#i'm guessing some of these details no longer apply to the characters as written / as cast but it's interesting to see where they started

[linwelinwrites]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

I found this on my dashboard and even though no one tagged me I want to join in!

Disclaimer: I write a lot of adult content, and though there is a warning on AO3 if you click the link and it's appropriately tagged and warned, I'll say it again: every fic linked with an (Explicit) tag beside it, is intended only for adults. Do not read or interact if you're a minor.

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

22 as of today! A lot of those are drabbles and ficlets, but I do have a few longer pieces. I have so many more I'm working on though!

2. What’s your total AO3 word count? 

106.505 words 😄

3. What fandoms do you write for?

My main fandom is Harry Potter. I write a little bit for Twilight too and I've just started working on some Haikyuu! fics because of a recent fixation with the series 😅 I can't get enough of it!

I also have plans to write for My Hero Academia (I've posted a few drabbles, but nothing substantial), which I believe will start occupying more real estate on my brain as soon as I watch season 7 😬

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos? 

The Deal, The Honeymoon & Beyond (Explicit) Twilight, canon compliant, basically fixing some fade-to-black scenes. Every day I'm surprised my oldest fic still hangs in at n°1, but there it is!

Pure fucking ambrosia (Explicit) Twilight, no pregnancy AU, a complete fever dream and slightly cursed—I blame the r/Fanfiction Discord and Jadzia specifically for this sinnery. I'm glad this one found its crowd.

Acquiescence to Inevitability (Explicit) Harry Potter, a Dramione one-shot inspired by another fic. No War AU, Hogwarts Seventh Year, very little plot but a lot of fun.

A Grave Mistake (Teen) Haikyuu, a cute KageHina one-shot about Halloween. Pure domestic fluff, Shoyo being adorable and Tobio being weak af for him

Memories, Not Dreams (Teen) Harry Potter, a short & sweet Harmony ficlet. Canon Divergent at Deathly Hallows. You guessed it, it's during their time in the tent 😅

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Every single one of them, as soon as I can! Comments are the highlight of my day, I call them the fuel for the writing furnace. They mean someone took time out of their day to let me know what they thought of my fic. That means the world to me 💜

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Oh, that's an easy one. Just for tonight (Explicit) has two endings (a choose-your-own-adventure sort of fic), but one of those is the angstiest shit I've ever written. I love it!

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

That's got to be Man of Honour (Teen). Though it's a prequel to a bigger project I'm working on, as a standalone it's got the fluffiest, most HEA ending I've written.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Fortunately no, not even with the spiciest/weirdest fics I've posted, which I'm very thankful for. I'm a strong defender of "don't like, don't read," which I apply for my own reading. The little 'x' button is the only dislike button I need, and I'm glad whoever read and disliked my stuff (which I'm sure has happened) didn't bother to let me know.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I mostly like fluffy smut, though I have a thing for characters who are desperate, particularly if they view the moment as their only or last opportunity to experience intimacy with that person. I love writing service tops + overstimulation, which is a really nice combo; and D/s dynamics, because of the trust they imply and the fireworks they can bring to the fun.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

I haven't yet, but there's a plot bunny in my bunny hutch waiting for me that would be a crazy one indeed 👀 I don't have the details fine tuned yet, but I do know it would involve Knives Out and Spy x Family, for one. That sounds crazy to me 😂

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I'm aware of, and I don't think so. I don't have that kind of traffic 😂

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? 

I got a request recently for a translation to Vietnamese, but I don't know if it's been done yet.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? 

Nope! I don't know how that would work, but I'm curious. It could be fun!

14. What’s your all-time favourite ship? 

It's so hard to pick just one, holy shit. But I suppose it's the one that lives rent free in my head every fucking day, the one that got me writing a 50k outline and five spreadsheets and ten metric tonnes of research and is sitting at 45k words when I'm only 15 out of 150 scenes in (yes, 150, I will die writing this fic). I don't like the "official" ship name, so I just call them Symphony: Draco / Hermione / Harry.

I couldn't choose between Dramione, Harmony and Drarry, and I thought all of them worked perfectly together, but I believe that as a triad they are perfect.

I think they balance each other out perfectly, and I can't wait to write a Brandon Sanderson sized longfic about them 😂

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I have some scenes I want to add to The Deal, The Honeymoon & Beyond (Explicit), other scenes that faded to black and I want to fill in, a few requests and other ideas, but it's the last thing on my list of priorities at the moment. I don't know if I'll never get to them, but it won't be soon for sure. I'm a lot more focused on other fandoms for now.

16. What are your writing strengths? 

I think I'm good at finding the perspective of the POV character and placing myself in their shoes, and I believe that results in a decently strong character voice. I'm very intentional in my word choice and my speech and thought patterns, so that every character sounds different and as true to themselves as possible. At least, that's what I think; I'd love to have someone else's opinion on this.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? 

I'm afraid my grammar structures aren't as varied as I'd like them to be, and though I put a lot of effort into it, I'm still somewhat concerned about writing in English, since it isn't my native language. I'm always second-guessing myself, wondering if what I'm writing means what I think it does, or if I'm mistakenly implying something else. That's the kind of thing I'd love to have a beta for.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? 

I mean, every fic is in "another language" for me 😂 But if this means adding dialogue in another language to an English fic, then I think it should be translated inline with html/css (workskin) formatting. There's nothing more annoying than having to scroll down or open another tab to see wtf something means, unless it's clearly implied or translated inside the fic itself.

19. First fandom you wrote for? 

Twilight!

I found out Midnight Sun existed during the pandemic, proceeded to fall down the rabbit hole and had a Twilight renaissance with an adult perspective. That's when the fade-to-black scenes annoyed me; as a teen, they didn't stand out to me, because I was a child. But now, with new (and filthy) eyes, I wanted more.

I looked up fanfiction online for the first time at the ripe old age of 24, read a brain-melting amount of it, and was still unsatisfied. Everything I read was just a little bit off what I wanted, so I thought I had to rectify the situation. And that's the story, folks!

20. Favourite fic you’ve written? 

Of the ones I've posted, Man of Honour 💜 I think it's the one that anyone can read, it's fluffy and cute and (I hope) funny, and stars a great platonic friendship, some star-crossed romance in the background, and fake dating shenanigans, and I love it so, so much 💜 I put a lot of sweat and tears into the workskins and pinterest boards, so it's also quite pretty, if I do say so myself. I think it's my best work, I had a blast writing it, and I've gotten really positive feedback on it. I'm really happy with it.

