#july 2022 fic list

[tinytveit]

realised i didn't write at all last year, and idk how that makes me feel. i remember thinking like, at the start of december "oh i'll get the worms before new year" except i never did. so maybe i put a little personal bullet point onto the broader list of goals to write a lil bit

[motogp-museum]

Top 5 Motogp ships on ao3 during the last decade

I filtered each year from Jan 1st to December 31st. No other fics are included in each year's rank, only the ones posted during that calendar year.

'New' means that they were either new to any year's top 10 on ao3, or new to this list. If I included the plus minus, that means it was not new to the top ten, it just hadn't made the top 5 yet.

2014

P1- Marc Marquez/ Dani Pedrosa

P2- Marc Marquez/ Valentino Rossi

P3- Alex Marquez/ Dani Pedrosa

P4- Jorge Lorenzo/ Original Female Character

P5- Dani Pedrosa/ Valentino Rossi

2015

P1- Marc Marquez/ Dani Pedrosa (=)

P2- Jorge Lorenzo/ Alex Marquez (New)

P3- Alex Marquez/ Original Female Character (New)

P4- Marc Marquez/ Valentino Rossi (-2)

P5- Dani Pedrosa/ Valentino Rossi (=)

2016

P1- Marc Marquez/ Dani Pedrosa (=)

P2- Daniil Kvyat/ Marc Marquez (New)

P3- Jorge Lorenzo/ Dani Pedrosa (+6)

P4- Jorge Lorenzo/ Marc Marquez (New +5)

P5- Jorge Lorenzo/ Valentino Rossi (New +3)

(Rosquez down 3 places to P7)

2017

P1- Marc Marquez/Dani Pedrosa (=)

P2- Luca Marini/Alex Marquez (New)

P3- Jorge Lorenzo/Dani Pedrosa (=)

P4- Jorge Lorenzo/Marc Marquez (=)

P5- Marc Marquez/Valentino Rossi (+2)

2018

P1- Marc Marquez/Valentino Rossi (+4)

P2- Marc Marquez/Dani Pedrosa (-1)

P3- Jorge Lorenzo/Dani Pedrosa (=)

P4- Luca Marini/Alex Marquez (-2)

P5- Jorge Lorenzo/Marc Marquez (-1)

2019

P1- Marc Marquez/Valentino Rossi (=)

P2- Jorge Lorenzo/Dani Pedrosa (+1)

P3- Luca Marini/Alex Marquez (+1)

P4- Jorge Lorenzo/Valentino Rossi (New +5)

P5- Marc Marquez/Dani Pedrosa (-3)

2020

P1- Fabio Quartararo/Maverick Viñales (New +6)

P2- Marc Marquez/Valentino Rossi (-1)

P3- Jorge Lorenzo/Dani Pedrosa (-1)

P4- Luca Marini/Alex Marquez (-1)

P5- Marc Marquez/Dani Pedrosa (=)

2021

P1- Marc Marquez/Valentino Rossi (+1)

P2- Fabio Quartararo/Maverick Viñales (-1)

P3- Marc Marquez/Dani Pedrosa (+2)

P4- Marc Marquez/Fabio Quartararo (New )

P5- Jorge Lorenzo/Dani Pedrosa (-2)

2022

P1- Marc Marquez/Fabio Quartararo (+3)

P2- Marc Marquez/Valentino Rossi (-1)

P3- Jorge Martin/Fabio Quartararo (New)

P4- Jorge Lorenzo/Dani Pedrosa (+1)

P5- Luca Marini/Alex Marquez (+1)

2023

P1- Marc Marquez/Valentino Rossi (+1)

P2- Marc Marquez/Fabio Quartararo (-1)

P3- Jorge Lorenzo/Dani Pedrosa (+1)

P4- Luca Marini/Alex Marquez (+1)

P5- Marco Bezzecchi/Celestino Vietti (New)

2024

P1- Marc Marquez/Valentino Rossi (=)

P2- Marco Bezzecchi/Celestino Vietti (+4)

P3- Francesco Bagnaia/Marc Marquez (New)

P4- Marco Bezzecchi/Marc Marquez (New)

P5- Jorge Lorenzo/Dani Pedrosa (-2)

Top 5 of all-time and their ao3 debut date

P1- Marc Marquez/Valentino Rossi (17 June 2014)

P2- Marc Marquez/Dani Pedrosa (26 December 2013)

P3- Jorge Lorenzo/Dani Pedrosa (21 July 2014)

P4- Luca Marini/Alex Marquez (15 February 2016)

P5- Fabio Quartararo/Maverick Viñales (13 November 2019)

Discussion:

Since there were so little motogp fics in the first few years, some of the ships in the top 5 were there because of a single writer. So it does not always reflect the fandom's opinions of the ships. For example, all of the Alex/Dani and Alex/Jorge fics were written by the same person (at the time. There are new ones).

It also shows how a ship being popular for a short time can have lasting effects on the all-time rank. Maverick/Fabio being an example of this as they are still in the top 5 overall, despite only being in the top 5 of the yearly rank twice.

[sitp-recs]

Hi Liv, I loved the hidden gem list that you did in the past. I discovered so many new authors thanks to you. I love going back to my all time favourite authors but I also love discovering new ones. Would you or any of your followers have any hidden gems recs ? Could be long or short fics. Thank youuuu

I’m so happy to hear that! The hidden gems series is very dear to my heart and probably my favorite project. I started a s2 back in 2022 and have a few lists saved in my drafts, maybe I will revisit them in the new year… we’ll see! I found some additional rec posts that might interest you here, here and here. I haven’t read much this year, but if you’re looking for new-ish works I’d highly recommend the fics below, and also my reclist for the h/c fest. I’m sure my followers have more recs. Enjoy! 💜

Train Song by @fw00shy (T, 1.2k)

"Imagine: An extended summer vacation," Ginny said when she first pitched the trip to the group. "Fine," Hermione said after only a moment's hesitation, to which everyone cheered, because everyone knew she was the only one who could figure out how to make the Hogwarts Express fly.

All I Think About by @skeptiquewrites (T, 4.5k)

Sometimes all it takes is one perfect late summer night in June.

mind the gap by @cavendishbutterfly (E, 5k) - MCD

The first time Draco died was by far the worst. Once Potter started living with him, it got better.

everything you should say by icarusinflight (E, 7.5k)

They're not friends. But when Draco offers help, Harry takes it.

Tarry, Tarry, Wait For Me by @toomuchplor (E, 8.5k)

"I can't ask it of you," Draco says, quick and awkward, "I just thought you should know, I thought you needed to know, but none of this is your fault."

Seasons by @greattemptation (E, 9k)

Seconds pass, and it’s like he can see Draco worrying the sliver of glass in his heart, looking for a way to press it out, to expose the wound to the sun. It’s life; Harry can be patient.

Necro-romance by @thehoneybeet (E, 9k)

The first time Draco kills Potter, it's by accident.

like a scratch on the roof of your mouth by @eleadore (E, 9k)

Two weeks into the new year, Draco Malfoy saves Ron's life in a spectacular fashion.

coyote ugly by @garagepaperback (E, 10k)

One night, every month, Harry is a coyote. Malfoy has a silver tooth. Sometimes, he cuts Harry’s hair.

draco malfoy's substitute murder service by @oknowkiss (E, 10k)

When Harry joins the Curse Breakers shortly after his twenty-fifth birthday, he’s surprised to find himself assigned to the Department of Creatures, Cryptids, and Associated Calamities.

When the Flood Comes by @academicdisasterfic (E, 10k)

Nine years on from the war, Auror Potter is upholding the Ministry of Magic's rule of law. Senior legal counsel Draco Malfoy is challenging it.

Wobble Week 2023 by @moonflower-rose (E, 12k)

Potter can't keep his hands off himself. Draco can't look away.

With Hands Full of Dusk by @corvuscrowned (E, 15k)

Harry thought he'd found what he was searching for after the war. But as the quiet life he's earned begins to unravel at the seams, he finds himself searching instead for an elusive, mythical creature found only in lore and legend - with none other than Draco Malfoy as his companion.

