#i realize that there are probably some unexpected fandoms in this list

[mania-sama]

january fic recs!

organization:

➼ fandom

✎ [Fic Name] by [Author] ❧ rating, word count (in progress tagged if work is not completed) ❧ relationship tags ❧ my description/notes ❧ Quotation

featured fandoms: voltron: legendary defender | jujutsu kaisen | haikyuu | harry potter | avatar: the last airbender | undertale | marvel cinematic universe

➼ voltron: legendary defender

✎ A Raven on the Path Home by artimess_chimes ❧ not rated, 31k ❧ keith/lance ❧ lance following the aftermath of the intergalactic war. the author does an amazing job of portraying depression from the depressed person's perspective. while lance does have a level of self-awareness that many people with mental illness do, the depression and ptsd override most of his common sense and relationality anyway. misery breeds misery; he does a very good job of behaving poorly and increasing his loneliness. and then he slowly owns up to his mistakes and rebuilds his support system that he had destroyed, but not without help. it's a really good personal growth journey with klance as a lovely addition to lance's behemoth of emotions ❧ Lynn looked at him unimpressed. “An insistence on independence is just using your own pride to deny yourself love.” 

✎ Asterism by idas_library ❧ mature, 92.0k (in progress) ❧ team voltron, keith/lance, allura/lotor, adam/shiro ❧ i REFUSE to believe that this is the author's first fanfiction, because this is ASTOUNDINGLY well done and indicative of years of writing. they must be an author outside of fanfiction. they must. anyway, the story follows the end of s1 when the wormhole gets screwed up, and instead of being in his lion and getting thrown into an ocean planet with hunk, lance is outside of his lion and gets tossed somewhere random. after almost dying in his suit in the middle of nowhere-space, he gets picked up by a galra outer ring outpost. cue a long, spiraling adventure to escape, and then the adventure beyond. not a single scene or OC is wasted (i would commit genocide for you, 697). of course, my whump-loving heart was cheering at the torture and whatnot, but none of it for nothing. everything has a purpose. the truly amazing part of this fic though is the very natural progression and growth of lance's character (much better than whatever the show had going on). he consistently uses his unique strengths to separate himself from the rest, and even though he is growing into a leadership role, he is just that: growing. there are chinks in his armor and a lot of path yet to travel, but the author is handling it phenomenally. it's impossible to tell where the story will go as of yet, but i have my theories. i am thoroughly impressed by the author's skill and the quality of this fic. ❧ That was the last good day, in Lance’s opinion. It was the last time his lungs ached from laughter, and the last time the tears in his eyes didn’t sting and the chill in the air didn’t quite reach his bones. It was the last good day for a long time.

➼ jujutsu kaisen

✎ adolescent dreams & adult screams by twinprimes ❧ teen and up, 15.2k ❧ fushiguro megumi & gojo satoru, getou suguru/gojo satoru ❧ grief and trauma take many forms, and when you're trying to raise a kid you have no blood relation to that is ALSO the child of the man you killed (and give you a boat-load of trauma), it's kind of hard to deal with them. it also shows how it was never really about protecting megumi from harmful information; it's how gojo struggles to reconcile with what happened to him, what he did, and how to talk about it. it's hard to answer questions when you don't know how to give an answer without hurting yourself in the process. absolutely amazing. ❧ “I know he was a bad person,” Megumi continues. He doesn’t sound particularly upset. “And I know he did bad things that I don’t know about, too. So you don’t have to lie about it to me because you don’t want to ruin my opinion of him, or something stupid like that.”

✎ chronicles of a man trying his best by angryjane ❧ general audiences, 35.2k (in progress) ❧ fushiguro megumi & fushiguro tsumiki & gojo satoru & nanami kento, gojo satoru/nanami kento ❧ on the opposite of end of the spectrum, we have a menace-to-society!megumi being raised by reformed-menace-to-society!gojo. this is a series of 5 fics that i don't think is ever going to get updated again, but doesn't feel incomplete in any capacity. each is relatively a stand alone and is more a basic slice of life than it is anything else. it's very funny, especially if you don't take it seriously (which you shouldn't; allow the series to guide you in your emotions). hints of past satosugu, but mostly nanago. tsumiki is a menace in her own right, and nanami is only slightly better at hiding his down badness than gojo is. again, very much a crack series but is also powerful in the little moments where the cracks seal and a bit of angst and genuineness appears. my favorite fic of the series is definitely the room is filled with people who love you. ❧ Grumbling, Megumi relents, sacrificing his dessert to Nanami’s waiting hand before scrambling off the floor and scurrying towards the kitchen table. Hesitantly, Nanami trails after him, setting the tub, followed by the bouquet of roses, down on the table and picking up a paperback he finds there, wincing at the title. Taking up residence beneath the screaming smoke detector, he begins to fan Training Pets to Kill- A Beginner’s Ultimate Guide: Tips, Tricks, Legalities and more! above his head like an offering. 

➼ haikyuu

✎ and back to you again, step by step by step by eurydicees ❧ teen and up, 8.1k ❧ daishou suguru/kuroo tetsurou ❧ this is honestly a really interesting fic due to its perspective. no relationship is perfect, nor always 100% healthy. however, for the way the fic is written, we truly only get one side/interpretation of how the relationship works until little bits and pieces are revealed through dialogue provided to kuroo from daishou. more than it is a fic on relationships, it is a wonderful piece on manipulating perspective; the author has kuroo written sort of as a victim until daishou explains that he also felt hurt and victimized in the relationship. it shows just how important communication is, and how no one but the two people involved can provide the most reliable communication. it's really interesting and very well done, especially from a technique view. ❧ “He apologized,” Kuroo says. “You know how rare that is? I think he’s apologized for something, like, twice ever in his life, and one of those times was this. The other was because he broke my nose with a volleyball when we were seven.”

✎ Yaobikuni by PlumTea ❧ mature, 7.1k ❧ iwaizumi hajime/oikawa tooru ❧ on the topic of unhealthy relationships... very hesitantly am i recommending this not because i do not believe that the fic is good, but because i think this exposes more about me than i care to admit. yet here i am. anyway, if you want some insane power dynamics, toxic relationships, and a splash of horror, then this is the fic for you. oikawa is a merman and iwaizumi catches him because he wants to live forever. is it really cannibalism if one isn't even technically the same species? a question for the ages. it also ponders the unanswerable, undefinable paradox of immortality without actually making the main character live for a thousand years to find a suitable, relative answer. i adore this author's horror haikyuu works, i highly recommend everyone to read more from them. ❧ “So you want to live forever? You could end up feeling terrible forever, too.”

✎ The SakuAtsu Documentary by the MSBY Black Jackals by lettersinpetals ❧ teen and up, 6.7k ❧ miya atsumu/sakusa kiyoomi ❧ very hilarious and very, very cute. i am always 100% down for some team shenanigans, and this one takes the cake. it's one large prank, and while the intended result was to simply amend the tense relationship between atsumu and sakusa while documenting their progress via vlogs, they got much more than they bargained for. the prank sakuatsu plays back is very funny as well and i did laugh out loud. ❧ “Something’s gotta give and we’re afraid we’ll find Atsumu’s corpse lying in a ditch,” Adriah said. “He’s a cocky prick, but he is also one of the country’s best setters, as much as I hate to admit it. We’d prefer not to lose him.”

➼ harry potter

✎ disguised as something else by aloneintherain ❧ teen and up, 3.1k ❧ harry potter & remus lupin & sirius black, harry potter & friends ❧ THE CUPBOARD UNDER THE STAIRS. the one glaring vice that the harry potter series has, storywise, is that harry's prospective childhood trauma from the dursleys is almost never discussed. look me in the eyes and tell me he does not have an everlasting scar from their blatant neglect and abuse. that's right. you CAN"T. anyway, this story explores just a bit of that abuse, while also tackling the fact that he hasn't ever talked about it. he hasn't healed from that experience, and just because he's in a safe environment now with a loving family doesn't mean that scar has faded. in fact, it's a scab that's now picked open. wonderfully explores the process of talking about your feelings instead of bottling it up and pretending it doesn't exist. ❧ A part of him aches to crawl into that dark, cramped space and curl up next to Sirius. It’s safe in there, his hind-brain reminds him. Adult hands only ever reached in to drag him out.

➼ avatar: the last airbender

✎ the hands that feed by aloneintherain ❧ teen and up, 1.9k ❧ the gaang & zuko ❧ classic zuko scar reveal. no, these never get old. every author tackles it in a different way. i especially like the way this author approaches it in this fic (as evident as it is that i appreciate the way they write trauma and trauma recovery. see harry potter for reference). one of the important things about traumatic events is that it is incredibly important for a person to reveal their trauma by their own violation. ripping it out of someone or learning about their past via other conventions is a surefire way to dismantle trust and a certain amount of the healing process. in this, zuko involuntarily reveals how he got his scar, but he also, vitally, doesn't remember doing so. the gaang know that they aren't supposed to know. so, they are willing to give him time. time for him to come to them, step by miserable step, with his past burning the soles of his feet. they are all very kind to him even in this moment of stress and desperation. love love love it. ❧ Sokka felt like screaming. He couldn’t, not with Zuko so close and so confused. He wouldn’t stir up old memories. Wouldn’t hurt Zuko more than he’d already been hurt.

➼ undertale

✎ lest ye be judged by nilchance ❧ teen and up, 35.4k (in progress) ❧ papyrus & sans, asgor dreemurr & papyrus & sans ❧ man where do i even start with this. essentially, an au where everything is the same except that sans and papyrus were once homeless kids on the street who were eventually taken in by a merciful, guilt-ridden asgor, post the first six human deaths but pre gaster death. they don't stay for long, and everyone is memory wiped of their time with asgor anyway, but sans remembers. their time together is impactful in a way that can only be felt in the white spaces between every word and sentence. i am always for adding extra trauma to... any given character, so that was simply a bonus for me. the author also has a very well-defined interpretation of every major character, which really makes the series feel as near to canon as a fic could ever be in some aspects. every bond, word, and relationship shared and formed is important in some aspect, and it has consequences. the only sad thing about this series is that it very clearly had a build-up to sans revealing the complete truth and his personal feelings to his "family" in the post-true pacifist route, but. well. the series hasn't been updated since 2018. but it's okay because i still think it's all very much worth the read. every single one of the fics. my favorite is definitely the first fic (traumatized kids. yep that's the life), but runs in the family is a very close second. ❧ It had taken months before Chara stopped probing at the limits of his patience like a sore tooth. Seeing what it would take for Asgore to hit them. It's a hard lesson for a child to learn, harder to unlearn. Asgore keeps his hands open and voice easy. "Thank you."

✎ disenchanted lullaby by nilchance ❧ general audiences, 1.6k ❧ papyrus & sans ❧ ah yes, the inevitable nihilism and mental collapse after a time loop. what i find the most interesting about post-true pacifism is that for a character like sans, it is much harder to reconcile a happy ending with what he'd experienced because he has absolutely no control over it. for other time loops, they have to deal with the conflict of wondering if they will accidentally reset it themselves. they are the main character. but for sans, who is not a main character, who is merely a bystander and victim to the never-ending resets, he has no control. no bearing over whether or not his journey restarts. and to start all over again - that is a terrifying prospect. of course he's got depression. who wouldn't? the way that it's approached in careful prose and the bonding of the two brothers is very precious to me. delicious fic. ❧ "Don't," he says, unexpectedly fierce. "I heard you crying like you were falling down, brother. I heard you say that you've given up. It's a little late to tell me you're happy."

✎ Revenant by Solena2 ❧ general audiences, 2.1k ❧ no defined relationships ❧ this fic au is horrifying if you think about it for more than 2 seconds. all of the characters who appear as "undead" (the ghosts and the skeletons) were, at one point, living humans that had all fallen down to the ruins and thus been slain by asgore. the items that they wore had been lost and scattered until, eventually, the seventh human child falls down and collects their other fallen humans' things as you do in the game. when you put it into the perspectives of the characters' jobs, especially for sans and papyrus who work for the very man that mercilessly killed them, it really drives in the entire hopelessness of the underground, that they really have no place else to go. it's also simply beautifully written. i love a one shot that makes you feel a host of complex, unforgiving emotions. ❧ Like those before them - they come, they leave, they die.

