#i read many of these but always super thankful to receive recs !!!

[critai]

Hi i love ur art- here are some manga reccs :)) [no spoilers]

Witch Hat Atelier - beautiful manga about a world where only born magicains can use magic

Land of the Lustrous - a gem tries to find their purpose in society, becomes something else

Sousou no Frieren - about an elf who has a different relationship with time because of her long lifespan

Blue Period - about an artist discovering the joy of painting for the first time

Insomniacs After School - chill slice of life romance about two insomniacs in the astrology club (i just started reading this one)

Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint (manwha) a reader's favorite story comes true, and he finds himself in the middle of the chaos [i actually recommend the web novel because the manwha censors/cuts a lot of things- but im biased]

!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH I HOPE U HAV THE GREATEST DAY EVER

[wrishwrosh]

hey, i find your posts about historical fiction pretty interesting, do you have any recs?

anon this is the most beautiful and validating ask i have ever received. absolutely of COURSE I have recs. not gonna be a lot of deep cuts on this list but i love all of these books and occasionally books do receive awards and acclaim because they are good. in no particular order:

the cromwell trilogy by hilary mantel. of course i gotta start with the og. it’s 40 million pages on the tudor court and the english reformation and it will fundamentally change you as a person and a reader

(sub rec: the giant, o’brien by hilary mantel. in many ways a much shorter thematic companion to the cromwell trilogy imo. about stories and death and embodiment and the historical record and 18th century ireland. if you loved the trilogy, read this to experience hils playing with her own theories about historical fiction. if you are intimidated by the trilogy, read this first to get a taste of her prose style and her approach to the genre. either way please read all four novels ok thanks)

lincoln in the bardo by george saunders. the book that got me back into historical fiction as an adult. american history as narrated by a bunch of weird ghosts and abraham lincoln. chaotic and lovely and morbid.

the everlasting by katy simpson smith. rome through the ages as seen by a medici princess, a gay death-obsessed monk, and an early christian martyr. really historically grounded writing about religion and power, and also narrated with interjections from god’s ex boyfriend satan. smith is a trained historian and her prose slaps

(sub rec: free men by katy simpson smith. only a sub rec bc i read it a long time ago and my memory of it is imperfect but i loved it in 2017ish. about three men in the woods in the post revolutionary american south and by virtue of being about masculinity is actually about women. smith did her phd in antebellum southern femininity and motherhood iirc so this book is LOCKED IN to those perspectives)

a mercy by toni morrison. explores the dissolution of a household in 17th century new york. very different place and time than a lot of morrison’s bigger novels but just as mean and beautiful

(sub rec: beloved by toni morrison. a sub rec bc im pretty sure everyone has already read beloved but perhaps consider reading it again? histfic ghost story abt how the past is always here and will never go away and loves you and hates you and is trying to kill you)

an artist of the floating world by kazuo ishiguro. my bestie sir kazuo likes to explore the past through characters who, for one reason or another (amnesia, dementia, being a little baby robot who was just born yesterday, etc), are unable to fully comprehend their surroundings. this one is about post-wwii japan as understood by an elderly supporter of the imperial regime

(sub rec: remains of the day by kazuo ishiguro. same conceit as above except this time the elderly collaborator is incapable of reckoning with the slow collapse of the system that sheltered him due to britishness.)

the pull of the stars by emma donoghue. donoghue is a strong researcher and all of her novels are super grounded in their place and time without getting so caught up in it they turn into textbooks. i picked this one bc it is a wwi lesbian love story about childbirth that made me cry so hard i almost threw up on a plane but i recommend all her histfic published after 2010. before that she was still finding her stride.

days without end by sebastian barry. this one is hard to read and to rec bc it is about the us army’s policy of genocide against native americans in the 19th century west as told by an irish cavalry soldier. it is grim and violent and miserable and also so beautiful it makes me cry about every three pages. first time i read it i was genuinely inconsolable for two days afterwards.

this post is long as hell so HONORABLE MENTIONS: the amazing adventures of kavalier & clay by michael chabon, the western wind by samantha harvey, golden hill by frances spufford, barkskins by annie proulx, postcards by annie proulx, most things annie proulx has written but i feel like i talk about her too much, the view from castle rock by alice munro, the name of the rose by umberto eco, tracks by louise erdrich

[writergirl2011]

I got tagged by @musing-and-music!! Thanks!! 😊 So here goes...

Story I'm proudest of...

Argh. That would be so unfair to the other stories I've written. But if I had to choose, it would be the baseball story, Diamond in the Rough simply because I always wanted to write about baseball and finally found the perfect pairing for it! Not to mention how much research went into the story.

Your story that's gotten the most love online...

Funny that this came up because this just overtook the baseball story for most hits--though to be honest, I probably would've put this anyway given that it actually got several mentions on Twitter during the 2022 J/B fic exchange: you who know what love is (lol, musing-and-music, you tagged me in this and our regency stories are the most popular!!)

Tease a current WIP or idea that you're currently working on...

Speaking of fic exchanges, I just started working on my very short story for the 2024 J/B fic exchange. So sorry, can't...oh, what the heck. Heeeeeere's...a little bit from the next story in the "A Girl for All Seasons" series!!

JAIME: I don’t know whether I’m going to kiss you or kill you next time I see you

TYRION: ahhh I see you talked to ros

JAIME: you didn’t think she’d keep that to herself did you

TYRION: guess not

TYRION: it was for your own good

TYRION: not to mention mine because if I had to listen to you moaning about your blue balls one more minute I was going to smother you in your sleep

TYRION: though now that I think about it that would’ve cured yoru problem too

Your top 3 fandoms...

I only have two. A Song of Ice and Fire and Bridgerton at the moment.

Your top three ships...

Jaime x Brienne, Eloise x Cressida (shut up) and I guess that's really it. If I had to have a third, it would probably be Sansa x Margaery since I've paired them off in some of my fics, but they're not the main focus of my stories and I don't write for them specifically.

Rec someone else's fic...

Yikes, there are far too many I want to rec, but I'm going with the story I received in this year's smut swap because I just love it to death: BT, Phone Home by @angelowl-fics. Brienne as an alien!!!! Jaime as her wannabe boy toy!!!! If you haven't read this already--go read it!!!!

Pick one!

Fluff or Angst: I don't think I write things that are especially fluffy. At the same time, I don't think my fics are super angsty for the most part. Dramatic at times? Sure, but angst--the part that really, really hurts--not so much. But I'll put angst because I do drift in that direction more often than fluff. Where's the "snark" option? That's definitely my speed.

Oneshots or longfics: 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Was this even a question???????

Canon compliance or canon divergence: I think it depends on the canon. For example, I'm not great at writing canon fic for J/B, so I stick with mod AUs. I was better at writing canon fic in other fandoms, though. So I'd say that for now, canon divergence. But I'll read both.

AO3 or ff.net: I somehow completely missed the ff.net experience. AO3 all the way.

[violentlydefending]

Hi Contra! I have another manga rec for you- Ayako by Osamu Tezuka. It reminds me a lot of Urasawa's works and is about a previously rich family in post war Japan and about a mystery that unravels the entire family :) it deals a lot with how Japan as a whole was dealing with certain social topics (one of the family members is a communist for example) and it is genuinely just SOOOO good. Heads up for some incest (which was why I hesitated to recommend it before) as a device to explain certain societal ills (it's handled very well and kind of deconstructed a lot but it's also there so wanted to give heads up) but otherwise I think you'd LOVE it. My friend who read Billy Bat said it felt similar in some angles, and they both use the same historical event at one point which is really cool. The art is really beautiful too, and it also really gets into the struggles women faced in Japan at that time. Obviously ok if you don't want to read it due to the subject matter mentioned w the incest however I wanted to recommend it jic you were still interested despite that!! The rest of Tezukas gegika are really good too (MW is another good one, lot of triggering subject matter) but this one seems right up ur alley!!

FINALLY GOT THE CHANCE TO SIT DOWN AND READ THIS ONE thank you as always for your recs receiving them makes me so !!!!!!!!!!!

and DAMN. genuinely had so many "holy shit" moments throughout like. holy shit. super interesting exploration of corruption and family dynamics and horror and just. augh. and just so engaging too!!

i really need to get into more of tezuka's works aaaaaa i've only read this and specifically only the greatest robot on earth so far now but i wanna get around to reading more!! definitely wanna check out MW (eyes emoji)

thank you again for the rec it truly is always such a delight!!!