Rich Friend by @sorrybutblog (E, 18k)

As far as Harry can tell, Draco Malfoy is still rich as hell. He’s just not a wizard anymore. Featuring: Draco Malfoy trying to make it as a Muggle pop star, Harry Potter as our confused and horny hero, bad driving, good music, and the mysterious magic of falling for someone.

Waking Up Slow by @sweet-s0rr0w, @ihopeyoubothstaysafefromharm (E, 22k)

'Twas the night before Christmas, although it’s July / Draco’s a shopkeeper, no-one knows why / There’s hiking and witch caves, freak snowfalls and more / Bad Christmas jumpers, nosy neighbours galore / Narcissa’s here too, but… something’s amiss / And what’s in those chocolates that’s making them kiss?

Sun Thief by BlackRose532, @floydig (E, 28k)

Or: Harry beats up a pimp and isn’t sorry about it, Draco deals black market potions, and they’re shagging. Again.

Truth to Materials by lately, @toomuchplor (E, 54k)

In which Harry learns to appreciate art and other pleasures of the flesh.

[drarryspecificrecs]

Most popular fics of 2022

✔ subjectively sorted by Hits || alphabetically listed || as of 2023.07 (4112 works) ✔ 2022 in review : (daily) complete fics  +  (monthly) longest fics  +  list of fests ✔ most popular fics of other years

—

Accompaniment by BiscuitBrunch [E, 93k]

Across the Multiverse by @hsvh-hp [M, 108k]

Alchemy for idiots by ZiggySnape [E, 27k]

All The Bad Dreams That You Hide (Show Me Yours, I’ll Show You Mine) by Bluemask [E, 50k]

all the western stars by @oflights [E, 78k]

An Anchor of Time by J0J0_M0J0 [M, 106k]

Are You With Me? by @ravenlost2187 [M, 106k]

As Far as Possible by Mademoiselle_A [E, 142k]

Baby News by Avonne [T, 4k]

Bad Habits by No_One_Special_01289 [E, 70k]

Because I Knew You (I Have Been Changed For Good) by @dracowillhearaboutthis [T, 23k]

The Beginning of All Wisdom by @maeglinyedi [E, 24k]

Calico Skies by @fate-and-folly [E, 134k]

Cascade by Avonne [M, 18k]

The Change Over Spell by Minzsanh --- translated by @zoooooey0610 [E, 128k]

Chronological Displacement by @bookinit02 [T, 89k]

the complete idiot's guide to losing your entire mind by @oknowkiss​ [E, 10k]

Constellations on your skin by @orange-peony [M, 56k]

a convergence of inks by @thebooktopus​ [E, 21k]

The Day Before the Wedding by @kbrick​ [E, 39k]

Dear Scorpius Draco Malfoy by gracefully_slytherin [T, 64k]

Dicking Draco Down by @lqtraintracks [E, 1k]

don't stop for me, love by @settingmoon [E, 2k]

A Down and Out Christmas by @maraudersaffair [E, 20k]

Draco Malfoy Absolutely Does Not Need to Be Loved by Harry Bloody Potter by @nv-md [E, 18k]

The Dustless Mirrors by @sugarplum-senpai [M, 90k]

Echoing Green by @thegatheringdust [E, 70k]

Elderflower by DarklingDarling [E, 1k]

Escaping Reality by @coffeedrgn87 [E, 117k]

Even From Opposite Ends of the Universe - Book I by @kbrick [E, 114k]

Eye of the Storm by @stargazing-enby [?, 26k]

Finely Drawn Lines by @the-sinking-ship [E, 61k]

Full by @orange-peony [E, 16k]

Harry Potter and the End of the Line by @drarrysworlds [E, 127k]

Harry Potter's Chastity Adventure by Spidey_Fan_700 [E, 45k]

Heal Thyself by @astolat [T, 46k]

I Just Saved Harry Potter by StarsAndCrows [?, 148k]

in my defense, i have none by @the-houseryn [E, 18k]

Jealousy Suits You, Malfoy by @peachydreamxx [E, 4k]

The Journal of Regulus Arcturus Black by gokioh [G, 141k]

The July Tree by @oknowkiss [E, 51k]

Just a trial run by @tenthousandyearsx [E, 9k]

Just Give Me a Reason by @sassy-cissa [E, 24k]

Just So I Could Call You Mine by @minty-petals [M, 16k]

Kept in Cages by @sweet-s0rr0w [E, 76k]

A Kiss to Build a Dream On by @drarrily-we-row-along [E, 23k]

The Laws of Gravity by @lettersbyelise [E, 31k]

Lily's Boy by SomewheresSword [E, 746k]

Listen To Your Heart by @ladderofyears​ [E, 65k]

Lovesick by @corvuscrowned [T, 7k]

The Magic Behind the Camera by oldenuf2nb [E, 55k]

Make love to me. by Bubbsch [E, 8k]

Make This Leap by @oflights [M, 118k]

The Matchmaker's Spell by @kbrick [E, 20k]

Meeting By Starlight by Lomonaaeren [T, 5k]

Monster by @orange-peony [E, 71k]

More Powerful Than Experience by @flightinflame [M, 89k]

Most Favourite Bedtime Story by SasuNarufan13 [M, 46k]

Never In Extremity by @flightinflame [M, 74k]

No Questions Asked by @redthoughtsblog [T, 48k]

Nobody can't stop me from being happy by Alex_ander_Chansonnette2204 [T, 47k]

Nobody Pinch Me by @dracoladon & @lazywonderlvnd [E, 17k]

Not So Different by Nightstar_Fury [M, 152k]

Obliviate by DarklingDarling [E, 1k]

Once and Never Again by Avonne [E, 40k]

Once More With Feeling by InnerLilith [E, 28k]

The Only Magic Left Between Us by @lqtraintracks [E, 24k]

Pages of You by @wolfpants [E, 101k]

Paper Rings by @lettersbyelise [E, 50k]

Paroled by Sita_Z [M, 83k]

The Parselmouth Promise by Lomonaaeren [M, 67k]

The Phantom Girl by DarkWizard [E, 60k]

Phoenix in the Fire by @lqtraintracks [E, 28k]

A Pocket Full of Stones by @amywaterwings [E, 67k]

red and green are complimentary colours by Scarlet_Moons [T, 88k]

Romp and Circumstance by @wolfpants [E, 35k]

Sagehaven by Thunderbird587 [E, 89k]

Scent game by @nelweensfic [E, 8k]

Second Chances by CrazyCatLady (Scribblesnpaws) [T, 118k]

The Silence of Your Love by malfoypolix [T, 76k]

Smoke and Sweets by BiscuitBrunch [E, 21k]

The Snake Charmer by RecklessHeartbeat [T, 25k]

Somewhere in My Memory by @maraudersaffair [E, 29k]

Stay With Me by @peachydreamxx [M, 87k]

The Strange Case of Draco Malfoy's Mysterious Illness by DarkWizard [E, 89k]

Styrax by Lune (Pwtchouli) [E, 10k]

Sublimation by @boldlyinnocent317 [E, 75k]

The Suitor by @mars-bar81 [E, 1k]

Sweetheart by DarklingDarling [E, 2k]

Trouble with your tie, Potter? by @tenthousandyearsx [E, 6k]

Two Shadows in the Night by @ubi-goes-uwu [T, 81k]

Two to Lie and One to Listen by @fluxweeed [E, 84k]

The Unspeakable by @the-sinking-ship [E, 24k]

The Waxing Gibbous: A Redemption, of Sorts by @bluesyquill [E, 126k]

We Raise Ourselves From the Ashes by @myaulophobia [E, 95k]

What If When He Sees Me (I Like Him And He Knows It?) by @dracowillhearaboutthis [M, 23k]

When Times are Dire by @aibidil [E, 130k]

The White Pawn by @soupy-george [T, 80k]

You Smell Like You're Mine by hwritesrarely [E, 4k]

You'll Still Find Stone by @flightinflame [M, 42k]

[eddiediaaz]

hellooooo! i read a lot of buck/eddie fics, literally everyday, and earlier this december i thought "why not share some of my favorites that i have read this month?" so here we are! i couldn't include everything i've read and enjoyed, the list would be really long. but i've picked a few fanfics that i've read (for the first time) in december that were really huge favorites and stayed with me for a little while these past days/weeks. i will try to make these on a monthly basis, because fanfic authors deserve all of the recognition! oh, and happy new year!