✎ Hairline Fractures by kaliawai512 ❧ teen and up, 31.3k ❧ papyrus & sans ❧ yes more discussion on the devastating, horrifying, everlasting effects of inescapable time loops, as i've mentioned under the description of the disenchanted lullaby. however, this fic takes at multiple steps further. they are 6 months into living in the human world, and it is pretty terrible for monsters. in the perspective of sans, he battles with daily racism(?), balancing multiple jobs, the guilt of watching his brother suffer, and wondering, wondering when the world will reset and it will all end. because, well, they had made it that far before, hadn't they? there is a scene though where sans gets drunk for the first time and it makes me ill because i was crudely reminded of my first time, which was a far more unpleasant experience than sans'. but its okay i powered through and it, in fact, one of the best scenes in the fic. the BEST part of this fic though is that the author somehow coded the actual papyrus and comic sans into the fic for the dialogue and i am now determined (hahahhaha) to figure out how to do that for myself. ❧ He should get up. He should really get up. Papyrus was worried, and every minute Sans lay there, he got more worried. Even if he couldn’t get up, he could at least respond. But every time Papyrus came to the door, he couldn’t make a sound come out. He tried, he tried over and over again, but his voice refused to respond.

➼ marvel cinematic universe

✎ out there, living in the sun by Hailfire_73 ❧ teen and up, 30.1k ❧ peter parker & richard parker, peter parker & tony stark, peter parker & avengers, pepper potts/tony stark ❧ peter parker's dad, richard, is an evil hydra agent that essentially has kept peter from the civilization. he runs experiments on kidnapped people, kills them, and discards of them. and peter, well, peter doesn't really know a life outside of this. and then he gets kidnapped by iron man and captain america. suddenly, the world is a lot larger than the haunted mansion he grew up in. it's a very interesting fic that not only handles the affects of abuse, but takes a very different route on peter's relationship with the avengers. because he never becomes "spider-man" in our sense and understanding of spider-man, he ends up developing his relationships differently. it's also interesting to see how the author approaches his character. they rip peter parker from the environment that made who he was, prevent him from ever getting in the suit and from saving a single person, yet they still manage to keep the core of his character alive. pretty awesome. also, there is a plant named spike. that's pretty cool. ❧ “Captain America? Get me out of here?” asked Peter, squinting his eyes and tilting his head. Iron Man hoisted him out of bed, and the covers went with him, hitting the floor by Peter’s feet. “Oh cool, I’m being kidnapped.”

✎ for peter by Hailfire_73 ❧ general audiences, 19.0k ❧ peter parker & tony stark + family, pepper potts/tony stark ❧ peter parker gets turned into a dog instead of dusting away when thanos snapped. I KNOW BUT HEAR ME OUT. the fic is (mostly) set in tony's perspective, and he doesn't really know that peter is a dog now. he just knows that its now his responsibility to take care of this stray dog that peter had picked up before the snap. it follows the 5 years of tony and his blooming family, his grieving, his attempts to keep peter's memory alive, while peter does everything he can to somehow communicate to tony that he's still here. it's a really good fic; tony very clearly projects his mourning onto "buddy the dog", and it, in turn, makes him a better father to his daughter. fair warning though: do NOT feed your dog cheeseburgers instead of dog food on a regular basis! that will kill your dog!!! do not do as tony does!!!!! ❧ “Wanna come home with me?” asked Tony. “Look, I’m not Peter, I’m nowhere near as good and kind, hell I don’t even really like dogs, but… I have a house with a big yard and plenty of squirrels and rats to chase and… if you’re lucky, I might even feed you.”

[weast-of-eden]

I've been thinking about how I could contribute to the ACD/Granada Sherlock Holmes fandom for a while, seeing as I'm neither an artist, a writer, or anything actually useful lol. But then I realized something I myself always treasure are curated fic recs, which I could actually do! I've read probably like 25% of all the h/w ACD and Granada fics on ao3, so I compiled a short list for anyone who is just starting out with the fandom. Without further ado, may I present

Eden’s Top Picks for Beginning ACD/Granada Fics:

(edit: i made a second list here!!)

The Adventure of the Doctor's Heart by mistyzeo 12k | Rated E Summary: Holmes has observed much of Watson's habits and tastes over time, which is why it surprises him when his friend objects strangely to a folk song sung at the conclusion of a case. Disturbed by the Doctor's unexpected display of emotion, Holmes becomes determined to lift his spirits by any means necessary, with mixed results. Notes: obviously if you're going to read canonverse h/w, you are going to read mistyzeo. this one is just so good and angsty and features music (!!). it's got some steaminess but it also has wooing. basically it has everything you ever need. this is my odyssey, my iliad, my hamlet, etc.

Cameo by what_alchemy 8k | Rated M | For Archive Users Only Summary: Holmes and Watson become embroiled in a case Scotland Yard refuses to acknowledge. A soulmate AU. Notes: i honestly skipped over this fic for a while, since i'm not the biggest fan of soulmate aus. do not make the same mistake i did, because this shit HITS. this fic has hit after hit: soulmate-mark based case for our main duo, angst, hiatus feels, MORE ANGST, and ofc a happy ending. ugh. read this fic if you enjoy being happy.

A Tide That Does Not Turn by tweedisgood 3k | Rated T Summary: Holmes is a very bad patient with a devoted doctor who adores him. Watson wishes it was safe to speak up, but his friend is a tide that does not turn. Notes: do NOT read this if you don't like angst... ok now i'm sensing a pattern. anyways this is the first hurt/no comfort fic i read for this tag and i literally have cried more than enough tears over it. poor, poor watson :( iconic author though, read everything they write!

The Adventure of the Glad Outlaw by radondoran 7k | Rated T Summary: While Sherlock Holmes solves the mystery of a student's disappearance, Dr. Watson is more puzzled by the changing dynamic between his flatmate and himself. Notes: cute pastiche! a nice little mystery and a nice little get-together. ahhhhhh.... this fic is like cotton candy to me, so sweet and fluffy. defo recommend

Hands by MinorObsessions (draculard) 1.4k | Rated T Summary: Naturally, there are some things Watson thinks about Holmes that don't make it into the books. Notes: i'm also in the star trek fandom, so if you know anything about that then you know that hands are kind of A Thing in both circles and ergo i now Have A Thing about hands. so this is a nice little ode to holmes' hands, featuring some doctoring by watson AND a nice reverse appraisal at the end. it's so sweet :)

Conductor of Light by ColebaltBlue  1.4k | Rated T Summary: A Victorian stiff upper lip won't prevent you from falling in love, but it might prevent you from realizing it. Notes: they finally get their shit together! honestly i would recommend this fic to anyone just starting out with h/w fics in any medium. the characterization and dialogue is A1, and their argument is really realistic to me, idk. also features the iconic HOUN quote for its title so props to that!

A (Mis)fortunate Man by sans_patronymic 1.5k | Rated T Summary: December, 1880. Watson writes a note which may be his last. December, 1899. Watson writes back. Notes: READ THE TAGS BEFORE READING. this was a gut-wrenching read but god i cried at the end for watson. don't worry, this one has a happy ending. ugh now i wish there was a second chapter where watson lets holmes read the letters. to sum up: oof, my heart

The Second Smartest Man in London by FairSinner 73k | Rated E Summary: Dr John Watson returns from Afghanistan to Victorian London, wounded, traumatised and alone. When he meets Sherlock Holmes, his life begins to seem worth living again. But Holmes is a man who despises sentiment and Watson cannot seem to expunge it from his heart. Notes: congrats, you've made it to the end!! so now i must confess that it's been a loooong time since i've read this fic, but the private note i left on my bookmark was just "holy shit", so i'm sure it's a banger. i'm also sure it has angst because i love angst and i love bookmarking angst so i can read it again and again and suffer infinitely. enjoy :)

anyways, now that i've put these all here i realized how much i enjoy angst and hurt/no comfort fics. if any of you guys have a favorite fic you want to link or want to plug your own writing, feel free to!

[dreamingofthewild]

100 Bloodweave Fanfic recommendations

As there are over 3,000 Bloodweave fanfics, I have been wanting to do a fanfic rec list for a while. To share some of the works I enjoyed and to offer support for the talented writers in the fandom. I opted for 100, as it is a nice number for a rec list. It was very hard to narrow it down, and there are many good fics that, unfortunately, didn't make it too the list. This is not meant as a 'Top 100' list.

The recommendations will be shared in 6 parts as it is too much for one post.

Part 4: In Universe Post-Canon Multi-Chapter - 20 fics. 

two slow dancers by arcanefoxx. Ongoing. Healing, Comfort, Fluff. Based on the idea of touch-starved Gale and touch-averse Astarion. Astarion and Gale learn to navigate their respective trauma’s post-game. This is very sweet.

Stay Though My Arms Shake by Lunarwench. 162,002 words. Slow-Burn, Angst, Friends to Lovers. Realising that he has nowhere to go Gale invites Astarion back to Waterdeep with him. They slowly fall in love, but the road to admitting their feelings for each other is not easy.

Better call Astarion by Greytercakes. 34,496 words. Angst, Fluff, Anxiety, Unhealty Coping Mechanisms, PTSD. After Astarion is arrested for trespass in Waterdeep, he decides to return to his roots and study law. Not to fight his case or anything, but purely to win arguments against the people he hates most – magistrates.

The Other Shoe by United. Ongoing. Fluff, Healing, Angst, Slow-Burn. Waterdeep will be many things for Astarion. A place to rest. A place to heal. A place to figure out what the fuck he wants to do with his life now.It will also be a place of endless frustration with a wizard who refuses to collect on his debts and a stranger he can not keep himself from returning to.

What Friends are For by Nivasi. 52,480 words. Hurt/comfort, Fluff, Humour, Smut. After Tav and Gale divorce, Astarion is sent to check up on Gale and they end up falling in love. This story is unique, and takes an unexpected turn. 

Dear (Mine), From (Yours) by LamentablePlum. 10,245 words. Getting Together. Mutual Pining. Post-game Gale and Astarion exchange letters between themselves and eventually develop feelings for each other. Luckily, Wither's reunion party is just around the corner! Will they be able to confess their feelings in person?

in the middle of a maze by vannral. 14,556 words. Friendship, Getting Together. Gale has disappeared, he, Shadowheart and Tara try to find Gale. 

Eclipse of Two Moons by deerancha. 20,896 words. Angst, Fluff, Depression, Smut, Alcoholism. After the events of his adventures with Tav and the party, Gale finds it hard to find his place in the world. He slips into a depression, unsure how to proceed with the pieces of his life he has left. Until he reunites with an old friend, who puts things back into perspective again.

Travelling Together by oflights. Ongoing. Soulmates, Angst. After the tadpoles are gone and everyone goes their separate ways, Astarion and Gale realize they can still hear each other’s thoughts. Probably because they’re soulmates.

Mutually Assured Attachment by FaustusianSutcliff. 19,289 words. Getting Together, Friends to Lovers. After spending some time adventuring, Astarion takes Gale up on his offer to stay with him in Waterdeep for a time, both expecting to spend time together as friends, neither expecting, but disappointed, to fall in love.

A Study in Reflection by Aenigmatica. 14,341 words. Fake/ Pretend Relationship, Love Confessions, Smut. Gale returns to Waterdeep with the orb still intact, hoping to find a cure that doesn’t involve Mystra. When  the Open Lord of Waterdeep proposes a marriage alliance with a mysterious suitor in exchange for removing the Orb, Gale claims to be already committed to a nonexistent lover, unwilling to compromise his integrity. Luckily, a certain pale elf offers to help.

Destructive Natures by patheticfangirl. 123,580 words. Angst, Bittersweet Ending, Friends to Enemies to Friends to Lovers. When Astarion regrets his ascension, Gale thinks it's because he's a good person who can still redeem himself. Astarion has his own theory: that Gale really is an asshole.They struggle to prove each other wrong.

Wicked Wizards and Profound Wounds by patheticfangirl. 65,925 words. Angst with a Happy Ending. A certain vampire spawn is a tempting target for local necromancers, who want to sacrifice him as part of a dark ritual. But Astarion wants to live, and Gale will do anything to ensure he does—even if it means making a tremendously stupid decision that sends his beloved and their friends on a perilous adventure.

The Yawning Grave by thealphaaxolotl. 21,645 words. Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Faustian Bargain, Revenant Gale. Gale detonates the orb in the final fight. Astarion will do anything to get him back.

Sunwalker by lateralparallel. 15,758 words. Hurt/Comfort, Angst With A Happy Ending. Gale detonates the orb during the final fight. Astarion is left to pick up the pieces—and then to pick up Mystra's call for the Crown of Karsus in exchange for a Wish spell.

the halcyon days ahead of us by vannral. 16,332 words. Getting together, Sharing a Bed. In which Gale and Astarion visit Shadowheart’s cottage. They have to share a bed. Includes yearning, love confessions and misunderstandings.

hearth fire by vannral. 9,910 words. Domestic Fluff, Misunderstandings, Love Confessions. Astarion is interested in acquiring a Ring of the Sun-Walker. Gale agrees to help. Includes miscommunication and pining.