I tag @gamingwithsydney! and anyone who sees this and wants to participate. Please ignore if you’ve already done this or don’t want to do it, that’s completely fine. 😊

[canmom]

continuing to read Worth the Candle, circa ch43.

this continues to clear the bar of being an actually interesting litrpg isekai and also (sigh) ratfic, which I didn't realise at first, but i saw an article on the author's blog which named it as such - which mostly seemed to mean 'fiction which spends a lot of words on thought processes' - but now a little of that bayesian stank is getting in there. but nevertheless, well first it's About Grief in a way that's written in a way that feels raw and genuine enough that it resonates; chapter 42 in which are shown how the protagonist went to pieces has some particular insights on what it's like, thinking particularly of

Looking back, I have to wonder how much of Reimer being a dick to me was just him trying to process the grief in his own way, in the same way that I started to lash out at pretty much everyone around me for every little slight, or anything that could possibly be interpreted as disrespect to Arthur. I was his best friend, and he was mine, that was how I saw myself after his death, and I applied as much paint to our relationship as possible, until it was sometimes hard to remember that I’d been anything but a perfect friend.

and it makes me think like. i wasn't one of Fall's closest friends by any means, indeed for most of this year she wasn't speaking to me for complicated psychosis reasons, and although we'd started to rebuild things at the end and i was really looking forward to spending more time with her, the huge public show of grief I made - it was genuine, but i was certainly partly grieving that i hadn't done a better job of being "Fall's friend" when she was alive.

and second is the author has clearly spent many years reading the same sorts of D&D board I grew up on, so the metafiction aspect builds on a familiar suite of concepts and is thus quite compelling. the author's game design digressions are on point.

and third, or I guess continuation of second, I'm in a very well run D&D game at the moment which is like, highlight of every week no question, so it's on the brain. this is unapologetically a self insert story, but that results in the author/MC's D&D games and the thought and passion he puts into them ringing very true.

it's way longer than it needs to be, I think, and puts little attention on prose styling - it's perfectly serviceable, and does have a recognisable voice, but mostly just 'gets the job done'. the ratfic angle means a great deal of time is spent analysing, planning and deliberating in enormous detail, which doesn't stop people whining in the comments.

but the virtue its prose does have is that it's frictionless. I'm like a little under a fifth of the way in, which means I've read about a sizable novel already, but it really doesn't feel like it.

speaking of which, I've never seen a more condescending set of AO3 commentators. it seems like litrpg attracts a certain kind of reader who isn't shy about saying they think the MC is unbearably stupid, and then backseating the writing in general and the character's build decisions, which seems an absurd thing to get hung up on.

the way this kind of thing works, you've got the small scale series of arcs - 'how will the character solve this problem' - and the longer mystery arc - 'what is revealed about the System underlying it all' - but all of that is just kind of arbitrary really, because what it's really about is the gradual unfolding of theme and character.

why does Juniper have to fight a unicorn? because his reasons for designing 'unicorn as possessive, controlling man with timeline alteration' gives insight into his relationship with Tiff, and more generally serves as an illustrative example of the reasons we play D&D and write fiction. because that's one of the things the story is quite overtly talking about. oh, but you'd better write another post about how the protagonist is unsympathetic because he didn't put a point in luck lmao

anyway i think this is kind of what Baru Cormorant might look like if Seth was less ambitious and of course a less ruthlessly demanding editor. this might seem like an odd comparison because Seth's prose is punchy, poetic and rich with information and Baru is a grand epic about imperialism etc. with a highly driven protagonist, while the characters in WtC spend most of their time trying to solve the problems their last adventure caused and it's a more personal story. but the reason I draw it is that both wear their themes on their sleeves, both seem to be written by caring and passionate people with 'approximate knowledge of many things', both are shaped by desires to write fiction which approaches character in a certain way, both prefer to communicate directly rather than dissemble through subtext and implication... maybe it's just that the image of each author i receive through the text is someone i think i can understand.

anyway no more tonight i must sleep.

[lilredghost]

babyyyy im late but for the writing asks, 4. Where do you find inspiration for new ideas?

49. Do you ever get rude reviews and how do you deal with them?

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

63. Something you hate to see in smut.

64. Something you love to see in smut.

74. You’ve posted a fic anonymously. How would someone be able to guess that you’d written it?

76. Did you have any ideas that didn’t make the final cut of any of your fics? 

Baby!! You're not late at all! As long as I keep getting questions, I'll keep answering! Some of these I did already, in which case I'll just link the previous answer

4. Where do you find inspiration for new ideas?

See here

49. Do you ever get rude reviews and how do you deal with them?

Thankfully no! I want to say I would block the person and move on, but I know it would hit me hard if I got that kind of negative feedback. The roughest thing I've had to deal with is only a lack of engagement on occasion

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

Foreshadowing and Parallel phrases / repetition

63. Something you hate to see in smut.

BITTER ENDINGS. I hate it with a passion! Smut is meant to make you feel good, and people's emotions can be precariously fragile in the aftermath. Why would you hurt someone like this??

64. Something you love to see in smut.

Answered in this post. But also, in the same vein as #63, I love endings where the characters (if it's not already an established relationship) affirm that they seriously like each other or that they want to have sex again. That assurance really puts me at ease; it's sort of like a "happily ever after" for smut

74. You’ve posted a fic anonymously. How would someone be able to guess that you’d written it?

Hmmm, this is really difficult actually. Maybe if I whump the fuck out of Obi-Wan? Or find a way to apply his infinite sadness even in a smut fic?? I'm not sure, but I think the way I repeat phrases (see #56) is probably a big one

76. Did you have any ideas that didn’t make the final cut of any of your fics?

Not for the E-rated ones, I think, because with those I was pretty happy with only establishing as much detail as I needed/wanted before getting into the porn. But for Their fragrance came from you, definitely! Here are a few:

Originally, Cal and Jaro Tapal were going to be in the courtroom to testify for Anakin's trial. This just sort of got cut because the courtroom scene was already a mess and I decided it didn't add much

Komari was going to be the one to reveal to the readers that Obi-Wan was an omega, instead of Feemor, and it was not going to be nearly as heartfelt! I changed it when I got to that chapter because I had added the fight scene between Komari and Obi-Wan, and it no longer made sense for them to be interacting there. It looked a little like this: “I’m just looking after you, dumbass.” Her brows draw together. “…you’ll be all by yourself over there.” “Again, Komari, I’m not—” “Obi-Wan, I’m not worried about him stabbing you through the gut,” she says sharply. “I’m worried about him finding out that you’re an omega.”

There was also originally a bit during the scene where Obi-Wan and Anakin paint divay in the square where Anakin gets pulled away to tell some kids about "The Tale of Two Suns". We're meant to hear the name of this fable in passing now (and maybe a cultural tidbit or two) and then get the actual text of the fable later in the fic. But that scene was so hard to put together that I couldn't make it fit... I'm trying to introduce the tale of two suns in a different place now, hopefully it works!

[nothingunrealistic]

casting call information from the two river theater production of love in hate nation

A turbulent rock romance set in a 1960s Juvie Hall, Love in Hate Nation uses classic “bad girl” movies as the inspiration for the story of young people caught between eras of a changing America. Sixteen-year old Susannah Son is carted off to the National Reformatory for Girls to get her head put on straight. There she meets the aggressively incorrigible Sheila Nail, and a relationship forms which leads to an all out “revolution in the institution” as they attempt to break out of the boxes society has created around them. Girl Group Wall of Sound harmonies are filtered through a punk rock spirit in this rebellious and romantic new musical.

NOTE: The show is set in 1962. The world is stylized, but the characters should feel firmly planted in the time period in terms of timing, delivery, speech patterns. Specific inspiration was taken from the “bad girl” movies of the late 50s – early 70s. See: Switchblade Sisters, Kitten With a Whip, Rebel Without A Cause, Female Trouble, etc.