both blades and branch by @cal-daisies-and-briars 62k | mature | canon divergence | completed: december 2023

The chances of being struck by lightning twice are incredibly minute, but Buck still manages to pull it off. During a double date with Marisol and Natalia, nonetheless. Eddie manages to resuscitate him, but as Buck recovers from yet another trauma, Eddie can’t help but notice there’s something very different about him. He’s not quite sure what version of Buck he got back.

this fic is absolutely incredible. i couldn't put it down once i started. it's extremely well written and brilliantly planned out. the angst is heavy but so is the reward: this is an amazing story. easily an all-time favorite!

my blood on your skin (my rose on your snow) by @letmetellyouaboutmyfeels 80k | explicit | alternate universe | posted: october 2023

When Eddie needs cash and fast to take care of Christopher, his LAFD Academy buddy suggests a job as a bouncer at Elysium - an exclusive sex club in downtown Los Angeles. Eddie doesn't care what goes on there, so long as he's paid, but he finds he cares a lot bout the club's enigmatic owner, Evan Buckley, and it's not long before the two of them are violating every boss-employee rule in the book. But there's something different about Buck and the club, something not quite... human. If Eddie wants to keep Buck, he's going to have to delve into the world of immortals, and all the risks that implies.

another exquisite fic from this author. they never miss!! this one explores a dynamic i don't read that often (sub eddie) but it works SO well here. extremely well done, as usual. i also absolutely love this buck here.

burn a bridge, learn how to swim [series] by watermelonshorts 34k | mature/explicit | canon verse | completed: july 2021

In which there is some unexpected making out, some pining, one third of an existential crisis and a lot of unhelpful advice. Not necessarily in that order.

they are GIANT disasters in here! really loved the humoristic tone of this whole thing. i just wanna shake them and yell learn how to communicate properly damn it!

dead reckoning by euadnes 28k | mature | canon verse | posted: december 2022

In which a tragedy on the edge of a firestorm leaves part of the 118 stranded and struggling to survive in the wilderness. Left entirely to their own devices, the survivors fight to come home, alive.

buck, eddie, and ravi survive a plane crash, and it's amazing. incredibly well written, i was hooked from the very start and couldn't put it down until i was done.

here comes the jackpot question in advance by @lamardeuse 4k | teen+ | canon verse | posted: december 2023

Buck is determined to start the new year right.

this is very very very cute!!! i always love a cute holiday themed get together story. as always, this author nailed the characterization!

being eddie by @cal-daisies-and-briars 79k | teen+ | canon divergence | completed: august 2023

When Eddie starts seeing a new therapist, he’s presented with the opportunity to revisit several days from his past and right regrets that still bother him. OR: Eddie goes through the time travel therapy process of the 2009 Canadian TV show Being Erica

incredible concept!!! all the moments chosen for eddie to revisit are perfect and make so much sense for his character. this was such a great read and an absolutely amazing character exploration fic.

a blaze in the dark by @woodchoc-magnum 117k | explicit | canon verse | published: december 2023

Set post-Season 6, where Buck has inadvertently sacrificed his friendship with Eddie in order to focus on his new relationship with Natalia, and is shocked when Eddie comes out to the team and subsequently reveals that he is dating a guy.

okay so i literally read this in one sitting and went to bed at 7am to finish it. i couldn't put it down. the angst is SO good and frustrating and delicious and painful. but the payoff is so worth it!! this is really really really good. i loved all the dynamics, especially eddie and karen's friendship.

[oathkeeper-of-tarth]

Here's another long-winded post about me combing through BG3 early access files in search of Aylin and Isobel tidbits - rummaging that already resulted in this post right here. Let me just say I'm pleased to have brought Aylin Silverblood some attention because, again, I think it's a dope name.

Now, obviously, Isobel and Aylin are both Act 2 characters, and early access only covered Act 1. So anything related to them is partial stuff that wasn't scrubbed from the game files for whatever reason, and a lot of placeholders (these are usually indicated by |the text being in vertical lines|). This all means that sometimes (usually!) there are no nice voice lines indexed by UUID and parseable dialogue trees, and you have to trawl through a giant localisation XML of every bit of text in the game instead. An additional complication is all these stories were in flux, but older bits of writing from deprecated iterations didn't get immediately removed from the files, so it's sometimes hard to tell what belongs to which version.

The biggest luck I've had with regards to these two is the 24/11/2021 version of the game - EA Patch #6 Hotfix #19, aka game version v. 4.1.1.1356845, aka the source of Aylin Silverblood (my beloved). Here's a handy list of the patch and hotfix history, if you're like me and interested in this stuff. I'm actually wrangling files from 5 versions of the game right now, ranging from March 2021 to July 2022 - it's been a fun time. This old datamining post on reddit really helped narrow down the timeframe for me to look into.

Why am I doing this? I genuinely find it fun and interesting! There's some neat writing to be found! I crave more Isobel at all times! And I'm always into WIP and "how the sausage is made" type stuff. Also, tons of cool inspo for fics and headcanons.

Note, because I know that's a popular EA tidbit: this is all from after the Halsin killing Isobel variant was scrapped. This is, in fact, the version where she gets killed and soul trapped by Balthazar, and Aylin gets framed for it.

I'm going to start this off with my favourite part, and that is snippets of an early version of the Aylin/Isobel reunion from 2021. I've done my best to put them in order, but be aware a lot of this is still me speculating.

|[CINE: Nightsong teleports the party to the plaza in front of Last Light. As she looks around trying to familiarize herself, Isobel notices your arrival from the balcony. Her reaction is pure shock, followed by an immediate rush down the stairs.]|

|[CINE: Isobel dashes out of the front of the inn, wide-eyed and out of breath. Nightsong stares at her, stunned.]|

Aylin: |(distant, shocked) Isobel.|

Isobel: |Aylin...|

|[CINE: Nightsong takes an instinctive step towards her but stumbles, collapsing to her knees, eyes blown with pain and disbelief. Isobel closes the distance between them in hasty steps, trying to help Nightsong up, but Nightsong tightly grips at her arms - as if the contact makes everything real.]|

|[CINE: Isobel's eyes fill with tears as she drops down to the ground, throwing her arms around Nightsong's shoulders in a tight embrace. Shaking, almost fearful, Nightsong returns the embrace - the first kind touch she's had in a hundred years.]|

|[CINE: Nightsong draws back from the hug, looking Isobel in the eyes. Isobel helps Nightsong to her feet. As the two of them stand, they keep their hands linked.]|

Aylin: |A hundred years. Isobel, light of my heart, where were you? (choking up) I found your body, I....|

Isobel: |I was dead, Aylin. For so long. It was Balthazar - he trapped my soul, he-|

Player: |[Doesn'tKnowRelationship] You were lovers? Did Ketheric know?|

Aylin: |(jaw tightens) We were lovers. Her father was against it. He saw nothing but future misery. I'm immortal. I would never age, but she would.|

Isobel: |He didn't understand. It doesn't matter when... (fearful, as if worried Aylin's feelings might have changed) ... I still love you so much.|

Aylin: |(her first genuine smile) And I, you. No trial or pain could ever change that. (relaxes a touch) It is why I couldn't leave your body, even when they came. Balthazar and that Sharran witch told your father that I was to blame.|

|And he believed them over you?|

Aylin: |(frowns) He believed what he wanted to believe. Ketheric saw his daughter dead, and he saw someone he wanted to hurt. Shar took that cruel thread, that moment of mortal pain, and used it to corrupt him to the core.|

Aylin: |I was put on trial, and I had no defence. The moment it was over, I was taken down to the temple and... well, you saw what they had done.|

|Isobel presses against Nightsong's side, face tight with worry, running her fingers in slow strokes up and down Nightsong's arm.|

|[CINE: Nightsong tilts her head back towards the player.]|

Aylin: |These heroes saved me. Without them, I'd still be trapped in Balthazar's soul cage, with Ketheric gripping my heart like a leech.|

|[CINE: Isobel's face falls at the mention of her father's name.]|

Isobel: |A *soul cage*? Gods.|

Isobel: |I didn't know. Gods, he didn't say a word to me. I ran away because it was Balthazar that brought me back. As I ran, I heard my father shouting... but I'd seen enough. There was no saving him.|

Aylin: |You are not your father, Isobel. (sad, wry smile) You were the only thing that kept me alive in the dark. When hope began to fade, I simply thought of you.|

Isobel: |[To player] Thank you. (smiles wide) I... I can't possibly thank you enough, for bringing Aylin back to me.|

|Nightsong smiles too, but she's lost looking at Isobel, completely tuning out everyone else around them. Isobel leans in, resting her brow against Nightsong's and closing her eyes, Nightsong's hand clutched to her chest.|

Then, there is an option to press Isobel for details:

|You said the necromancer trapped your soul. Why?| |Was Balthazar the one who killed you, Isobel?|

Isobel: |(hesitant, visibly guilty) I think Aylin would know better than I do. The last thing I remember is a blade in the dark. Too fast to feel pain. Then silence.|

Asking Isobel to go with you to Moonrise was possible at various points, leading to different responses:

Will you come with me to Moonrise? I could use your help. If we're going to stop Ketheric, you have to come with me.