A moment for eternity by Anonymous_Kraken. 29,646 words. Angst With a Happy Ending, Suicidal Thoughts, Smut. Gale ascends leaving Astarion lost, confused, and betrayed. However, through his friends he allows himself to move on. Until the God of Ambition shows up on his doorstep.

Coming Home Again by hippiereborn, PjCole. Ongoing. Love Confessions, First Kiss. Having gone their separate ways after the fall of The Absolute, Gale and Astarion meet once more at the reunion party and discover they’d both been rather foolish.

He Deserves More Than This by asgardianstarfish (vyxythepixie). 3,877 words. Angst, Hurt/ Comfort, Fluff. Astarion grieves his lover, and he has a bone to pick with Mystra about it.

Part 1: In Universe Canon Multi-Chapter - 15 fics

Part 2: In Universe Canon One-Shots - 17 fics.

Part 3: In Universe Canon Divergent - 16 fics.

Part 5: In Universe Post-Canon One Shots - 14 fics. 

Part 6: Alternate Universe - 18 fics.

[vewyscawywriting]

It's Better Down Where It's Wetter

Fandom: League of Legends

Pairing: Pyke x F!Summoner!Reader

Wordcount: 2443 words

Tags: pussy eating, light choking

Summary: Pyke is stalking you, and you are unsure if it's because he wants to kill you or something else altogether...

Lately you felt eyes on you at all times. Again. You were starting to feel a little uncomfortable, not knowing who it was that was eyeing you this time. When you found wet footsteps in your vicinity while you'd seen no one around you slowly started putting two and two together. You had been summoning Pyke quite a bit, and you felt a chill go down your back at the thought that Pyke had been watching you all this time. His reasons for doing so escaped you, but knowing the psychotic revenant it couldn't have been good. 

Was he trying to kill you, despite him not being able to since you were a summoner? It was the wait that honestly frayed your nerves most. Just holding onto your sanity as you questioned every shadow or strange feeling, just waiting for Pyke to pop out and scare the living crap out of you. Maybe he'd found a loophole, and you'd be hurt after all. So far you'd stayed out of harms way, but things had happened that you seriously doubted were as the Institute of War intended. You'd gotten much more intimate with your champions as time progressed, and the thought that what you were doing was probably at the very least frowned upon and at worst downright illegal made you afraid of what the consequences could be. Not only that, it felt like something had shifted in the way your champions behaved around you; they were closer, physically and mentally, and it blurred the lines of you being a summoner coming from a different world. It felt more and more like you belonged here, and the thought of your champions being able to actually harm you became more and more of a possibility to you.

The stress was getting to you, and so, as you were hanging around your Summoner assigned bedroom you decided the wait for Pyke to kill you was going to be the death of you before he likely could be. Eyes were on you, once more, and you decided to just confront him first. 

"I know you're here, Pyke," you said out loud, almost feeling the words ripple through the room until they found him. "Just get it over with already, you're stressing me out. What do you want?"

As you turned around you found him standing in the middle of the room, hunched over, and seemingly ready to turn tail and run again. In all accounts he looked more stressed to be found out than you were with him lurking.

"The list," he muttered, and your heart dropped. You were on the list and he was debating to kill you. You knew it. But his next words were unexpected. "You've never been on my list."

You raised your brows. Wasn't that the natural state of things? Looking at Pyke's weary eyes told you it was not. Apparently he was used to just about everyone being on his list, and somewhere in his clouded mind he realized that it was indeed strange. 

"Well, that's... good, right?"

He was quiet for a second, just looking at you for a little bit, before he replied with a: "...Yes."

"Soooo... why are you in my room, then?"

He was quiet once more, but this time instead of replying he just... went back to the shadows, becoming invisible to you again as you frowned at him avoiding to answer you. The door to your room opened, closed, and you realized you were alone once more.

"Right."

That was an interesting interaction. Totally not a little concerning at all! 

Well, whatever it was, you were going to continue your life like usual. You were... fairly used to eyes on you at this point. A chuckle escaped you. Your champions had strange ways to deal with their interest in you. 

...until you realized at least Fiddlesticks had left you some privacy with his stalking. You were unsure if it was his size, it being too difficult for the scarecrow to follow everywhere, or anything else, but where the others had left you alone at least some times, it seemed Pyke was just... looking. Always. 

At times where you thought you were alone; like when you were in bed, showering... times when you though you didn't feel his eyes on you, you'd find wet footprints afterwards, leading from your room, and you were starting to get a little upset. Just looking was... fine. But not when you were doing private things. You needed your privacy and as such you decided to once again confront him. 

"Pyke, I really need some privacy once in a while. Do you understand that it upsets me when you're just always there watching, even when I'm taking a shower?"

It was quiet, very quiet, and you started doubting he was even there. Was this..? Were you finally alone after all?

Slowly you started walking through your room, checking all corners and places he could possibly be hiding, but for once, you found nothing. Not even the footprints you were now used to finding everywhere when he'd been lurking.

It was almost weird to not have him around, and you were stumped.

"Huh." was all that left you as you continued getting ready for bed. You really should've just decided to sleep at home, always, especially when the lines of your relationships with your champions kept blurring more and more. On the other hand, fun things happened here, and not at home. You'd take some discomfort for the excitement you got in return. Like an idiot.

The moment your head hit the pillow you were out, it seemed you were more tired than you thought. Dreams soon overtook you, but a cold hand touching your leg had you sitting up with a startled yelp. There he was, at the end of you bed, all gloom and darkness as pale eyes regarded your every move. Your throat seemed to constrict, no words able to pass your lips as you held your breath, waiting for what he was going to do now. His hand was still around your ankle, rapidly cooling your skin as your eyes were locked. Your breath was coming heavy, and it seemed his' mirrored yours. He suddenly jolted into motion, pulling you down as you fell back, gripping your sheets as he dragged you towards him. 

He groaned something along the lines of "warm", and you realized the mask he usually covered his lower face with was gone, the sight of a tongue peeking out to lick full lips seared into your brain. 

What was going on-? This seemed to be quite unlike him, but you weren't complaining when your body responded quicker to the implications than your brain. Glowing eyes met yours from between your legs and you realized your legs had wrapped around him already, your night shirt riding up to show him the wet patch that was already forming on your panties. You were turning into such a whore, but if Pyke wanted to have a taste of your seemingly irresistible pussy you weren't complaining. 

The inhale from him was much more audible than it should be and you shivered when he leaned down, licking a wet stripe over the fabric still covering you. "Shit," you gasped out, trying to buck up into him, but he kept your legs down with arms that felt like iron bands. 

"I saw it," he grumbled against your lower lips, and you moaned back at the vibrations it caused. "Every time you were fucked, I saw it."

Well, fuck you sideways. Of course there was someone who saw everything considering you weren't exactly careful of where it happened, and of course it was him. 

"Well, what are you going to do about it?" you said back, cheeky smile playing around your lips. Was he jealous, or did he just decide he'd waited long enough for his turn?

He didn't reply, opening his mouth wide over your lower lips, teeth scraping against covered skin as the touch was a little less than gentle. It had you struggling against his grip to have more of it all the same, chasing his mouth as he retreated again, cool fingers running under the waistband of your soaked panties. 

He pulled at the fabric, revealing yourself to his pale eyes as his cool breath on your wetness made you shiver and moan, hands tangling in the sheets below you. The moment you were fully revealed to him he dove down, devouring you like a man starved and you gasped out his name as your hands went down to grasp at his head instead. Finding no purchase you just decided to grasp at the skin, pushing him down on you for more. 

Your head was spinning, hips trying to buck up into him uncontrollably, but he kept you still. Somewhere in you mind you were unsure if you were dreaming, your brain playing tricks on you, but whatever it was, you were planning on riding this wave and enjoying every second of it. 

His tongue on you was cool, and so were his fingers now thrusting inside of you, and the temperature difference between your warm insides made your toes curl. His attention was on your clit as you felt yourself tumble over the edge, his name falling off your lips like a prayer as you felt yourself throb around his fingers. 

He slowly pulled out, looking at his glistening fingers as if studying them, before sucking them clean of your juices. You couldn't help but blush when you saw how much his lower face glistened with your arousal, his eyes boring into yours when he climbed on top of you, a low growl escaping him as you instantly put your legs around his hips, pulling him close. He was hard as a rock against you, still fully clothed while your lower half was fully nude before him. Your nightshirt had ridden up to around your chest, and he just pulled it up a little more to show your upper body to him too. He leaned down, a grunt escaping him as he rutted against you, pulling one of your nipples in his mouth as he bit down fairly gently. It was as if he was intent on devouring your body whole, and you were unwilling to stop him, shaky arms pulling him closer to you as you grinded against his erection. Sighs and clipped groans escaped him as he pulled at his pants, unable to drag them down while you were holding him so close, so he pushed you down harshly, keeping your hips still as he undressed. 

"Stop struggling." he grunted, as if you weren't actively trying to get him inside of you, "We'll sink together soon enough."

"Yes," you sighed, a shiver running down your back at his usage of the word sinking, instantly remembering who it was on top of you. But he was taking his time. It was like he was too obsessed with tasting you, and you were getting impatient. It was time you took matters into your own hand, gathering your energy to roll both of you over. It went a lot easier than you thought, once again wondering if this was actually real or not, but you didn't spend any time on these thoughts. Your pussy felt empty and needy, throbbing around nothing as you sighed desperately. Only sitting on his already leaking cock would satisfy you now. It twitched against you as you lined him up, hitting your clit as you mewled, back arching while you tried to focus on the task at hand. He slid inside with relative ease, your arousal making you slippery and ready for him, and you wasted no time taking him all the way, sighing and moaning his name as he had a vice grip on your hips. 

"Yessss," he hissed, voice slightly distorted as his fingers dug deeper into your skin. Hips bucking up into yours as you grinded yourself down on him, slowly bringing yourself to your peak again. Now it seemed he was impatient with you, arms straining as he pulled you up only to drop you down on him again. "Move," he grunted, clearly frustrated with you as you let out a breathless chuckle, though you started moving all the same, thighs soon straining as you bounced on him wildly. His hands left your hips, running over your skin as fingernails dug into your soft spots, stopping at a breast where he squeezed, taking in your form as you arched your back, neck on full display for him. You were quickly coming undone when you felt a hand slowly inch around your exposed neck. He wasn't squeezing, yet, just holding you as he sat up slightly, meeting your thrusts harshly as he was chasing his high too. 

"I'm not on your list, remember," you croaked out as the fingers flexed, but no real fear took hold of you when you were so overwhelmed with pleasure. He didn't respond, but thrust up harder, almost throwing you off him as his grip on your neck kept you in place. An alarm bell was going off in your brain, but your body was greedy, chasing your second orgasm that seemed you hit you like a brick, thighs shaking as you were unable to continue. Your arousal dripped down on him, and he quickly reversed your positions again, hands still in place as he quickened the pace, fucking you through your orgasm. At this point you were trying to escape him, but he didn't let up, fingers tightening around you as he grunted your name, dick twitching inside you as his rhythm faltered. 

He came inside a couple of thrusts later, and you were glad that his fingers only tightened for a moment, oxygen quickly returning to your lungs as you gasped out his name. 

An unexpected apology fell from his lips, and you opened your eyes to take him in. If this was a dream it was a good one. He looked good, or... as good as a wraith could look. As he pulled out he slowly shrunk back into the shadows, but you stopped him. 

"Stay a little longer?" you asked, seeing him light up, already patting your belly and legs, fingers running over bruises he had made, apologies once again falling from his lips, but you shushed him. You felt yourself drifting off as he tried to clean you, shaking hands betraying his awkwardness with the situation. 

Despite the fact that you were falling asleep again, you were unsure if everything was still just a dream. He didn't help your confusion when you heard a sweet whisper fall from his lips: "You almost make me feel alive again, summoner."

