#i need to reread this masterpiece of a chapter as many times as i could bc i have to inject it into my soul

[i-sveikata]

Hii :)

I discovered your vegaspete fic a while ago when you were still around chapter 13, and I think it's safe to say it has changed my life. I remember putting off everything just to catch up on all the chapters when I was about 2 paragraphs in chapter 1 realising I found gold, and I remember spending every waking moment thinking about that fic and even now I think about it at the very least once a week, it's insanely good. :D Once I caught up on the chapters I had so many question, so I used my notes app to put my questions and thoughts down. With my list of questions in hand I decided to read the whole thing again see if I missed anything. Reading the story the second time was just as good and I found I missed so many little details and nuances-and all of my questions were answered for me. You're brilliant, I could sing your praises all day if I had the words! Their characterisation is the best thing I have ever read honestly, so complex and so human!!!

I was in the middle of preparations for my final exams when chapter 16 came out then not shortly after you released chapter 17 and I swore to myself that reading those chapters would be my treat after getting through my exams. I knew that reading them before my exams would easily take up 90% of my brain capacity for weeks, so I had to make some sacrifices. Well, I'm all caught up on the chapters and I am SO VERY tempted to read the whole thing again. I thought that the story would get boring or predictable after a while but no you've proved me wrong. My jaw is on the floor and I can't even imagine how the story will continue, but I can't wait to find out.

I've been meaning to say hello and let you know I admire your work and I am very grateful that you share this masterpiece with us, but I just never really knew how to say it. :D I'm here to show my support and let you know I wish you nothing but the very best. THANK YOU :)

Oh lucky you!! It’s always great to come in at least a couple chapters in because you’ve got a good starting point already- not like the wonderful readers who’ve been in the trenches from the first chap and waiting patiently for updates ever since 😂

Omg that’s so sweet of you to say I’m so glad it left such an impression on you! Lol I totally resonate with the needing to take notes part because this badboy is LONG hahhaha (I literally have a notes page at the beginning of my word doc to keep track of all the details lol)

Ahhhh we love a reread! So fun to discover all the things that you might not have picked up on or realised they were going to be more significant than a throwaway line. Thank you! You are honestly so nice to say so the characterisation is such a core part of this fic (and tbh the focus of all my brain worms about these two dudes lol) so I’m so happy to hear you’ve enjoyed it!!

Oh of course of course having more fic chaps as a treat is honestly such a fun way to go about it I hope your exams went well and you’re happy to see the back of them!

Lol hahha very easy to stay unpredictable when these two characters are essentially batshit for one another- that’s an endless treasure trove of inspo in my opinion hahaha but thank you for the compliment! Ah thanks I do hope you like the rest it’s been such a wild and unexpected journey!!

Thank you for coming to say hello and share your thoughts (also you’ve said it all perfectly there’s no rules on what to say beyond basic human politeness with these things and I do honestly love to hear what you all think) thank you for your support it’s so meaningful to me how wonderful you all have been and you’re so welcome 💛

[alexbutrandomthoughts]

Can I ask your top 10 fav fics ever (from any fandom, if you don't mind)?

Also, just curious, is there a story behind your name "alexbutrandomthoughts "?

"I was screaming your name through the radio" by ElectricSplatter a must-read for all soukoku fans, this shit is so good i reread it 20 times at least.

It's basically bsd retelling but they're all singers and it's focused on soukoku. Honestly writing is immaculate and i like the way it was told, format wise, like how we jump back in forth from present to past, and overall it has everything you could want from a story. I have this one saved on my phone and i reread my favorite chapters from time to time

"Time Speaks" by SmallMoon333 do not get fooled by that unassuming title, this fic made me physically incapable of reading any other Lawlight fic, bc this one is just too good. It's akin to trying a high quality steak and unable to eat any other meat anymore bc you know how heaven tastes (i obviously read other fics, they're pretty good too, but this one is just my personal favorite especially the characterization is so fucking good it's crazy)

"Electric touch" by bejeweledhaze okay so you know the feeling when you need something very specific, you go to store, and the stars align perfectly so you find that thing, just what you need it, almost feels like custom made. That's this fic.

So when Kaveh fans died (myself included) after that one official art with Kaveh as a mechanic, i just needed to fill the whole in my chest, after saving every single Mechanic Kaveh fanart known to men. I decided check out the tag, but i didn't really expect much, i mean it's been like what? Couple days since the official art was dropped. Sure there is probably couple of fics but not something i would like, right? Bejeweledhaze said "lemme cook" and turns out they were Gordon Ramsey in disguise. One chapter, 33k words of pure and unfiltered masterpiece.

"School watches Assassination Classroom" by TheSteinsGateFormula so I'm a sucker characters react to their show fics. What of it.

Yeah there are not many reaction fics that i like cuz personal preferences. But THISSSSSSSSSSSS ugh so good. And very much in character and i loved from start to finish.

"MSBY4's Lockdown Survival Guide" by mintberries

Okay so this was just good vibes. Social media aus fics for me is what Isekai is for Gigguk (but I'm also isekai trash person, their just fun) and this is ALSO a covid19 au???? With my favorite team????? This appeased my sakuatsu craving soul and it was just dumbasses having fun.

"Duo Heroes, Double Black" by Yellow_Canna

It's bsd&mha crossover and it's beast!soukoku isekai/sorta reincarnation/technically regression do i need to say more

"No Water Is Enough" by Boomchick

Hualian angst, my favorite type of angst. It's sorta memory loss and i knew the suffering would be glorious once Hua Cheng remembered and it did not disappoint

"Pick-Up and Chase" by SKayLanphear was laughing my ass off with this fic. Marinette just constantly flirting with Adrien as herself and as Ladybug was a wild and hilarious ride

"one step at a time" by OuterWilde (foreverraugust)

Honestly, this was just good old slice of life and overall nice fic. I was obsessed with Ace Attorney at the time, and well with all the crazy shit that was happening in the games, this was a nice break from it.

"A Century Between Us" by Dulllull dead ass my favorite jjk fic. It's not finished, not by a long shot but it's so GOOOOD SHIT SLAPS SO HARD and well it's reincarnation fic how can i not love it and written so WELLLLL PLEASE READ THIS IT'S VERY AAAAAAAAAAA-

As for my name, originally i migrated from Twitter cuz fuck Elon, and had another blog which had my name and this was a side blog for me to scream about my hyperfixations, whichever i would have at the time and i ended up using this one more lol. Hence the "random thoughts"

[nex-kyit]

This post is entirely me rambling about The Knight from Will Wight. Spoilers below.

I REALLY LIKED IT. Up until the last 10%, I would've said it was my favorite book Will has written, but the last 10% is just too fast paced for me. Honestly I feel like the D'niss threat could've been streched into another book, and just have this book deal with Esh'kinaar summoning, or at least have the entire last fight to be with Esh'kinaar, and not this Esh'kinaar 2.0. This is the only thing I didn't enjoy about the book. For now, I will say this is my current favorite Will Wight book, but thats rlly because I haven't reread Cradle in a while and I can't remember which book was my favorite.

Raion. Raion in this book i rlly rlly love him. Theres so much I want to say about him that I probably am going to forget to say stuff in this post. I could write essays about him and I already have many fanfic ideas

The scene where he is being tricked by the senators was so painful to read. How uncertain Raion was if what he was saying were the right words or not, knowing *something* was up, but not being able to read the room well enough to know what hit way too close to home. Honestly Im struggling to come up with the right words to describe the masterpiece the was chapter 24 to 31. It will stay in my mind forever. And then the D'niss come and the Perfected and Raion just blames himself?? Raion wants to take responsibility for everything and going after Esh'kinaar even though he knows for a fact that he died doing the same thing before??? The way he even had words planned and they were the SAME ones as before my heart-

Anyway I need to stop thinking about that scene or else I will never finish this post. Some more scattered thoughts

Varic was definitely the rich kid who thought he was special and talented enough to make it into the arena, only to be brutally humbled. "I had visions of myself following in her footsteps and setting records in an arena." -> immediately gets demolished by Kyri. Ahaha it didn't last long I hope we get to see more rich kid Varic in the future.

Speaking of Kyri, I really liked her character. She only appeared in a few chapters, but her arc was so interesting to read. I really like characters like her, where they just feel so real despite having so little screen time. Also, Kyri x Doctor Cryce.