Until there is a way to keep Last Light safe, I cannot leave. All I can do is pray. |Not if everyone is killed at Last Light in my absence. I'll do everything I can to help you from here, but I won't go with you.| |Not if everyone is killed at Last Light in my absence. If someone else could take my place, I would go with you. I swear it.|

|Nightsong is here, she will protect Last Light - let's go to Moonrise, like you promised.| |I want to spend the night with Aylin. Meet me at Moonrise tomorrow.| |Nightsong will protect the people while together we can stop Ketheric.|

Isobel: I... we need to get close to him, don't we? And Aylin can protect Last Light in my absence. Aylin: Isobel, I have just gotten you back. To put yourself in his hands again-

Looks like we would've had a flip of the current Act 2 boss fight, and Isobel would be the ally for the confrontation with Ketheric, not Aylin. Also, that one line right there that is our first indication of Succor™, gotta love it. Sadly, post-reunion I only have:

|TBD: Post Nightsong Reunion.| |How are you and Aylin doing?|

To borrow release version Isobel's stock line: KEEPING VERY WELL, I HOPE? In any case, I'm putting the rest under a cut, featuring options for calling Isobel out on her parentage, Aylin being from Mt. Celestia, and Balthazar being gross - among many other things.

At one point quite early on, Isobel's protection from the shadow curse wasn't a spell, but an ointment:

|Ointment of Selûne| |Ointment Container PLACEHOLDER| |Isobel filled this with precious doses of her sacred Ointment of Selûne.| |First get the ointment from Isobel.| Have you received Isobel's ointment yet? What protection can her ointment offer, exactly? You should see Isobel. If Marcus does crop up, I'd sooner you had her ointment to protect you. Can use that cleric's ointment to get you on your way. But I have to move out - now. Can I get some of your ointment? No more theories! It's time for action. Our secret weapon needs to travel to Moonrise Towers, which means they'll need your ointment. You have the ointment. You have the Gate Stone. Moonrise Towers awaits. Are you sure the ointment will last long enough?

What is now Isobel's Ominous Cough was a gradual weakening that was remarked upon and seemed to be there to create more of a sense of urgency:

I won't claim to know Isobel's craft, but Selûne's light is bright in her. Isobel's tough - though she was tougher at the start. I've rarely seen a cleric so in tune with her goddess, but the curse is taking its toll. The light used to be stronger, Isobel. How much more of this curse can you take? You look paler than death, Isobel. How much more of this curse can you take?

We have some nice concise infodumps on Ketheric:

After Ketheric turned to darkness, the Enclave joined with the Harpers to unseat him and his Sharran cohorts. We marched together, fought together, bled together... and in the end we prevailed.

Only it wasn't the end. Nothing seemed to kill Ketheric himself, so the Harpers decided to seal him in his own tomb, alive. They thought that would be enough. But they hadn't counted on Ketheric unleashing the shadow curse. We watched it drain all light and life away from this place, saw it twist people into abominations. The Harpers lost hope.

Ketheric wove the curse on this land. The moment he was sealed in that tomb, Shar's poison devoured everything in its path.

Fallen paladin. Champion of Shar. He was building an army bent on unholy conquest, but we stopped him. Killed him. Buried him.

It was not enough. General Thorm lives again. He's built a new army, and this time he marches under the banner of the Absolute.

November 2021 is the earliest mention of Aylin I found, mostly marked as not finalised and placeholder dialogue (and that reunion up there). The Nightsong as present in that patch is still very different from what we ended up getting - nobody was killing her, in fact people were coming to get her "kiss", and there was a whole thing where it seems like Shar would directly take control of her and you could help her overcome the curse, or abandon her to it - or kill her. 

Embrace the Nightsong and be sworn to Eternal Shadow.

Anyway, here are her lines (all of these exist as voice files, which is rare for stuff I put in this post - but they're done by a voice actress who doesn't sound like Helen Keeley, our final Aylin VA, so I don't know what to make of it all tbh):

Shar is the Nightsinger, and I am her Nightsong. I am her instrument, transforming the faithful into shadows. I've been here for centuries. Do you know how many priests of Shar came here, full of faith, seeking my kiss? I've been here for centuries. Thousands of Sharrans came here seeking my kiss. I drink their sorrow, their loss, their grief. Then I vomit it back into the world. All of them are shadows now. That is Shar's only reward. But Ketheric returned for my kiss, over and over. You're the first to survive my kiss intact. You're the only one who can help me. Please, you have to help. No one's ever resisted the kiss before. No one has ever resisted my kiss. But you are not merely *one*, are you? That thing in your head must be incredibly powerful to resist a goddess. Perhaps it's also divine in nature. Because a mind can't survive two masters. It breaks us. Shar's attention must be elsewhere. Speak quickly. She's watching now. She's waiting to steal my voice. But it won't last. Please - listen! I was captured by Ketheric Thorm, Shar's chosen. He turned me into this creature. I'm a slave of Shar. She owns me, just like that thing in your head owns you. I want to sing my own song. Not Shar's. Not *Ketheric's*. Find Ketheric. Kill him so I can be free! Slay Ketheric. His wretched existence binds me to this temple. Oh. That made her angry. The Lady returns! She has me again! *Again!* Stop! You've driven her away!

I am not your *spectacle*. Turn away before I strike you blind. Tell them to come and receive my kiss.

Some possible relevant tags, interactions, and outcomes include:

|The soul cage has greatly weakened Nightsong| |Debug: click to save Nightsong (sets the flag to talk to Isobel)| |We sided with Ketheric and doomed Nightsong.| |Companion comment!||But if his power is linked to this Nightsong, there must be a way to unlink it.| |You have taken control of Ketheric's Soul Cage| |You are bound to Ketheric's soul cage, taking his regenerative powers for yourself| |Bound to Soul Cage| |Soul Cage Key| |Soul Cage Research| |The book details the necromancer's research on the soul cage| |There is a glimpse of Isobel's ghost, as she takes her Father with her to the afterlife.| |There is a glimpse of Isobel's ghost terrified and in agony. Both Isobel and Ketheric will disappear.|

At one point Isobel delivers her own, Ketheric's, and Aylin's backstory as "a story", but sadly I can find very little of it, just disjointed fragments:

You seem to know a lot about Ketheric. He was a devout Selûnite who converted to Shar. They say it was Ketheric's purity that drew an angel down from Celestia. You're Isobel Thorm. The daughter who died in that story.

And there seem to be many options to question Isobel about her hiding the truth about her father:

Why are you lying to me, Isobel? Everyone thinks you're dead, Isobel. Tell me the truth, Isobel. Everything. Still, Isobel might have saved us some time had she been honest from the beginning. |Why didn't you tell me what happened from the start, Isobel?|

Ketheric. Don't you mean your father? Ketheric is your father. I know the truth. Ketheric told me at Moonrise. He wants me to bring you home. I need your father to trust me. He wants you back. You sent me after your father - Ketheric. I think we should discuss Ketheric - your father - first. For all you've said about Ketheric, you left out the part where he's your father.