[ilovebellatrixandseverus]

HP longfic rec collection

With reddit closing down, and a lot of rec lists being lost to the public that way, I made a post on here asking for recommendations, and now that there were some in the notes - thank you all! - I thought I'd share them here! Feel free to reblog add to it, more the better! Starting and ending this beginning list with one of my own favs each to give you all some recs back:

Wizards in space by esama on Ao3, almost 50k

The Dumbledore's Army use the Room of the Requirement to get themselves a spaceship.

Harry Potter & Stargate fusion, No Warnings, Gen, Complete Work 27 Feb 2015, HP LJ GW FW HG RW LL GW CC ME, AU - Canon Divergence, Dumbledore's Army IN SPACE!, Science Fiction, Chapters: 10/10 Comments: 456 Kudos: 4807, (Knowledge about Stargate is not necessary to read this story)

Reccing this because I adore it so much it always makes me feel things!

Secrets by Vorabiza on ao3, almost 400k words.

Beginning with Draco's unexpected arrival at the Dursleys, Harry's summer after sixth year becomes filled with activity and many secrets. As his summer progresses, Harry generates several unexpected allies as he finds himself actively becoming the leader of the Light side. H/D post-HBP ~~Complete~~

Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Drama, Romance, Explicit Language, Sexual Content

Recced by @niccolo-machiavelli07 with the note 'contains good Snape and Malfoy's. I do need to warn you that it's Drarry and Draco has a literal kid...'

Harry Crow by Robst on FfNet - 700+k

What will happen when a goblin-raised Harry arrives at Hogwarts. A Harry who has received training, already knows the prophecy and has no scar. With the backing of the goblin nation and Hogwarts herself. Complete.

Harry Potter, T, English, chapters: 106, favs: 31k+, follows: 19k+, updated: Jun 8, 2014 published: Jun 5, 2012, [Harry P., Hermione G.]

Recced by @elizabethgoudge with the note 'Harry Crow is quite hetero, but has a super interesting premise about goblins and is very long. He has another one with interesting elves, as well.' and I have read the fic before and can second the recommendation! It's an amazing longfic.

Delenda Est on FFnet (Reboot & Original) 100+k

Dying, Bellatrix uses her heirloom to send Harry to the past. There, he can try stopping Voldemort while making the acquaintance of a young and impressionable Bellatrix Black, who may opt to serve Lord Black instead of Voldemort. H/B. Rewrite of DE with different plot, some new characters. No need to read original. Backwards compatible with PB.

Harry Potter, T, English, Adventure & Romance, chapters: 12, favs: 1k+, follows: 2k+, updated: May 8 published: May 2, 2022, Harry P., Bellatrix L.

Recced by @str82theheartpls with the note 'my all-time fave is being rebooted and the original is amazing too'. Description of the original version is 'Harry is a prisoner, and Bellatrix has fallen from grace. The accidental activation of Bella's treasured heirloom results in another chance for Harry. It also gives him the opportunity to make the acquaintance of the young and enigmatic Bellatrix Black as they change the course of history.'

Oh God Not Again! By Sarah1281 on Ao3 & ffnet, 150+k

So maybe everything didn't work out perfectly for Harry. Still, most of his friends survived, he'd gotten married, and was about to become a father. If only he'd have stayed away from the Veil, he wouldn't have had to go back and do everything AGAIN.

Gen - Hermione Granger & Harry Potter & Ron Weasley, Draco Malfoy & Harry Potter, Neville Longbottom & Harry Potter, Sirius Black & Remus Lupin & Harry Potter, Luna Lovegood & Harry Potter - Old Fic, Humor, Time Travel, like literally, originally posted september13 2008 on ff.net, story completed as of december 2009

Recced by @polyvirnl with the note '"Oh God Not This Again" is very good', and I can second that, I read and rearead the fic many times, it's crazy awesome!

The Andromeda Program on Ao3 120+k

Hermione Granger is one of the select few to join the prestigious Andromeda Program to explore space for all of humanity. She thinks it will be an excellent opportunity to prove her worth and show her mettle, but perhaps living on a spaceship and spending her time with the same group of people is not all it's cracked up to be. Or maybe one person in particular is making it especially difficult.

Hermione Granger/Severus Snape, Alternate Universe - Space, Alternate Universe - Muggle, Healer Severus, Adult Hermione, Medical Inaccuracies, Minor Injuries, Slow Burn, Swearing, Angst, Power Imbalance, Alcohol

Recced by @echoofawind with the note 'I love The Andromeda Program. It's a Severus x Hermione muggle Sci-fi AU that has Ender's Game vibes'

Pride of Time by Anubis Ankh on Ao3

Hermione quite literally crashes her way back through time by roughly twenty years. There is no going back; the only way is to go forward. And when one unwittingly interferes with time, what one expects may not be what time finds...

Mature, Violence, F/M, HG/SS, Time-Turner, Time Travel,bChapters: 51/51 COMPLETE Jun 2012, Comments: 438 Kudos: 3133 COMPLETE

Reccing this because once you start reading you can't stop! I don't usually read Snamione and I have no idea how I ended up here first, but I've reread it twice since! Hermione as a death eater spy's wife is amazing.

If you have any other fic recs, feel free to reblog and add them to the post!

Note that reblogs are better than replies (or likes) because reblogs help share the post around - so more people get the recs, and more people see the post and might add their own recs as well!

If you rec more than three please use a readmore under the first or so, so not to spam everyone's dash!

[seiwas]

hi sel! can I request 21 and 24 for the ask game? super curious because my other favorite part of your writing is seeing people go feral in the notes lol

iris!!! thank you for sending in 🥹

send me a number from this end of the year fanfic writer ask game!!

#21. most memorable comment/review

omg 🥺 YOUR favourite part of MY writing is seeing the notes??? 😭😭 i am gonna hug you PLS

i think i have been so extremely blessed with such generous readers 🥺 i reblog every memorable comment/review with the tag #shotorus.feedback if you would like to peruse!!! 🥹 but hmm... i'll put this under the cut bc for sure it's going to be long!!

#24. favorite some memorable fics you read this year

i answered this here! but 😼 this just gives me a reason to give ANOTHER set of fics hehehehe 😋 beware!!!! this'll be 15 total recs hehe

and!!! like i mentioned, i have a lot in my tbr so there are a lot i probs haven't gotten to yet + the fics i reblog are more or less ones i recommend anyway!!! 🥹 (will also put this under the cut)

for #21.

niku's and sera's reblogs on 'do you believe in love?' really tickle a spot in my heart!!

niku's because back then, col wasn't even a thing yet!! 'do you believe in love?' was just a silly little one-shot born from me thinking about whether gojo believes in love. in a way, this rlly inspired me to take the story further!! and so col was born 🥺 so really, col is all thanks to @stellamancer 🥺

sera's because sera's gojo is one of my absolute favourites and i've been reading her stuff since way way waaaay before i even started writing!! she's also one of my first moots, and is such an inspiration to me when it comes to writing 🥺 so seeing her comment on this lil fic of mine rlly made me feel so 🥹🥹🥹

midi's reblogs are always hilarious and she takes apart my fics like she's deboning a fish 😭😭 (this is how we became friends!!! i messaged her to thank her for her tags on my earlier works and it was even in her native language ashfbas so i google translated it to understand 😭)

ari's reblog on 'tell me about love (show me how)' had me sobbing last night omg 😭 i swear we're writing NOVELS for each other atp

+ a writer i really love and admire commented so many nice things on my megumi fic the other day, i'm still not over it (i won't link them here bc i don't wanna be exposed LOL)

but!! i am truly!! so thankful for each tag/comment i receive 🥺 i think it's so nice that people are not only taking the time to read, but also taking the time to write smth about how they feel or what they think 🥺

for #24.

hq!!

stoplights by hajimio (iwaizumi hajime x reader) [1k. established relationship.] i think about this fic all the time and remember so vividly how i felt the first time i read it.