Also, a small detail I noticed: In the Captain, Varic said he was a prize fighter on Visiria, but he clearly wasn't. It could be that he was actually a better fighter, but just did poorly against Kyri, but I feel like it would've been pointed out that he does win fights. I wonder if he returned to the arena after leaving the Titan Knights, assuming the D'niss haven't reached Visiria at that point yet.

I love how theatrical Varic can be. He 100% gets this from his Spellbinder life. "That was a cue if I ever heard one" -> attacks a child. Hey thats the second Will Wight protagonist to beat up a child!

"It wasn't uncommon for me to wake in the middle of the night" Ah so Varic's sleeping problems have resumed. This works well for some fanfic ideas I have...

I love how Horizon keeps dressing Varic up as his alt. lives. I am so looking forward for Varic in a suit or whatever he wore in the MoS life.

Horizon this book was just great. She was so pathetic it was hilarious.

OH and Benri being sus. I think the reason why he gave up the Zenith Cannon so easily is because of how the Vallenar Corporation is benefiting from the aftermath of the Starhammer's downfall. Benri was inspired by the Iron King, so he's trying to expand his influence. Its simple, if the crew has the Zenith Cannon, which the Vallenar Corporation can't use anyway, theres a larger chance that they cause some destruction, and the Vallenar Corporation can just pick up whatever was displaced. No more Advocates? More power in the Free Worlds. Going after the Galactic Union? Time to get ready to pick up some new planets.

[oceanera12]

Dude, if I wasn’t broke I would literally offer to pay real money for you to write the other side of Tango’s chapter. I know you said you didn’t want to go down the rabbit hole of writing extra parts and considering the length and detail you put into every chapter I totally get it, but man, that rescue mission would be so cool to read. I’m glad we at least have an idea of what happened though because even just imagining the whole operation based on that outline is so much fun.

Also, what is Zedaph doing in the Hunter arc in your handwritten outline? 👀 I am very curious about what you’re gonna do with the sheep man

Btw, speaking of ‘director’s cuts’, do you have any comments on Xb’s chapter? I think I’ve said this before but his and Tango’s together are my favorite bit of this fic so far. Just, the complete contrast between the two and how Xb’s chapter helps to highlight everything that the people in Tango’s situation have lost, how the hunters steal more than just their freedom (as if that was little thing), while at the same time diving into and exploring the joys of the diversity that inhabits this universe. Absolute masterpieces, both chapters.

~ @nightmare761

(Im shadowbanned so i cant go off anon)

Well, that stinks.

If I do any "one-off" chapters with Built Family it will be after the main story is actually done to preserve no only my motivation, but my sanity. So we shall just have to see what happens.

Don't worry about the sheep man. He's fine. No really. Don't worry about him. Don't even think about him. He's fine. He's doing fine. Nothing is wrong with him and you do not need to worry about him doing anything of any sort. He is 100% fine and his chapter is not at all one I am looking forward to writing because I want to see what all of your reactions are. That is not the case at all. Don't worry about him. Don't think, don't even ask about him. Zed's fine, he's fine, he's fINE--

ON TO THE CHAPTER ANALYSIS. To anyone who wants to reread it:

There you go. Everyone else, either scroll by or read on!

xB's chapter is one of my favorites because of all the (MatPat voice) LORE!!!

There is so much of it that if I tried to explain it all we would be here all day so we aren't going to do that. But, I knew that I wanted to show how just because they are all "players" there is culture carried from your origin, your server, whatever. The best way to explore is to try and hit as many as I possibly could.

xB's introductions was longer than I planned, but that was my own fault. I wanted to shove as much Guardian culture into only a few pages and it was impossible. So what was supposed to be "here is a peek into Guardian culture" turned into what could have been a chapter on it's own (a common pattern with this fic and I will not apologize for that).

What xB's original chapter was supposed to mainly consist of was all of his trips and what he learned from everyone. That ended up being condensed into a form of "chat" in his journal entries and honestly? I like it. It leaves room for me to explore future cultures (cough cough *Impusle!* cough cough). We do not get to see all of xB's trips, friends, and visits to various places.

I knew that I wanted to connect Cor to xB somehow. Making him the last "World Walker" since xB was unplanned, but really worked out. Originally, I did want to have Cor and xB talk directly, but I had to cut it because of LENGTH. Seriously, it is annoying how much I want to put in and CAN'T. (Maybe in the future after Built Family is done we'll do scene requests and I'll put them in a collection or something)

Case in point: xB's artist career. As an art major I cannot tell you how much I wanted to dive into all the different mediums, styles, and methods I could see xB doing-- but we'll just have to wait until Beef's chapter, lol.

We get to meet Keralis' wife and kids, however brief. I don't know why, but I really like them as these vague, unseen people for the most part. Not sure why.

xB is suspicious of Keralis and company despite their years of friendship. Beef is suspicious of xB despite their years of friendship. Both of them are not technically "bad" in their assumptions, as they both had their reasons to doubt. Obviously, those assumptions were not correct.

I totally forgot to give Keralis a charm in this chapter but I'm too lazy to care about going back to fix it. Now for everyone else's charms, they are 100% related to backstories or hinting at something in the future. As such, I can't really break them down and their meanings until later. But if y'all want to speculate, be my guest.

xB joining the Hermits because of his culture's leftover charms was kind of thrown together, but I like it. xB is one of the few Hermits where he's guided by his feelings and I kind of love him for it. We have a lot of Hermits who are logical in their actions.

I think that's all I got on xB's chapter but if you have any specific questions, feel free to ask and I'll answer in the notes.

[mellorphic]

Tommy-Centric Fanfiction Recommendations

I’m pretty sure I’ve made a post like this before, probably with some of the same fics, but I can’t find it for the life of me.

First, the classics

Passerine

Completed, 7 chapters, major character death, royalty AU, God AU, SBI-centric, has a prequel and a couple of sequels which I haven’t personally read. Niki, Puffy and Tubbo also make appearances as well as Dream and Sapnap

If you haven’t read passerine you’re either new to the fandom or you live under a rock. Even SAD-ist has read passerine. Even Niki read it.

DO NOT read this without taking a good look at the tags and the warnings. It’s a very, very heavy fic

I don’t really need to say much - it’s a beautiful, tragic masterpiece that I read across two days, but if you tried hard enough you could finish it in one. The characters are simultaneously so different and so similar to their canon ones. It had me sobbing at 2 am and I haven’t recovered but this fic made me feel very seen, despite never having reallly experienced the things the characters went through I found each one relatable and found many quotes applicable to my own life.

It’s hard to pinpoint a favourite part because taking any single bit out of the perfectly sewn together story feels almost like a disservice. But one of my favourite quotes has to be: “Wilbur couldn’t remember it happening, but somewhere along the way of studying warfare and politics, of staring up at the throne that would one day be his, of learning how to be a prince, he’d forgotten how to be a son.” From chapter two.

TommyInnit’s Clinic for Supervillains

Completed, has a prequel and a couple of other bits in the extended universe of it that I haven’t read, 26 chapters, hero/villain/vigilante au, mainly crime boys centric, but features the rest of SBI as well as bench trio and the Dream Team

Warning for derealisation/unreality in one chapter and general warning for violence throughout.

I’ve read a few vigilante aus and I’ve loved each and everyone one of them but this one stood out as it kept me hooked the whole way through, even waiting between updates I still was able to remember what had happened which has been a struggle for me with other vigilante aus for some reason.

It’s a great balance of light-hearted and heaviness that makes it incredibly fun to read. The characters and their morals are so fascinating, as is trademark for any AU like this. Tommy has a lot of internal conflict.

The relationships between each character are really interesting to me so that’s one thing I really like about this fic especially.

“Tommy’s jaw clenched as he thought back to eating McDonald’s on the roof with Siren only a few weeks before. Obviously he couldn’t tell Wilbur about that. It would just raise too many questions.”

Now, my personal favourites

Still Life

Completed, one chapter containing over 30000 words. Tommy centric but features SBI and Niki pretty heavily too. Fundy, Eret, George and Jack also make appearances. Runaway AU set in a small town in the early 80s of America.

Reread this fic last night and it’s really interesting how Meridies is able to cultivate such a rich story in a oneshot. It’s by no means short but it’s also nowhere near as long as anything else on this list. I dunno, it’s the perfect length. It says everything it needed to say.

Once again the characters in this are stunning. The entire town kind of takes Tommy under their wing and it’s a lovely read. It gives me a certain kind of nostalgia for a home I don’t have, and it made me long for that kind of community.