SUSANNAH SON: In Juvie for attempted suicide. A total weirdo and our heroine. SUSANNAH is a black girl from suburban CT. Her father is a former military man, her mother is drunk. She’s adopted. Neither parent understands SUSANNAH or seems to like her very much. She’s been teaching herself ukulele for a few years. She loves girl group pop music. She has never felt at home anywhere and she always feels alone in groups. She felt calm around her grandma, but now her grandma is dead. She designed a logo for herself (what’s the logo for, exactly? Unclear) and draws it on everything. She is not badass. – Should have a versatile voice that has lots of personality. Ukulele skills a real plus. Guitar skills a plus but not necessary. (Who would play her in the movie: a teenage Kimya Dawson, a teenage Odetta, a teenage Janelle Monae.)

SHEILA NAIL: In Juvie for theft, pyromania, violent tendencies, thrill-craziness, and rampant waywardness. Sheila is total badass. Unsentimental, sexy, tough, weird, furious, calm. – Should have a great rock and roll voice: think Aretha, Janis, Smith, or Amy (Winehouse). Any ethnicity. (Who would play her in the movie: a teenage Gina Gershon, a teenage James Dean, a teenage KILL BILL-era Uma Thurman.)

DOROTHY DONALDSON: In Juvie for incorrigibility and impersonating others. Dorothy is a Southern belle, by way of Jersey. A warm criminal from New Jersey whose “special skill” is impressions. She does a few characters from time to time but her main guise these days is Southern Belle. – Any vocal type will do. Any ethnicity. (Who would play her in the movie: a teenage Ellie Kemper, a teenage Cookie Mueller, a teenage Mindy Kaling.)

BRENDA “Rat” RATOWSKI: In Juvie for kleptomania and destructive tendencies. Rat is a scrappy little thieving weasel. A rough, snarling sneak with a mean streak. Pure Brooklyn, total street rat. – Any vocal type will do. Any ethnicity. (Who would play her in the movie: a teenage Steve Buscemi, a teenage Cyndi Lauper, a teenage P.J. Soles.)

KITTY MINX: In Juvie for “cross-dressing” and sexual deviancy. Kitty is the ‘family secret’ who feels at home in Juvie. In 2019, Kitty would be referred to as transgender. In 1962, she’d be referred to as a “cross-dresser.” She is confident and kind and strange and in love with the screen goddesses of the 1940’s. She is a rebel in the making and she bites. – She should possess a strong rock/soul voice: think Anohni, a female Elton John, Nina Simone. Any ethnicity. Seeking Transgender and Gender Nonconforming actors. (Who would play her in the movie: a teenage Candy Darling, a teenage Justin Vivian Bond, a teenage Jackie Curtis.)

JUDITH RAMONE: In Juvie for cutting a guy’s dick off. Judith is one tough cookie. She’s got an eye patch. Don’t ask about it. Tough, nasty, woke up on the wrong side of the bad. The school bully who revels in being the bully. She roots for the Wicked Witch every damn time. She’s totally annoyed by you and wants you to know it. – She should possess a personality-filled voice that ain’t pretty. Any ethnicity. (Who would play her in the movie: a teenage ROCKY HORROR-era Tim Curry, a teenage Pam Grier, a teenage Divine, a teenage Grace Jones, a teenage Ellen Greene.)

GLORIA “Ya Ya” MEEKS: In Juvie for general strangeness, compulsive behavior, and promiscuity. Gloria might be an alien. Bizarre, sweet, prickly, warm, cool, painfully unhip, fragile. The weirdest one in a group of weirdos. – Any vocal type will do. Any ethnicity. (Who would play her in the movie: a teenage Melanie Griffith, a teenage Courtney Love, a teenage Brittany Murphy, a teenage Amanda Plummer, a teenage Jennifer Tilly, a teenage Amy Sedaris.)

MARGARET ASP: The Warden. “Ms. Asp” is a fraying version of a 1950s suburban housewife. She is trying desperately to hang on to the values and sensibilities of days gone by. Her flawless exterior and just-so mannerisms mask the fact that she is losing her grip on reality. She’s all smiles as she stabs you in the heart. A disturbed human being who will go to any length to show you that she is absolutely not disturbed in any way. – She should possess a versatile musical theater-y voice that can maybe do some other fun stuff. She’s not a rocker, but she wishes she were. (Who would play her in the movie: Judy Davis, Lucy Liu, Mary Woronov, Kathleen Turner, Lynne Whitfield, Glenn Close, Charles Busch.)

THE GUY: FRANCIS, SUSANNAH’s buttoned-up intellectual, pretentious boyfriend. Presents as a liberal, but is completely trapped in the 1950s and is often unintentionally racist / misogynistic / etc. And, more often than not, intentionally racist / misogynistic / etc. Physically intimidating/imposing. ALSO plays: BUZZ, the bizarre fast-talking orderly; DOC SHOCK, an evil scientist Shock Treatment facilitator; MR. SON, SUSANNAH’s military father. – A brilliant, versatile character actor. Dangerous, alive, and period. Voice type not important at all. (Who would play him in the movie: Michael Shannon, John C. Reilly, Vincent Kartheiser, John Goodman.)

[rainhalydia]

I wasn't in fandom at the time, so I'm curious about how you felt, as a Throbb shipper, about GRRM confirming Robb didn't love Theon as much as he loved Jon? And how did Throbb shippers in general feel about it?

Well, I can’t say how Throbb shippers in general felt. Not that happy, I’d guess? I can tell how I felt and still feel about it, though I didn’t see that interview until long after the fact so I didn’t catch any drama anyway. To sum it up: I don’t care.

A much longer, rambling word-vomit under the cut:

I think I summed up my feelings very exactly, but I kept thinking a lot about this ask and having lots of opinions, so here we go. I’ll preface this long-ass rant by saying I have no professional training in literary analysis. I just read a lot, overthink everything and had two classes in college about literature.

First of all, this tendency to give great weight - i.e., to care at all - about what writers have to say about their own work is completely foreign to me. I mean it literally - the main framework of literary analysis I’ve encountered throughtout my education was basically centered around the text, and I very much adopt it without even giving it conscious thought. I don’t seek out interviews, addendums, essays, anything at all. Sometimes I read it if they fall on my lap. Such was the case with this interview.

It’s not that writers don’t have things to say, or that those things are not interesting or valuable or sometimes shed a new light on their work. It’s that at the end of the day they’re not important! Only canon is canon. I don’t mean to sound snob or pedantic, like the books are law or something. And any canon has a number of valid interpretations (within limits), they’re not absolute, they allow some wiggle room. But any text needs by definition to stand on its own without writers poking their heads inside the room to say how we should interpret it. If we need imput from the writers to do it, then the text is already bad, it failed, sorry. Interpretation is the reader’s job. In fact, it’s the reader’s prerrogative.

Much of this hipe around authors, I believe, has to do with the rise of social media and how close to the public writers suddenly were. And I feel that applies especially for authors like Martin, who are very talented and have created a very rich world that has become really popular. And ASOIAF is still ongoing. It’s natural that everyone wants to pick at his brain and know where the story is going!

And here I make my second very unpopular point: authors are not specialists in their own work.