no matter what by shibaraki (miya atsumu x reader) [1k. established relationship hurt/comfort.] teared up a little reading this 🥹 clutched my chest too.

a piece of you with me by heich0e (kageyama tobio x reader) [1k. established relationship.] this was the cutest thing and i love how op writes tobio.

jjk

dancing with your ghost by wanderwithme (nanami kento x reader) [9k. kind of exes to lovers.] the concept is so good and so creative. executed so beautifully and achingly.

cantor's paradox by hawnks (gojo satoru x reader) [3k. ambiguous relationship.] one of my favourite gojo fics ever; i reread this all the time.

dawn instinct by lorelune (gojo satoru x reader) [6k. ambiguous relationship.] so tender and raw. really beautiful 🥺

i could fall asleep or stare in your eyes (you’re right by my side) by seoafin (gojo satoru x reader) [2k. ambiguous relationship.] the dialogue hits heavy and there's so much in the unsaid (i am crying).

in between by threadbaresweater (fushiguro megumi x reader) [3k. friends with benefits.] so tender and raw (2). there's such an ache and i love how megumi was portrayed.

the king is but a man by petrichorium (gojo satoru x reader) [series. usurper!gojo] one of my favourite gojo series!

cruel summer by seravphs (gojo satoru x reader) [collection. friends to lovers.] explores dynamics with other characters so wonderfully and really does give off that 'last summer with friends' feeling

bnha

carve it into the soil, carve it into me by gardenofnoah (todoroki shouto x reader) [series. gardener!reader.] puts shouto under a microscope and i love that. so beautifully written.

couldn't utter my love when it counted by c4ssiopeias (bakugo katsuki x reader) [5k. exes to lovers.] so vulnerable and so raw. cried reading this.

it takes a strong hand, and a sound mind by gardenofnoah (bakugo katsuki x reader) [5k. friends to strangers to lovers.] the pacing is beautiful and the there's smth abt it that's just so tender 🥺

on my way (to you) by ofmermaids (bakugo katsuki x reader) [12k. strangers to lovers.] one of my favourite bakugo pieces; i think about it all the time and is such a creative concept executed perfectly too.

you feel like home (you're like a dream come true) by willowser (bakugo katsuki x reader) [3k. ambiguous relationship.] the dialogue is everything omg. i ached so much at this!!!

[shmowder]

you’re my morning paper, too!!! I always wake up and get all giddy realizing that I can check ur blog and see ur writing and posts etc!

btw I am responding to that longer post about finding comfort in characters and the x reader genre, i’m just typing it out in notes before sending it so I can make sure I respond to all of the good points u made haha. and it will be a longer response so I figured it would be smart to type it out.

and I am very excited to hear more about ur thoughts on geometric dimensions!!! it’s so cool to talk about!!!! I like the topic a lot, it’s not my primary special interest but I really do find it interesting and fun!! especially when someone I care about likes it!! then it makes more sense to me when they explain it. maybe check out the yt video “there are 48 regular polyhedra” by jan misali if you haven’t already. it’s super interesting and I think you’d like it a lot!!!

oml i’m just so happy that I get to talk to u and interact in this fun little “sending letters” way, I love sending video or media recommendations to my friends aaaaaaaaa ily!!! and I have thoughts on songs that represent patho characters so i'll probs send that ask next before I forget?

with so much love and warmth, -🥀

Aaa I love you so much <33 I'm two people's morning paper. this is the highest of honours!

I received your asks and read them! they're so wonderfully written, I appreciate all the effort and time you've put into them.

It is fun sending letters! You get to include little trinkets like youtube vid recs and bid the other person love and warmth at the end. Technically is surely a wonder, so many things change yet they stay the same.

It's late right now, but I'll check out that video in the morning while having breakfast. I enjoy mathematics and videos about them! thanks for recommending it.

I hope your day is amazing and filled with love and warmth as well <33

[tea-of-destiny]

About me! 🍵

(last updated 10/27/24)

Background 🤗

Hi! I'm Peter (he/him), also known as Tea of Destiny. I'm currently on staff with a high school band program. My academic specialties are music theory and intercultural studies, and I play the bassoon, contrabassoon, and trombone ^^

In my free time, I like to write, draw, and play video games. I identify as aroace and a transmasc enby.

Additionally, I have an online store for double reed players! I sell designs on Redbubble and bassoon reeds on Big Cartel. Check out my links section below.

Major interests ✨

Professor Layton (NWOS spoilers are currently untagged!)

Kingdom Hearts

Art and photos

Fanfiction

Media analysis

Miraculous Ladybug

Super Mario, especially Super Mario Galaxy (my favorite game of all time)

Music, many varieties thereof

Handy links 💻

AO3 account: TeaofDestiny

Tumblr post: Some kind of fic rec list I guess

Online shops Tumblr blog: bassoonacedreeds

Double reed Redbubble: BassoonAcedDRS

Blog design credits 🎉

Icon: me :)

Header image: TheDigitalArtist on Pixabay

Desktop theme: @/seychethemes

Other possible post topics (non-exhaustive list) 👍

Ace Attorney

The World Ends With You

The Legend of Zelda

Final Fantasy

Fire Emblem

Star Wars

Avatar: The Last Airbender

A little bit from popular anime on Tumblr, e.g. Trigun, Spy x Family

The Masked Singer, primarily US Season 3

My original characters :)

Cats, turtles, weevils, other cool critters

Current global events

General life resources

Useful tags 📌

teaposts: All of my original posts

teafics: My writing

teadraws: My art

teawips: Samples of stuff I'm working on

peter's song of the day: Where I occasionally post music I've been jamming to

queueofdestiny: Posts from the queue

vintage tea: Original posts from my previous blog @/teaofdestiny

answered: For asks I've received

reference: Posts I may want to find later

ask memes: Questions or prompts you can drop in my ask box

not fandom: Things not related to a specific fandom (even if they're fandom-in-general subjects)

relevant: Relates to a fandom, but doesn't warrant fandom tagging

Additional notes about the blog 📖

I don't have any spoiler tags or content warnings consistently integrated on my posts. That said, if you follow my blog and have a reasonable request for such a tag, I am always willing to listen!

I like being included in tag games, getting asks, chatting over DMs, etc.! I'm not always the best at answering those right away, but I promise that doesn't mean I hate you or am ignoring my inbox on purpose ^^"

Also, please keep in mind that I value the ability to curate my own experience on this blog as I see fit, and I respect your right to do so as well, even if it means our experiences are incompatible. No one is owed an explanation for what someone does and does not want in their space.

--

That's about all I can think of right now. If you read this far, thanks for following along! Hope you enjoy my blog ^^

[haruakotranslations]

REC Footage！Yumigeta Ako (23.09.07)

Good evening🌛

I'm Yumigeta Ako🛑

Thank you very much for your comments yesterday！

Your favourite desserts…

Were surprisingly varied…！

I think out of the comments I saw Japanese desserts were mentioned a lot！

I get that〜 I love Japanese desserts too💕

I especially love nerikiri that have heart shaped jellies on top❗️

I always eat those ones first 笑lol

Today on UpComing、

I Yumigeta Ako

Appeared in my recording footage for

「Nanzansho Souzansho」！

At the shoot for our new album、I was able to take my first two shot with Ishida-san💙

I like Ishida-san's eyes〜！

I feel like I could get lost in her sharp and sparkly eyes！I think that those of you who have met her in person will understand…❗️

Her eyes are even more sparkly during LIVES because of the lighting💙

I remember being really entranced by Ishida-san's cool performance during the '19 Hello Con of 「Roman〜MY DEAR BOY〜」…🥹

I want to talk more about UpComing！

I was super anxious about that REC footage being shown 笑lol

I had a dance lesson before the REC so my hair and clothes were all scruffy🤣

But I think you can tell that I was working hard！

It's clear how focused I was on this REC… I think。

I still need to improve my rhythm and my elocution and my body movements so I'll keep working hard💪

I hope that you'll watch it ✨

⋆┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈⋆

Well then it's time for today's 【Gettaa Life】✨

Yesterdayー I received the letters you all sent me〜✨

I'm still not used to my new life since coming to Tokyo and I'm experiencing a lot of tough things、but then your letters arrived、and they helped me feel more positive😭