It explores the idea of childhood in a really nice way too. Tommy’s a kid and he gets treated like a kid, which gets on his nerves until it doesn’t. And every now and again the other characters treat him like his age affects his intelligence, and then they realise it doesn’t. But he’s always reminded that he is allowed to act his age. B

This fic tells you nothing and everything about Tommy’s childhood at the same time. The ins and outs of what it’s like aren’t explained but the little he does say explains everything you need to know and even Techno remarks on that. That scene is actually a little jarring because Techno asks Tommy why he doesn’t talk anymore, but since the reader is getting Tommy’s internal monologue it feels like he’s saying more than he is in truth. I love that - you as a person can feel like you’re saying everything you need to say but so much of it never reaches the people around you.

I love the way it explores human attachment and the sacrifices we make for people. The way that leaving a place sounds so easy but it can be the hardest thing in the world.

This is another fic that speaks to me. This Tommy is a kid who’s been bashed for being young and when he stopped acting like a child he couldn’t grow into himself. Now, he’s lost and doesn’t know who he even is.

“Then Techno was saying I can’t do this anymore out loud, and Tommy was struck with the sudden realization that the three of them were caught in a tangled web of their own creation. They were tangled so tightly they could not see which way would loosen the knot and which would pull the knot tighter. Tommy needed one of them to let go.”

Post-Mortal

Completed, 4 chapters. Crime boys centric but also features bee duo very heavily. Tommy’s actually dead in this one. Canon divergence set right before the prison arc.

This fanfic is one of those ones that I’ve only read once but certain parts have stuck with me. Wilbur makes slow progress toward recovery and relearns how to live.

Tommy is in this fic, through flashbacks and a disembodied ghost who is in a much happier place than his canon limbo was. This is probably the least Tommy-centric of the Tommy-centric fics but I’m counting it anyway.

One of my favourite Tommy related parts is from one of the many, many flashbacks. “Tommy held him on the forest floor. That was the most he could have done, and yet his most was not nearly enough to keep Wilbur from shattering.” This is from chapter two.

[siriuslytproblem28]

time has come. i finished crimson rivers.

this is gonna be a long one, and i don't mind if I'm the only one who's getting to its end, I'm writing this for me.

the thing is, i started reading it not being able to conceive just how devastatingly beautiful it is, everything about it. i saw people on tiktok freaking out, and the fact that it's a thg AU really caught me off guard, I'm a huge fan of the books and the movies, ever since i was a child (about 9 years ago) and I'm fairly new with jegulus (i only read like half of choices and some other tiny fics) but i don't know how to explain just how this masterpiece got me tight on a chockehold.

but then, it came to me, in the last chapter.

It's about hope. yeah it's s about growth too but that only comes with hope. everything around this is hope. i get it now.

in a way, i feel like I've grown with it too. i surely hoped to. it's different than anything I've ever read. not only cause it merges some of my favorite characters, stories and scenarios, or because it's sad and angsty and I'm dramatic, or because everyone was reading. it was because of that as much as it wasn't.

usually when i read these things i wish for them to never end. i go at my own pace since they're usually finished for months or even years and i take my time, stretching it as far as it goes, binging when i feel like, and it becomes an experience, my experience, playing with time and spending every day with the characters until i wake up and go to sleep thinking about them and pray not to find spoilers on the internet. I'd strech and stretch cause I've never been good at goodbyes, always hate them, the reversible and the irrevocable, but this time... it's weird...

i could read anything by zar and LOVE it no matter how long, I'd drink the words until i choked and spit them out just in time to take another mouthful. I'd swallow some, too. like poison, like tea.

but it made sense that this had to come to an end. not cause it's set in over 3000 pages, i didn't realize it was long as i was reading it, as a long time fic reader, i guess i was just used to read and read endlessly, how it seemed at the time. but this, i understood, i could see it coming to an end and i was at peace with it, i got it, and i was even happy for it, not to get rid of it, I'll miss this forever and might reread it in a low point in my life to give me comfort (yeah i know loll but towards the end there's comfort ok?)

but it made me have a better relationship with endings and change in general.

I've been known to dwel. on people, on things, on the past, on stories, anything. i cling to things as long as there's a tip to grip and i struggle to let go. to make peace with endings. crimson rivers came at first like a continuation to my habits, fitting perfectly in the angsty, sad story I'm so passionate about. brutal, cruel and awful, destroying me internally, with things i would relate to and the things i wouldn't. as closer to its end as it came, it became the antithesis. i understand why it had to end, i even agree, of course I'd read 75 more chapters but i don't feel the need to as much as i don't feel the need to know every detail about reggie and James's wedding.

I'm usually atractted by unsaid things, whispered kisses, silent words hung above those who kept their mouth shut when they shouldn't have, when speaking up would gain them time, precious and non conforming time.

but in cr the unsaid is said in so many ways, it's sang and screamed and still i found crevices between the realm of real and inagined words to foster my own thoughts and interpretations on the characters, on the story itself. i found myself bookmarking soooo many scenes and wanting line after line engraved in my mind, tattooed in my bones.

it's the most beautiful story I've ever read and i realized in the last chapter that it's about hope. right during regulus' dream, when evan says "is it not good enough that it has been you?" referring to regulus projecting evan in his dreams to counseling him, while all evan ever said to him might just have been regulus saying to himself. and then i was like "oh".

it was always about hope for me. regulus hoping james would see him, notice him, regulus hoping his name wouldn't be called, james and reggie hoping sirius would survive, regulus hoping to have his brother back, james hoping sirius would overcome his addiction and his trauma after the arena, james hoping he could ever have a chance with reggie, sirius hoping to be close to regulus again, and much later, hope for their love, the three of them, sirius building a bookshelf because he hoped james and regulus would eventually make it, james giving reggie his flowers hoping to make his day better, Reggie getting the flowers hoping someday he would invite james in...

i saw myself in regulus so much, that for the first time it really hit me how much i kin him, and i saw myself in james too, which is new to me, but only in a sense of being absolutely in love with someone and thinking they would never want you back, except for me they won't. but to love with such devotion, such hunger, i feel that, it connected me with this james in such a strong way, as i too would take anything this person would give me, the good and the bad.

i don't wanna spent too much time on more technical things like the world building, narrative, politics etc because i think we can all agree that it was perfectly done, full of complexity when it needed. i wanna focus in what i felt.

i love wolfstar here, i think it's the most healthy I've ever seen them, despite everything they went through. and I'm not saying this as the type of person who doesn't like atyd wolfstar because they're "toxic", i love atyd exactly for being so realistic in a sense that they're both traumatized kids in the 70's. of course they don't deal with shit the way we would know how to deal a little better now. i just think that they journey it's so beautiful, and it's about hope to, hope to have 5 more minutes together, hope to see them the next day, and eventually, every year, taking all they could ever get even if it meant only seeing each other once a year. and they eneded up with everything they deserved. a home and a family to fill it up with. it just makes me soooo fucking emotional.

I'm trying to close things here so this doesn't become like a huuuuge post, so i wanna state that I'm amazed at the character development throughout the fic, especial when it comes to their traumas and such. like, reggie coming from such deep denial towards his love for james, up to the point he thought he could kill him, to admiting his love eventually, to be willing to step in a crimson river to die a horrible death to save him, to admiting his love in his own ways, to propose without james even noticing HELPPP, to literally having the 4 kids he wanted ever since he was a kid. him being able to let evan go too, honoring barty with the forge, mending his relationship with Sirius omgg thatt

i love how the story isn't just about the couples, the romantic love, i adore family dynamics, and sirius and reggie here, omggg they made me cry soo fuckinh much... i find sibling relationships so interesting maybe cause i spent 13 years being an only child, and now i have a 6 year old half sister who doesn't live with me, so i don't get to see her daily and we have the age difference. so like, i know we won't have the same dynamic as siblings living together or closer in age, and honestly i sometimes get scared we won't be close, or that i don't know how to be a big sister cause i still haven't had too much experience at it. but i also feel this need of protection towards her, especially cause she lives with my dad, which is... not a good person to be around, to put it bluntly. and i want her to have me as someone she can trust, i want to help her having to endure my dad and i want her to grow up in a better, healthier way than i did. so yeah, i relate to sirius and Reggie's story here as much as i don't...