To which I've found some responses:

And would you have trusted her? Ketheric's daughter? Why didn't I tell you that I was murdered, that my soul was locked away for a hundred years? What would I have told her? That my father murdered her fellow Harpers, but that I can surely be trusted?

[Attempt to read Isobel's thoughts.] *You see Ketheric standing before Isobel, although the memory is hazy. His words are unclear, but his tone is not - he is pleading with her.*

Brought back by the same man that killed me. Balthazar. Standing next to my father with a smile on his face.

But I'm not sure it would have mattered. To stand with that man, my father has surrendered to deepest evil.

I would love to know what the whole pleading thing is about, and what Isobel "didn't know" that she claims didn't matter anyway.

My father. After a century, he somehow brought me back. But I saw the monster he had become. I couldn't bear it... I ran. I ran until I found Last Light. It was like a second home to me, once. I've been studying the curse ever since, searching for answers. Trying to restore the damage my father has wrought upon this land. It's possible I may have to sacrifice myself. But this is my father's crime.

And then, there is this nugget I cannot place but that I like: 

|Your father's due will come.|

There is also an option to tell her Nightsong is Aylin (who was, at this point, a full celestial - no mention of being connected to Selûne, though, and in fact, if she was indeed from Mount Celestia as mentioned in the "story", she would not have been):

Isobel: My father's curse still blackens this earth. Have you found anything? Player: A celestial, chained to Ketheric's soul. Player: They called her Nightsong, but she told me her name was Aylin. Isobel: Aylin. She... she's alive. I knew she had to be, I… Player: Ketheric's necromancer took her to Moonrise. Isobel: His necromancer? Gods, you have to free her. Isobel: You have to go to Moonrise and free Aylin. When Ketheric is weak, this can all be over. Isobel: The truth is that I would give anything to see her again, and anything to stop my father. Free her, and you do both. Isobel: At least, the shell of my father. There's nothing left of the man that championed Selûne. Isobel: Find her. Free her. If Ketheric isn't stopped, all of us are doomed.

Player: |[Doesn'tKnowName] Aylin? Care to explain?| Isobel: The angel in my story about Ketheric. That was Aylin.

Speaking of Balthazar. Some lines from him:

[Introductory note: please imagine everything Balthazar says spoken with a wheezy voice, as if he's permanently out of breath.]

[I need to retrieve the Nightsong, but the temple is haunted and my minions cannot make it past the trial grounds. I cannot go there until the ghosts have been dealt with. Now that you are here on behalf of Ketheric, you will do all this for me.]

I, Fodder, am here on behalf of General Ketheric Thorm. Down in the depths of this temple writhes his desire. I am to bring it to him.

I created the Nightsong for General Ketheric, many moons... HEAR THAT SHAR? Many moons ago.

*As you hold the necromancer's mocking gaze, you can tell how it starts to dawn on him you are not the mere minion he thought you were.*

Along the way I found some more recent Patch 8 (2022-ish) gross Balthazar lines, some bits of which have actually survived to release:

She was a unique specimen even before I began my work. Aasimar. A god's blood united with mortal flesh.

Such fine clay she was. We grew quite close as I… remoulded her. Now she is General Thorm's shield. Her strength is his to drink upon. His pains are hers to bear.

If I never exceed her, I will still die happy. If I ever do something as gauche as truly dying, that is.

Utterly revolting! Makes my skin crawl! Man deserves a yeeting into the Shadowfell a hundred times over! But in order to not end on a gross note, I leave you with:

Ketheric Thorm. Murderer. Oathbreaker.

Aylin Silverblood. My true name. Nightsong was only ever a curse.

[babydollmarauders]

LAST KISS — NICO HISCHIER

nico hischier x fem!reader

part of the Speak Now Fic List

summary: in which y/n reminisces on she and Nico’s relationship and wonders how it all came to an end when she still loves him so much

notes: lots of flashbacks, not a lot of dialogue

the carpeted floor does nothing to ease the numbness of my butt from sitting there for so long.

my back is pressed against the side of my bed, my head tilted back and my eyes glued to the ceiling, fighting back tears.

the alarm clock that sits on my nightstand, lights up the room; 1:58am displayed in bright red.

how is it that at this time, just three months ago, i was happy?

how is it that i remember that night so clearly?

*** 3 MONTHS AGO ***

my cheeks ache from smiling, my leg slung over my boyfriend’s as he holds me close. his arms are wrapped around my waist, one hand drawing shapes into my back.

our alarm clock reads 1:58am, but he only got back from his roadie about forty-five minutes ago.

“and then Dawson bet Jack fifty dollars that he could kick the ball into the rafters.” Nico whispers, his thick accent soothing my racing heart.

“did he?”

“no, he kicked it up high but it bounced off of one of the beams and ended up hitting him in the head.” i giggle, already imagining the scenario happening in my head. “i can laugh now, but i was worried he had a concussion.”

Nico joins me in laughter, tightening his grip on me. my hand lays flat across his chest, and i can feel his heartbeat pick up.

“i love you.” i whisper, craning my neck to nudge my nose against his.

“ich liebe dich mehr, schatzi.”

*** PRESENT ***

tears roll down my cheeks. my heart feels like it’s being torn, my chest constricting like someone is crumpling it like an old receipt.

how could he have told me he loved me, when he left so soon after?

how could he leave me so easily? like i was nothing to him.

why did he leave? i thought we were doing so well.

i thought the end of the hockey season would bring on new adventures, not the end of us.

now i’m left picking up the pieces of me that he carelessly threw down when he told me we were over. when he went back to Switzerland and told me not to bother visiting.

i thought we would have a repeat of last summer, the best summer i’ve ever had, but i guess that’s gone now.

*** JULY 9TH, 2022 ***

the plane bumps as it touches down, causing me to jolt in my seat.

eight hours on the plane, too excited and nervous to sleep a wink, and now i’m ready to be able to move and reunite with my boyfriend.

i sit idly in my seat, my carry-on backpack sitting in my lap, as i wait to be able to leave; and as soon as i can, i’m fast walking off the plane.

Nico said he would meet me at baggage claim, and with the unfamiliarity of a foreign airport, it takes me much longer than i had hoped to find baggage claim.

but as soon as i round the corner and spot my boyfriend, i take off running. my sneakers squeak against the tiled floors, and he looks up from his phone, quickly pocketing it and opening his arms to envelope me in a hug.

my head nestles on his chest, right against his pounding heart, and my arms wrap securely around his waist while his fold over my shoulders. i melt into his touch, savoring the feeling of being in his arms again. his heartbeat echoes through my ears, soothing me further.

“i missed you.” he mumbles into my hair, pressing his lips to my scalp.

“i missed you more.”

we stand there in silence, watching the bags go around the little carousel until mine finally comes into view. the black hard shell suitcase covered in stickers is hard to miss, and Nico finally lets me go in order to step forward and grab it for me.

“c’mon, i want you to meet my family.” his arm wraps around my shoulder, pulling me into his side as we exit the airport.

i can smell the rain that’s falling freshly on the pavement, taking in a deep breath, and Nico smiles down at me, his brows threaded together.

“i like the smell. it’s different here; smells cleaner.” he chuckles at my words, shaking his head. “or i’m just happier here, ‘cause i’m with you.”

his eyes scrunch as he grins widely, showing off his teeth.

“yeah, i’m happier with you too.”

*** PRESENT ***

i rock on the floor, tilting forward slightly with my legs criss-crossed. my arms are crossed over my chest in an ‘x’, my hands fisting the fabric of his forgotten soft black t-shirt that adorns my body.

the tears are falling harder now, my throat closing as my breaths catch, a broken sob of his name falling from my lips.

how could he do this to me?

i met his family.

he met mine. despite knowing how guarded i am with choosing who to introduce to them.

he convinced me we were forever.

*** MAY 2022 ***

“and you’re sure you’re okay with attending this?” i question for the millionth time, standing in front of the mirror as i put my earrings in.

“yes, schatzi. i’m sure.” Nico chuckles, wrapping his arms around my waist as he comes and stands behind me. “i want to meet your family. i want to meet the people who raised my beautiful, kindhearted girlfriend.”

i sigh, locking eyes with him in the mirror. a small smile dances upon my lips when he scrunches his nose at me through the reflection.