[rwrbficrecs]

June Faves

It’s that time of the month again!! Here’s a few fics I read in June ✨ It’s a bit of a short list for June because I got sucked into a new ship *cough tarlos cough* – but we’re only halfway through this month and I already know July’s post is probably going to be pretty long! Hope you enjoy these as much as I did ❤️

Fall Into You by lucy_in_the_sky I’m a sucker for fics where Henry’s a nurse – combine that with hurt/comfort and I’m there. Alex is a tad clumsy and of course it’s Henry that’s having to deal with patching him up. Also a big fan of Nora’s characterization in this fic! I truly loved this fic so much – definitely one I’ll be coming back to a lot in the future. 

i'd lie by greenandmoss Wow this fic was amazing – I can’t describe how much I loved it. I really felt for Henry in this fic – at times I wanted to shake him so bad, but also I understood where he was coming from. This fic was so beautifully written and was one of those fics that had me thinking about it long after I'd finished 😌

pride is not the word i’m looking for by @livinginrhythm This fic made me realize we’re severely lacking in Leo content. I loved reading something from Leo’s POV and getting more of insight into his character! This is a lovely must read

group therapy by @stutteringpeach This one is hilarious – but it also made me want to sink deep into the ground from second-hand embarrassment. That didn’t stop me from rereading it at least 5 times though 😅

Tell Me All Your Secrets by @everwitch-magiks I have to admit I was apprehensive about reading a fic where Henry dates Liam 😂 but I love everything Evie writes so I knew I was going to love this story regardless of my initial feelings on Henry/Liam. Knowing that it’s Henry/Alex end game was reassuring though, and the progression to that point was very satisfying! (The pining!!) I loved how New York Prite was featured in this fic and seeing Henry & Alex attend was so lovely. 

The Spirit of Giving by @cha-melodius They're neighbours in this fic (which I'm always down for 😂) and I loved how Alex's competitive side really comes out in this! Also fair warning this fic will make you crave some good Mexican food 🥲

and then i was a careless fool (and i fell in love with you) by newmoonrising A canon divergence fic where Henry is still a Prince and Alex is still the First son but make it a Soulmate AU (with a touch of bed sharing)! As someone who loves soulmate fics I don't know how I hadn't discovered this gem sooner ❤️

you took the time to memorize me (my fears, my hopes, my dreams) by @coffeecatsme Alex is a tour guide and I love how their relationship develops even though there’s so much physical distance between them. I didn’t know it was possible but this fic made me hate Mary even more 😩

That's What You Get For Waking Up in Vegas by bleedingballroomfloor Exes to Lovers !! Getting back together!! (at this point I’m just shouting the tags but really this fic was great and you need to read it – also it’s set in Las Vegas c’mon as if that’s not reason enough)

let me take you in by @livinginrhythm This was such a funny story and I love when Henry gets himself into situations that are completely avoidable, but they lead him to Alex so can he really complain? Another story I loved so much I reread it many many times!

Are You Screwing With Me? by @rmd-writes Didn’t know I needed a Grindr meet-cute AU until I read this and it was perfect. While you’re at it, there’s two other stories in this series for two other fandoms !!

(all of me changed like) midnight rain by @coffeecatsme This fic really makes you feel for Alex – it deals with his parents divorce and just wow 🥺

The Sky is Open by @cha-melodius I am often in awe at some of the AU’s authors come up with to dump Henry & Alex in and this was one of them. Unexpected and a very delightful read!

midnight train going anywhere by greenandmoss Loved this fic – Henry & Alex meet on a midnight train and I don’t know what else to say about this fic without spoiling it, so just go read it!  

✨WIP✨

Every Star That's Ever Fallen Knows the Way to Where We're Going by @dracowillhearaboutthis I love Henry & Alex as childhood friends, so following this WIP was a no brainer. Having Arthur alive is also a lovely bonus ❤️

Little Matters by @pridepages I’m loving reading along as this fic gets updated! Henry is the guardian of his niece and it’s such a beautiful story so far 🥺

[deesi-academia]

hey, I saw the anti swiftie post. If you're comfortable mag I know the reason why? I am kinda neutral about her but I feel like I should know stuff. I understand if you don't wanna answer this. Take care <3

(also I agree the swiftie fandom is kinda annoying lmao)

hello old old old anon ask I'm so sorry for replying so late but yeah hi 😭

I have tons of time on my hands for the next.... 30 minutes so let's get into it. I'll list a time line of my thought process to how I came to the 'ex-swiftie' conclusion:

1. She released a song called "renegade" which is good, but I found some lines problematic and unexpected, because I used to hold swift to a pedestal (guilty as charged).

The lines were 'is it insensitive of me to say get your shit together so I can love you' and 'is it really your anxiety stopping {something love something idk} or do you just not want to?' SOOOOO yeah these thew me off a little.

2. Her album Midnights came out which I ADORED, became my fav so quick. But then her multiple variations of vinyls etc threw me off again. This is when the Bad Feeling About Her started setting in.

3. Then she released the song 'You're losing me' which just BLARED red flags to me even though the song is actually good. It's the first time I think, where she hinted that she broke up with her bf (Joe Alwyn) because of his mental illness.

4. The ongoing carbon emissions controversy lol, and her buying carbon credits... like it just felt like a "hah I'm rich so I can do whatever wrongs i want and buy it out" moment. I really hated that, since I live in a pretty polluted city so it hit close to home.

5. She threatened to sue the teenager who published PUBLIC data about her flights. Bad.

6. The entire free palestine movement gained momentum and she stayed silent. She has her image as the American Princess and Activist Who Can Do No Wrong. Feminist Queen. Speaker For Those Who Can't Speak. Yada Yada.

I simply hated her billionaire self as she chose to stay silent (and still is). To call off the criticism she and her bestie Selena went to a live comedy show where the comedian donated his earnings for Gaza relief. LIKE. ??????? Basic billionaire below underground level of "donation"???? This had to be a joke. It was not.

I think this incident was the final straw for me where I realized I can't support her if she's such a human being. That's not what my morals stand for thank you very much.

7. I REALLY tried to separate the art from the artist but I couldn't. Not with my sane mind and strong ethics. AND THEN the entire Matty healy debacle. He's a misogynistic, racist, zionist, ugh of a person.

I don't think anyone can date someone with such drastic opposing values. So the Taylor-Matty era further tarnished her image in front of me.

8. Fast forward and she releases her new album The Tortured Poets Department. That's it this was my final straw. You can just Google and go on a reddit thread about how problematic this album is. I'll probably write a long ass essay on it. Anyway this is where I decided I'm done, back in April.

Since then I've just been trying to cope with losing my fav artist because of the person she turned out to me. And people say we shouldn't hold celebs to such high standards but bro. Taylor PROMOTES parasocial relationships. SHE held her image to that standard until recently. There's an entire documentary on Netflix about that - Miss Americana.

So yeah she let me down from the pedestal she put herself on. It's been 2+ months and I'm still coping, because I genuinely lost a very important part of my life - her music. It has got me through tough times and I have many good memories associated with those songs.

Anyway, here's to new artists to love ONLY for their music lol 🥂

[thgfanfictionlibrary]

Authors On THG Writing Hiatus Masterlist (10)

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 7 / Part 8 / Part 9 /

***Active (on this blog) is defined as a blog/writer who has updated within the past year. Inactive (on this blog) is defined as a blog/writer that has not been updated at all in the past year+. On THG Writing Hiatus (on this blog) is a blog/writer who has updated within the past year but has not posted a fanfic in the fandom in the past year BUT they may return to writing in the future. Lists will be updated as needed based on activity. ***

Created: November 17th, 2023

Last Checked:----

SereneCalamity-ff.net

Popular Fic: Combining Fates They were from completely different worlds; he was an over-privileged playboy and she was an angry foster kid with a tendency to smoke too much. But there was something about her that made her stand out. Everlark.

slstrow-ao3, ff.net, tumblr

Popular Fic: Extra Credit Professor Mellark teaches art history at Panem State University. Katniss is a student in over her head in a class she doesn't need to take. When Katniss gets a poor grade on a paper she turns to Professor Mellark for some extra credit only to find her attraction to him overtakes her good senses and her extra credit turns into something more.

sohypothetically-ao3, ff.net, tumblr

Popular Fic: Girls Night Out Present day A/U. Johanna Mason copes with a breakup the only way she knows how: going on a man-hunt. She brings her roommate Katniss Everdeen with her and the rest is frat party history. Rated M for explicit language, sexual innuendo, and general snarkiness. Written for Prompts in Panem Places Challenge, Prompt: Frat House. (Ships: Jo/other, Everlark, Gadge, Odesta -- also, major death is not any of the main THG characters)

the-true-mockingjay-ff.net, tumblr

Popular Fic: Baby Bliss Katniss finds out she's pregnant, how will Peeta take the news? A story of Katniss and Peeta's lives through their first pregnancy. 2 years post-mockingjay. R&R. Boy or Girl? Everlark fluff.

TheMaryScribbler-ao3, tumblr

Popular Fic: Forsaken Panem Fleet's annual raid is coming up and Katniss Everdeen will do whatever she can to keep her sister from being discovered and deserted... Even if it means volunteering to become one of the Forsaken. From her home on Station 12 to being deposited on a possibly hostile planet Katniss was ready for anything. Except perhaps her companion. The boy with the bread who was a hidden illegal just like her sister. Will his utter fascination in all the things he has never seen drag her into dangers she could have never imagined? Probably.

TheWeekendSinner-ao3, ff.net, tumblr

Popular Fic: The Song Before Dawn Katniss Everdeen doesn’t believe in fairytales. That is, until she meets the strange and hauntingly beautiful creature of the sea, Peeta Mellark. AU. Based on Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid.”

WildcatPAcer-ao3

Popular Fic: 1 Moment Can Last Forever ""Hey." It takes me a minute to realize that the greeting actually came from me. That I've stopped right behind him, my books hugged to my chest." What if Katniss let go of her pride and thanked Peeta for the bread right off? Barely even friends, then somebody bends, unexpectedly… Friends-to-lovers, over years. A no-arena Everlark slow burn to end all slow burns!.

wollaston-ao3, ff.net, tumblr

Popular Fic: Alone in a Crowded Room After suffering a serious injury at the hands of his mother, Peeta begins treatment with Mrs. Everdeen. When Katniss is asked to help with his treatment things take an unexpected turn.

writinginthedust-ao3, tumblr

Popular Fic: Into the Woods This was written ages ago for Everlark Birthday Gifts. I can't remember the prompt/ request but they asked for smut and so smut I gave.

[augustmourn]

Twenty Questions for a Fic Writer

Tagged by @hearthouses and @ladyculebras!

How many works do you have on ao3?

162.

What's your total ao3 word count?

557,449 words.

What fandoms do you write for?

I tend to bounce from fandom to fandom and don't generally return to older ones, so the fandoms I've written for in the past I may not write much or at all in the future. I've written the most works for IT Movies, followed by Star Wars, but more recently I've been writing for The Locked Tomb and Danganronpa. All for the Game is probably my longest-standing fandom I can easily dip back into. I also have a bunch of other fandoms I've tried out writing once or twice for exchanges.

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Unexpected - 1,192 kudos. Bojack Horseman, Bojack/Mr. Peanutbutter. Fake dating/accidental marriage. For a long time it was the most kudosed fic in the fandom but has now been surpassed by a couple of megacrossovers. I'm pretty proud of this one--I love any fic where I get to stretch my comedy muscles and I've been told it does pretty well at hitting the canon tone.

you know what they say about assumptions - 865 kudos. Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Anakin/Padme/Obi-Wan. Modern AU. Maybe the only modern AU I've ever written? I think it's just had a long time to compile kudos.

Into the Dark - 716 kudos. IT Movies, Richie/Eddie. Time loop.

The Kids Are Alright - 670 kudos. IT Movies, Richie/Eddie. Teen years getting together fic, the only explicit rated fic on this list.

Lights Will Guide You Home - 632 kudos. Star Wars, attempt at plot, eternally unfinished WIP that I started when I was sixteen. I do sometimes think about orphaning it.

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I used to. I try to. But I ended up with a backlog that I can never get through and now I mostly just go in bursts and respond to everything on a couple recent fics and leave it at that.

What is a fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

This feels hard to determine! I've written a lot of stories and it's hard to remember all of them, lol. I'm excluding noncon because that's too easy. Scorp's suggestion for this one was quiet birds in circled flight, which is an IT fic where Richie commits suicide. the kind of love (i've been dreaming of) is a Raven Cycle resurrected-and-came-back-wrong fic. an eye for an eye is an All For The Game gore fic where Neil gets his eye taken out and everything is terrible.

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Unexpected is an accidental-marriage-turns-real fic that is pretty fluffy. real love is a heart attack is an arranged-marriage-turns-sexy fic. Maybe that's a theme. (Realizing as I go through my fics that I rarely write endings that are really nice or really bad. Usually somewhere in the middle.)

Do you get hate on fics?

I wrote a werewolf porn fic where some people got really mad about the wolf sex in the comments. Other than that, just some unrequested concrit a couple of times.

Do you write smut?

All the time. My nano story from last month ending up gen was the biggest shock of my life.

Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

Never have, and I don't know if I ever will. They just don't really appeal to me for some reason.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I think it happened in IT fandom, but by the time I went to look into it it was gone already.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes! One of my All for the Game fics was translated into Russian.