and sirius and james friendship>>>>>>>> I've been a sirius kinnie ever since i got into the marauders fandom in 2020, and i have a james in my life, so their bond is really special to me, quite the embodiment if sunshine

remus here as well>>>>>>>>

i know i focused mainly on sirius, reggie and james but honestly i could spent days writing only about those three so i really can't be mentioning everyone else, I'll just say that i don't think any fic made me fall in love with as much characters as this one, even those i didn't know or didn't have their image clear in my mind from canon/other fics.

to close things up, i love how the narrative circles around itself, in the last few chapters things comes full circle, like reggie thanking Sirius for volunteering for him, which was the very core of regulus anger and guilt, so it shows how much he's grown, also when he says to aberforth that "my brother's responsible for his actions as i am for mine" or something, so finally seeing that he isn't responsible for everything bad in sirius life; sirius learning to have a healthy relationship with sex and his desire, remus and lilly making their way back to each other, two hearts beating, one person, james fucking knife kink FINALLY my boy had his way, i found it sooo cute and funny that reggie was trying to "protect" him hiding the daggers LMAOOO, sirius building again, james releasing the horcrux hornet into nature again after so many years, THE FUCKING "YOU'RE HESITATING LOVE" 😫😫😫😫😫 i swear, i thought this fic would be the death of me but it might've just saved my life...

like all the metaphors, all the elements that appear throughout the story to bear meaning and to signify something important, it enriches it soo much, james' flowers, the tree, regulus climbing and growing, the blood and the crimson river, the knitted hat, the snow, the rain, the fire, the fireplace, the bookshelf, the moon, the stars, ughhhh i swear to gooooooooooodddddddd the worst and best parallel, aberforth and albus are what regulus and sirius might've turned into. i am devasted by this, so i won't comment on it. for now.

i think this is it. I'll be forever grateful to zar for writing this masterpiece that changed and saved my life, and consumed it, filling my mind ever since october, and for getting to finish now with everyone. i swear i wanna print and bind this just to have it phisically.

I'll be making a playlist for cr and listen to it every time i miss it ❤️ this was a beautiful jorney, but I'm at peace with it ending now. thank you, zar, i will proceed to rear every other fanfic you wrote and will write.

[therhythmafterthesummer]

Hi Rhythm, I've wanted to write at least something about SH 2023 version but I thought the most important what I have to tell you is thank you. It was already a masterpiece before and it's a masterpiece now too but the fact that it's longer now makes it incredible. Anyways the Queen... she's my crush, I wrote the first time I read it and now I'm even more crushing on her. Chris too but you know *the Queen*. She's so powerful, so smart, so strong but also may be vulnerable. I just love that all characters are complete and the fact that skz members' characters are described so well made my heart swell. I think the first time I read SH I didn't know you had Raven, now I know about her and I kept smiling at every interaction of her and Chris. Also I loved the humour because you made me giggle so many times. And this time I could read chapters AND drabbles the right way, it was amazing experience.

I wish I could have SH as a printed book to reread it when I don't feel well or when I just miss the characters. I've been slowly rereading it past few weeks because I needed some comfort and I'm glad to have your fics for that.

I hope you have a lovely day and I hope Raven does as well <3

P.S. if you have new photos of Raven, I'd love to see. The last one in a 🍯 is one of the best!!!

this message brightened up my day in ways you can't even imagine.

you know how important Safe Haven is to me, so reading that you still think this highly of it, and that you actually like that it's a bit longer now, makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. thank you 🥺

the Queen is probably one of my favourite characters i've ever written.... i, too, am in love with her and her story and her world💜 (also, yes, Freyja is heavily inspired in Raven. i think that much is obvious once you know her sdfjhskfjh i just really wanted to make that parallel of canines & felines with the High King and the Queen. so it works out for me lololol).

you just reminded me that i haven't uploaded a drabble in a WHILE 🫣 they're sitting there.... un-edited in my google docs sdfjshjfkd

i'm so so happy you've found comfort in this fic (and the others, too).

here are a couple of pics of Raven that i took this month:

[astroboots]

Ok, here I am getting mushy about Homecoming:

It truly does feel so homey, so safe and comfortable, and this goes beyond your magical writing to the moodboards, they’re always so so perfect and they set the mood so well and the aesthetics are wonderful and they just make me feel so warm and cozy. The atmosphere you made within this universe is truly so special to me, I wish I could live within it every day. It just screams “home” to me, like the way you describe Frankie and Santi all soft and comfortable, Santi’s longer hair and beard once he’s put down roots and realized that he doesn’t need to run anymore was such an emotional sucker punch, I loved it. The chapter about the army sweatshirt especially made me fall in love, it was so well written and made me feel so many things. I started Homecoming for the smut and I stayed for the beautiful world and relationship you created. It reminds me of laying out in the sunshine, a hot drink on the porch, reading next to someone but not needing to talk, cooking dinner in a warmly lit kitchen with the people you love, dappled sunlight, mismatched glasses collected over years, clothes so worn and loved there are holes forming, knowing who sits where without needing to speak, sentimental holiday decorations - it’s home. It’s being in love. It’s knowing that no matter how far you run, you’ll always have someone to return to.

Homecoming has been my little escape for so long, and I just wanted to thank you for creating and sharing such a masterpiece with us. I always get a physical reaction, like an actual ache in my heart whenever I read a new chapter because you’re writing and the way you convey emotions and feelings and places are so real and so perfect

Hi hon, I'm so so so sorry I took this long to answer this. I want you to know that it only took so long because i've been hoarding this message to reread over and over.

Homecoming hold a special place in my heart, and to know that you feel this strongly about it, and enjoy it and especially the moodboards, which I spend so much time on for no damn good reason except that I think they're fun to make, means the world to me.

Your description of how this world makes you feel made me develop permanent hearteyes, I'm a cartoon now. Because that's absolutely the feelings I wanted to conjure up and I love it so much thank you thank you for sharing this.

The army sweatshirt, has been one of my favorite things to write in this universe. Originally it was just meant to be a fun little smutty piece and as I wrote it, it took a life on its own and by halfway I realized oh this is going to be an emotional rollercoaster but no smut.

I'm speechless with how this message has left me and I just wanted to thank you for sending this. Work has been grueling and I've been finding myself with less and less time writing, especially as I have friends and family and other social events outside of my life that's picking up with Christmas season, and seeing this message put a big smile on my face.

[television-overload]

Get to know your fic writer (no pressure):

1, 4, 13, 16, 22, 25 (add link if you want), 40, 54, 56

Ooh yay! Thanks for the ask! I think I copied these all over correctly. I was bored so I went in-depth 😂 Here we go:

1. Do you prefer writing one-shots or multi-chaptered fics?

I've been sitting here for like 5 minutes trying to figure out which I prefer 😂. I find myself coming up with multi-chapter ideas more often I think, really grand plots that I definitely don't have time to devote attention to. I also run into the problem of not knowing how to fill in between the parts that I do I have ideas for, so true multi-chapter fics are a rarity. I've had a few times where a one-shot turned into a multi chap, and THOSE tend to work better and are way more cohesive. One of my favorites is one I wrote for Star Wars (wrong blog, oops 😅) but both chapters were a lot stronger than my usual stuff, and it performed way better on AO3 which was really gratifying.

I've always wanted to write a true masterpiece where readers are anxiously awaiting the next chapter, like so many I've read, but I don't know if I've ever gotten there yet. Maybe a few when I used to write NCIS stuff on fanfiction.net.

4. Where do you find inspiration for new ideas?

Songs, a lot of times. They hit me in the feels. Sometimes a line in a fic I'm reading will spark an idea, something I haven't thought about, a new interpretation of an existing scene from the source material. Gifsets, Tumblr meta analysis, movies I'm watching. So many places. I feel like half of them come to me when I'm at work, which is very inconvenient. The aforementioned Star Wars two-shot was half written on the bus ride home from work in the notes app on my phone. I've written several in the aftermath of particularly good or bad episodes/movies. Fix-it fanfic is always great, I feel like I need to write more of it.