He knows more than anyone about it, certainly, and currently Martin is probably the only person who knows how things will end (though we have plenty of bare bones the show left), but he is, as he has admited himself, a gardener. The story was bound to get away from him, given his own writting style. The group of people who will be specialists on his work don’t include him, and they don’t even exist yet. They will only emerge when he’s stopped writing (so probably after his death) and his work has ended (if it was finished or not). Then people can read every single thing he has ever written, which is much more than ASOIAF, and analyse it to death, pick it apart from every single angle, the ones Martin intended to be there and the ones he didn’t.

Again, I don’t mean to come across as snobbish and say Martin does not know his own work, characters, creation, etc. He does! But no writer can leave all their biases behind when they start writing, so these books are not neutral to begin with. Add to it the lots and lots of variables readers will bring when they interpret the text, and any book is always going to be more than the author intends by default.

If my argument seems absurd, let me point out that it has already happened to a certain degree: my own interpretation from reading ASOIAF is that it is full of anti-war, anti-violence messages, and yet from it has sprung an adaptation that, in my own interpretation, glorifies war and violence to a ridiculous degree. I’m not alone in these opinions, btw. They’re pretty common in fandom spaces, so I’m sure I didn’t pull them out of thin air. We can argue until we’re blue in the face that the Ds can’t read anything for shit, they certainly don’t do themselves any favors, but you know, they interpreted the books well enough to correctly guess who was Jon’s mother and get permission to adapt it in the first place. I’ve since seen people (I’m not naming names, anyone still reading will just have to take my word for it, but I swear they do exist) defend that the show is a faithful adaptation of the books and that the glorification of war was there too, and others say that the show didn’t actually glorify war, it had an anti-war message! Who is wrong? Well, I don’t know. As I said, the GRRM’s specialists are yet to come, and I’m certainly not one of them. What I believe, however, is that all of us brought our own biases to the same text, interpreted it according to them, and came to different, often conflicting conclusions.

See also what GRRM said about the partnership between Jaehaerys and Alysanne and what most people made of their relationship from Fire and Blood. See the sept sex/rape scene controversy. See the Dany/Drogo controversy.

Do you get why I put little weight in Martin’s interviews to form my opinion? So given that and my own background, I’ll chose my own interpretation of the text rather than Martin’s apocrypha.

What does the book canon, and the book canon alone, say about Robb’s feelings for Theon? Well, unless new material is released, we’ll just never know for sure, because Robb isn’t a pov character. We do have Theon’s side of things - he has a certain affection for Robb, he’s more of a brother than his own brothers, he wishes he had died with him or at least that he had been there at the moment of Robb’s death, depending on how sincere he feels like being. We also know a little bit of what other characters thought of their relationship. Bran says Robb admired Theon and enjoyed his company, and it’s implied that he finds this baffling. He’s also jealous that Robb spends more time with Theon and other adults doing adult things than with his brothers. And though I’ve talked at lenght about interpretation and wiggle room to understand things, it’s also pretty evident that Robb is down to hear Theon talk about his sexual conquests in some detail as long as his brothers aren’t around.

Of course, Bran is a child and much as he loves Robb, their time together is cut short and Robb is not his main concern anyway. We get most material about Robb and Theon’s relationship from Cat’s pov. There’s a lot we can analyse and Damien had already done a great not-meta about it, but sadly he’s since deleted, thank you to the demons who got on his case, but for me the most damning piece of evidence that Robb feels very strongly for Theon is this:

“Robb will avenge his brothers. Ice can kill as dead as fire. Ice was Ned’s greatsword. Valyrian steel, marked with the ripples of a thousand foldings, so sharp I feared to touch it. Robb’s blade is dull as a cudgel compared to Ice. It will not be easy for him to get Theon’s head off, I fear. The Starks do not use headsmen. Ned always said that the man who passes the sentence should swing the blade, though he never took any joy in the duty.”

So to unpack what is going on: nearly drowing in grief, Cat rambles to Brienne about lots of things, including Theon’s impending death sentence. By Northern dumb tradition, Robb must be the one to behead Theon, his former best friend turned enemy, turned betrayer, turned brother-killer. And she says that it won’t be easy for him to do it.

Now, it can be argued that this is partly because of the sword. They’ve lost their sharp valyrian steel and Robb uses an inferior blade, not as sharp. I reject this interpretation as the only explanation (and here comes my own biases) because she mentions the headsman right after. A headsman might be more experienced, but it’s not like he’d have valyrian steel to do it either. Rather, I think she’s talking about how being able to pass Theon off to be killed by a headsman would be easier on Robb psychologically, but it’s not really an option, so Robb will have to suffer.

At this point, to Robb’s knowledge, Theon has: 1) betrayed his trust and used the ruse of negociations with Balon to escape; 2) attacked the northern shore and enslaved his people; 3) attacked and took control of his home; 4) made his brothers hostages; 5) killed his brothers; 6) denied his brothers the right to be buried in a decent way; and finally, 7) burned their bodies and exposed them for all of the North to see.

And after all this, having to be the one to kill Theon will make him suffer.

We know one of the moments Robb gets the angriest in the books is when Bran is threatened by the wildlings. He is the acting Lord and keeping his little brothers safe is his responsability. He nearly bites Theon’s head off when Theon saves Bran in a risky way and we know that was uncharacteristic because Theon is still sulking about that a whole year later. So his siblings are dear to him, but even after Theon does everything from steps 1 to 4, he’s still sure they’re not in danger and that Theon won’t do anything to them. That’s how much he trusts Theon. It takes literal murder to make him change his mind.

But then he does change his mind. He believes Theon did those awful, awful things to his brothers. After that knowledge has had time to settle in, after he believes the worst of Theon, he has this amazing convo with Cat that I’ll quote whole because it’s amazing:

“Enough.” For just an instant Robb sounded more like Brandon than his father. “No man calls my lady of Winterfell a traitor in my hearing, Lord Rickard.” When he turned to Catelyn, his voice softened. “If I could wish the Kingslayer back in chains I would. You freed him without my knowledge or consent … but what you did, I know you did for love. For Arya and Sansa, and out of grief for Bran and Rickon. Love’s not always wise, I’ve learned. It can lead us to great folly, but we follow our hearts … wherever they take us. Don’t we, Mother?”

Is that what I did? “If my heart led me into folly, I would gladly make whatever amends I can to Lord Karstark and yourself.”

Lord Rickard’s face was implacable. “Will your amends warm Torrhen and Eddard in the cold graves where the Kingslayer laid them?” He shouldered between the Greatjon and Maege Mormont and left the hall.

Robb made no move to detain him. “Forgive him, Mother.”

“If you will forgive me.”

“I have. I know what it is to love so greatly you can think of nothing else.”

Catelyn bowed her head. “Thank you.” I have not lost this child, at least.

So we know that what is going on here is that Robb is buttering Cat up before breaking the news of his marriage to Jeyne to her. One of the possible interpretations supported by the text is that Jeyne is in love with Robb and Robb is not in love with her. It’s a common reading that he married her out of honor and to avoid a possible Jon Snow situation. During their marriage, he seems to grow fond of her - Cat notices he likes her company better, and her brother’s, and that he laughs when he is with the Westerlings - but he also keeps some distance. She’s afraid of Grey Wind, which pretty much means being afraid of a part of him. In turn, he’s attentive, courteous, and a bit touched and annoyed at her public displays of affection.