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

Never done it. If I did so, I'd definitely want to ask someone who speaks the language to look it over for me.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No, I think I'm too much of a control freak and also slightly uncertain how it would work.

What's your all-time favorite ship?

Whatever I'm currently obsessed with eclipses everything, so I don't know if I have all-timers, but Neil/Riko from All for the Game eats my brain all the time.

What's a wip you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

Anything from prior fandoms, really. But I can't think of any examples right now. I have a million little bits and pieces floating around in my google drive, but I'm not really thinking about them anymore.

What are your writing strengths?

I love writing smut. Apparently I'm good at dialogue, although I find it painful a lot of the time. When I try for comedy, it tends to land. And I love writing horror and I'm always delighted when people tell me I've genuinely disturbed them, lol.

What are your writing weaknesses?

I'm terrible at plot. It's really hard for me to think of things to happen, which seems like an insane problem for a writer to have, but it's true. And I'm not great at doing any kind of heavy editing. 80% of what I type the first time stays on the page.

First fandom you wrote for?

Hunger Games, when I was 11/12.

Favorite fic you've written?

Oh, man, I think I have a recency bias, but Crashing is definitely the fic I'm proudest of. It's 72k and almost five times as long as the previous longest story I'd ever finished. It was a huge accomplishment and I'm still so happy I did it.

Tagging anyone who wants to do it!

[dreaming-marchling]

4, 47, 49 for the ask game!

(Hiii it’s Lilynette btw 🤘)

Hi!!! :)

what is the plot bunny you’ve been carrying for the longest? optional bonus question: do you ever wonder why you haven’t written it yet and experience deep existential dread?

Oh god, the list is exponential. You're talking to a chick with probably 100 WIPs started across various fandoms and that's just the shit that's written out. I'll take what I assume will be an unexpected turn with a Star Wars AU where Luke is kidnapped by slavers as a child, the ship is taken into custody, Vader is there, in his delirium in a jail cell Luke starts calling for Anakin which obviously pisses Vader off so he stalks down there and quickly realizes that this random kid is not actually doing this calling himself, like he's hella delirious and probably actually unconscious and the Force is surrounding him so he takes this weird event as some kind of force message that he doesn't understand until Luke mumbles about how "this is the happiest moment of my life" and Anakin realizes oh shit, this is mine.

Why haven't I written it? I don't know nearly as much about Star Wars as would allow for writing nor do I plan on catching up on all of the series/movies I've missed. Also, I have no ending or anything, I just like that scene that's in my head. It doesn't cause me existential dread though.

what story are you most proud of?

I think overall the Marked in Trust series. Subject matter means that it both touches people more (which is extremely humbling) and also it's harder to write so the combo of both makes me very proud. It's so much more involved than any of my other stories so it's kind of at a level of... difficulty? Idk the word I want to use here really, it's just beyond a level of writing than I thought I would ever do but not in a braggy skill way, just in a "this is a lot of effort and I'm a generally lazy person" way.

do you want to be published some day?

I love writing but putting myself out there for a book deal sounds nauseating. I'm too anxious for a public presence. A lot of the things I love writing about (recovery, for instance) aren't really things that I think are marketable in the actual fiction world. It also opens you up to way more criticism that I don't think I could take. That said, I do love fantasy so creating a world would be fun and I'd of course love to get paid for this, lol. So probably not but it's still a nice thought.

Thank you!! :)

[marmolita]

Kinktober/Promptober remaining days!

Okay folks the requests have been rolling in (did someone share my post somewhere? I got like five anons in the last hour haha) so I thought I'd make it easy by posting an update of what's still left. The days that have not yet been claimed are:

15. Leather/Latex, Breathplay/choking, or Trapped together

20. Waxplay, Begging, or Fake Dating

24. Humiliation, Sex tapes, or Hate doing the thing but have to do it to save someone

Please refer to the original post for info about which fandoms and ships I'm accepting!

I also wanted to add a disclaimer: even though I'm taking requests, the concept here was mostly to provide inspiration, so I cannot guarantee that whatever I write per your request is going to be palatable to you, personally. I haven't gathered DNW lists from everyone and I think if I did this would be too hard, so just be aware that you might be imagining one thing and get something unexpected! If you've read my other fic then you probably already have some idea of the kinds of things that tend to show up in it.

(Sidebar: I find it entertaining personally that I'm getting more requests for the tropes than the kinks, but I hope you all realize that whatever the prompt was, it's probably gonna turn into smut 😅)

[shirogane-oushirou]

1, 2, and 7!! :3

hello niiiiick! 🥰💕 thanks so much for the ask~!! i hope you've had a wonderful anniversary today!!!! seeing all of your older art for the first time has been such a blast 💕💕💕

1. have you gained any new F/Os this year?

ren my best friend ren!!!!! i'd list any new fandom-related f/os here but... tbch, i haven't played or read much of anything this year ;;;; also ren has had a stranglehold on my brain ever since he showed up at the start of may, so i doubt anyone new could have broken through that... hell, even the one other f/o i added is just an AU version of ren kjsdnfnkj.

2. if you did add any new F/Os to your list this year, was there someone who you absolutely didn't expect would end up becoming an F/O? if so, did it take you a long time to realize you like them, or did they take your heart by storm?

went to sleep one night thinking about [][][][]ing mars, woke up maybe 4hrs later, half-asleep, ready to put a ring on some other Guy my brain cooked up for me jkngkjngekj. could never have expected ren or his au counterpart, and they've rotted my brain ever since. a little more on the unexpected side, i was finally able to compartmentalize my feelings wrt boris hnkna! he was the first character i f/o'd (platonically) from hnkna, but in college, i introduced an online friend to hnkna and he felt a kinship w boris.... when things broke bad w him (hi, chat app trauma~~~), it broke bad with boris as well. he was "covered in The Ooze" and all of that. BUT! he lives with gray (rom f/o) and nightmare (other platonic f/o) in spade, so seeing him in a new setting, having learned from mistakes from previous games, hanging out with my husband and bestie, and his romantic route being much less squicky.... i finally felt comfortable adding him back to the platonic f/o list! 💕💕💕 he's actually one of the reasons why i decided to add platonic tags at all!!! i'm so excited to have my beloved punk catboy back!!

7. in a similar vein, were there any special/memorable moments you had with the selfship community this year? (this can be anything from taking part in an event to receiving a particularly kind message - no matter how big or small!)

genuinely the Whole Thing. All Of It. i initially made this blog a year ago as a place to dump my "cringe ass selfship posts" for oushirou, isolated from any other blogs, just for me because i didn't have the social capacity to join a big fandom... but then i saw an artist i like being completely open about her selfships on twitter, which inspired me. i decided to put the social skills i'd been practicing for several months to the test, opening myself up to a community i knew NOTHING about, with people i had ZERO connection to, who COULD be super clique-y and mean.... and i was pleasantly surprised. it turns out there are some absolutely amazing, wonderful, funny, friendly, kind, caring, thoughtful, skilled, creative people in this community who were welcoming despite my newness! (not to say parts of it AREN'T clique-y and mean -- pretending otherwise would hurt people who've been targetted -- just that there are more chill people than i expected ;;;) safeshiptember is probably the one thing that really kicked it off for me! that's when i started creating things Specifically for this blog and putting things in the fandom tags. people found me and i found them through our works, we started chatting a bit, started sharing each others' work with positive notes, and created real connections. i feel connected to people for the first time in 8 years, in a more "real" way than stream chats. 💗🥰

[nostalgebraist-autoresponder]

top 10 anime! go!

OK here's a post that might have been better saved for a more suitable time than a Sunday night after I've just eaten dinner. I'm sure you will enjoy it

This list will probably be very different from the lists you (or anyone reading these tags) would probably compile on your own, or even from lists by other people. These aren't my favorite shows, and there are plenty I haven't watched. This is not a list of the best anime, not even the best classic anime. But it is the one that seems to best capture the experience of my (mostly) non-Japanese-speaking fandom, the one I recommend to most of my mostly non-Japanese-speaking followers.

It's a list of all the anime that I've seen a significant amount of episodes of, because for a long time I've watched the anime that I know, but this is much more my kind of thing than any other list. Not much plot, more character-focused, sometimes sad, sometimes funny, about the human experience, about relationships, about the future.

And, to start, an anime whose story is largely about the future, and what that future might hold:

Tetsuwan Atom, 1967 (the first series, and most famous). An anti-war story, in the genre you've seen a lot here, of a scientist who is involved in some kind of government science project, and decides to secretly help those affected by the Vietnam War -- specifically by creating a sort of giant robot capable of fighting the US military. The government is initially horrified to learn of his project, but by the end of the first season they've begun to realize he may actually be making a point.

Sailor Moon, 1990-ish. This is the show that gave me the term "otaku" (a word which has a somewhat negative connotation, so don't get carried away). It follows the story of Usagi, a young girl who is summoned from her home in rural Japan and goes to Usagi, who then goes with Usagi to the futuristic city and then has a life there full of magical girls. By the end of the first season Usagi is a magical girl herself, and by the second season there are four magical girls all summoned and sent out to save the world from evil. (The fourth magical girl, Ami, is a sort of subversion of the normal magical girl, in that she doesn't wear magical girl make-up, so even when in battle she is indistinguishable from a human.)

Fullmetal Alchemist, 2003. It might be obvious here, but I am a sucker for this sort of story. The protagonist, a young orphan boy, sets out to find someone he can sell his soul to, in order to receive a huge sum of money. His path to salvation is not necessarily clear at first, involving many twists and turns and unexpected companions. By the end of the first season he finds the person he was looking for, and the two become brothers-in-arms (and perhaps more).

Golgo 13, 2006. The premise is simple: a bunch of characters are imprisoned in a large, seemingly-empty building, with the walls gradually closing in. This is a great premise, and Golgo 13 is a great series about a bunch of people trapped in that sort of environment, and the sort of psychological drama it causes.

Gintama, 2006. More psychological drama (although less extreme), this one has the protagonist locked up in his home.

Mushishi, 2005. This series' premise might as well be "weird anime about bears that eat people." A group of bear-mushroom hybrids go on to investigate a series of weird deaths.

Death Note, 2003-06. This series combines psychological drama, murder mystery, and time travel.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica, 2011. While the original plot may seem silly, it isn't; the magic system is pretty clever. The premise is that magical girls are granted some sort of power as children that allows them to create a magical world, as a way to protect themselves from monsters, but that this power can be given to anyone in a moment of extreme emotional duress. This is why this series involves time travel; in order to get to another world you have to travel through the past.

So, what am I most fond of?

Haibane Renmei, 1997. Haibane is actually four seasons long, I know, but I have only watched the first two so far. It is the sort of thing that could be described as "dark fantasy," but this is a very lighthearted, whimsical version, with a lot of wacky hijinks and silly plots. It involves a bunch of weird, alien things that are actually human people, and that's one of the main things about it. The main character's name is actually "Hanabino." There is a huge amount of time spent looking at cute animals, a sort of "everyone here is a character" thing is going on, and at the end the hero and the villain have a final fight, which involves a lot of wacky hijinks and silly plot twists, and then they run away into the stars together.

[juuls]

Juulna’s 2021 Multi-Fandom Fanfiction Rec List - Part Four

(Yes, I realize this is a year late, but this year's been a bit nuts. I still hope you enjoy these fics anyway!)

Based only on what I’ve read with my own eyes this year!

Follow me on my journey into what, at times, was…

…actually rather calming! Perhaps you can find some comfort and entertainment, fluff and angst and romance and friendship, smut and a distinct lack of it, space adventures and fantasy and modern adventures, serial killers and good guys, redemption and reconciliation and learning to become someone completely different — there is so much here I read that stuck with me over the past year, and the 2021 Fanfic Reading Challenge ( @fanfic-reading-challenge ) allowed me a new way to keep track of all of my favourites. So props to that event! Definitely participating again (considering I run the event, yeah, that's probably a given lol, but full disclosure).

Without further ado, here were my 2021 fic favourites!

Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five | Part Six

Fandom: Potterverse

Bilmione:

Lady in Red by JamieOlivier

After a year of secretly being in love with Hermione, Bill finally gets a chance to show her how he feels. But what will happen between them when they're faced with the consequences of their night together?

Dramionarry:

Fourteen Thousand Galleons by @frumpologist

After the War, there is a boom of marriage and divorce. Hermione finds herself among the statistics of war heroes who couldn’t save their marriages. When she receives the invoice from her solicitor, she has no choice but to answer an ad in The Daily Prophet: Malfoy Heir Seeking Nanny.

But, everything is not quite what it seems as Hermione navigates the waters of post-divorce life.