I'll read them so many times that I'll wear holes in the paper👍

Really thank you very much for everything！

Communicating with everyone who supports me is my ultimate motivation…！

I'm looking forward to out talk events at the end of this month！

Please keep an eye out for your health〜❗️

Today quite simply

I Getted 「Energy」✨

First up is Yoyogi the day after tomorrow！

I'll do my bestー❤️‍🔥💪

That's all！This has been 【Gettaa Life】！

⋆┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈⋆

T/N News and information has not been translated

⋆┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈⋆

This morning I decided to eat some granola but when I poured it out onto the plate it had lots of dried fruits which make me happy♪

Isn't that rareー？？

It's like when you get lots of hiyoko in your furikake…！

It's interesting thinking about how these sorts of small happy things vary so much from person to person！

By the way one of my small happinesses is

「When my contact lense goes in perfectly the first time」💕

What small things make you happy？

Please let me know in the comments〜‼️

Well then I'll see you tomorrow！

This has been YumiGettaa Ako！Good night🐧🐧🐧

[we-all-have-magic-inside-us]

Hi, this is very random but I'm actually writing a dissertation on Harry Potter Fanfiction and I'm looking for the 'big' fics, i.e. fics that lots of people in the fandom read - the most popular/famous ones that might even have their own sub-fandom (All The Young Dudes for example). Do you know of any Drarry ones like this? Thanks in advance!

What a wonderful topic for a dissertation @realistic-but-optimistic - I would LOVE to read it if you ever publish/want to share. And I definitely have some recs for fics that have their own mini fandom and/or are ‘The Drarry Classics’

What We Pretend We Can't See by @gyzym [131k words]

Seven years out from the war, Harry learns the hard truth of old history: it’s never quite as far behind you as you thought

This is THE fandom classic almost everyone has read and talks about. It features a redeemed, slightly obsessive, charming Draco. Grimmauld Place plays a huge role in the fic and Ron/Hermione are wonderful. Overall 10/10.

Running on Air by @tinyhistory [75k]

Draco Malfoy has been missing for three years. Harry is assigned the cold case and finds himself slowly falling in love with the memories he collects.

I genuinely do not know if any fic rec can do justice to this masterpiece. It’s so beautiful and poignant and somehow nostalgic. The language, the plot, the pining and the mystery are all breathtaking. You have to read this one yourself to believe me. This is definitely a major fandom classic.

Tea and No Sympathy [70k] by who_la_hoop

It's Potter's fault, of course, that Draco finds himself trapped in the same twenty-four-hour period, repeating itself over and over again. It's been nearly a year since the unpleasant business at Hogwarts, and Draco's getting on with his life quite nicely, thank you, until Harry sodding Potter steps in and ruins it all, just like always. At first, though, the time loop seems liberating. For the first time in his life, he can do anything, say anything, be anything, without consequence. But the more Draco repeats the day, the more he realises the uncomfortable truth: he's falling head over heels for the speccy git. And suddenly, the time loop feels like a trap. For how can he ever get Harry to love him back when time is, quite literally, against him?

If you like Groundhog Day style fics, this is the winner! It has over 32k kudos on AO3 which is INSANE! It’s super well written and keeps you hooked until the very end. And it’s not just this one, every fic by this author is a classic in its own right. Especially ‘written on the heart.’

Right Hand Red [73k] by @lqtraintracks​

Harry felt Malfoy's breath on his lips as they came together over the bottle, hands firmly planted on the floor as though they each needed their familiar soil, refusing to cross into enemy territory.

Except that Malfoy no longer felt like his enemy.

Malfoy felt inevitable.

No rec list can be complete without an eighth year fic. The fandom is FULL of eighth year fics and they’re perfect for anyone craving a Harry Potter continuation but with Drarry. This is one of my absolute favourite ones. It features a lot of party games and it’s really nice to see Harry and Draco have a chance at a normal school year for once, something they’ve been robbed of for so many years. There’s a lot of pining and healing in this one and I felt all the feels when I read it. 

Away Childish Things [151k] by @letteredlettered

Harry gets de-aged. Malfoy has to help him.

This one. This one. THERE ARE NO WORDS BUT I WILL VALIANTLY ATTEMPT. I love it. It explores Harry’s childhood in a way very few fics have managed to and it really really tugs at the heartstrings. It’s gorgeously written and evokes so many emotions. Please read this one.

Stop All the Clocks (This Is the Last Time I’m Leaving Without You) [44k] by @firethesound

Living with Draco was difficult; living without him is unbearable. But if there’s one thing Harry learned from the war, it’s that even when one life ends, the rest of the world goes right on living.

Full disclosure- I haven’t read this and I don’t know if I ever can. It features MCD (main character death) and I really struggle with reading fics that don’t have a happy ending. Having said that, it is a fandom classic and everyone who has read it, RAVES about it. They say it’s gorgeous and beautiful and devastating. What I can confirm is that firethesound is an amazing author and I have read several other fics by them which could also be considered fandom classics. Especially ‘All Our Secrets Laid Bare’ which is the ultimate Auror partners fic and ‘A Convenient Impracticality’ which is the ultimate fake dating/friends-with-benefits fic. 

Dwelling [83k] by aideomai

Curses, James and Lily Potter ride again, several Ministry balls, a teenage Summer of Love, a grim young adult dystopian winter, a few different Draco Malfoys, secrets and the problems re: not having any, alternate lives, impossible lives, real lives, allusions to Dirty Dancing, and just because it's not called the Mirror of Erised doesn't mean you shouldn't know better.

Oh my goodness, this fic ruined me. In the best possible way. If you want a glimpse into how Harry’s life could have been if his parents had been alive and if Harry and Draco had been friends from the start, this is the one. There's a huge twist which makes the fic EVEN better. I don’t want to spoil too much but this one is worth a read. Another fic by the same author, ‘Far From The Tree’ is also gorgeous. It’s a newer fic so I wouldn’t say it’s a classic yet but the plot is SO unique. It features Harry’s grown up kids coming back into the past and how that could affect Harry/Draco’s relationship. All the characters are super well written and it’s one of my personal favourites!

Other notes:

I made a Drarry rec list when I first got into the fandom. I would say almost all the fics on this list are also classics/very well liked. 

Another great way to find classics are through this link. They are Drarry fics on Ao3 (30k+ words) sorted by the number of kudos they’ve received. I would say all fics on the first five pages can be considered classics. 

Here are three other SUPER adored authors in the Ao3 fandom: Bixgirl, Saras_Girl and GallaPlacidia

All works by Bix and Saras_Girl are considered classics. GallaPlacidia started writing for the fandom only a couple of years back but she has such a knack for writing both these boys, it’s absolutely insane. I’m 100% confident her fics will be considered classics in a few years! Especially ‘The Bucket List’ and ‘Ship of Theseus.’

Enjoy and hope this helps!!

[your-favorite-bean]

Fic Recs

UMBRELLA ACADEMY

(Most are five-centric. Gee I wonder who my favorite character is)

Also some quick notes about these:

As I said before, these are basically five centric. I do however read a lot of other stuff for other characters that I’m willing to share, so ask and ye shall receive!!! That being said, I don’t read a lot of oc fics and character x reader, so I don’t have a lot of recommendations for that.

Many of these fics were written before season three, before Viktor’s transition, which means that his deadname will be used. If you don’t want to read it, that’s totally okay, but just a forewarning!!!

Most of these fics have some dark and mature themes. And it may not seem like a serious thing, but sometimes you need to take a break from that kind of thing. This goes for any piece of media really that deals with these kinds of things. It doesn’t make you less of a person for taking care of yourself. There is no pressure to finish any of these or to even click on it. So if you read the tags (which you always should), and you think it’s not something that would be good for your mental health, don’t be afraid to tap out.

Oh and some of These have word counts but I got tired so I only did some. So pretty much All of these are multi chapter fics

Again major credit to these writers. Thank you for sharing your stories with us!!! I’m so proud of all of you guys!!! Happy Reading!!!

echoes by chiiyo86 | set in season two, allison finds Five in the alleyway and they have a lovely dynamic. Also rays there and he’s cool.

