, who is very brave and very selfless, and also has a really amazing magical power. She speaks politely and well. She is physically weak like myself, and despite her interest in learning to defend herself she is not permitted such things. We both really like to read and learn, even if that interest turns out just to be a hobby. Notably, she is a great diplomat and speaker, though she doesn't really enjoy the former (I wouldn't say irl me is GREAT but is okay, though I do not enjoy it also) Role: She was an orphan as a child, taken in by the Sheikah, who make up the elite royal guards. Once it was noticed I had an amazing magic power, to make massive unbreakable shields, the King and Queen scooped me up and I became the Princess. I grew up and was trained, and eventually I chose for myself four elite guards, who also became my secret lovers. It was an unusual move, but being beloved by the people, it was allowed. The King and Queen clearly think of me more as a pawn than as their child, so it was important I surround myself with people who really cared about me. My power has protected the city on numerous occasions, and the elite guard I chose have protected me even more times than that. F/O(s): My elite guards and primary lovers are Spock, Urbosa, Akabayashi, and Shizuo, as a polyamorous clump of sorts, centered primarily around me. Impa is a secret romantic lover as well (childhood friend who became leader of the Sheikah tribe), though outside of that group. Mipha is a Princess from another Kingdom who I am publicly romantically involved with - while we both consider it temporary (as in we won't get married), it's great fun and keeps away the other suitors. She sometimes engages with my elite guard as well. There will be platonic faves appearing as well.

Tags: Royalty AU, Royalty Aesthetic

Fandom: Durarara!! (x2 focused) - in this AU I am part of the yakuza as well. Is She Me?: She is the most like an OC of any SI. She is an outlet for feeling powerless - she is angry, she is strong, and she gets shit done. She swears a lot (which is true to me irl) and talks shit, and delivers on those promises to hurt them when people wrong her. She's the aggressiveness that I feel inside me, but that irl me would never consider executing. She's terrible at introspecting and talking about emotions (not like irl me at all). However, she does have a secret love for Poke'mon and plushies (irl me loves Poke'mon and plushies...). And also magical shield powers that she has weaponized. Role: She was an orphan American child who somehow ended up in Japan - she was adopted by the head of a small yakuza that co-existed with the Awakusu-kai in Ikebukuro. While she considers herself Japanese and Japanese to be her first language, she does speak English, and she is often accused of being a foreigner because she looks that way. Her adopted grandfather (she sees him that way, not as a father) does not force her into the yakuza - she joins on her own. She loves to fight, and being his granddaughter is given a lot of free reign to do what she wants within the boundaries of the small yakuza. She goes to high school at the same time as Izaya/Shinra/Shizuo/Kadota. She catches a lot of shit for being a woman, but she kicks enough ass that eventually she makes a name for herself - the Crystalline Angel. In addition to just being badass at fighting, she discovers early on that she has a special power - to generate shields. But she learns that she can form these shields into any shape, including razor sharp blades. When she's serious about using those powers, it's hard to beat her. Her primary job in the yakuza is to watch over prostitutes and make sure no one is causing them trouble, and if they are, she kicks an entire ass. Ultimately, her grandfather passes away, but he cuts a deal with the Awakusu-kai (who he was on good terms with) to let her join them. The other executives don't take her seriously for a while, but she shapes up and proves herself to them. There's a lot of shit talking, and she falls for Akabayashi almost immediately - and he falls for her instantly too. F/O(s): Romantically, Akabayashi. Platonically, Shinra and Celty, and sort of Izaya. She would really not call them friends, but they have a storied history and she wouldn't say she hates him either. Platonically also all of the Awakusu-kai execs - Aozaki, Shiki, and Kazamoto. She and Kadota were friends in high school, but haven't spoken since then.

Tags: Sharp Lines and Soft Edges (yakuza!SI x Akabayashi), yakuza si, yakuza aesthetic, durarara aesthetic, Akabayashi

Fandom: Durarara!! Is She Me?: Yes, with a few modifications. She is me, but after I graduated college I moved to Japan to work there. And I speak Japanese relatively fluently. This means I discard a lot of the life experiences irl me had. Personality wise, we're generally pretty similar - kind and smart, but ready to lay down some sass at my friends. A little absent-minded at times. Differently, my SI here learns to fight fairly well, and also has magic shield powers. Role: She moves to Japan and almost immediately runs into trouble (depending on which F/O she's with, the trouble varies). She quickly learns that the city is full of bad people and unusual people, and finds herself making friends with the unusual people. In the verse where she dates Shizuo, she helps calm him down, and Izaya takes an interest in messing with her to mess with Shizuo. Things got complicated very fast. In the verse where she dates Akabayashi, she doesn't much learn to fight, as the yakuza protects her once her relationship with Aka is serious. In that verse she joins the Dollars before she finds out Akabayashi is in the yakuza, which is how she discovers her shield powers, despite not really knowing how to fight. F/O(s): Romantically, Shizuo or Akabayashi (not ever in the same verse). Platonically, Celty (BFF!) and Shinra are big friends of hers, as well as Anri being like a younger sister to her. She's also on good terms with the van gang in both verses.

Tags: Street Signs and Snuggles (Shizuo x Wendy), Red Devil’s Honey (Akabayashi x Wendy), durarara aesthetic, Shizuo, Akabayashi