Then there is this gem:

“His heir failed him.” Robb ran a hand over the rough weathered stone. “I had hoped to leave Jeyne with child … we tried often enough, but I’m not certain…”

And this is more Damien’s not-meta than my own, but once you see it, you can’t ever unsee it. Compare the bolded parts in that quote in the first Cat-Robb convo to the part bolded in the second one, put them side to side and tell me you can’t see the difference. In the first one, Robb basically spells it out that he’s made a mistake out of love, that love turned him into a fool, but it was stronger than him. At that point of the narrative, Robb’s biggest mistake (and notably it was HIS mistale, it was not a case of the narrative screwing him over) was to free Theon. A mistake that caused him to lose his brothers, castle and a significant chunk of political standing. The consequences of marrying Jeyne, which is pretty much only to lose the Freys, don’t even compare - especially because the Stark faction believes they can win their support back.

And this love that made him act like a fool is further described in the second bolded part of that quote. He loved so greatly that he could think of nothing else. That is some passion there, folks. Even considering that he’s trying to get Cat on his side, it strikes me as so sincere and heartfelt. And again, maybe it’s my own biases showing, but that sounds like an all-consuming love, the kind of love that doesn’t go away easily. I don’t see that same depth of emotion on the second bolded quote… they tried often enough. Does it add up with the first part? I don’t think so.

My conclusion, and forgive me if the shipper gogles come in, is that the love that hurt him, that consumed him, is the love he had for Theon. Not for his wife. But it was in the past, one might say. His marriage was just beginning, he and Jeyne grow closer, etc. I’ll quote two more bits:

“I cannot speak to that. There is much confusion in any war. Many false reports. All I can tell you is that my nephews claim it was this bastard son of Bolton’s who saved the women of Winterfell, and the little ones. They are safe at the Dreadfort now, all those who remain.”

“Theon,” Robb said suddenly. “What happened to Theon Greyjoy? Was he slain?”

Here we are nearing the Red Wedding. Some Freys come to pretend to make peace and pressure for a wedding to Edmure and they bring news of the battle of Winterfell. Professional writers don’t often abuse the “suddenly” like us poor fic writers, so when he says it was sudden, i believe it was sudden. I believe it came out of nowhere, in fact, and that Robb was the only one in that room considering Theon’s fate.

Roose Bolton removed a ragged strip of leather from the pouch at his belt. “My son sent this with his letter.”

Ser Wendel turned his fat face away. Robin Flint and Smalljon Umber exchanged a look, and the Greatjon snorted like a bull. “Is that … skin?” said Robb.

“The skin from the little finger of Theon Greyjoy’s left hand. My son is cruel, I confess it. And yet … what is a little skin, against the lives of two young princes? You were their mother, my lady. May I offer you this … small token of revenge?“ 

Part of Catelyn wanted to clutch the grisly trophy to her heart, but she made herself resist. “Put it away. Please.”

“Flaying Theon will not bring my brothers back,” Robb said. “I want his head, not his skin.”

Aside from Catelyn, who is torn, and maybe the Greatjon (I don’t know what snorting like a bull is supposed to convey), no one in that room approves of torturing Theon, they’re all rightly creeped out. But no one would blink an eye if Robb had ordered Theon flayed alive. Instead, he commands the torture to stop. Of course it’s the only decent thing to do, but let’s all appreciate how the character who is always arguing for peace, end of conflict and letting things go for the sake of the living and what can still be saved instead of more violence, is tempted by it. Robb is the only one who shares the full extent of Cat’s grief here, but he’s also the only one to try and stop the senseless punishment.

I joke all the time about how Throbb is canon, and it’s mostly jokes. They are not canon in the sense that Cat and Ned are canon, and I don’t think we’ll have any more facts added to their story together, there probably won’t be any flashbacks that hint at a romantic relationship between them. But looking at the text alone, what we have of it as of now, it’s possible to support a canonical reading for this ship. This interpretation is there in the text if you want to see it. In fact, some things make more sense if Robb was in love with Theon.

And you know, having a ship be supported by canon is not actually a condition that needs to be met to ship anything. It’s just something I particularly need to get into it. But even if you read Theon and Robb as just friends, it’s a reach to say that Robb didn’t love Theon.

Of course, we have Robb demonstrating affection towards Jon in the books too. He is Robb’s chosen heir, to Cat’s despair. Despite all the negative propaganda bastards get and the fact that the mother he so respected and loved disliked and distrusted Jon, Robb considers him a full brother, to compare to Sansa’s constant “half-brother” from the beginning of her journey. They’re seen having a good time together (they have a horse race in their very first appearance in the books, and Mance recalls them getting into trouble together as children), so they enjoy each other’s company.

Yet there’s also an undercurrent of sibling rivalry between them, seen from Jon’s pov. We have this bit with Benjen:

Benjen gave Jon a careful, measuring look. “You don’t miss much, do you, Jon? We could use a man like you on the Wall.”

Jon swelled with pride. “Robb is a stronger lance than I am, but I’m the better sword, and Hullen says I sit a horse as well as anyone in the castle.”

This is hilarious to me. My uncle paid me a compliment for being perceptive, a skill not at all related to martial skills! Time to compare my martial skills to my brother’s, even though we’re both 14 and there’s lots of more tried warriors in the world and we haven’t even had our last growh spurt! This is sure to impress a seasoned ranger!

Of course we know Jon’s rivalry towards Robb comes from his bastard status, but it’s interesting to me that it’s something that centers around Robb alone; he doesn’t compare himself to Bran or Rickon as far as I remember. That can be explained by their very similar ages and growing up together, I think. Jon has the advantage of being older than his other true born brothers.

Jon also says this:

Bastard children were born from lust and lies, men said; their nature was wanton and treacherous. Once Jon had meant to prove them wrong, to show his lord father that he could be as good and true a son as Robb. I made a botch of that. Robb had become a hero king; if Jon was remembered at all, it would be as a turncloak, an oathbreaker, and a murderer. He was glad that Lord Eddard was not alive to see his shame.

To Jon - and to the other Stark children - Robb is often the model to be emmulated. I won’t dig up all the times they hold him up as the ideal of bravery. Jon’s feelings are not unique in this sense, though they are when it comes to the rivalry. They all admire Robb. From Robb’s side, I don’t remember hints of him admiring Jon or any of his siblings. He certainly loves them, likes them, and enjoys spending time with Jon at the very least.

But Theon is the one Robb admires in text. Bran says it, and Theon too:

“There is nothing small about the letter I bear,” Theon said, “and the offer he makes is one I suggested to him.”

“This wolf king heeds your counsel, does he?” The notion seemed to amuse Lord Balon.

“He heeds me, yes. I’ve hunted with him, trained with him, shared meat and mead with him, warred at his side. I have earned his trust. He looks on me as an older brother, he—”

Readers often dismiss this as Theon’s garden variety empty bragging. To be fair, Theon very much distorts reality in his head to fit his own idea of how things should be, but this is one of the few times when he’s not doing that. He’s genuinely proud that Robb thinks so well of him. And since he’s so sensitive about what people think of him and people not giving him the credit he thinks he deserves, I’m ready to believe his account of facts this one time.