Get your hands dirty by conch_shell | outsider pov, lots of comic book elements in it, mostly about fives time in the commission

Lay all your love on me by MYSTERYstew | lots of hurt/comfort, time doesn’t heal all wounds (see what I did there??)

I kept running (for a soft place to fall) by chromaticality | Five, Allison, and Luther get kidnapped from the commission

Ive got a nasty new compulsion by chaoticgaysex | Diego gets recruited by the commission. Five has some words to say about that. Comic elements

It’s the end of the world as we know it (and I feel fine) by chaoticgaysex | Five has a breakdown, and he snaps big time. If you want to see more about fives powers, check it out

Run (because you know you cannot hide) by e_va | fives family gets kidnapped by the commission. what ever will he do (rescue his family of course, it’s five come on) also this is incomplete (at least I think it Is I don’t fucking know anymore words are hard)

Defective weaponry by printlno | five and Klaus track down a bad guy, but it doesn’t go as well as planned. Also this is based on the comics, not the show. The characters will only make sense if you’ve read the comics (well they’ll make sense, but they might seem a bit ooc sometimes)

I’ve come to talk with you again by in-a-slanted-outhouse | incomplete, but it’s really good. lots of five and Allison bonding. super sweet

All walls fall by I_Logophile | five gets kidnapped by the sparrows, and it does not end well for him. Also this is the first in a series called his walls

Ashes and Dust by Devilbaby | I honestly can’t say too much because there is so much wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff that I don’t want to give away but it’s really well done. It’s in a series called the chronos saga and I would totally recommend the whole series but the third (and final) part is incomplete

The Secret inside of you (run boy run) by Utukki | Reginald knows what Five is capable of. And he can never let him reach that potential. So he outs in a little safety measure. Incomplete

But for now it’s time to run by Ford_Ye_Fiji | ever wondered what would happens if The Doctor and number five from umbrella academy met? Boom. Here’s the fic. There’s also some plot and a whole series too, called run, boy, run, (the umbrella effect)

So be it by bobee | a series of unfortunate events, starring five. lots of hurt, but it is incomplete so there’s not a lot of comfort yet

Howling at the moon by assaily | five gets sent to Hotel Oblivion, and has to confront his inner demons. This is a great fic for those who were kind of disappointed by the hotel oblivion storyline (like myself) but it is incomplete

Intelligent conversation by Soulykins | five has a habit of talking to himself. Might have something to do with, gee I dunno 45 years in the apocalypse. This is the first in a series called old dog, old tricks and the whole series is really good if you want five angst and sibling bonding.

This is a gift, it comes with a price by rebel_by_default | set in season two, where time travel has even more consequences than in canon oh also this is a series called a beast of a burden

Monster that I despise by pinetreedeath | comic book elements, which I feel like is just code for serial killer DNA at this point (oh yeah that’s basically what it’s about). Really cool how the author writes it, however, incomplete

TUA one shots I write at 3am by pinetreedeath | they have different plots for each one but each one is incredible. You’ve got feral five, you’ve got soft five. Any five you want just pick a chapter and you’ll have it (jeez I feel like a salesman or something) also incomplete

Dealing with doppelgängers by I_Logophile | we’ve all made our assumptions about five if he didn’t get adopted by Reginald and lived a relatively normal life. Well this author wrote about it!! A round of applause. also WHUMP

The boy of Time: Come Home by JBD302020

uneasy lies the head that wears the crown by MYSTERYstew

Can you hug me as I go? by MYSTERYstew | the inevitable moment where five has to confront with the fact that he is not doing okay. angst angst angst. However incomplete

Time is a storm by Shyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy | Five gets kidnapped by the sparrows, and the siblings try to rescue him, but Reginald puts a big old wrench in their plans (I am so sorry I am terrible at short summaries). Really, really good, but incomplete and there’s a major cliffhanger

The five whistle by I_Logophile | the handler sucks, we all know that, but what if she sucked just a bit more? Five whump to the max .

Here, beneath my lungs by beastboy12 | five tries to play detective, but curiosity killed the cat, or at least inflicted a lot of pain that made the cat wish it were dead. Klaus, Diego, and Five bonding

Warming up by ClaraCivry (Kat_Of_Dresden) | if an assassin and the assassin who killed the first assassins parents got stuck in a freezer with the chance of death, what are they going to do? Bond of course!!

You can always come home by Wayward_Unicorn (42k words) | five doesn’t exist. He never has. Or is that really all there is too it? Incomplete

A closure problem by sandausdenurnen (21.9k words) | okay this is honestly hands down such a good crossover, and I don’t give that title away easily. The dynamic between Tony stark and number five (oh yeah that’s the crossover) is so good, so if you want two traumatized geniuses snarking at each other, this is perfect!!! Incomplete

Identity theft is not a joke by Ford_ye_Fiji (1.5k words) | ahhh the classic who’s the clone and who’s the real character. except fives siblings are (affectionately) idiots so it doesn’t go so well

About a boy by pistachioinfernal (25k words) | Russian gangster meets rude boy. Russian gangster feels bad for rude boy. Russian gangster bonds with rude boy. Boy is still rude this whole time | Also part of a series called Russian swears and coffee spoons (28k words) | the second and final part is incomplete

The moon laughs by Lady_Origami (96k words) | a trope we all know and love, time loop. This is great | incomplete | This is also the second part in a series called the sky weeps (106k words). The first one isn’t really related to the second one, but it’s really sweet, Klaus, Ben, and Five bonding.

Creeping towards extinction by VIKAN (62k words) holy shit this one is so good like omg I’m in love with this. This is my favorite angst fic wow. Chefs kiss

The shifting mirrors by orsumfenix (192k words) | what if five never traveled to the future? Well you saw the other hargreeves, hes still an asshole. | incomplete

Holding it together by sharkneto (91k words) | actually inspired by shifting mirrors. And oh my god I loved reading every word of this | First of a series called shifting together (251k words). Series is incomplete but definitely worth the read!!!

How the fabrics of the universe will fuck you up by fandomsandshit (4K words) | this is sort of an AU where fives abilities go a little bit further than teleporting. This is such a cool take I wish that five had these powers in the show!!!

An eye for an eye by dgalerab (80k words) | really cool series, lots of twists and turns and angst and timelines (so many timelines) and it’s just really fun. Also season two and three do not exist | Part of a series called timelines 1-2.1 (250k words) | the last fic in the series is incomplete

This world is not made for you by umbrellas out (1719) (2k words) | okay I can’t exactly summaraize this but there is a lot 567 bonding so if you like that here you go!!! | Also part of a series called the boy who ran. Also there is a slight chance that none of these links work so if they don’t I apologize.

This one’s for the lonely, the ones who seek and find by hujwernoo (2k words) | Klaus dies in the apocalypse, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be there for five | The First in a series called it comes and goes in Waves (258k words) which is INCREDIBLE so yeah Go and check it out

Sorrows like thunder clouds by Emotionally_Detached (7k words) | this is part of a series called mellow rays of the departing sun (24k words) |Five time travels to when they were Kids, but only hin. Now it’s up to him to change the past.

Time is what we Need but don’t have by Achlyz (21k words) | it’s really cute, makes me feel good by I also cried during this, but it’s mostly just family bonding with a hint of angst | Part of a series called dysfunctional family (225k words) |the final fic is incomplete

Faded by tenacioussurrender (35k words) | Lots of dad Diego, and hurt five, but it’s very Sweet and there’s a lot of wholesome pieces in it | part of a series called a ripple in time and space (145k words)

Bolt from the blue by TheArchaeologist (85k words) | this time it’s dad Klaus, and omg there is a lot of hurt but a lot of comfort, but then hurt again! That joke is Season one about Klaus Meeting fives mom at the Disco isn’t a joke anymore | Part of a series called apple of my eye (141k words), Part Four is incomplete but you can still read a lot of it.

Out of the dead land by tomorrowsrain (60k words) | five time travels to the apocalypse, but to spice it up, you have Zombies!!!! Oh and Klaus is there too, to add a dash of brotherly bonding and a whole lot of angst | incomplete

So you got to the bottom of the list, good for you!!! Treat your self, you deserve it. I’m proud of you.