“i just don’t want them to scare you off.” i admit, my hands gently resting on his arms that encircle me. “they can be a lot, and ya know, they’re hockey fans so they’ll probably talk your ear off about this past season and i just- i love you, i don’t want them to run you away from me.”

Nico’s lips ghost against my neck, pressing featherlight kisses across my skin, before he rests his chin upon my shoulder. he looks at me softly in the mirror, but i avoid his gaze until he abruptly spins me around.

his hands cup my face, forcing me to look into his big brown eyes.

“they will not scare me off.” he assures me, leaning his forehead against mine. “i love you, and your family cannot change that. they can talk to me about hockey every time i see them for the rest of our lives, but they can’t run me off.”

for the rest of our lives.

“i love you so much.” i lean forward, standing on my tiptoes to lay a kiss on his lips.

my nerves are eased for most of the time until the reception. we arrive to my cousin, Lindsay’s wedding just before the ceremony begins, effectively avoiding my parents meeting Nico.

but once the reception begins, there’s no evading it any longer. my body tenses as my father walks over to Nico and i’s table.

“little bird!” my face flushes at the childhood nickname, allowing my father to wrap me up in a hug, my mother quickly taking his place once we part.

my dad’s eyes stray over to my boyfriend, widening slightly but keeping his cool. “and who’s this, little bird?”

“mom, dad; this is my boyfriend, Nico.” i introduce, watching with baited breath as my father shakes Nico’s hand.

“nice, firm grip ya got there, Nico.” my dad nods approvingly, “say, ya play hockey? ya look familiar.”

my mother and i share a glance at his unsubtle way of questioning, but whereas she wears a smile, my face is one of fear. but my fear melts away when my boyfriend just laughs.

“i’m just messing with you.” my dad slaps Nico on the back. “i’m a Devils fan, born and raised.”

he continues talking, but i can no longer hear their conversation as they walk away towards the open bar.

“i’d say that went well.” my mom sighs, turning back towards me. “what do you say we get some champagne. you look like you need it.”

it’s not even an hour later that Nico has become the life of the party. my rowdy, hockey invested family have all flocked to him. even Lindsay and her now husband, the one’s this day is supposed to be about, are stood around our table, listening intently to what my boyfriend has to say about playing in the NHL.

i’m stood beside Nico, as we had given up our seats to my younger cousins, just waiting for them all to stop questioning him.

“hey Nico, what’s it like being captain?” my little cousin asks, and i can’t help but roll my eyes as my boyfriend answers him. Nico catches my eye, smiling down at me and pulling me close into his side.

“i love it. it’s hard, you have to answer questions from interviewers after hard losses, but it can also be very fun. it’s very rewarding.” he explains.

i let out a sigh, my mood severely deflating, until Nico speaks up again.

“if you guys will excuse me, i wanna have a dance with my girlfriend before the night ends.” he winks at the table full of my family members before leading me to the dance floor.

he snakes his arms around my waist, pulling me flush against him as my arms lock around his neck, resting on his shoulders.

“i like your family.” he tells me.

“you do?”

he nods, beginning to sway us side to side. “yeah, they’re nice, and passionate about hockey. i see where you get it from now.”

i chuckle, nodding along. “that would be my dad’s doing.”

he laughs, as i close my eyes and lay my head upon his chest.

though i’m not usually one for dancing in public, i do it with him.

for him.

*** PRESENT ***

my heart aches, and in my mind, i beg for him to come home.

to tell me he was just joking.

that he loves me and still wants to spend the rest of our lives together.

i beg for him to come waltzing back towards me after a game, his hands in his pockets as he grins at me leaning against his car.

i beg for him to come back and spend another night listening to me rant, until he finally decides he’s had enough of my unimportant rambles and shuts me up with a kiss.

my phone dings upon my nightstand, right next to the alarm clock that now reads 2:34am, and i scramble for it, in hopes that it’s him.

and in a way, it is. an instagram notification is displayed across my screen, letting me know that Nico has posted a new post.

i click into it, ignoring the tears that now splatter upon my screen as i see how happy he looks.

how happy he looks without me.

i scroll through the photo carousel, staring at photos of Nico and his brother and sister, a wide smile on his face. a photo of him in front of a scenic mountain, his teeth shown off in a grin. a photo of him swimming.

i have to wonder how it got to this point.

how i went from waking up before the sun did, watching him sleep peacefully beside me; to watching his life in pictures. being delegated to asking our mutual friends how he is, because i can no longer just text him to ask.

how i went from laying almost entirely on top of him, feeling his chest rise and fall with his deep breaths; to feeling forgotten in his life. like the two years we were together meant nothing to him.

it’s as if i can feel myself being erased from his life; from his mind.

but the worst part of that i can’t hate him. i love him too much to hold any hate in my heart for him.

rather than wishing the worst upon him, i only hope that he has a wonderful life.

and that maybe, on a beautiful day, he’ll see something so small, so minuscule, like the sun shining through the clouds, or a pink sunset, which he knows i love so much, and that it’ll remind him of me. that he’ll realize how good i was to him. that he’ll regret leaving. that he’ll wish he had stayed with me.

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Hi Steph ! I do realise you get an enormous amount of requests, but I hope you'll find time to answer mine. I hope this hasn't been answered before ?

What are, in your opinion, the most in-character, and BBC accurate Johnlock fanfics you've ever read ?

I'm currently looking for something very canon-compliant, and I'm having a bit of trouble. Any length and rating will do !

Thank you for everything you do ! Your work for the Sherlock (especially johnlock/TJLC) has always been quite remarkable :)

Excellent day to you !

-Mea

Hi Lovely!

Thank you for your kind words, it's much appreciated!!!

As for in-character fics, I should state here that "in-character" is subjective to each individual, so my idea of "in-character" will be different from other people's!

That said, any of my fic recs on any of my Fic Rec Lists that aren't appended with MFL (because I haven't read them) could be considered what I call in-character, LOL. BUT if you want some of my faves, these will be the ones to start with:

I-J’s Last 50 Bookmarked Fics (June 2017)

Last 17 Bookmarked Fics (July 2017) 

Last 30 Bookmarked Fics (November 2017)

Last 86 Bookmarked Fics (Jan 2019) || [MOBILE]

Top 20 Fave 40K+ w. Fics (April 2017)

Ten Fave Short Johnlock Fics (Easy Reads April 2018)

25 Fave Johnlock One Shots (April 2018)

Top 10 Fave Fics (September 2018)

Top 20 Bookmarks of 2018 (March 2019)

Another Top 10 Fave Fics (June 2019)

Top 30 Read-Again Fics (March 2019)

Top 30 Read-Again Fics Pt. 2 (Sept. 2019)

Fave Read-Again Fics (10) (Dec 11/20)

Top 25 Fave Non-Ao3 Fics (Nov. 2019)

Top 25 Fave Non-Ao3 Fics Pt 2 (Apr 2022)

Top 25 Fave Non-AO3 Fics Pt 3 (May 2023)

Top 25 Bookmarks of 2019 (Dec. 29/2019)

Top 30 Bookmarks of 2020

Top 25 Bookmarks of 2021

Top 20 Bookmarks of 2022

Top 35 Bookmarks of 2023

Top 20 Comfort Fics (Feb 2022)

Top 30 Fave Angst Fics Under 10K

25 Fics for Fic Rec Bingo

10 Current Fave Multi-Fandom Fics (June 2023)

Alternate First Meetings (Canon-Feeling)

Sorry I can't be more specific, but I genuinely would be listing dozens of fics for you, LOL.

Let me know if there's anything else I can help you with, and again, I hope you enjoy your time here!!! *HUGS*

[babeejeon]

Hii! Can I request ''you need to stop doing that.'' ''do what?'' ''that little eye thing you do when i walk into the room.'' With Jimin? I saw it in a prompt list and I thought it would be perfect for him. Thank you♡

Author Note: Wow! This request came in July 2022 and I am so sorry for asking for requests only to answer so late. I've been seeing this request but just not finding the exact inspiration and idea for it until today. And I have not been writing for a really long time. I don't know what happened but today ideas keep coming. I think it is the effect of September. Also I want to say that I have been wanting to write a Jimin fic related to the song "Angel Eyes" from ABBA for ages. The song screams Jimin to me but no matter how much I wanted, I couldn't find the exact inspiration and idea for it until today. As soon as I started writing this request, something clicked in my mind and this song came out. So here it is, a very overdue request of mine. I hope the reader who requested it is still around and read this. I am sincerely apologizing for writing it too late and also thank you so much for requesting it. I hope you like it. And please let me know if you read it, cause I really want to know your ideas about it.