What I get from canon, regarding who Robb loves the most out of Jon and Theon, is that he loves them differently. He might even love Jon more by ASOS; it’s a wonder that we have hints that he still cares about Theon at all by the end, after the murders of who we know are the miller boys, but who Robb thinks are Bran and Rickon.

He had different relationships with them. Even if you reject the reading of Throbb as romantic, friends and siblings are not interchangable, even if you’re out there calling close friends brothers or if your brother is your best friend. It’s different sorts of affection. At the beginning of the series, Robb and Theon seemed closer to me than Robb and Jon - let’s not forget that Jon’s favorite is Arya, and the biggest family drama at that time has to do with Jon and Cat. They grow even closer as they go to war together, and then they’re pushed apart by circumstances and by Theon’s actions.

But okay, this is not long enough yet, so let’s say that this is an invalid framework of analysis and Martin’s word of god has as much weight as canon, and that in fact, we’re 100% certain that Robb loved Jon more than Theon.

Why does it even need to be a competition? No one holds it against Ygritte that Jon loves Arya more. Asha has a steady boyfriend that she’d gladly marry, and still she takes risk after risk for Theon. Ned was probably the greatest love of Cat’s life, but her interactions with her brother and uncle are still emotional and moving in great part because of the depth of her love for them.

Robb loving Jon more doesn’t take anything away from Theon. He doesn’t love Theon less because he loves Jon more, love is not a finite resource. And Robb loved Theon plenty, be it in a familial, friends or romantic way. If it diminished, that was a result of Theon’s choices alone.

[smutandfluffohmy]

Hearts and their owners

From: Smutandfluffohmy Character Parings: Peter Pan X Reader Warnings: Mentions of death. Cursing. Angst? Request: Since you’re asking for valentines day requests, can you do a story where (OUAT) peter’s evil deeds have finally caught up to him, and his blackened heart is dying and the reader has to split her and Peter’s hearts so she can Gove him half of her pure heart, but has to take half of Peter’s dark heart. When Peter realizes what the reader has done he’s completely blown away that anyone would be willing to give him something so pure and take part of his darkness into themselves. Word count: 1.6K (ahhhh I need to start writing longer fics) A/N: If you guys ever have any criticism about my writing of any kind please let me know! I’m always open to positive and negative feed back anddd you can be ruthless if you like. I’ve been writing fanfic online for years I can take it XOXO

Peter looked ill it was almost like you were seeing him through murking glass, him and everything around him look gray. No matter how much you insisted that he may be ill he brushed it off as a fever. But in all of your time in Neverland you learned that Peter Pan never gets sick.

“How are you feeling?” You asked wringing the edge of the blanket you had in your hands, slowly walking up to him fearing quick motions would make him throw up like he has been all morning.

“I'm great it's just food poisoning.” Peter said struggling to get off the bed his face twisting into pain, striding towards him you beaconed him back down.

“Yea maybe it’s was last nights diner.” You said pretending you didn’t notice Peter throw his food away and walking into the woods. “You should stay in bed you’ll feel better getting some rest.” You whispered to him pushing his hair to the side feeling his forehead for a temperature.

Peter simply nodded and sunk back down into bed, tucking him in with a extra blanket. Walking away from him you made your way to the books he had in his shelves looking for anything that may help you figure out what was wrong with Peter.

The rhythmic breathing coming from Peter’s sleeping body was the only thing that eased your mind as you flipped through the thick book in your lap.Each hour the color seemed to drown out of Peter’s face, he looked pale but he felt hot whenever you touched him. It seemed that every time you looked up from the book in your hands a new vein appeared on Peter’s face.

Roots of purple and green being scattered across Peter’s sleeping frowning face. Shutting the book you looked at Peter convinced that if you just started the veins would stop appearing, the color would creep back into his face. You stared at him without blinking waiting and praying your Peter would come back but he didn’t, the veins still appeared and the color kept draining no matter how hard you looked.

Determined you feverishly read through the books he had looking for answers as to why Peter was sleeping for hours. Flipping open a new book you read every word carefully, afraid to skip over any vital information that may help Peter.

‘Hearts and their owners’

The title stuck out. Flipping open to the chapter you read through it as your face twisted in confusion and horror as you read through the chapter carefully just as how you have the others.Symptoms of a dying heart and the effects it has on the person written in neat print letters, almost too pretty and deceiving of its true contents. Every symptoms checked and applied to Peter no matter which way you twisted it.

You flipped through the chapter trying to find a way to reverse and cure Peter, your search was cut short as a awful sound left Peters mouth. Snapping your head up you were greeted with Peter throwing and thrashing inside the covers as he gasped for breath scratching at his chest. Your blood ran cold as you made your way towards him, the scene unfolding in front of you in slow motion. Your feet felt like cement was poured into them when you weren't looking, taking Peters’ hands in yours you beckoned for him to look at you.

“Peter please wake up. It’s just a bad dream.” You pleaded with him pulling his hands towards you and away from his chest. His eyes shot open looking up to you, his green eyes were the only thing that still looked like Peter. His same mischievous eyes seemed to be cut and pasted into a sad drained face.

“Fuck I guess it all caught up to me finally.” Peter said with a tired and goofy smile that made your heart melt. You let go of your tight grip on his hands and instead softly rubbed your thumb against his knuckles.

“What did.” You whispered to him too afraid to know the answer to the question.

“Thousands of years of being evil really fucks you up.” Peter said trying to sit up and instead started coughing causing him to sink back down into the pillow.

“You’re not evil. You’re going to get better. You’re not evil.” You said to him reaching to wipe the sweat off his face, gently running your fingers along his features.

“I knew for weeks I was dying.” Peter said melting into your touch as he let his eyes flutter shut.

“You’re not dying, you’re not evil.” You said laying down next to him and taking him into your arms. His cheek pressed against your chest, your hands on either side of his head with your fingers tangled in his hair. Taking in his smell your heart was beating quickly as the near future seemed to be left so unsure and that made you anxious.

“You’re so sweet. That’s why I love you princess.” Peter let a little smile creep on his face. Your heart stopped, he always playfully called you princess to bug you but he never has said he loved you.

“I love you too Peter. More than in a best friend way.” You said as your breathing quickened and your head felt hazy. You looked down to see Peter's’ face and at that moment you noticed his breathing has become slower and began to get uneven.

“No Peter come on open your eyes please.” You pleaded cupping his face in your hands but instead of a response the only thing you got was a slower breathing. “Peter don’t die on me.” You begged as you scrambled to get out of bed and reach for the book you left at the foot of the bed. Flipping through pages you searched for a cure, any cure.You were greeted with vague details to get the soon to be deceased a new or part of a pure heart.

‘New or part of a pure heart’  those words seemed to be meaningless seven words strung together. The only thing you could think of is the countless times you’ve seen people in this island remove hearts from themselves or others.

“Please please work.” You pleaded with anyone that could help as tears streamed down your face, grabbing Peter’s hand and plunging it into his chest removing his heart. Grabbing his heart in your hands, it was dark and cold to the touch but you knew there was so much more to him than this.