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

I haven't done this for very long, but lately in my adulthood (as opposed to my teenage fics *shudders*) I've actually been pretty good about writing out an outline and going back to edit later. I used to just spew everything in a word doc and barely go through it before posting, but now I reread it to death, mostly to make sure it flows well. My outlines are, shall we say, extensive. The Star Wars fic I'm working on now had 20 chapters outlined and it totaled over 20,000 words. I've basically storyboarded the whole thing and then I go through and convert that to actual scenes. Important dialogue moments I want to hit are included, cause I know I'll forget them if I don't write them as they come to me. It helps me to be able to see the big picture, so that I don't give up on the project halfway through. But for spur of the moment fics or most one-shots, I still mostly write as I go. Occasionally if I have a thought that I want to make sure to include in a later scene, I'll just tack it on at the bottom of the doc and delete it once I get to that point and I put it in writing.

16. How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Share one of them.

They're scattered all over the place so that's a good question that God probably only knows the answer to. Some are barely even ideas but take up a line or two in my notes app on my phone. Some probably live only in my brain, forgotten until something triggers me to remember that I was thinking of writing it 😅.

I'd love to do something with @irish-trish 's prompt to fill in the scene from NCIS "She mentioned you at the funeral, I could see what she felt." It sounds right up my alley, but there's a Star Wars fic week coming up in September that I want to actually do on time this year, so I can't allow myself to shift focus to NCIS quite yet 😭

Other than that, I want to write a second chapter to my X-Files fic "Field of Dreams" where Mulder gets to play catch with his son. I really loved writing that fic.

22. Are there certain types of writing you won’t do? (style, pov, genre, tropes, etc)

Nothing spicy. I don't think I'd ever write in first person unless it was in the form of a letter. Other than that, I think I'd do pretty much whatever. It's just a matter of what I have the skills for I think 😂

Not a fan of AUs, except canon divergence, obviously. To me, the way the characters meet is so integral to who they are that it can't be changed much or it just doesn't feel like them. I've read maybe one fic that changed how characters met (Mulder and Scully) but that was the result of time travel and all sorts of things that warmed me up to the idea, plus the characters as we know them were still there. Alternate universe in the truest sense. I got distracted, what were we talking about?

25. What fic do you wish you got more of a response on?

The two fics I think of as my comfort fics, ones I found really peaceful and natural to write, would have been nice to see get more attention. I've been writing on and off for like a decade now (😳) and I've only ever really had one fic truly pop off in terms of kudos and comments. Which are literally my life blood 😂. But a lot of my older stuff I look back on and I'm like, yeah, that wasn't that great.

My Star Wars (Obi-Wan and Satine) one shot "this could be such a dream" I found really emotional and relaxing to write. I was kind of surprised it didn't go very far, but it was part of a weekly challenge thing so I suppose it makes sense in a way.

To get back to the TV shows I write for, though (since that's the focus or THIS blog), I really really loved my X-Files fic "Field of Dreams", in large part because I love that movie which inspired it, and I love a domestic, peaceful and content-if-not-happy happily ever after for Mulder and Scully. The movie itself makes me cry and feel so many feels, and I thought the connection to Fox Mulder was a really good one.

40. If someone were to make fanart of your work, what fic or scene would you hope to see?

I would welcome anythinggggg, that is my dream!! I haven't really written anything I'm super proud of yet in the NCIS fandom that I feel would warrant art, but maybe someday! I'm working on a Star Wars "Sound of Music" type looooong fic rn and boy, the amount of work I've put in, I would die if someone were engaged enough to be inspired by it.

54. What’s your favorite part about the fanfiction writing process?

Honestly, I get so excited to post it. I hope people will enjoy what I've written. I've read so much great fanfic, that I just want to contribute my 2 cents to the fandoms. Getting comments (as rare as it often is) literally makes my day and makes it all worthwhile to me. Any form of engagement, interaction here on Tumblr, that's what I strive for. But I also write for me. Exploring ideas I've never seen done before, filling in gaps in the fandom, I love it. Those comfort fics I was talking about, I love to just go back and read. It doesn't really matter, in the end, if they touched other people like they do me. I like them and that's what matters. The fics I'm not so proud of? I've been transferring them over from Tumblr and fanfiction.net anyway because some of them have received really lovely comments and people might enjoy them despite how I feel.

56. What’s something about your writing that you pride yourself on?

I hope I'm improving on descriptive language. I want to bring out emotions in my writing, and I think there's been definite improvement since I started. I'm also thankful that I have a grasp on grammar and spelling and all the typical writing conventions. That can be a turn off to a lot of readers if it's a complete mess, so luckily I was always a pretty harsh editor throughout my schooling 😅

Get to know your fic writer

[trashcanwithsprinkles]

Screaming crying rolling on the floor squealing it’s been so long since i’ve witnessed a fic end ngl and i’m so so glad it was yours!! i just finished the last chapter and hurried to tumblr bc i chronically never use my ao3 account

joining CN at the end (and consequently rereading it five times over just cause it was,,, so many words,,, or masterpiece,,,) and being able to see it’s growing expected number of chapters come to halt,,, ‘s bittersweet,,, i’m glad u used others’ POVs too bc childe already had his panic crisis over the end of a journey lmao.

thank you for being one of my introductory Genshin fics!!! politely pokes for extras + epilogue art,,, (we need one (1) kiss. a forehead one. for the blessings. please. only if you want to)

i do have some doodles i never posted so i could put those here!

thank you <3

[iviarellereads]

Full TLT series to date thoughts on rereading Harrow the Ninth paperback supplementary materials through Nona the Ninth chapter 5

A probably semi-regular weekly bonus to my reread blog, since sometimes you realize things on reread that just make you need to yell in a full spoiler space.

I guess I missed that the RBs were numbered in order of discovery, I never really looked at this glossary closely before. I still wonder if they're directly related to the House numbers or not though.

It gives me a little frisson that Judith was in the "Dve Territorials". Too bad she wasn't like… conscious enough to really meet Pyrrha during Nona. That could've been neat. I don't foresee it taking up page space in Alecto, though.

"Accepting a body that no longer works is akin to what I imagine amnesia is like." This is just rude knowing what Nona's book goes into. ;~;

The opening poem in Nona is one of the big sources of my theory that John Resurrected multiple times. First-draft dreams, and "This time will be the time we get it right". Let's say it again together: I need Alecto SO BAD, RIGHT NOW, PLEASE.

I also need Alecto to come and confirm/deny how much of each story of the Resurrection is true. The way Mercy and August talked, it kinda felt like they weren't with John before the Resurrection, but obviously John's Nona-Harrow dreams say rather explicitly that they were, or their dead selves were. The order of the Saints seems basically correct, the order of their cavs is less clear on both ends.

It's very interesting how the icons change so entirely for Nona's book. The Locked Tomb signifying Nona-centric chapters is such an intense hint as to who she is that I completely missed. The fruit tree as the Blood of Eden is a masterpiece, given how chapter 3 starts. The castle/tower for the Tower Princes later. Fantastic. Though, VERY curious how the Tower Princes name ties back into the River's Tower…

"All four pairs of their eyes belonged to other people." Oh gosh. It's funny to find these little lines on reread, because it's still true for Nona, her eyes are John's, not Gideon's. And of course, Pyrrha heard the arguments, knows who Gideon is, but wouldn't have context to suggest that Nona's eyes belong to Alecto instead of Gideon because she doesn't know Harrow touched the Tomb.

Pyrrha's reference to "the Bureau" making me think of how she remembers G1deon's old name (deadname? I still feel weird about what to call the original names since we still don't know how many were taken willingly) and now I wonder if that's what era this refers to, or if she was in some bureau post-Res.

This isn't really just an all-spoiler comment but I love thinking about which names Nona is hearing as names and which she's hearing as words with her language translation.

Nona feeling a tantrum coming with the kids… ohhhh boy that is so much more ominous after seeing the third tantrum. She could be exaggerating her feelings, because that's also a thing kids do when they don't have enough emotional regulation to understand where they are relatively, but still.

It makes Nona sad that Pal can do necromancy, why? Because it makes Alecto sad? Has this been addressed in an essay post? I feel like there's a lot going on here, and I wonder if it's more "Alecto is sad at the reminder of who John was-is to her" or "Alecto gave the power to John before she was Alecto, and it makes her sad that he shared it and bred it out without her permission", or if Nona's sad because it's a reminder of being Alecto. My best guess is 1 and 3 of those, less 2 or I think it would've come up before she was locked away.

[rainy19days]

I guess I should make some kind of introduction if I'm doing this tumblr - fandom shit.