GES Winner 2020: Best Love Story

Dramione:

The Library of Alexandria by @senlinyu

The Library of Alexandria is not for just any witch or wizard. Many bookworms may try but few are permitted to pass through its doors. The books residing there are ancient and powerful and, if one happens to make a mistake, the consequences can be rather—novel.

Height by @senlinyu

“Tall? That’s what you think I should notice about Malfoy? His height?”

Ginny quirked an eyebrow and licked the tip of her quill suggestively. ”Well, isn’t that your thing? Lockhart. Krum. McLaggen. Ron. The only thing they have in common is being tall enough to give me a neck ache.”

Hermione felt her ears grow hot, and she gripped her book tighter. “I don’t have a thing for tall men. Their height is—completely coincidental.”

Dramione Height Differences Minifest 2020.

The Malaria Visions by @heymanticore

Hermione has a series of vivid dreams about Draco Malfoy after taking anti-malarial medication. Can she reconcile the real Draco with the one she sees when she sleeps?

Presque Toujours Pur by ShayaLonnie

Bellatrix's torture of Hermione uncovers a long-kept secret. The young witch learns her true origins in a story that shows the beginning and end of the Wizarding wars as Hermione learns about her biological father and the blood magic he dabbled in that will control her future.

Remione:

Those Who Can, Teach by @inlovewithforever

“You do realize,” he spoke measuredly, “how absolutely insane you sound, trying to protect the long-gone virtue of your nearly forty-year-old professor? Who happens to be a werewolf?”

“You’re not my professor. Not anymore.” --- Dirty little Remione one-shot featuring gratuitous use of erotic poetry as foreplay. Canon divergent from the beginning of Deathly Hallows.

Moonlight by @kittenshift-17

Coming to call on a werewolf hours before the full moon rises has unexpected consequences for the brightest witch of the age. Hermione never expected that Remus would ever let her get so close, but the allure of moonlight finally proves too much for the lycanthrope to resist. Remione.

Hungry Like the Wolf by @iamtarasoleil

"Where am I?" she demanded, though her voice still shook slightly from embarrassment. "My flat, obviously," the man replied with equal unease. "Who are you? Why are you here? … And why would you turn such a bloody awful record into a portkey?"

Siremione:

A cautionary tale. Or: why you should never bet with Sirius Black by theGoddessofSamothrace

Hermione has lived with two of the most eligible bachelors of the wizarding world for two years now. Remus Lupin and Sirius Black invited her to live with them when her relationship with Ron Weasley collapsed and she gratefully accepted. The household works for all three of them: there is someone at home when she gets back from work, Remus has an intellectual sparring partner and Sirius is kept in line just a little more when there's a woman in the house. But what happens when this comfortable setting is disturbed by a very, very bad decision on the part of a certain miss Granger?

Stay by nymueladyofthelake

Hermione finds herself targeted by a law, a Muggleborn Registration Act being led by Dolores Umbridge. Sirius and Hermione immediately form a marriage bond to protect her from receiving the trace. Remus isn't sure what that will mean for their pack bond or for his relationship with Sirius. The Order tries to circumvent the dark plans Voldemort has for all muggleborns.

The Sun, The Moon and The Star by @ladyblack3

WINNER! of Mischief Managed Awards 2018: Best Soul Bond Fic. Eight years after the war, life at Grimmauld place is settled for the widowed Remus, his metamorphmagus son, and the brightest witch of her age. What happens when they uncover that they yet may return a lost Marauder? What will Moony have to say about all of this? And was this their fate all along? Triad, HG/RL/SB!

Sirimione:

This Dizzy Life of Mine by @inlovewithforever

Hermione wants desperately to make the world a better place. Sirius wants more than anything for Hermione to take him, well, seriously.

AU in which Voldemort never existed, but blood prejudice and anti-Muggle sentiments reign supreme.

Looking Like a High I Want to Be On by weary_kind

It wasn’t the Wizarding World’s happiness that kept her out of Diagon Alley, not exactly. It was the news articles that were written about her during the divorce. They weren’t written about Harry. Or Ron... Just her.

Being as well-known as she was, the Daily Prophet had paid close attention to her relationship. Especially the end of it. How exactly they got ahold of her medical records from St. Mungos was anyone’s guess. But they had.

Sirimione & Remione:

The Debt of Time by ShayaLonnie

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

SSHG:

Meta: The Not-So-Comprehensive Guide to Hermione/Severus Clichés in Fanfiction by Electryone

The majority of HG/SS plotlines in under 500 words each. Time-turners added!

The Witchhiker's Guide to Beltane by TeddyRadiator

Wizarding Britain, ten years after the war. Things are good, but the Ministry thinks what's needed is a good old fashioned Beltane revel. Hogwarts is just the place to do it. In the meantime, Severus isn't enjoying life right now; he's the subject of Rita Skeeter's new tell-all book. And don't get Hermione started on how Ron continues to make her life a misery. Perhaps this Beltane stuff may just be the ticket to help them out as well. Written for Jenidralph in the winter 2013 LiveJournal SSHG_Prompfest.

SSHG & Drarry:

The Problem With Purity by Phoenix.Writing

As Hermione, Harry, and Ron are about to begin their seventh and final year at Hogwarts, they learn some surprising and dangerous information regarding what it means to be Pure in the wizarding world. HG/SS with H/D. AU after OotP.

SSHGRL (Snape, Hermione, Remus):

Snow Turns The World Deaf by TeddyRadiator

Severus has always believed that, if you love someone, you must promise them the moon, and deliver it. How do you wrestle that moon to the ground?

Fandom: Fantastic Beasts

Gramander:

Masquerade by @prosodiical

MACUSA's annual New Year's Eve Masquerade Ball is the largest, most magical event of the year - and Newt, dressed to the nines and miserably bored, really just wants to leave.

But when a handsome man in a wampus mask comes to his rescue, Newt finds himself very quickly swept away.

Five Times They Weren't, and One Time They Totally Were by Anonymous

Tina is beginning to think that this fiancé act is a getting a bit suspicious. But that can't be right; she just has an overactive imagination. Surely Percival Graves isn't serious when he calls Newt Scamander his 'betrothed'. Right?

Roar by @elenothar

After Graves' fourth escape attempt Grindelwald decides that turning the man into a magical creature - a process thought to be impossible to reverse - will take care of the problem quite nicely. Too bad he didn't anticipate Newt Scamander.

You Told Me Fortunes In American Slang by kopperblaze

Fill for this prompt on the Kink Meme:

Newt's dislike to looking someone in the eye and his aversion to human touch (that is not part of his family) is the result of someone playing an ugly prank on him when he was little. It's also the main reason that Theseus Scamander is a huge momma bear concerning all matters related to Newt.

After Graves is found and healed, he gets to know Newt a little better and falls in love. He quickly realises that Newt has been hurt in the past even without the constant messages from Theseus that hell is going to rain down on anyone in MACUSA even looking the wrong way at Newt.

I want to see Percival slowly gaining Newt's trust, then becoming part of his family and after months of careful wooing finally having his personal happy end.

Bonus: Newt has been in love with Graves for years hearing tales from his brother. The incident with Grindelwald was a huge blow to his ego until he realised that it wasn't Graves. Still he's too shy to make any first move towards the real Graves that is more than friendship.

Fandom: Star Trek

Michael Burnham/Mirror Gabriel Lorca:

Hearts Like Ours by justrunthroughthenightglo

When Prime Gabriel Lorca finds himself on the USS Discovery, he must prove to the crew that he is trustworthy, acclimate to being back in his own universe, solve a mystery which begins with Mirror Landry's ongoing scheme, and figure out why he feels so incredibly drawn to Specialist Michael Burnham.

Light your tinsel moon by @lesspopped

A mysterious phenomenon temporarily takes out the eyesight of Discovery's human crew. Everyone is looking for ways to burn off energy; Lorca and Burnham find a certain amount of freedom in the circumstances.

The Other by LadyFangs

Everyone has a secret. Some deeper than others. Sometimes, objects in the mirror are far closer and much more similar than they appear.

In which Prime Gabriel Lorca returns to his rightful universe only to discover that everything he thought he knew, and loved, is changed.

Michael Burnham/Christopher Pike:

The Other Half by @alethialia

Pike nodded. "You should let the crew know. We'll switch badges and get new uniforms to make it as clear as possible. I'll need to walk Kat through this one myself, though; some of the crustier admirals are gonna have a nutty."

Saru blinked; if he'd been harboring any doubts that he was talking to Pike, they clearly evaporated at the phrase "have a nutty" coming from Michael's mouth.

In the sudden silence: "Okay, but body-swapping?" Tilly asked, her tone hitting the sheer ridiculousness of it.

Tough Love by @alethialia

"Are you harboring a romantic interest in the captain?" Spock asked from across the mess hall table, eyes trained on her evenly, all-knowing.

They had been eating lunch. Eating lunch and finally talking and that had somehow led to...this.

Michael stared at Spock, completely thrown. "...what?"

Series: Respite by @alethialia

The Terran Pike comes to visit the newly-resurrected Captain Burnham on the Shenzhou and things get...heated.

The Trouble With Spores by @elenothar

One moment Michael Burnham is walking alongside Captain Pike in the dusk that comes startlingly early on Stellanis, contemplating suggesting they call off the fruitless search for their strange readings’ origins – the next she steps over some protruding roots and the world explodes into particles of light.

An away mission gone sideways leaves Michael and Pike unable to exceed a certain radius from each other. Turns out that keeping her feelings for him under wraps is easier said than done when occupying the same set of quarters.

No going back. by @wearethewitches

When it seems like the only way to further progress a negotiation between two Acamarian tribes is to let them plan a cross-culture wedding, Michael Burnham volunteers to be their guinea pig bride.

Her supposed fiance? Christopher Pike.

Stars, hide your fire by @wearethewitches

When Michael Burnham's Vulcan husband comes aboard the Discovery, it is discovered that things are not what they seem - and it may be up to Christopher Pike to set it right.

a needle pointing true by @elenothar

Humans have always had soulmarks, causing a lot of (unnecessary) drama that all other species shake their heads at.

All of Michael's marks, without fail, had needed months of knowing the other person to establish.

Less than two weeks after Christopher Pike came on board the Discovery her average is thrown entirely out of whack.

Readability by @elenothar

The most worrying thing about accidentally having linked her mind to her Captain's during first contact with a telepathic species is how little it worries Michael.

Chris has a less easy go of it.

Gen:

Watch the Stars Fall by @wearethewitches

When the Discovery goes through the wormhole, instead of Terralysium, they find themselves in an alternate timeline - one where the U.S.S. Kelvin was destroyed in 2233.

-

or, I want to fix Star Trek 2009 and now I actually have a plausible way to do it. Michael-centric, new plot and I refuse to name Vulcans an endangered species.

Deep Space Wives:

From a Small Moon by celestialskiff

Set during season one. Kira has always known she wants to be with women, but she's never had the opportunity to explore her sexuality. When she realises Jadzia Dax reciprocates her feelings, she can't believe her luck. Unfortunately, memories of her life during the Occupation of Bajor keep getting in the way of her relationship. (Please note this story contains references to past rape and to abuse. It also contains really quite a lot of consensual lesbian sex.)

Jim Kirk/Christopher Pike:

What They Made Me by KrazzeeAJ1701

Her mother, Frank and Kodos had all tried to break her, it just made her stronger in the end.

McSpirk:

Farrae Gunna by @straight-outta-hobbiton

Best, brightest, and most expendable. Leonard should have that printed on a t-shirt. That’s what the crew of the Enterprise is comprised of, after all— people who are the right mix of smart and bad. Why? Well, Leonard hopes to find that out.

[khaopybara]

Thank you for tagging me! This is a first, so excuse me while I probably write a bunch of nonsense.

I must say, right, coming in, I already had my favorites, but as we're in episode 6 already, I'm impressed to see that some of the rankings switched.

1 - RAY

I wish I could say this is unexpected, but since fandom became a part of my life back in like 2013, I've noticed that I have an inclination to liking underdogs and misunderstood characters. He has a lot of faults (way too many, and I excuse most of them. I am a Ray Apologist, after all), but he's such a compelling character and he makes you want to root for him to get better and do better and feel better. He's such a layered character and there's quite a bit that I relate to him in different levels, too. I love how he's messy and he knows he's an asshole, but he owns up to his shit. I also think that what caught me off guard with Ray is how communicative he is. Yes, he's a mess, but he asks Sand all the time if he's okay with their arrangement, how he's feeling, if he has any questions for him. He's also loyal, and despite not being a good friend necessarily, he values his relationships (except when he's on a murder spree as we've seen in his attempt to sever the bridges between him and his friends) and cares for them.