Grabbing his hand you dug it into your own chest tears of physical pain falling from your eyes as you hoped that your heart was exactly what he needed. Ripping your heart out of your chest you looked down to see your red heart laying in front of you. Taking a deep breath you twisted Peter’s heart in half and laid it down. Grabbing your heart in your hands you tore your heart in half, folding over in pain you sucked in your pain and got Peter’s heart and yours meshing them together.

Getting Peter’s hand you plunged his new heart into his chest as he instantly shot up from the bed clutching his chest.

“What happened?” Was all he could say as he looked from his chest and then up to you. You could feel your face drain in color and you started to feel like you were about to throw up at any second.

“Peter could you please?” You cracked out motoning from the new heart to your chest. Peter looked at the heart in horror but still obliged and put it back into your chest.

“Why would you do that?” Peter asked his eyes filled with the same worry he had when you cut your leg open after falling out of a tree. But you didn’t fall off a tree and you were entirely intact.

“I couldn’t let you die. I- I love you.” You said in a whispered afraid someone besides Peter would hear you.

“I can’t let you have half of my dark heart y/n you don't deserve that.” Peter said as he reached over to where your new heart was in your chest.

“It’s okay I promise I’ll take care of your heart.” You said grabbing his arm and placing it on your lap.

“I-I just can’t let you go through that shit.” Peter said trying to reach for your chest once more. “I love you too much.” He said his fingers twitching to grab your hand.

“It’s okay I can handle it I’m a lost girl after all.” You smiled at Peter who just seemed to melt under your touch. It’s been years and he couldn’t remember what affects sharing a heart as black as his could have on you. He wished he knew.

Peter couldn’t believe anyone would willingly do this for him and he couldn’t believe he would do the same if the roles were reversed. Your eyes started to feel heavy as the sun got dimmer, letting out a yawn you sunk into the bed.

“I should go to bed.” You said trying to get out of bed,Peter reached for your as he slightly tugged you towards him.

“Stay here, please.” Peter said his green eyes looked deep into yours. You let out a slight nod and curled up next to him, Peter pulled you in closer to him as he let you fall into a deep sleep.

Thoughts stirred in your mind that were been nourished and grown from your heart. Past of Peter’s actions flashing through your dreams like slides, parts of peters heart ate at pieces of your heart.

Your heart and mind were plagued with dark thoughts that were planted in your head for times being and were only being feed with this new heart.

Maybe you and Peter weren’t that different to begin with.

[nemuri-no-kid]

It's me, the fic request anon... I hope this doesn't sound rude, but are you going to answer it? It's completely fine if you don't!! I'm just super curious and I keep checking your profile but it never shows!! :) (Sorry I'm being pushy it's been a few weeks now...)

Wait, who’s rude here again? It’s rather me who’s seemingly ignored you. But it wasn’t like that, I swear! But I guess you’d prefer to see an actual answer (finally) instead of excuses, so here you go! (You have some incredible timing though, like I’d post it today anyway - the joy of having cold) I apparently can’t make a simple list and it got ridiculously long, so I’m putting it under Read more. Does tagging people even work under Read more btw? If not then well, I suppose I failed a bit. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Anyway. You’re probably already aware of this, but I feel I should point out that Kaito is my dearest boy, and therefore pretty much everything what I’m going to mention here is more or less about him. Contrary to appearances it won’t be only KaiShin, but I admit there’s a lot of that. Also, you won’t find here too many long stories, as I rarely read fics with more than 50k words unless I’d started them before they got so long. I mean, I do have quite a few saved and waiting to be read and I’m sure they’re all amazing, but at the end of the day I usually prefer sleeping than night-reading and yeah. Ok, let’s start:

So, did someone say KaiShin? Because you know, Shinichi is my second dearest boy, and when both of my boys are happy together it’s just the best thing. One of first writers who shown and are keep showing me the joy of reading about these two is @rachello344. Many of Rachel’s fics are only prompts, so they are pretty short and that’s a real shame, but they’re still worth reading! I think my favourite stories are these two and honestly I could read them over and over again - asexual Kaito is good, the fake-but-not-really marriage of these two dorks was the best thing and please write more self-indulgent stuff

@lunarscaped (Luna Darkside)’s oneshots steadily get longer and longer but I definitely don’t mind~ Some of the most memorable to me are Penumbra (a.k.a. only Shinichi could write a romance by accident), Darling, So It Goes (undercover mission and more of oblivious Shinichi) and Ease (just. asfadsfgdga) but really, they’re all good

House of Cards is a beautiful story of Kaito taking care of Shin-chan the Dove written by V. Shalyr (how Ai managed to make that pill will forever remain a mystery though); my other faves are With Each Season (it’s beautifull too), Paper Trail (funny short piece in which Kaito is too good at being bad, somebody stop him), Countdown to Forever (good old taking BO down together) and On Wings of White (aww, these two)

Alaena F. Dragonstar’s Win Some, Lose Some and Shadow of a Smile followed by Echo of a Laugh are all good examples of A+ writing. Boys, it will be fine, you have each other. Check the profile for more good stuff~

All ToukoTai’s fics are good, but Life In Technicolor is good, and then there is this Flower shop AU KaiShin Give A Little which includes Shinichi convincing Kaito to become Kid, and if isn’t that ironic

This Little Thing I Have by teawithmochi is a really nice piece - Conan overthinks his situation, but what are annoying phantom thieves for?

solomonara’s Getting Off Track - did I say something about overthinking? This is real overthinking, boys, come on

Almost Magical by ObsidianAbyss got me by this one scene in the class - Shinichi, if you’re trying to deny you and Kid have a thing, you’re doing it wrong

I love the dialogues in dokidokidk’s The Guy Next Door, they will never be not funny for me, plus it’s a nice idea of AU

Good Soulmate AU KaiShin is not bad, and aceoftwos’s Apple Blossoms is good. Also there are locard’s exchange principle series for even more of these two

Beautiful Carvings written by RavenShira is another really nice Soulmate AU. Misunderstandings are strong in this one - lesson: multiple identities don’t help in finding your soulmate

No Ghosts Need Apply by Cursed Detective is a really nice supernatural story, and Shinichi and Kaito are always a big plus for me, obviously. Kaito is sort of dead - the title may suggest as much - but such trivial detail won’t stop him, haha. And then there is a really nice (Not) Supernatural story. It’s ongoing, Shinichi is not a vampire and honestly, I love this and I need more

purple_mangosteen’s Clair de Lune series mean more KaiShin goodness, and also I’m a sucker for Conan and Kid texting each other

joisbishmyoga - I loved Rolling Snake Eyes for a good application of Kidnichi. Will Conan ever stop being so reckless though? I don’t think so. Pluralverse is about minds of three teenage detectives somehow ending up in Kid’s head, and it’s tight in there. It’s interesting, it’s good, read it. Twist the Knife is really intense and the writing is amazing, but it may not be to everyone’s taste, as rape and trauma happen and well