(It turned out longer than I initially intended and more like me venting on my life rather than an introduction so feel free to ignore this post)

One shitty day around September I started to think about the things that made me happy when I was a teenager. One of those things was reading yaoi manga (obviously). But I stopped reading yaoi (or any kind of manga to be exact), or watch anime, or draw, or write poems and stories when I met my boyfriend. Life had fucked me up and falling in love fucked me up even more but also it kind of healed me in a lot of ways, it's still confusing to me to this day. Anyway, I threw myself headfirst into this relationship leaving everything behind, I didn't need anything beside him. This love was my escape, I needed to separate myself from my past and at that time it felt freeing. Skipping 10 years later, I realized no relationship is perfect. Even this boy who I know FOR SURE that I've been chasing through fucking lifetimes to finally meet again, because he's my fucking soulmate, even he is not perfect, and well I guess we'll try to be better again in another life... But, I'm getting distracted here... What I'm trying to say is that we both kind of gave up or forgot about ourselves. We stopped being our own separate selves. And that is fucking sad.

So that one shitty day I decided to try logging into my old tumblr account. Of course I didn't remember the password but I finally managed to log in, and I immediately felt a little nauseous when I saw my original introduction as a 22 year old. I never realized it's been full 10 years. 10 long years of not doing the things that I used to enjoy so much.

It was kind of strange and unfamiliar to be on this app again, not to mention the last time I was here I was on my computer, I don't even remember if the app existed. Of all the blogs I followed only one or two keep posting. I felt out of place, so I logged out and instead I started to wonder if Saezuru Tori wa Habatakanai had been completed. It was the first title that immediately came to my mind. I remember being obsessed with it and that the last chapter that was out but not translated at that time was when Yashiro left after having sex with Doumeki and talked to Ryuuzaki in the car. After some time of digging the internet (God, it's so difficult to find anything nowadays, all the manga reading sites that I used in the past are gone) I finally found out that the manga is still ongoing and without a moment of hesitation I devoured it from start to finish. All the feelings that I had for this ship came back to me with a new force. How did I live not even thinking about it for so long? Was I dead?

Not sure how I was gonna function until new release that was supposed to be at the end of November, I obviously reread Saezuru countless times. I also tried rereading other stuff and looking for something new but nothing compared to this. Then, something hit me. What was the name of this manga that I used to see some random panels of in my explore page on instagram? About some teenagers doing teenager stuff but also being kinda gay about it. I specifically remembered the panel of two boys on the bed, one with his upper body on the floor, the other on top of him. I was almost positive that there was number 19 in the title, so it didn't take too much time to find it and start reading. Yeah, the beginning is a little bit dark and I was a little confused looking at those short, a few panels long chapters and random art, but when the middle school part began I was immediately in love. I logged into tumblr again and proceeded to read as many posts analyzing this masterpiece as I could find.

I'm obsessed. I feel like a teenager again. I can't think about anything else. My mind is preoccupied with TianShan and I can't function anymore. There are so many thoughts, so many ideas in my head I'm scared it's going to explode if I don't let it out somehow. That is why I created this side blog. The only problem is that I'm an adult and I got adult stuff to do. I wish I was around when I still had some more free time on my hands. Also, I feel a little creepy for being 32 and drooling over 15 year old boys. On the other hand... isn't Old Xian about my age? Maybe it's alright then lol.

I think that's it. Just wanted to explain how I got here and warm up before posting anything else. Now I'm embarrassed thinking that someone might actually read this. At this point I can't tell if I'm going to post much of my own content or if I'll just abandon this blog when life gets in the way. Nevertheless, here's where my fandom journey begins.

[tbtonki]

Lost masterpiece of winston churchill

Lost masterpiece of winston churchill pro#

He would write another opus, published in 1948, on the continued European crisis, when he could see an Iron Curtain separating Europe. Here ends Churchill's account of World War I, published in 1930. Is this the end? Is it to be merely a chapter in a cruel and senseless story? Will a new generation in their turn be immolated to square the black accounts of Teuton and Gaul? Will our children bleed and gasp again in devastated lands? Or will there spring from the very fires of conflict that reconciliation of the three giant combatants, which unite their genius and secure to each in safety and freedom a share in rebuilding the glory of Europe?" "The curtain falls upon the long front in France and Flanders. After following Churchill's fabulous recapitulation of "the war to end all wars", we read his conclusion with a shudder:

Lost masterpiece of winston churchill pro#

This generation set out with the mindset of "Dulce Et Decorum Est Pro Patria Mori", only to call it an old lie in 1918. I see the hope and glory of millions of soldiers shatter and crumble in the face of poison gas, forever made tangible in The Poems Of Wilfred Owen. I see them change in the way Kipling changed when he lost his son, mourning not only a child, but a whole world, brilliantly dramatised in My Boy Jack. And I see them before me, changed forever by that hiatus which is the topic of Churchill's life and writing. When I think of that society, I think of Virginia Woolf's The Voyage Out or Somerset Maugham's Of Human Bondage, both published in 1915, at the beginning of the war. Little did they know that the worst perils had still to be encountered and that the greatest triumphs were yet to be won." "It was the custom in the palmy day of Queen Victoria for statesmen to expatiate on the glories of the British Empire, and to rejoice in that protecting Providence which had preserved us through so many dangers and brought us at length into a secure and prosperous age. When I reread the opening sentences now, after all that time, I feel a shiver down my spine, considering where Churchill started his historical path, where he was standing when he wrote those words (in 1930), and where he was heading: I managed to move twice between "Preface" and "Victory", and I probably read three other books on the first World War in between as well. I spilled coffee on the "Abandonment of the Dardanelles", and I ate an orange on "The Ruin of the Balkans". The spine is broken and it carries traces of the many places I have taken it. What he DID fills more than one life, but then he sat down and reflected on it, and wrote this, and published it - in 1930! There was so much more to come, and he had already achieved more than most people, and done so in outstanding, beautiful prose! And a fallible, biased human being as well. Is it boring? No! Not once! I have read hundreds of history books, and many of them I have skimmed through or read certain parts of, but I read every single word of this 1000-page heavyweight.īecause Winston Churchill is a storyteller and a politician and a bundle of energy and a brilliant analyst, all in one person. I spent many, many hours over maps and other history books. Is it hard to read? Yes, there is a whole lot of detail, referring to military, technical and political specifics, that need checking and rereading. What can be said of this brick of a book, telling the story of the World Crisis, culminating in the Great War 1914-1918, as perceived by one of its witnesses and active participants?Īre there inaccuracies? Probably, but I will leave it to other petty historians to find them and fill their dissertations with the stuff that Churchill got wrong. What can be said of this brick of a book, telling the story of the World Crisis, culminating in the Great War 1914-1918, as perceived by one of its witnesses and active participants? Is it biased? Yes, massively! Are there inaccuracies? Nobel Week is approaching fast, and there is a unique literature laureate waiting impatiently for me to give him credit for his opus magnum.ĭear Mr Churchill, it took me years to read your book, please bear with me while I collect my thoughts for a moment at least. Dear Mr Churchill, it took me years to read your book, please bear with me while I collect my thoughts for a moment at least. Nobel Week is approaching fast, and there is a unique literature laureate waiting impatiently for me to give him credit for his opus magnum.

[dangermousie]

Hello !

I was wondering whether you could rate and tell us of your top 5 favourite webnovels/cnovels of all time ?! (Sorry if this has already been answered lol😅)

Thank you, stay safe and have a nice day🖤

Awww, thank you and that is such a lovely ask!!!

From n1 to n5, here they are (they happen to be all danmei.)

1. The Husky and His White Cat Shizun (2ha) - my n1 forever and ever.

Taxian Jun, the horrific cultivation emperor of the world who razed cities and destroyed sects, is surrounded on his mountain. The righteous sects are terrified to confront him but tired of living, Taxian Jun consumes poison and dies by suicide at the age of 32. And opens his eyes as 16 year old Mo Ran, Mo Ran long before he became Taxian Jun, Mo Ran who is excited at a chance to save the one person he loved and lost. Oh, and to deal with his loathed shizun, the unapproachable and strict Chu Wanning, his past life’s biggest enemy.

I have no idea if it’s objectively the best on this list but it hits every trope I love, its bleak worldview (the world will change only incrementally but that’s enough, average person will not appreciate the sacrifice but it’s still worthwhile, and love is worth everything) mirrors mine, and the sheer complexity of the plot and cascade of plot twists each of which is insane and yet completely logical, is amazing (this is a rare novel where it’s even more fun to reread than read for the first time because you keep seeing all the hints and trail crumbs laid out that you did not see the first time.)