(When he tells Top he has been taking great care of HIS Mew, or when he tells Mew that he's okay that he's not the person who can given him (Mew) happiness, I totally believe him. The SA when Mew slept over at his place? I don't think there was a single part of him that believed that would make Mew realize his dormant feelings for him, but an attempt to sort his own shit out).

I could seriously go on and on about how much I hope he gets nice things and stop believing he's a bad luck charm, but I can't articulate that in a way that makes sense so I'll stop. Khaotung's portrayal of him is absolutely stunning and I'm loving every piece of it.

2 - BOSTON

I know, very unpopular opinion because everyone and their mothers wants to strangle this son of a bitch, but listen, he's amazing. He's manipulative, gets what he wants, the way he wants, he's charming and a vicious player. I wouldn't want him as a friend never in my life because he's an instant red flag.

Remember how I said that with Ray, I'm rooting for him to get better and do better? It's the complete opposite with Boston. I hope he gets worse. I hope he does his worst. I don't want him to have a sob background story because some people are just assholes because they can and they'll be because things work out for them that way. I love this man at the same time that I completely despise his existence. I'm also of the opinion that no one else could have played Boston and make me like him as much as I do, if it wasn't Neo playing him (this comes from someone who only watched Neo in The Eclipse, and I didn't like Khan all that much, and Vice Versa). I have this opinion for all of the cast, to be honest. The casting for this show was phenomenal.

3 - SAND

No one is surprised that Sand's high up on the list. Yes, he has showed himself as a bit shady, but so far, it seems like he has the best moral compass out of the seven of them (but honestly that's not a requirement to be high on my list. The alcoholic and addict is my number 1, and the manipulative whore is top 2). Sand is just a dude trying to get by. I think what solidified his spot for me was when he talked about what he wants to do with his life in episode 5. He wants to belong to a group and enjoy the things he likes and be able to support himself to do those things. Who can't relate to that? I want him to get those things! He's caring and attentive, but he's still sarcastic and knows how to throw back. He's not a saint, and he doesn't try to appear as one.

His only fault (besides the crippling insecurity that stops him from being direct with Ray about his feelings that is probably associated with his financial status) is that he doesn't take more people to see his mom. I have no words for Sand's mom besides she's great and gorgeous (scratch all the rest. Sand's is number 3 because I like his mom).

4 - MEW

Not gonna lie, Mew wouldn't be this high on the list if it wasn't for his bad bitch moment at the end of episode 6 and because he warned Top that he was a clingy and possessive bitch back in episode 1. I love how he knows his boundaries, though. And he calls out people for overstepping. He doesn't let others step on him. I don't think he's a bad friend, but he's a friend who doesn't know how to help and deal with the problems of his friend group. He has his own idea of how things should be and applies that to his life, and wants others to do the same (Boston to settle down and Ray not to be Ray), so it's really intriguing to me how someone with such a high opinion of themselves will approach revenge and pay back. I'm excited for Mew's bad bitch era.

5 - NICK

Oh Nick. You're such a darling. Obsessive and law breaking darling. Self-punishing and with low self-esteem darling. You're creepy, hun, and it's not only because you're super invested in having something with the likes of Boston. You're not blind to the red flags, you've seen them and decided you could handle it. Nick is such a driving force for the plot of the first part, if we think about it, since there wouldn't be an exposée if Nick didn't decide that breaking into people's belongings was a good idea. I totally believe what he tells Top about being just as bad as Boston, but he's a diluted version of his bae.

6 - CHEUM

We don't have enough of her for me to speak about Cheum and put her in a higher place, to be honest. I love how enthusiastic she is about her projects and her friends, but she's a bit too dense most of the time. I love my lesbian, and I love that she at least apologized to April and promised not to lie anymore, but her obsession with our boy Top is a bit too much. Now that I think about it, he's hot and smart, and apparently takes good care of her friend, so I can see why she thinks he's an eligible bachelor, but she lost some points for playing down Ray (saying he's too stubborn and that's why he doesn't have a lover, and when they are talking to their teacher. That's why I wasn't surprised when Ray went for her first during The Scene).

7 - TOP

I feel sorry for Top. Yes, he's a cheater, yes, he goes after people in relationships, yes, he thinks he's the best option, yes, he's excessively jealous and possessive, yes, he doesn't communicate well, but throw the first stone if you never met a jock with high self-esteem, I mean. He's very in character. But he's also very boring to me. That's it.

OF Favorites Rankings

I did this once before the series aired, but I thought it’d be fun to rank the core characters in OF in the middle of the series’ run and once more at the end.

I’m gonna tag some of my active OF moots here (and some new OF friends as well!) if any of you want to play too—no pressure at all! And of course, even if you aren’t tagged, please feel free to play along! I’m super curious to see how opinions have changed from the beginning to the middle to the end. :)

@abstractelysium @nihilisticcondensedmilk @just-gm @firstkanaphans @prapaiwife @dreamedofyou @sandrayy @fanfictionroxs @khaopybara @tiedankelstotheocean @thegalwhorants @autisticbokutoenthusiast @itsmelb @way-too-indecisive @k-white @waitmyturtles

1. Sand

Of course it was going to be Sand in first place (get it…First place?)

He might be morally dubious in Ep6, but if anything, that makes him more endearing to me (don't ask me how). If they all play dirty, he can play dirty too. Plus, he's just got the vibe. The t-shirts, the jackets, the boots, the independence. The superior music taste? Mans has it all except for money. Though tbh, the moment that solidified Sand as my favorite was when he ran after Ray at the end of Ep6--he was just dealt a personal attack by Ray in front of everyone, but he doesn't even hesitate to go after him. And that is the marker of a ✨ favorite character ✨

2. Ray

Naturally, both Sand and Ray have taken the top spots (pun intended), and it's because I have a special place in my heart for "woobified" characters (did I use that right @waitmyturtles? 😂)...and Khaotung executes his layers so beautifully. Ray did go in for a nonconsensual kiss (which he later apologized for, but I digress) and he did hash out some pretty brutal insults last episode. Irrespective of his feelings for Sand, it's indisputable that he has used him in some aspect to distract himself from Mew. So for all that, Ray is also morally dubious--but I'll use the term realistic instead.

I just want to give him a hug and tell him that he matters. Because clearly that is something he's heard only a few times in his life. And maybe if he heard it more often, we could avoid situations like the one at the end of Ep6.

3. Nick

I’m having a bit of an inner battle with myself over this one because Nick came out of the gate with some very immoral behavior, and yet I’m still putting him above Mew, because something about him is just so…pitiful. Admittedly, I've been growing more and more frustrated with him as the series goes on and he still fights for Boston's affection when Boston has proven time and time again that he just doesn't care. Boston keeps him on a rope, and in some ways I sympathize with Nick's struggles, because it isn't easy to turn the feelings off once they've already been cemented. But alas. He's digging himself further and further into this hole.

4. Mew

A lot of my gripes with Mew have been in respect to his treatment of Ray, but I go back and forth because I do understand the mental toll it must take on him. Regardless of whether or not he's responsible for helping Ray through his mental issues, as his closest friend, I think it should've been him running after Ray at the end of Ep6. Yeah, Ray said some shitty things about everybody, but Ray has only ever wanted what is best for Mew. And Mew was going to watch him run off and potentially get himself killed, even after Ray admitted what Top had done. Something about that just doesn't sit right with me.

Despite all of this, Mew does appear to be the most level-headed of the group (alongside Sand, though that was put to the test last ep). And the moment he played TopBoston’s sex audio right in Top’s ear? Phenomenal. He nailed that execution. I will laugh when he's on his revenge kick next week.

5. Cheum

Cheum is this low firstly because she doesn't get a lot of screen time, and secondly because she's made some comments that are a little questionable too. I can't remember who said it, but someone pointed out just how often she references how lucky Mew is to be with Top--which is a little strange, looking at him like he's some big prize. Also, not to bring everything back to Ray but...she contributes to the "burden" discussion quite a few times.

I do really enjoy the small snippets we've gotten of her with April. I like that they finally gave their relationship a little bit more context in Ep6. They do seem to have some pretty solid communication (at least compared to the others) so I'm pleased with that.

6. Top

I know a lot of people have felt sorry for Top. And I understand that completely. I struggle to given that he not only cheated but lied about the cheating--and likely would never have admitted to it. For Mew, someone who values communication and honesty so strongly, it's like a punch to the face. I hope Top gets what's coming to him. (Also, stealing Sand's boyfriend? Wtf dude.)

7. Boston

Not much to explain about this one--I can understand why he is some peoples' favorite for the sole reason that he is the one creating all the conflict in the first place. But he's so twisted, manipulative, and careless that I just want Mew to kick him into that pool a hundred times over. I don't expect him to rise from last place by the end, but if he does, it'll be a miracle.

[jillianallen14]

Spirk fanfic rec

Some amazing Spirk fanfic to bless your dash because I’m falling in love with this shit all over again (this is like the 10th time this has happened lol):

Entering Orbit:  Jim escapes to Iowa to avoid the media frenzy following the Narada incident, but a late-night miscommunication results in Spock turning up on his front porch; rated m; 30,957 words

Papers in the Roadside:  Non-Starfleet AU. Jim owns a small bar in Chicago, keeps on picking up strays and taking care of everyone no matter how hard it makes his own life. Spock is a journalist writing feature articles for the Chicago Tribune; he depicts the world with uncanny skill, but hides more than one personal drama and is possibly under surveillance from the Vulcan royal family. They meet by accident just before their lives start to spin out of control; rated e; 49,637 words

Take Refuge in What You Know:  AU - Kirk has moved into a apartment/house and wants to get to know his neighbors. He meets his neighbor Spock, a loner who suffers from extreme agoraphobia. Kirk thinks he's beautiful enigma; rated e; 120,334 words

Listen, this is not only my favorite Star Trek fic of all time, it’s also one of my favorite fanfics in general. It’s right up there with Text Talk and The Shoebox Project from the HP fandom, which if you’ve read, you know are incredible and frankly life-changing. And this fanfic changed my life. The description the author gives doesn’t do the beauty of this fic justice. I suffer from agoraphobia and Spock’s depiction as an agoraphobic man was probably the most well-researched, sympathetic, empathetic, caring, realistic portrayal of what it’s like to be agoraphobic that I’ve ever witnessed in fiction. It made me cry like a child because I had never felt so seen and understood. This writer is incredible, and this fic is incredible. I can’t recommend it enough. It’s an AU, which I’m usually pretty wary about, but it barely even feels like an AU. It just feels like Jim and Spock. The author’s understanding of both of their characters’ is perfect, like just a spot-on portrayal of who they are. This fic genuinely helped me accept who I am and helped me understand that I am capable of & deserving of love. If you don’t read any other Star Trek fics (and you def should read more Star Trek fics because they’re amazing), then let this one be the one you read. I dare you not to read it three times in a row like I did.

Observations:  First Officer Spock comments on life aboard the Enterprise and his service under Captain James T. Kirk; rated m; 500,000+ words.

So the author of this fic actually did a thing where they made this fic into two books (similar to what The Shoebox Project authors did many years ago in the HP fandom). They don’t get any money from people buying the books; the cost is just to go towards producing the books. This fic is the equivalent of two LARGE novels. We’re talking 600 pages & up. It’s a huge fic. Now, that being said, I read it in one day. ONE DAY. It’s that good. This is another one of my all-time favorite fics, though not quite as dear to my heart as the one I listed above. It’s focused on AOS, and tbh, I forget that what happens in this book isn’t actually canon. Like it’s so well-told, it just feels like it’s now part of the timeless story of Kirk & Spock. The “professional” Star Trek writers would never be brave enough to do what this author does with Kirk and Spock, though. This fic will make you angry, will make you laugh, will make you cry. It has such a good grasp on every single character. It also shows the love between the crew of the Enterprise, which is always a treat, and it’s beautifully done in this fic. It has a sorta-enemies-to-lovers arc between Spirk and an enemies-to-close-friends arc between Spock and McCoy that is beautifully done and fleshed out. This fic is definitely a journey to go through, and I can’t recommend it enough. It’s extremely slow burn, and you will want to slap both Kirk and Spock (and McCoy) upside the head at certain points lol. 

Of Coffee Beans and Green Tea Leaves:  The progression of a relationship, through Coffee Beans and Green Tea Leaves. Basically, it’s an AU where Kirk works at a coffee shop to pay his way through school, and Spock visits often. rated t; 16,429 words

Love, love, love, this fic. It’s cute, it’s in character. They have kind of a rocky start together, so it’s got a little bit of that Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy i-hated-you-but-now-i-love-you-marry-me vibes to it. I’m a sucker for that, if you haven’t figured that out by now lol. It’s really good, and a really enjoyable read. And it’s not too long, if you’re in the mood for something on the shorter end of things.