@kawaiibeyotch (kaitothegreat) writes mainly AoKai fics and they’re wonderful, I simply adore Aoko in these. Some nice examples are Live Life in full Bloom and Hello Incognito - these two are good AUs and have I already mentioned Aoko? There are also few HeiKazu stories which I’ve yet to read but I’m sure they’re worth trying, too

Slip and Fall, Obligation, Pride Goeth Before, Philanthropy, Heavy Silences, Never Here, Never Far and Shades of Grey by blinkblink form sort of a series and I wouldn’t make a better summary to any of them than the author, but it’s Kid and the Kid task force dealing with some actual dangers and criminals, there is action and mystery, and it’s really good written and you totally should read it

Nerves of Steel by Ellen Brand is another must read - Robo-Kaito makes a comeback and things get serious

A Perfect Act, No Little Plans, Both Dark and Deep and Forgiveness and Reunion by Candyland - a set starting from sort of cornering Kid by the police and presenting him an offer he couldn’t refuse followed by good action

@backtodc‘s piece about the Kid task force being actually competent when it comes to other crimes is both funny and brilliant, try it

The Cranes by Acier Glace is just so sweet? No pairings here, it’s just Kid making lots of paper cranes to make you believe in magic and did I say it’s sweet? Because it is

miladyFeather wrote the ridiculous The Adventures of Kudou Shinichi, Fast Food Worker which is ridiculous and I have no regrets sharing this one, even if it’s ridiculous

Now a surprise, as Love-Love Daisakusen by neonquincy1217 is Makoko/Sonoko! Where’s the catch? Well, remember Doito Katsuki? *wink*

When I think of quality SaguKai, I think of @5160763 (OrphanText). There is good KaiShin, too, but both examples I’m putting here happen to be SaguKai, so. Anyway. The way Kaito and Saguru are written, I simply love it. And How we begin is so good? Also, In the language of the birds. I read it while it was being put on Tumblr in small fragments and boy, every new fragment was making me so happy

The Hattori-Kudo Files is a set of few cases solved by Heiji and Conan (who could’ve thought that?), written by MeridianGrimm - I believe the last one isn’t finished, but the others are really interesting! And then there are some nice SaguShin and SaguKai fics, too~

I picked five of Mikauzoran’s fics for different reasons but again, I recommend trying all others as well: The Fifth Detective (Kaito’s reasoning is funny and brilliant, he needs a hug though), The Pit: A Romance and Quietly Starving (SaguKai, these dorks), Healing Heartbreak for the Holidays (SaguKaiShin? That’s even more dorks), and Coming to Terms (KaiRan - usually I prefer it platonic but this one really got me, also interactions with Conan? It was a pleasure to read)

Dressed to Impress by Lisa Telramor is a really nicely written SaguKai oneshot, for all your SaguKai needs

Addy01’s When the travel bug bites is a sweet story about Shinichi travelling the world to find his way in life again and befriending some magician thieves along the way. You made me reread it and I don’t regret anything

In case of Operation: Gift Wrap by Boogum I’ll just copy the author’s summary as it’s explanatory enough: ‘Sera Masumi was used to being mistaken for a boy. She was not used to being mistaken for Kaitou Kid.’

Critique written by Eliryn is a short but really nice piece. “Looks just like the real thing, doesn’t it?”

AngelicSentinel’s the suffering of fools was already amazing as a oneshot, so when more chapters appeared one day I was overjoyed. It’s KaiShin and it’s good. Also, the author is one of the only two (look below) which I trust enough to blindly read their ShinRan fics. Like, I have nothing against ShinRan, and I kind of ship it while being in Canon Mode, but I don’t go and read fics about them at all, so this is quite an achievement. Read their other pieces, too, they’re really worth reading!

Cost of Freedom by @mintchocolateleaves? OMG, Cost of Freedom. Read Cost of Freedom. I love both the plot and the characterizations, it’s amazing, read it. It’s ongoing and you’ll suffer because of that, but read it. And while suffering, try other ongoing fics: The Innocence Game, Law Unto Themselves and various oneshots. Like, I can blindly recommend each and every fic Mint wrote, even ShinRan. Cost of Freedom though

Next, Taliya - I recommend all present and future fics. My faves are Without Fanfare (my heart though), Search and Recovery and Recompense (the kind of Kidnichi enactment I approve and aftermath), A Word of Caution (Ai and Kaito as the main characters? Yes, please) and TMPD Antics (it’s simply hilarious)

lucathia’s 4-6-4-9 is a oneshot about Conan getting disturbing encrypted message and trying to find the sender. Oh, and there was some murder, too

A Snowy Meeting (followed by ongoing Hidden Friendship) by angelwingsonline puts Kaito in DC movies, starting from Quarter of Silence, and lets him befriend and exchange messages with Conan. I love this concept

Ichthyophobia’s Mirror Mirror and Two-faced, Half-faced are really funny - the former has really nice interactions between Shinichi, Kaito and the bad guy, while the latter… Let’s say that Kid fixing Subaru’s face is my aesthetic. And then there is Shaking Hands about Kaito not being really able to do magic anymore but getting help and somehow overcoming it and it’s beautiful. And again, check other fics too~

I liked the idea of Shinichi with grapheme synesthesia working in forensics in Number the Stars by The Sand Assassin. Then there are sweet KaiShin fics: Kaitou the Snowman (Akako, stop) and Dakimakura (it’s just a shirt Conan, you’re making Kid sad)

Yannami’s A Criminal’s Fiasco is a good example of why taking Kaito hostage is a bad idea. Poor criminals

@kkrazy256 (kakashikrazy256) likes making Kaito suffer. A lot. In all possible ways. And I really mean that. If that’s your thing, then check it out. And if it is not, there are the mild ones I like coming back to: Early Snow (this was literally my first fic in this fandom, I’m sentimental ok - also Shinichi and Kaito, come on), Mr Barista (Mystery Train aftermath starring Bourbon and Kid) and Sympathy From the Devil (or how could OVA 10 end if the bad guys weren’t so dramatically bad at being bad). As for the rest, you were warned, haha

In Elirius’s Put on a Smile and Take me Apart Kaito definitely doesn’t cope well with his situation. Somebody help him *sobs*

Hostage situation and platonic KidRan anyone? In that case, Irreplaceable by LostInTheDreams is the thing you need. As for other stories, I can only vouch for these with Kaito, but my boy is suffering a lot. Again

Unfair by Frozen-Infinity, but only if you want your heart to break, my boy is dying and this is unfair

StoryWriter369’s Broken Record makes my heart ache every time because immortal Kaito is not what should ever happen, but I’m doing this to myself from time to time anyway *sobs more*

Hebiaczek’s The fox and hounds is an ongoing story and to be honest I’m not up to date, but what I’ve read was a really amazing writing, and exactly the kind of plot I like the best. Because. The plot.

I loved Externalities by 873.25 and I hope Internalities will be continued. Characters are written so well, and both concepts are really intriguing. Try it and you won’t regret it

And last but definitely not least: kittebasu’s A Study in Scarlette - it’s a must-read. There is a good plot, there is Kaishin and it’s truly amazing, and did I say something at the beginning about not reading long fics? So this one is very long and I still read it, so it really does say somehing

I 100% missed at least few people and I’m totally going to regret it later, but let’s say I’m finished. See you in few weeks Anon, haha