Also (minor rant alert) this was HARD. Thank literally everything that I can use ao3 search filters because that was ahhhhhhhhh. Do you know how difficult it is to find a fic that you read 2 years ago and the only thing you can remember from it is the word pumpkin????? Like oh my god. Then I wrote all of this down and it mysteriously disappeared so I had to make a whole new list, which was very frustrating. But this was also fun so if you have any new requests, lmk!!!

Oh and another thing. You might’ve noticed that some of these authors names were repeated. Well turns out these incredible talented people have written a lot of other stuff, so don’t forget to explore the other stuff they’ve written. Check out the bookmarks, then check the bookmarks of those authors, and so on. Happy reading!!!

[peppersonironi]

Sambucky Fic Recs #2

Part One |

Today's Theme: Soulmate Au's

Welcome to this today's theme! I happen to really enjoy these types of fics and thankfully there's a decent selection in the sambucky tag! Here are Ten fics for your enjoyment! (more under the cut)

1. A Touch of Pain by TowardTheStars

Sam had just turned seven when his world first exploded into pain.

Or, Sam feels his soulmate's pain and wishes to save them from their torment.

Quick warning before we get into things: This is currently a WIP. But I'm finding it great so far! This fic is more Sam-focused with great angst. Also some past Sam/Riley, which I'm always a sucker for!

2. Bright Colors Of Love by Yoursaltness_and_TheMemeQueen

The first time soulmates had skin to skin touch you’d be able to see the colors, that whenever you touched you’d be able to see the world in color, and that the first kiss made colors permanent.

When Sam Wilson is 20 he meets Riley, he falls in love. He takes a risk and holds his hand, the world stays black and white, and he thinks he understands why his aunt says that you don’t need a soulmate to be happy. When Riley dies, there is a bitter part of him that thanks the universe for not making them soulmates. - The first time James “Bucky” Barnes heard about soulmates was through the TV.

He reaches out to hold Steves hand and wonders if the universe can make mistakes.

He decides at about 17 that maybe soulmates are overrated, that the universe is too mysterious to trust. As he’s falling and hears Steve’s cry, he decided the universe is a bitch that knows too much and probably hates his guts. - Flash forward, Bucky knows they're soulmates, Sam doesn't.

Secret Santa Gift for Max!!

This has just the right amount of angst, and I was amazed by how well written it was! I love this fic so much!

3. Reach Out and Hold the Sun by Aluxra

When you touch your soulmate skin to skin, you leave a colour unique to you on them. 106 years and Bucky never received a mark.

Until Now.

Oh my gosh the mutual pining! The uncertainty! The fear of rejection! The utter relief and love that comes at the end! I was grinning ear to ear the whole time reading this!

4. redefining in every way what love is by lovelypenguins1717

On the non-dominant wrist of every person lays a soulmark. A unique mark that appears whenever their soulmate is born. It is the true north to their other half.

Bucky never had a mark and now he’ll never know.

Sam had found his, but the soulmark is meaningless now that Riley’s dead.

But sometimes soulmates are chosen.

*COMPLETE*

Now this is an interesting twist on soulmate aus! I usually love the ones where the people are destined for each other, but I have to admit that I really enjoyed the idea of choosing each other. It was so sweet!

5. Exactly What You're Looking For by @snarky-drabbles

When you lose something, it might appear beside your soulmate in the morning.

Sam never found anything from his soulmate until after Bucky Barnes dragged Steve from the Potomac.

Bucky grew up never finding a thing either, but after he finally gets free from Hydra, he starts finding things beside him the morning.

This is the story of them coming together.

now with a chapter of outtakes and alternate ending

I'll be honest, this fic is hilarious!! The romance aspect and yearning is great, but that ending is just on another level!

More Fics Under the Cut

6. I keep closing my eyes (but I can't blink you out) by @lesbianhozier

Bucky avoids eye contact as much as possible. He can hold a conversation without so much as looking at your face, the only exception to this being Steve. Sam definitely knows why and has seen it a few times before; soulmates. A brief moment of eye contact can change your entire life if it’s with the right person; your soulmate.

canon divergence in Civil War fic. I'll be honest this isn't necessarily my favorite, and it feels a touch weird near the end, but I still enjoyed it! The premise was fascinating and the writing was pretty good.

7. adored by @capnwinghead

The marks were legend - your soulmate's name on one wrist and your enemy's on the other. Most people spent their lives trying to decipher them. Bucky Barnes spent most of his life avoiding them.

Oh the angst in this one!!! So good!!

8. gunmetal grey by Someone_aka_Me

Soulmates wear the same mask, and only your soulmate can remove it.

Sam isn't expecting to find his mask in a history book, worn by a man who's been dead for decades.

I literally cannot sing the praises of this fic enough!!! Holy crap it's so good!!!! It takes place in ca:tws and continues afterwards, but it ignores AoU/ca:cw. I don't read to many fics from this era (working on more of them, though! I got a request for some fic recs, and my research is so much fun!), but I'm honestly adoring this so much. And the writing is so good too! And the whole premise of soulmate masks was fascinating to me! I've never read a fic like this before. BUT I LOVED IT SO MUCH!!!!

9. there is a sweetness in you by Someone_aka_Me

AU: Your soulmate is the only person who cannot hurt you.

Sam gets kicked off a helicarrier — yet he can't help but notice the boot to the chest doesn't hurt like it should.

Yeah, yet another of this kind of au. They seem to be semi-popular for sambucky (Kinda? there aren't too many soulmate au fics though). But I'm a sucker for them, alright? And this one is so cute too! :-D

10. Fortune Tellers And Falling & Fortune Tellers And Falling: Part 2 by @jeffersonshattricks

Prompt: During a “game” Sam is told that is soulmate will be the next person to do “X” to him and it happens to be Bucky. Sam is in denial but destiny cannot be stopped.

&

The is Bucky's POV for the first part of this. It explains how he knew they were soul mates, and shows a bit of what he went through while waiting for Sam to catch up.

A Two-Parter right here, guys! So fun! I love fics that show both POV's, they just add a new dimension, alright? Also, the pining and uncertainty in these are super good!

And that's it for today folks! I really hope you enjoy these! Once again, feel free to hop into my asks and request any trope or theme you'd like! I already got one that I'm currently working on, so that'll be fun! I also have a coupole other themes that I'm working on right now too, and I'm really excited about them!

Also, let me know if you want to be tagged for these!

[martsonmars]

24-30

.

.

HAHAHA 😈 J/K! my real ones are 19, 20, and 21!

Really evil. Thanks for asking hahaha!

19. Any new fics to start next year.

Oh dear, my to-be-written spreadsheet is going to hit 100 ideas soon, so this question is dangerous.

But I can say this: I am going to TRY to write two fics for @erotic-grope-fest, medieval porn and Maneskin inspired porn. And I have a Divine Comedy AU in mind if @carryonthroughtheages is happening in 2022 too. Everything else is a mystery! I need to continue and finish my WIPs (poor goblin!Baz, specky!Baz and my Shepfest fic), write sequels to voglio farti vedere le stelle, Left Wing, sapore di sale... And I have so many ideas, as I said. (Ratatouille AU! Rapunzel AU! Reality TV friends to fake boyfriends to lovers! More Daphne stuff!) We'll see where creativity takes me.

20. Number of comments you haven't read.

Right now it's 0! I finished replying to all the comments on my last fics like an hour ago.

I usually never have "unread" comments, because I check comments every day (more than once if I've just published something), but sometimes it takes me days or weeks to reply, because replying to comments intimidates me. (People usually congratulate me on my beautiful writing and then when I have to reply to comments I forget words and grammar and I feel such a scam hahaha.) (But reading comments is really the highlight of my days.)

21. Most memorable comment/review.

SO. The first comment that left a mark was @dragoneggo's comment on my first fic - it was one of those comments with quotes from the fic copied and pasted and it made me super happy.

Your comments are probably the best I've ever received. So much passion in them! I'll be forever grateful.

And review - it's probably @captain-aralias including me in her fic recs list, or @facewithoutheart reblogging some of my posts with paragraphs of good words about them. Amazing.

Mention to @sillyunicorn too because she always hypes everything I write up.