--

Angel Eyes

This man will be the death of you. You were so sure about it now. You don’t know how this even started on the first place but now you are so lost in this game. He chose you and you are here now. Why did he choose you though, you have a weak heart.

It didn’t help that you saw him every day, it didn’t help that he sits right in front of you all day and it definitely didn’t help that he is the flirtiest man on the earth. It is him, Park Jimin, your colleague who happens to look like the college heartthrob from your dreams. Obviously, this dream didn’t come true for you in college like it does in those cheesy rom-coms you love. Instead, he decided to come into your life in your hell of a workplace. His heavenly looks definitely doesn’t suit this brutal place, but he definitely makes it a little more endurable, with just existing.

But that is until he decides to look at you ‘that way’. What way, you might ask. But it is hard to explain. It just, it just does a lot of things to you, to your heart and it definitely makes you lose your mind. Your heart does somersaults, your face flush and your mind goes blank. It is definitely not your most professional look, not suitable especially for such a competitive hell of a workplace. But it is out of your control.

You used to love this song of ABBA, Angel Eyes. Now when that song comes up in your playlist, you can’t help but wonder if the song writer has ever seen Jimin. Not that it is possible, but there must be such type of a man and Jimin definitely belongs to that group.

‘Look into his angel eyes

One look and you're hypnotized

He'll take your heart and you must pay the price

Look into his angel eyes

You'll think you're in paradise

And one day you'll find out he wears a disguise

Don't look too deep into those angel eyes’

Yes, he definitely belongs to that group, he can even be the leader of that group. But what is so wrong with this guy is, that he looks like he has a heart of an angel. He is a total gentleman, helps everyone, always have that smile that makes everyone’s day million times better. You never saw him do any dirty to anyone and considering how baleful your workplace is, he doesn’t suit the aesthetics. But he is there, sits in the desk in front of yours and torture your poor heart. You wonder sometimes; ‘He should have been a model or something, what is he doing here?’. Then, your life would be much more easier, but here you are. Reality is never your ally.

Sometimes you thought to yourself; ‘Should you just confront him about it?’. But would that even make any sense? What would you even say? Would you say;

“You can’t just look at me like this!”

or

“You can’t just be so charming like this!”

or

“Stop playing with my heart!”???

Come on girl, this is not a rom-com or something. Come back to your senses. He is just existing and doing his work. Problem is probably in your heart. Yes, it is.

But to your surprise, one day you find yourself saying this line to Park Jimin, himself; “You need to stop doing that.” Yes, you did.

He looked up from his laptop, kind of a little surprised; “Do what?”.

You sighed. “That little eye thing you do, … when I walk into the room.” You mumbled the end of the sentence, feeling super embarrassed and feel growing hot, super hot. Your cheeks have probably flushed already.

And he chuckled, literally chuckled. He had the audacity to chuckle! And you, the stupid girl, go red and embarrassed and wanting to die because of it. Yes, it wasn’t a good idea, you knew it.

“Eye thing? You mean looking or glancing or glimpsing….” You cut his words.

“I don’t need you to count every synonym of looking, flirting or whatever you try to do!” you said. Maybe you should not say that. No, not maybe, definitely should not say that.

“Right, I am trying to flirt with you for God knows how long and you ignore me every time. So, I didn’t know that it bothered you.” You looked at him when he said that, and he looked like he was enjoying this a lot. It made you angry, super angry. Why is it you who feels super embarrassed and it is him who is having fun?

“Yeah, it does kind of annoy me. If you want something from me, just ask.” You said. It didn’t sound as nonchalant as you hoped it did.

“There is, actually something I wanted to ask.” He said. You looked at him. “Then, ask it.”

“Wanna go out with me sometime?”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“I’ve just asked you out Y/N”. Okay, if you haven’t gone red a while ago, you definitely did now. Maybe Pantone should name a hue after you.

“Oh, I see. Okay, I guess.” You mumbled and forced a smile that you hoped that doesn’t look creepy.

He chuckled. “Why? Are you feeling shy now?” he asked, totally amused.

You looked at him and furrowed your brows. “Why? Can’t I be?”

He chuckled again. “Of course you can, it just looks adorable.”

You sighed, maybe you should think about going a date with him again. Cause it would definitely not going to be easy with a man like Park Jimin.

[guardianbingo]

Guardian Bingo Bonus Round?

Hello wonderful people who supported Guardian Bingo!

It is I, mod @tehfanglyfish, here to gauge interest in a bonus round of Guardian Bingo spanning parts of June, July, and possibly August.

This would be different from the regular bingo that ran in 2022 and 2023 in that there will be no cards and no badges. Instead, the goal is to offer low-stress inspiration and have fun.

Here's a rough outline of how bonus bingo would work:

A new prompt every 1 or 2 weeks for a total of five prompts (each corresponding with a letter in bingo)

Fills would need to be posted within that 1-2 week period

No minimum word counts (or the equivalent for non-fic creations)

Any type of creation is accepted (fic, art, meta, gif sets, edits, vids, crafts/fanartifacts, rec lists, mood boards, etc.)

Amnesty week at the end for any missed fills

Bingos are earned by filling all five prompts

Again, no new badges, but you will earn a sense of accomplishment, personal glory, and a shoutout post with everyone who managed a bingo

So, now knowing all of that, please let me know if you're interested.

[marveltrumpshate]

July 2024 MTH fills

The best way to see all the fills that have been shared with us is our monthly roundups tag or our #MTH-fills channel on our Discord, but you can also view them through the following methods:

Our Tumblr tags: 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023

Our AO3 collection (only has works posted to AO3; see "subcollections" for specific auction years)

Completed works tag list

To find specific content, use our completed works tag lists above which includes instructions on how to search for a particular character, gen or romantic relationship, universe, and fanwork type. 

SOLO CHARACTERS

Miguel O'Hara

@caiabresebun - Art of a shirtless Miguel tied up shibari-style for @moonyroony

GEN/PLATONIC RELATIONSHIPS

STEVEN GRANT & JAKE LOCKLEY & MARC SPECTOR

@tiptapricot - "Caótica Belleza (por lo sentido y lo sinsentido)" (transfem MCU Marc Spector-centric 5+1 fic) for @melaphyrex

SHIPS

BUCKY BARNES/HOWARD STARK

@ruquas - The second installment of a wartime epistolary fic in the form of handwritten letters between Bucky and Howard for @fuckyeahhowardstark

BUCKY BARNES/STEVE ROGERS

@call-me-kayyyyy - NSFW post-CA:CW Steve/Bucky shibari art for gfawkes (more SFW but still a bit NSFW version on Tumblr)

JACK ROLLINS/BROCK RUMLOW

Nixie DeAngel / @nixies-creations - "Sharp Blades, Thin Ice" (Jack Rollins/Brock Rumlow hockey AU fic. Accompanying aesthetic here) for @kalika999

LAYLA EL-FAOULY/MARC SPECTOR

tiptapricot - "Caótica Belleza (por lo sentido y lo sinsentido)" (transfem MCU Marc Spector-centric 5+1 fic) for @melaphyrex

LOKI/STEVE ROGERS

@fohatic / @moon-language-0 - "Cold Comfort" (MCU Loki/Steve and eventual Steve/Tony dystopian AU fic where Loki wins in 2012, takes over the world, and takes Steve as his prize) for @bulkyphrase

MATT MURDOCK/FOGGY NELSON

@grumpycakes - Art of monk Foggy meeting demon Matt Murdock for @amazing-spiderling