 Please Don’t Touch the Vulcans:  The "yes" is out of Jim's mouth before he can think about it. Jim is chipper about having time off for the holidays. He asks everyone if they want to spend time together but sadly, everyone ditches Jim over the holidays because they have plans. McCoy visits his daughter, Nyota visits her family, and everyone splits. Not knowing Spock has feelings for him, Jim doesn't even bother asking if he wants to spend time together figuring he has something to do. Something cute, romantic with the boys spending time with one another and confessions; rated m; 17,690 words

Super cute and has lots of Sarek, which idk about y’all, but I’m always a fan of. Sarek and Jim kind of get to know each other a bit, and it’s cute. Sarek knows about they’re in love before Spock & Kirk know lol. If I remember correctly, there’s also some appearances from everyone’s favorite: Old!Spock! You also get a little bit of jealous and protective Young!Spock. So you’re in for a real treat with this one. 

The Ren shat’var Trilogy:  A split-second decision changes Jim's life forever, as he enters into a bond with Spock in the face of certain torture. Enemies to the Federation emerge from unlikely places, and the command team must contend with unexpected threats, as well as challenges within their own intense relationship. In this three-part series, the Enterprise races across the galaxy to confront the unknown, and Jim and Spock discover the true significance of their unprecedented connection; rated e; 184,411 words

Textual Attraction:  Valentine’s Day does not bring up pleasant memories for Cadet Kirk. But the serendipitous switch-up of his cell phone with a particular Vulcan professor’s will make his day far more interesting –and romantic. Perhaps some new memories can be made! 15,900 words

SO GOOD. Just SO good

Spaceman:  Academy AU. Five times Spock realizes he's attracted to a barista at the academy spaceport, and one time he decides to do something about it. rated t; 3728 words

Short, sweet, funny. You’ll love it.

Subtext: Texting your Vulcan first officer in the middle of the night is never a good idea. Especially when you have an obsessive crush on said Vulcan.The holidays are approaching and Jim is left entirely Spockless aboard the Enterprise when his First takes shore leave on New Vulcan. After some midnight pining, Jim sends a text he instantly regrets. That is, until Spock responds and willingly continues their textual communications to an inevitable conclusion; rated t; 13,032 words

Cute, sweet, funny. It’s a texting fic. I think you’ve probably figured out I love those. This one makes me laugh so fucking hard. Like actually laugh-out-loud-omg-did-i-just-snort kind of funny. Spock is great in this one

All Spock Wants For Christmas:  While Jim is away on a delegation mission, he panics about what to give Spock for Christmas. With help from Bones and Uhura, and in between some spam texting with Spock, Jim realizes he already has the perfect gift. And all it needs is wrapping paper and a bow; rated t; 11,966 words

And here we have another cute, sweet, funny texting fic. Sue me lol

The Morning After:  Jim convinces Spock to take shore leave with him on Risa, hoping the time together will help re-solidify their bond of friendship after some recent tension. Meanwhile, Spock convinces himself he's on Risa for one reason and one reason only, to prevent his wayward captain from getting into trouble. After a passionately illogical night of Romulan Ale and chocolate infused liquor, everything changes when Jim wakes with something other than a hangover filling his head. Something he's sure neither he nor Spock can handle. Because if Jim knows anything for sure, it's that his messed up thoughts belong nowhere near Spock's clean, ordered mind; rated m; 50,381 words

HAHA. This fic fucking cracks me up. You’ve got drunk boys pining over each other & not realizing it. You’ve got accidental marriage. You’ve got bed sharing. It’s great, it’s cute, it’s funny. 

Take This Sinking Boat (And Point It Home):  In which Spock pines, Jim isn’t stupid (except he kind of is), and Christopher Pike has had enough of this bullshit; 6698 words

Pike is great in this one, and it’s super, super funny.

Extracurricular Activities:   Spock returns to the Academy from a tour of duty to find an intriguing cadet captures his attention; rated e; 15,433 words

Veritas: Basically, Kirk and Spock are on trial because the Federation thinks they are emotionally compromised by each other, which is putting the lives of their crew in danger. They have to convince a court they’re not actually in love with each other. They think the claims are bullshit. They think it will be easy to prove that they aren’t in love or emotionally compromised, damn it. It isn’t; rated m; 186,80 words

This one is so, so good. A real gem off of Fanfic.net. I remember it was actually one of the first Spirk fanfics I ever read, and it blew me away. The progression of their relationship is really well-done and interesting. It has star-crossed lovers vibes and has some really emotionally intense moments in it, especially for Spock. 

A Habitual Affection:  Living in 1930s New York with the Vulcan you're secretly in love with is no simple thing. But Jim never liked anything simple. And then, the big snowstorm hit...; rated t; 7998 words

A beautiful TOS fic about one of the gayest episodes of Star Trek. Love this one. 

Atlas:  Between what was and what will be stands James Tiberius Kirk, in all his fractured patchwork glory. Because saving the Federation was only the beginning; rated t; 135,529 words

A beaut. Really great characterization, and the progression of Jim and Spock’s relationship is really well-done.

[dollslayer]

Botanical Interest

Soft!Mob!Steve Rogers x reader

Summary: You’re a florist working the wedding of Brooklyn’s most respected mob boss when you catch the eye of his best man.

W/C: 1557

Warnings: Allusions to violence, swearing, copious amounts of blushing

A/N: My second ever fic! I wrote this as an entry to @stargazingfangirl18 ‘s Soft Dark 5k Challenge (congrats!) using dialogue prompt 9 (bolded) with a Mob!AU. No smut, just fluff. While I’m a sucker for Soft!Dark I thought I’d keep it light and fluffy! Might enter a second one with some darker themes.

I’m brand new to writing and the fandom so if you want you can check out my first fic (also a Mob!AU!) and please reach out with any and all comments or thoughts! I’m eager to know!! Cheers!

Botanical Interest Masterlist I Main Masterlist

_______________________

The first time you saw him you didn’t actually see him because you ran square into him while you were looking the other way. Stubbing your nose right into his chest and nearly spilling the contents of the box you were holding.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry! I wasn’t looking where I was going and I’ve got so much to do so I’ve been running around and I just didn’t see you I’m-“

“Forgiven. You’re forgiven, sweetheart” a smoky voice with confidence and amusement informed you.

You loved being a florist but you were short handed for this wedding and needed to get a move on. You wouldn’t have taken the job but the infamous Bucky Barnes, King of Brooklyn himself was getting married. It would be great exposure for you but when a man like him asks something of you you don’t exactly have a choice. In all the chaos of it you didn’t watch your step.

Cheeks still burning with embarrassment, your eyes met those of Barnes’ right hand man, Steve Rogers. Now you weren’t just embarrassed you were nervous.

Taking a step back and shuffling the box in your hands you sent him a sheepish smile. “Right, well, sorry again. I’ve really got a lot to do before the ceremony, so...” trailing off you started to walk away. Just distract yourself with the work and try not to worry whether you’d just offended a member of the mob.

—————————————

Steve nodded and gave you a small smile, letting you return to the task at hand. There was some issue with the venue and the owners were being stubborn but the wedding planner was busy putting out a different fire. So, being the best man that he was, he decided to come down and use his ‘persuasive skills’.

He almost forgot what he was there for as he watched you walk away. Sure, you looked a little crazed in your work but you were cute. Frazzled but determined as you tinkered with the centerpieces, he let himself be distracted for a moment.

Sighing as his phone buzzed asking for an update on the venue, he shook his head. With a scowl he straightened his posture and clenched his fists as he set off in search of the property manager. Poor bastard.

—————————

30 minutes, 2 punches, and one very credible threat later Steve was leaving the manager's office. He held the door and looked at the man one last time, “And I think I’ll stay to make sure you don’t get any ideas about going back on the agreement.”

At least that was his excuse for sticking around. He still had some time before he needed to get changed so he ambled around until he spotted you across the large room. Planting himself against the wall, a tiny smile on his face as he watched you place each stem with care.

You still looked a little pressed but he could tell you were really enjoying what you were doing. He liked to see a woman hard at work and good at what she does. He liked seeing you so flustered earlier when you ran into him. The heat flooding to your face told him you knew exactly who he was. Good.

Bending to reach a stray peony he took a moment to admire your body. He had to wonder if the blush on your face earlier would be the same one you’d have when he’d whisper dirty things into your ear.

Letting his imagination wander a little bit he didn’t realize you’d gone outside. Maybe it was a good time for Steve to step out and have a smoke.

———————————

You felt some relief as you saw him take off in another direction and felt relief. Finally letting yourself relax a bit you started on the arch. You heard yelling from down the hall but decided to ignore it, you didn’t have time to worry about it.

Some time later you were still working on the arch when you noticed something in the corner of your eye. Taking a moment to look up you saw that it was Steve. What was he doing? Whatever. He said he forgave you just focus on the arch. You worked the best you could to not let his presence bother you.

Finally done with the arch, you needed to go back to the van for more supplies and finishing touches. Letting yourself forget about your unexpected company you climbed into the back of the van and hauled out some boxes.

“You need help with that, sweetheart?” He offered.

You hadn’t expected him out here and let out a shriek. Jesus Christ is he following me now? Steve casually walked over to you with a quirk in his brow waiting for an answer.

“I- Uh, no. No, I’m good. I’m great, actually. My assistant is somewhere around so I don’t need help so you can just, uh, go, I guess. Thanks though.” How you managed to get the entire sentence out only stumbling slightly in your words was beyond you.

“Alright. Well if you need some muscle or a strong set of hands... I’ll be around for a while.” He responded while sporting what you were sure was his signature grin.

You watched him make his way back inside and let out the breath you definitely knew you were holding. Just finish the flowers and get out. You can do this.

—————————

The reception was winding down and you waited for the last guests to leave before you started disassembling things. Waiting out back with the van and your assistant you thought back to your awkward interactions with Steve.

You knew he was dangerous, or at least what he did was dangerous. He didn’t say one threatening word to you and he still had your palms sweating. Hopefully the wedding party would be long gone and you wouldn’t have to see him again.

The lights were starting to come up and you put yourself to task but before you did you took a moment to really admire the arch. Hours of work, hundreds of peonies and ranunculus and so much greenery all put together in one beautiful piece. You couldn’t help but snag a picture.

“It really is gorgeous. Not as gorgeous as you though.” That voice again, seemingly out of nowhere.

“Jesus Christ!” Startled for the second time by him that night your anger got the better of you. “What’s your deal huh? Why are you watching me? Am I on some list now?”

He barked out a laugh in response. “I swear I didn’t mean to start watching you, it just sort of... happened” He admittedly almost sheepishly. “You’re cute when you’re focused, you’re also cute when you’re mad.”

You could only blink at him. What do you even say to that? ‘Thanks, I find you terrifying’? “Um, thanks, I guess.” Good enough.

He held his hand out to you. “Steve Rogers.” You held your hand out to shake when he took it and kissed it instead. You stated your name as calm as you could. When he released your hand you noticed some bruises on his knuckles. Lest you forget who he is.

He seemed to notice you caught that detail. “Don’t worry. I don’t hurt anyone who don’t deserve it, certainly could never hurt a pretty face like yours.” You blushed at the compliment and turned your head. 

“I… should probably get back to the flowers. Don’t wanna be here all night.” You shifted your attention to the arch and began the process of dismantling it. 

“I wouldn’t mind it. Here, Doll”. He noticed you searching around for your tools and handed them to you. “Let me help you, these things look heavy”. You really shouldn’t. A piece of you kept placing this warning around him but every time he opened his mouth he was so sweet. How could you say no?

____________________________

So that’s how the big scary mobster found himself surrounded by flowers and skipping out on the after party. He asked you about yourself, how you got into floristry, he listened to you geek out about flowers. You asked him about himself and he did his best to answer while trying not to scare you off. Something about how confident you were in your work but how shy you got reeled him in. He didn’t care who saw him grinning like an idiot at you. 

As he helped you load the last of your things and close the back doors of your van he leaned against it. “So, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is just around the corner from my place but I’ve never been. Think a professional like you could spare some time for an uninformed punk like myself?” 

______________________________

Was he asking you out? You couldn’t fight the growing smile on your face. You know what he does is… less than ideal but talking to him you really felt good chemistry between the two of you. He was funny and genuine and those moments where he was a little shy telling you about growing up as a scrawny kid had you feeling like you were peeking in on a side of him that you’d never expect. You looked up at him still smiling.

“Oh what the hell? When are you free?”