And the characters!!! I mean, this novel has multiple universes/timelines, a side trip to the Underworld AND the demon realm, a plot more twisted than a store’s worth of pretzels and yet the thing that hits me the most are the characters. Mo Ran is my favorite web novel character of all time and I love Chu Wanning so. All the secondary characters are wonderfully written (and some of them made me bawl) and they are all complex. My opinion of all of them changed many times over; the novel doesn’t make it easy to love some of them but then you do and it’s so worthwhile! That slow change is one of the delights of the novel - I started out disliking the unpleasant, superior Chu Wanning and cruel, callow Mo Ran and then I loved them so so hard and cried for them so so hard and was in awe of their heroism and sacrifice and selflessness and capacity to love.

Oh, and the fact that this novel does something almost impossible - it has its protagonist start out as so clearly irredeemable and then slowly and painfully and thoroughly redeems him (without ever letting the reader forget what it is he needs redemption for.)

Also, for a novel that made me cry so hard I felt ill, this book is just so damn funny with the most sarcastic sense of humor imaginable (the serious angst doesn’t even kick in until 90+ chapters!)

Anyway I should stop or I will write a dissertation. But this is the one web novel that I would put in my top 5 not just web novels but any novels in any shape or form. The plentiful trigger warnings are there for a reason so stay away if they are an issue, but if not, if anyone hasn’t read it yet, what are you doing with your life?!

2. Stains of Filth (Yuwu) - another novel by the author of 2ha. Clearly she just pushes all my buttons every time. This one is much shorter and has a plot that is twisty but less twisty than 2ha. Still, all that means is that intensity and the pain are more concentrated.

Aristocratic Mo Xi and former slave Gu Mang were both legendary generals of the empire and lovers. But Gu Mang betrayed the country and switched to the enemy. Now he is back as a peace offering by that country and Mo Xi has to deal with the fact that his feelings are as strong as ever.

This novel!!! So much pain and intensity!!! So many amazing plot twists and supporting characters. The same bleak world view, the same unjust society, the same protagonists doing right things despite the cost. Mo Xi’s intensity and inability to let go (he’s imprinted on Gu Mang and that’s it) is romantic, bone-shakingly intense, and tragic all at once. And oh Gu Mang! So many times I just wanted to reach into the book physically to protect him. The novel deals with unjust societies, memory versus personality, what it’s like to be good in a bad universe etc. And it both made me sob and giggle, repeatedly, and sold me on literally death-defying (but not honor-defying!) love.

Oh, and special shout out to the fact that like 2ha, you may start out hating some characters and end up a rabid fangirl (cough Murong Lian!)

3. Qiang Jin Jiu - a dense political tome that takes a while to get going but then it’s a runaway train.

In a fictional dynasty, Shen Zechuan, the only remaining son of a disgraced aristocratic family and Xiao Chiye, the younger son of a family of generals guarding the border join forces (and then something else) to get power and pull down the dysfunctional system.

This is so elegant and smart (a rare web novel I’d recommend to anyone who just loves solid period fiction) and you probably need a notebook to keep track of the politics and military strategy. These characters are very very smart not just because the author says so.

As to the characters, there is a large cast and I love many of them, but for me the novel is made by Shen Zechuan and Xiao Chiye. SZC is gorgeous and delicate and icy and can kill you before you have time to blink. Saddled with the sins of the family he had no pleasant interaction with, he claws his way out of hell (seeing the sinkhole he was trapped in, literally as well) to take down those who wronged him but also to amass power so all the tragedy and corruption won’t happen again and the whole rotten system comes crashing down. XCY is a military genius who is trapped as a hostage in the capital because the court doesn’t trust his family. He longs to return to the plains of home and to take his rightful place. The two men start out as bitter enemies, then reluctant and sniping allies, then as friends and eventually as one of the most gorgeous, tender, swoony OTPs.

Anyway this is one is a bona fide masterpiece, equal parts smart and emotionally intense.

4. Wu Chang Jie - are you an emotional vampire? I am and this novel is a banquet.

In a highly fantastical setting, we meet our protagonists - the sunny Xie Bian and the intense and surly Fan Wushe. Xie Bian is a human who assists his master in conveying souls to the underworld and making sure no mishaps happen. Bian is concentrated sunshine in human form and to meet him is to love him. When the novel opens, his drunk master brings back another human to be his shidi and assist with duties - said human is uncommunicative, intense and surly Wushe. Bian is excited to have a shidi but little does he know that a story dealing with the horrors of past lifetime is about to start.

Anyway, why WCJ? So many reasons. It has such a dark bleak worldview - this world is a horrifying system where powerful cannibalize each other’s cores for an impossible chance to ascend, where gods have sealed off their realm and all that’s left is neverending human misery and hell (the only way you’d see a deity is if they’d been sent down to suffer over and over and over), where even reincarnation doesn’t fix things and bad acts are often unpunished. And the novel then asks - is it worth being a good person in such a world? More, is it worth being a good person in such a world when nothing good has ever happened to you and you have been repeatedly betrayed due to your goodness? And the answer, on Bian’s part, is an uncompromising yes.

Ah yes, the other reason to love this novel - the protagonists and their fucked up fucked up relationship. Bian (who was Prince Ziheng in the past life) is so genuinely good. But he is that rare thing - good but not saintly, noble but not cloying. So much of the novel is his getting taken apart over and over and barely able to put himself back together every time but his soul is still as amazing as ever.

And then there is Wushe (who was Prince Zixiao in past life, Ziheng’s not-bio-related brother.) Wushe is not a good person. He is a monster. And he loves Bian/Ziheng more than his life and his soul and the entire world but he’s also the one who hurt him more than anyone else ever could and did it over and over. His love survived a literal century of torture in the worst kind of hell and refused the usual memory loss of new life. But it also humiliated and broke Ziheng down to his constituent parts.

One of the things that is so fascinating to me about this novel is the question of what can be forgiven/what should be forgiven/what kind of expiation is enough/can you ever love someone who you loved so much and then he hurt you so badly and is now repentant? And it never sweeps trauma under the rug or hand waves it away but deals with it head on.

If you want healthy relationships, you should stay far away from this novel but if intense insane ones with a feral barely human one capable of destroying the world leashed by love and guilt to the sane deeply good one is your bag, come right in.

There is also the world building and the fact that yes, the big fall out between Ziheng x Zixiao is based on not knowing all the facts but it’s not “why can’t you talk?! This is dumb!” But is totally in keeping with both events and their characters. It’s reasonable for Ziheng to do what he does and for Zixiao to misunderstand and decide Ziheng is now his biggest enemy (but still one he’s fixated on) and for Ziheng to never be able to clarify.

Anyway, once again this is trigger warning central so please heed those, but if they are no issue, this one is wonderful.

5. OK, this is hard and switches between Sha Po Lang, Heaven Official’s Blessing and The Golden Stage depending on my mood. So what the hell, I am gonna write about all of them.

Sha Po Lang - so smart and so much clever world building. There is enough politicking to satisfy a Qiang Jin Jiu fan, it’s steampunk, and our two protagonists - Gu Yun, the empire’s most powerful general, who’s loyal to the empire despite being badly wronged by it, and Chang Geng, a cursed prince with barbarian blood and horrifying childhood - are wonderful separately and together. This is a huge slow burn but it’s totally worth it! They fall in love with each other’s hearts and brains and ability as much as anything. (Yes, this is the one with the yifu thing. Gu Yun is made Chang Geng’s foster father when he rescues him and brings him back to the capital as a way to keep CG safe in imperial strife. They are 12 and 19 at the time so clearly it’s never a parental relationship.)

Heaven Official’s Blessing (TCGF) - I love it’s sprawling narrative and cast, I love its inventive setting and picaresque story. It’s hilarious and can make me cry. But the novel’s place on this list is due to Xie Lian who is part Kenshin part drama WWX part pure goodness wrapped in heartbreak and trauma wrapped in sunshine.

The Golden Stage - two smart and principled (yes, they both have principles different though they may be) men navigate their arranged marriage, their past friendship and their past break up, become a super couple (one of the healthiest danmei couples I’ve ever read and proves healthy doesn’t have to be boring), save the country and bring down the emperor or two and just generally this is my rainy day book.

I guess I didn’t write as much for the three n5 candidates as I did for 1-4 but my brain is beginning to curdle so...