But I cherish and appreciate each comment, even when it's just a word or an emoji, and every reblog to my fic posts. They make me feel good <3

[ultimatebethylficlist]

Veteran Author of The Month: September 2021

The featured veteran author for September is a well-known and beloved name in the fandom, @rckyfrk !

Rckyfrk can be found on AO3 and FFN under the same penname.

When asked what got her into Bethyl and what the fandom means to her, she said:

I did not start watching TWD until late into Season 3. I don’t do well with horror. My husband would watch and I would just read a book in our bedroom or something. Well, one fateful night, I needed to get some work done on my laptop and didn’t feel like sitting in bed to get it finished, so I just stayed in the living room (our house was teeny tiny - there weren’t a lot of other places to go), and I turned so I wasn’t looking at the TV, plugged in my headphones, and got to work. Well, I glanced over and there was the wonder that is Daryl Dixon gracing my screen. I was instantly intrigued. (I believe my exact words were, “Who is that? What is he...DON’T DO THAT THERE’S ZOMBIES THERE!” and I was instantly hooked. Dammit. I found that as long as I could watch some of the behind the scenes stuff on how they make the walkers, it took some of the horror out of it and I could just focus on the artistry of all the makeup and stuff. Season 4 premiere, we had some friends come over for a “watching party,” (remember those?) and I was actually up getting refills for everyone (being the good hostess that I am) so I completely missed the hug in Beth’s cell and when I came back into the room, NO ONE THOUGHT THAT WAS IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO TELL ME ABOUT. (I thought they were my friends…) So I really didn’t start *shipping* Bethyl until “Alone.” I mean, I saw how close they were getting during “Still,” but I guess I didn’t realize what I was really seeing, you know? (Keep in mind, I was still a relatively new fan and had missed most of Season 3 and THE HUG.) Anyway, I couldn’t stand waiting for the next week to find out what happened to Beth, and thus began the ONLY time I have EVER looked for spoilers. That’s how I happened upon this crazy thing called “fan fiction,” (I honestly had never known such a thing existed before that fateful search.) I got to know some of the Bethyl writers, and someone suggested joining tumblr and writing my own stories, and the rest is history. Bethyl is the only pairing I’ve actually, actively shipped, before or after. The only two characters I’ve invested time in. The only two I’ve cried over (just ask @jbird9...hubs has seen me go through all kinds of emotions over these two). My boys can identify Beth and Daryl (they’ve NEVER seen an episode, not even a commercial for TWD, but recognize them from pics I’ve shown them.) The Bethyl fandom has brought me to meet some wonderful people, who probably know me better than members of my actual family. This fandom has been such a bright spot in my life, and has been so supportive even when the well has been dry for years (at least as far as new content from the show). I love you guys.

For her personal fic rec list, she recommends:

(Ugh. I’m really hesitant to come up with personal lists because I’ve read SO MANY WONDERFUL STORIES and I don’t want to leave any of them out, but I also know my brain and I’m not always the best at recalling names and places when I need to. I do want to give some love to:)

@gneebee [AO3] Love’s Highway and One Cold Night live in my head rent free

@piper1016 (basically anything she’s written) [AO3]

@inkinmytea (Audriss) [AO3] especially By Any Other Name

These ladies have been super supportive of my writing, and I can’t thank them enough.

I also really miss Pussyfoot by SaraiVe

is this how you say hello (in the zombie apocalypse) by the queen conquers (dastardly_dame)

Also, @leftmywingshome [AO3]

and @majicmarker​ [AO3] who not only write amazing Bethyl stories, but have their own original work published, all of which I strongly recommend reading.

There’s about a gazillion other stories that I’d like to recommend, but we’d be here all day if I listed them all. PLEASE don’t feel left out or disheartened if I didn’t pull your name from the deep recesses of my brain. I swear I’m not doing it on purpose. There are so many gifted writers in this fandom - we are SO lucky! - and I truly do appreciate @ultimatebethylficlist​ for recognizing the veterans and newbies equally.

Rckyfrk’s Works & Personal Thoughts:

Lady in Red and Man in Black Summary: It's finally the big day, Maggie and Glenn's wedding day. Beth is maid of honor, Daryl is the best man. - This started as a one-shot/prompt for Bethyl Week on Tumblr, but has evolved into becoming a full-sized story. Thoughts: I miss these babies. I had to take a break to try and get Terms and Conditions going because they are so drastically different from it, but now it’s been so long I almost have to get T & C out of my system before I can get my head back in the syrupy sweetness. Lady in Red started as a prompt (technically two) WAY back in the day. We’re talking back in the summer of 2014. The first two chapters received such a supportive response that it took on a life of its own, but it was solely from Beth’s POV, and I had Daryl in my head basically screaming to be heard, so Man in Black made its way in. The goal is to get MiB caught up with LiR, then write them simultaneously (mainly so no one knows what will be coming next and the reader gets to decide which “side” to read first).

Terms and Conditions Summary: It was Beth's first time in Atlanta by herself when the world decided to end. When she lost her way home, she winds up meeting a crossbow-toting man with steel blue eyes and a smile that gives her chills. This is not your typical Bethyl story - imagine if Daryl were more like Merle. Thoughts: I think this is the darkest thing I’ve written (and really, it’s not even that dark). I had this idea in my head for Daryl to be a lot more like Merle and all these little scenarios kept popping into my head of Beth “taming the beast,” and having them slowly fall in love despite how they met and him being a total jerk - at least in the beginning. I think there’s only going to be a couple more chapters of this one, I just need to buckle down and write them. Maybe that’s why I’m dragging my feet to do it. 

And once upon a time, I was writing a non-Bethyl story called “Summer of Learning,” which is actually kind of misleading. Back to that summer of 2014, where I was going through some fandom drama and was about to give up writing and tumblr all together when this group of Norman fans (we called ourselves his Harem...I miss you @basswipe and @unicorns-and-myblacksoul) came along and included me into their shenanigans. Anyway, they gave me the prompt “Imagine Sean Patrick Flanery is your dad’s best friend and teaches you everything there is to know about sex.” In the story, the main character’s parents are Norman and Emily, so it’s...Bethyl adjacent?

[alwaysthrowsscissors]

Fic Writer Questions!

Thanks for the tag @venhedish dont mind if I do darlin'! Loved reading your answers too!

1) How many works do you have on AO3?

17 and I started May 2020

2) What's your total AO3 word count?

84,430! Sooooo close to that 100k milestone I just need to get off my writing hiatus since I have a beefy one shot WIP and a couple kink-meme prompt fills started that will get me to the finish line!

3) How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

On Ao3/as an adult, just Supernatural.

4) What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Well Jung – This was my first and I’m still super surprised it took off so well considering all the head-hopping. I also hadn’t written fiction since high school so it’s pretty technically rough!

I Can’t Forget the Time and Place Where We Just Met – Who doesn’t love a good old-fashioned double amnesia fic! This was a SPN Masquerade fill and it was super fun to write!

Kiss the Cook – Another SPN Masquerade fill inspired by Dean in an apron in S15. Kitchen fucking is fun fucking!

Iodine and Stitches – 3/5 SPN Masquerade fills that I did fall 2020. Seriously such a fun event to participate in I cant recommend it enough. This is one my only fics with a serious tone throughout which is tough for this clown.

Double Jeopardy – Written for my buddy after finding out she has an intelligence kink! Cut to us giggling about Sam losing his damn mind when he plays Jeopardy with clever Dean!

5) Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

Listen…I can’t fully express how much comments give me LIFE! I want to know what you liked about my silly musings, I want to know your fav part, I want to know that I gave you a boner! I'll take a button smash, I'll take an emoticon. Anything, everything! I make a point to always respond back to show my appreciation for people taking time out of their day to make my day.

6) What's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

Without a shadow of a doubt Yesterday Don’t Matter if It’s Gone about what would happen if Sam and Dean hooked up during Mystery Spot and exacerbated Sam’s downward spiral during the months of Tuesdays. I write a lot of humour and this sucker is humourless PLUS has an unhappy ending! Weeee!

8) Do you write crossovers? If so what is the craziest one you've written?

Never have but not opposed to the idea.

9) Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Nope, I’ve been pretty fortunate but I also write pretty tame shit. So if I start dabbling more in the archive warnings it may change. I do have a fun multichap wincestiel non-con WIP in the works 😈

10) Do you write smut? If so what kind?

AHAHAHAHAHA I’d say a good 90-95% of my 84k wordcount is smut! All M/M all explicit! Fun times over at Casa Scissors 😏. I do have some upcoming stuff that’s more plot heavy though which I’m looking forward to.

11) Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I fucking hope not that would be a big bummer.

12) Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes! And as a noob I had to pinch myself, it still fucking blows my mind! A lovely Ao3 user Yigelulu translated I Can’t Forget the Time and Place Where We Just Met into Chinese. It was so incredibly cool to see my words in another language and a great honour that they liked my fic enough to put in all that work!

13) Have you ever co-written a fic before? Yup! Turn Your Head and Cough with my budbud Wearingdeantoprom. Dean gets his prostate rubbed for the first time at the doctors office.

14) What's your all time favorite ship?

Wincest wincest all the wincest! My brain is infected and there is no cure! I am a pro-shipper though ship and let ship my dudes. I also dabble in wincestiel and LOVE any combination of winkline and may write it one day. I don’t really read much from other fandoms. I’ve read some George/Fred (I like brother fucking ok?) and I love me some Jess Mariano/Dean Forester over in the Gilmore Girls camp (the perfect enemies to lovers) but its unfortunately such a small ship. Any souls reading this who like those ships, please drop any recs into my box!

15) What's a WIP that you want to finish but don't think you ever will?

Anything I am passionate about I will finish. I’ve only killed one thing because I got bored with it but I posted my fav part for a fic challenge. I hate not having something to show for my spent time (I know it's a hobby but it's the principle damnit!) and I hate unfinished things. Those damn little ao3 red circles haunt me 🚫

16) What are your writing strengths?

Christ uhhh I’ll say I’m most consistently praised in comments for my dialogue and it’s what always flows the smoothest for me. I think my humour is also a strength, it comes very naturally when I write which is why I have a hard time keeping it out of my fics! Times are tough I just wanna make y’all giggle ok?

17) What are your writing weaknesses?

Frankly, my greatest weakness is that I don’t take it seriously enough to look at my past writing critically for improvement. I also write (non-fiction) for my job and had extensive training to do so, so when its for this hobby I honestly whip it out, edit a couple times, and slap it up ‘good enough’ styles and I don’t go back to re-read once posted. I think if I looked back, I could see lots of opportunities for improvement and could go from a fine writer to a good writer. I’d also say that I’ve written pretty fun fluffy cracky smutty stuff so I guess another weakness is a lack of depth of plot and subject matter. I do want to explore this stuff more though.

18) What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

My concern is if you don’t speak the language fluently, then native speakers reading your fic might feel a big disconnect if you get colloquialisms and euphemism etc. incorrect. It could take them out of your fic if its not authentic enough. I don’t speak any other language fluently so it would END BADLY. I can speak and read French VERY POORLY and that’s it so no, I will never write in another language unless its jibberish I invented myself!

19) What was the first fandom you wrote for?

The only fanfic I wrote before SPN last year was a handful of super cracky, gen Gundam Wing fanfiction in high school!! They are on a broken USB stick which kills me I want to read them so badly! All my other creative writing was original fiction mainly horror/thrillers. I stopped when I started my undergrad cause...that shit is a lot of work yo.

20) What's your favorite fic you've written?

My first love is my first baby Well Jung. I love the plot, I love the humour in it, I love the heart, and it’s still some of my fav sex I’ve written. And the title makes me giggle too who doesn’t love a bad pun? I'm so thrilled it was so successful but it would still be my favourite even if 3 people read it. It made me rediscover writing as a hobby and helped me explore this wonderful (yet insane) fandom. I love all my babies and I even think the writing is stronger in other fics, but he will always be #1 in my heart.

OK this was fun I love talking about fic writing! If any of you read my stuff and want to know more, hit me with an ask; I love making new frans! Tagging @oddsocksandstuff @samanddeaninpanties @raidens-realm I think my other writer mutuals have been tagged by Ven!

[sineala]

hii i love your fics and your blog. what are some writers, fanfic or otherwise, who inspire you? have you read anything good, fanfic or otherwise, recently? thank you i hope you have a nice day

I hope you have a nice day, too, anon!

The past year’s been kind of hard on me mentally -- and I am pretty sure I am not alone in this -- and until very recently I really haven’t been motivated to read much of anything, or write much of anything. I am slowly working on being able to do both of these things, but I am definitely not at 100% yet.

So I haven’t read all that much lately. In terms of actual books, I really liked Gideon the Ninth and Harrow the Ninth and am looking forward to the last book in the trilogy; last year I finally decided to get a supporting membership to Worldcon so I could vote for the Hugos, and while I didn’t manage to read anything other than the Novel and Novella categories, I enjoyed getting a giant virtual packet of books and getting to read some of the nominees, and I am looking forward to doing that again this year with the current Worldcon. (For approximately $50 you too can vote in the Hugos and receive a large number of current SF books and stories!)

If you’re looking for a rec for a SF/fantasy novel you probably haven’t read, one of my favorite authors, the late John M. Ford, is finally having most of his books come back into print. So far the only book that’s been reissued is The Dragon Waiting, which is an alt-history fantasy novel about the Wars of the Roses in a world where Byzantium has conquered much of Europe. It is very, very good. I reread it last year when it was rereleased. He does some really amazing things with POV (actually, so does Harrow the Ninth) and it has possibly my very favorite portrayal of vampires, in that vampirism in it is an unfortunate non-sexy medical condition that also happens to make you something fairly close to immortal, so people often seek to become vampires for strategic political reasons because they would really like to rule forever.

I really haven’t been reading a lot of fanfiction lately -- I have about twenty pages of stories Marked For Later on AO3 -- but let me see what I can come up with, looking at things I’ve bookmarked. Honestly I think one of the best parts about not lurking in fandom anymore is getting to befriend authors whose work I really admire; it’s a great experience. Kiyaar’s work always destroys me emotionally, and at some point I am gonna get to write a story with her, and I don’t know what it will be yet but it’s gonna be so much fun. (Insert “someone will die! of fun!” meme here.) Isozyme is currently playing in Untamed fandom and I really wish she would come back and write more Steve/Tony; I keep rereading her Ults fic and having Feelings. Mizzy consistently hits basically every narrative trope that I have ever liked, and I know this fic predates the pandemic, but I feel like always winter, never spring has been a Big Mood this past year. Sadisticsparkle does really consistently lovely work that I feel deserves to be recced more. I feel I have been pretty open about the fact that BlossomsintheMist’s Relativistic Heat Conduction is still my absolute favorite comics Steve/Tony story ever. Ever. (I would also like to try to cowrite with her someday but I have So Many Things to write first.) And also Crait’s Stark Disassembled series is perfect, perfect Civil War Tony Stark and I wish I could write half as well as this. I wish I could write half as well as any of these people.

And so you’re not like, “Hey, Sine, why are you just reccing your friends?” let me rec work by a couple of people whom I am pretty sure I have never interacted with beyond leaving embarrassingly-gushing comments on AO3. JenTheSweetie only writes MCU but every time I get a story notification email from AO3 I am super-happy, and I have read And Time Can Do So Much more times than I can count. It is an Endgame fixit. And I also want to rec -- oh my God, I just realized this is the exact same premise but it’s 616 and not MCU and also the other way around, oh my God, am I really this predictable, I guess so -- haemodye’s when you are fallen, which is a story in which Steve is presumed dead but is not really dead, just invisible, and Tony completely falls apart. And Steve gets to watch. So angsty. So good. Also it’s relatively recent, so probably not everyone has read it!

(I guess I really like stories that are basically AUs of the movie Ghost. I’m very predictable. In that vein, there’s also Mizzy’s ooh you and me would be a big conversation. Presumed-dead is the best trope because you get all the angst of deathfic but then you get a happy ending! Where Our Restless Monsters Sleep is also presumed-dead, I guess, in that it’s an Endgame fixit, but I figure every MCU fan has read it already. You know what, just go read all of Mizzy’s fic. I’ll wait here.)

There! I hope you find something good to read!