[a-non-ymouswriter]

Hey anon! Um first of, I'd like to thank you for being the reason I'm on Tumblr, it's been a blessing(-and a curse) to be here!

Getting on the thing that I wanted to mention, on chapter; "L'manburg's final death" of Rewind, Theo is a shortened version of Theodore (I spent quite some time on finding which chapter this was mentioned actually,) and I'm quite intrigued by this to the point where I really can't stop thinking about it. Why is no one mentioning this more?? Is this on purpose? Does this have a purpose? Theodore??

Yeah, I've been wondering about that. Even before you made Remix. Why Theodore? Does it have a sentimental value? Is it to honour someone? dishonor? To memorialize someone? From a friend/aquiantance/someone he met? This strikes me as strange, and I think that makes me wanting for more. For answers. For the plot. For the story.

I love how you portray confrontations, reveals, emotions. For example, the confrontation- well, the 1st meeting of Theo and past Phil and Techno. You go and describe it to us as them being greeted by someone who they don't recognize. That it seems so impossible that this could be their brother/son because of how different he's become. It's as if you- you painted that scene so vividly that I can feel their dread spill from these mere sentences, phrases, and paragraphs from my small, bright, phone screen.

And also the confrontation of Toby and Theo when the former killed George? Wow, mind-blown. You characterized their emotions so perfectly by the use of Bold, Italics, and Caps Lock. I can hear them scream, cry, yell, their pain as they continue to fight and argue. I love it. It hurts so bad yet I love it.

I have so many more that I really wish to write in this message but, it's getting a bit too long ey? Ahaha sorry bout' that. But not really, you deserve to know that your works are what really make up my day, my thoughts, my daydreams, and my life. I adore these. And I do adore you for being the person that's the reason why these masterpieces exist. I look forward for each update, thank you very much A-Non!!!

i'm sorry for not answering this immediately, i just- i keep rereading this ask and it's- i'm really really happy :D

long asks and comments fill me with so much joy

and i also have bad habits when it comes to answering inboxes shhh

quite honestly, theodore was just a fake name that i wanted theo to 'go to' as the reason why he chose theo. but the real reason will always be because techno called him 'theseus'. he doesn't want anyone to know about that, and though he could've chosen any other name, theo was still his choice. why? complicated emotions and wanting to maybe cling to something of his past. or use it as a weapon for his future. who knows, the man is an entangled mess of problems. they all are.

theo not being recognized by past techno and phil just made sense yknow? he's definitely like a different person, it fits, he's not tommy. not their tommy, not the tommy they know- but even then i'd say that they still wouldnt recognize parts of tommy innit bc the guys been through a war and war changes people. i'd go more on it but this is already a long post.

personally i'd say my type of writing is, flowery in a way? i need to put down emotions in ways that make sense for my readers or emphasize them, try and get through them. i sometimes worry that i do that too much, is the paragraph too long? does it describe more than it should? less than it should? did i overuse the italics, the bolds, BOTH? THE CAPITALIZATION??

i'm that type of writer. i'm just glad that everyone likes my works, be it rewind, remix, wishes or stream labs. even my shelved works of uh, vindictive, book covers and monsters.

i really do not mind long messages and asks, they're a delight! though sometimes i can't match them in length like this one but every single one is deeply cherished :D so dont apologize! it's great!

i'm very flattered and happy, i'll be working on the next update soon! tho it still is unclear on which story update i'll be working on... the brain does what the brain does yknow?

[kingsofargentina]

I had planned on making this before copa américa begun, but then life happened. Better late than never, tho, right? Let's call this a celebration of Argentina's win. :D

Kun Agüero and Leo Messi are the OTP of all OTPs for me, so here is a list of a few of my favorite kunessi fanfics that I've read over the years. This is not by any means a complete list since there are so many great fics (so hmu if you'd like more recs or are looking for something specific), and the fics are not in any particular order.

Multi-chapter/ novel length

Before the Third Star by rainedparade (162 096 words, rated E)

When it was the two of them, the pitch became their world and the ball, their very own sun.

A story about football, love, and life featuring Leo and Kun from 2005-2010. Takes place in an alternate reality with liberal use of the butterfly effect.

This feels like an account of what could have happened. Many scenes that draw on real events etc. A very beautiful story of boys who love football and each other.

A Messi Love by stillgold (69 188 words, rated E)

Kun knew he never should have had that last drink. Now he's gone and spilled his deep dark secret to Masche. And why is Kun's feelings for Leo the only secret Masche can't keep?

A good story with excellent smut.

two bodies pressed together by yvenger (jjjat3am) (6015 words, rated T)

"If I weren't a footballer, I would be a footballer's wife." - Kun Aguero

or

The one where Kun has to retire from football early and becomes Leo's househusband instead.

A little sad at the very beginning, but then very cute and domestic.

A Matter of Biology by MessiFangirl (hpdm4ever) (25 701 words, rated E)

Nicolás guides him down the hall, body still tight with tension. “You shouldn’t be alone,” his friend says, a hint of a growl in his voice. “Not anywhere until we’re back in England. We don’t really know if it’s true about how they do things here. The last thing we need is you mated to some neanderthal from Russia. It would probably be the end of your career.”

“They were being perfectly nice,” Kun says, frowning. Instead, he takes a deep breath as the familiar scents of his teammates wash over him, trying to raise his spirits again. It’s what gives him the strength to add, “I’m allowed to do things differently here. You’re the one who was being rude.”

The a/b/o fic I didn't expect to love as much as I did.

By the Rio de la Plata I sat down and wept by whimsicule (48 904 words, rated M)

Buenos Aires AU. Kun is part of the city's social elite, drifting without any sense of responsibility and purpose. A chance encounter with a childhood friend puts his life into perspective.

AU that has nothing to do with football. My favorite fic of all time; any genre, any fandom, any pairing. What an absolute masterpiece. It broke my heart, but in the most beautiful way. I cried, and then I cried some more. And then i reread it.

One shots

Prayers by ren_makoto (3418 words, rated E)

How do you worship a god? Kun Aguero shows his reverence to one D10S de Futbol. But gods can be spoiled, complicated creatures...

"He's seen fans almost kill themselves jumping down from the stands to hug Leo, kiss him, bow down at his feet. Nearly drowning themselves to swim to his yacht. He's seen fans cry in joy when Leo gives them his shirt or a hug. This is his equivalent, Kun imagines. This is as close as he comes to praying anymore."

Hot and a bit angsty. Actually really angsty if you think about it.

Tonight Is For You by MessiFangirl (hpdm4ever) (3199 words, rated T)

Nobody approaches him, perhaps aware that he's fighting to maintain his composure. The Icelandic players are respectful enough that they give him his space, while the Argentine players are wise enough to know that he needs it.

There's a light touch against his bare back then, right against his waistband, and Leo lowers his shirt to glare.

I just love it when Kun get's a little angry. I mean I also love it when he gives Leo anything he needs, but when he puts his foot down, it makes for very good plot. This fic has that.

Make it better by brightcrystal (4324 words, rated E)

After Argentina's semi-final defeat against Brazil in the Copa América 2019, Leo is devastated and Kun wants to help him feel better. Going down a familiar path is the easy choice, but is it the right one when the kisses are mixed with bitter tears of disappointment?

A bit of fluff, a bit of angst, and a bit of smut. Can't go wrong with that.

short beards are for fun by mm_nani (834 words, rated E)

leo has shaved his beard short and this is why

Hot and fun. Made me smile.

Todo Por Vos by stillgold (1286 words, rated G)

There’s nothing to say, but the words come unbidden. “Hoy por vos”, he whispers. Today for you. For you. He could have said todo por vos, all for you, and it would have been true.

Maybe Leo understands, or maybe Leo already knew—maybe Leo, with his dark eyes and his quiet mouth—maybe he can see better than others can. It seems like it on the pitch, but maybe that skill translates here too—maybe it sees Kun’s yearning, his hunger, his ache, his everything—all for Messi, todo por el.

I just reread this as I went to copy the link and GOD it's so... I can't even describe it! It's just.... The feelings, u kno???? No smut or nothing just... words and.... and FEELINGS!!!

sometimes your voice might just be enough by westhamutd (1773 words, rated M)

“hey kun. how are you doing?”

he hears kun yawn on the other end of the line and starts to laugh.

“oh you’re tired? it’s literally four in the morning here.”

--

things you said on the phone at 4am

This manages to be both cute and hot in less than 2000 words.