STEVE ROGERS/TONY STARK

@areiton - "who's gonna know you, if not me?" (Steve/Tony D/s soulmate AU fic where Steve navigates being Tony's dom while grappling with grief after being found and Tony struggles with his trauma from being forcibly trained to be a sub for Steve his entire life) for Usagi, @tehroserose, @ruquas, @sabrecmc, @sayahs-corner, @oper1895, and @romancebyfaye (MTH 2022)

@fohatic / @moon-language-0 - "Cold Comfort" (MCU Loki/Steve and eventual Steve/Tony dystopian AU fic where Loki wins in 2012, takes over the world, and takes Steve as his prize) for bulkyphrase

@iam93percentstardust - "Labyrinth" (Steve/Tony Regency A/B/O AU fic where Lord Tony Stark has resigned himself to a life as a spinster when he meets alpha Steve, one of his sister Sharon's suitors) for Ruquas, @massivespacewren, sabrecmc, RoseRose, @dweetwise, @gotlostonmywayhome, tsmk2013tsmk, @gottalovev, oper1895, @otpcutie, sayah1112, E_Greer, and @ishipallthings

Nixie DeAngel - "Letters For My Heart" (MCU Steve/Tony fic where Tony finds a box of Steve's things that has Tony's name on it. Accompanying aesthetic here) for gottalovev (MTH 2022)

[arofili]

Tolkien Fandom Event Calendar

Recently I’ve received some asks about events/weeks in the Tolkien fandom, so I thought I’d compile a list of those that I know about. This is not exhaustive, and dates are subject to change by the organizers of these events!

Other blogs you can check out are @tolkieneventsblog and @tolkienfandomevents, though I’m not sure how active those are. The @silmarillionwritersguild Discord also has a channel dedicated to signal boosts for all sorts of Tolkien-related & general fandom happenings, which is another excellent way to keep up with fandom goings-on.

Want to run your own event? Here’s some of my tips!

If your event is not on here and you’d like it to be, let me know and I can add it :) Note: I will only add events that have announced dates!

~

JANUARY Screw Yule My Slashy Valentine @myslashyvalentine — work time Lord of the Rings Secret Santa @lotr-sesa — reveals Thorin’s Spring Forge @thorinsspringforge — signups Second Age Week @secondageweek

FEBRUARY Hidden Paths My Slashy Valentine — reveals Thorin’s Spring Forge — claims Maedhros and Maglor Week @maedhrosmaglorweek

MARCH Back to Middle-earth Month @spring-into-arda Thorin’s Spring Forge — work time Fëanorian Week Fun with Fanon Fest Round 1 @funwithfanon

APRIL Tolkien Reverse Summer Bang @tolkienrsb — signups Silm Remix @tolkienremix — signups & assignments Thorin’s Spring Forge — reveals  Aralas Week @aralas-week Barduil Month @bi-widower-dads All of Arda is Autistic @all-of-arda-is-autistic F3: Focus on Friendship & Family, Phase I @spring-into-arda

MAY Tolkien Reverse Summer Bang — claims Silm Remix — reveals Aspec Arda Week @aspecardaweek Angbang Week @angbangweek Gondolin Week @gondolinweek F3: Focus on Friendship & Family, Phase II

JUNE Tolkien Reverse Summer Bang — work time Scribbles and Drabbles @fall-for-tolkien — signups Tolkien Ekphrasis Week @tolkienekphrasisweek F3: Focus on Friendship & Family, Phase III

JULY Tolkien Reverse Summer Bang — work time Scribbles and Drabbles — claims Tolkien Gen Week @tolkiengenweek LotR Ladies Week @lotrladiessource Tolkien Appreciation Week @tolkienweek Tolkien Latin American & Caribbean Week @tolkienlatamandcaribbeanweek

AUGUST Tolkien Reverse Summer Bang — deadlines Scribbles and Drabbles — art reveals Innumerable Stars Exchange @innumerable-stars — nominations & signups Tolkien of Colour Week @tolkienofcolourweek Silvergifting Week @silvergiftingweek Tolkien OC Week @tolkienocweek

SEPTEMBER Tolkien Reverse Summer Bang — reveals Scribbles and Drabbles — work time Innumerable Stars Exchange — signups & assignments Sindar Week @sindarweek Dor Cúarthol Week @dorcuartholweek Finwëan Ladies Week @finweanladiesweek

OCTOBER Innumerable Stars Exchange — reveals Scribbles and Drabbles — work time Half-elven Week @halfelvenweek

NOVEMBER Tolkien Secret Santa @officialtolkiensecretsanta — signups & assignments Scribbles and Drabbles — fic reveals Nolofinwean Week @nolofinweanweek

DECEMBER Tolkien Secret Santa — advent calendar & reveals My Slashy Valentine @myslashyvalentine — signups & assignments Lord of the Rings Secret Santa — claims Khazad Week @khazadweek

MONTHLY EVENTS: These events have prompts/challenges occurring every month. Teitho Contest Tolkien Short Fanworks Silmarillion Writers’ Guild @silmarillionwritersguild

(this list was last updated 5/4/23)

LEGACY EVENTS: These events used to occur, but have not happened within the last year. Arda Needs More Pride @ardaneedsmorepride (bimonthly; last run 2020) Kiliel Week @kilielweek (timing variable; last run 2021) @oneringnet monthly events (last run 2021) Atani Week @ataniweek (January; last run 2021) Legendarium Ladies April @legendariumladiesapril (April; last run 2020) Gates of Summer Exchange @gatesofsummerexchange (May-June, last run 2022) Tolkien South Asian Week, run by @arwenindomiel (June; last run 2022) Arafinwëan Week @arafinweanweek (July; last run 2019) Fëanturi Week (August; last run 2019; no official blog and the creator has deactivated) Imladrim Week @imladrimweek (November; last run 2019) Doriath Week @doriathweek (November; last run 2020) Tolkien Family Week @tolkienfamilyweek (November; last run 2021)

[inukag-archive]

In celebration of the ninth annual @inukag-week the Fic Finders have searched through our prior listings to highlight selections for each day's prompt.

As always please feel free to add your favorites into the reblogs and comments!

Happy reading - new and old!

Lists:

New Moon Inuyasha (posted August 2022)

Full Demon Inuyasha (posted July 2022)

Possessive InuKag Masterlist (posted February 2024)

Fic Finds:

Side Effects (posted January 2024)

A Sealed Fate (posted July 2022)

Much Love,

Pixie, Rudd, Anisa, Lost & MamaBear

[liquidluckdrabblechallenge]

🧡 Liquid Luck Never Have I Ever Challenge 2024 | Rules & Information 🧡

We are back with another round of the Liquid Luck Never Have I Ever Challenge! 🧡

We had our first round of Never Haver I Ever back in 2022, and works created for that round can be found here.

This July we have a challenge that is all about challenging yourself to do something you have never done before. This is a Liquid Luck Drabble & Art Challenge event, and anyone is welcome to join! 

Here’s how it works :

Challenges & Prompts can be found here.

- The goal is to challenge yourself to do something you have never done before. For example, write for a pairing you’ve not written for before, or use a character you’ve not used before. Perhaps use a trope you’re not familiar with? Maybe you’ve always wanted to try to write Harry Potter poetry, but never done it before? Or you’ve never made a moodboard before? Let this challenge be the motivation to give it a try!

- There will be eight different challenges. This challenge list is meant as inspiration, and you can give any of them (or all of them) a go. But if you’ve been wanting to try something else out for a while and haven’t done so yet, feel free to use the Never Have I Ever challenge to finally give it a go!

- There will be eight new prompts that you can use as inspiration. As this is a Liquid Luck Drabble & Art Challenge event, you will have to use at least one of our prompts in your work. You can use one of these eight new prompts, or you can use one of our previous prompts. Part 1 | Part 2

The schedule : 

13 June : Challenges & Prompts are released 1 July : The AO3 Collection opens to Liquid Luck Never Have I Ever works 31 July : The AO3 Collection closes to Liquid Luck Never Have I Ever works

Every four days - starting on the 1st of July - I will post a reminder of one of the challenges and prompts. But challenges can be done at any time of the month, as long as your work is completed by the 31st of July.

Just a few simple rules & guidelines for this challenge :

- For your work to be accepted for this challenge it will have to include two things : Something you have not done / written / created before + A Liquid Luck Drabble & Art Challenge prompt. This can either be one of the eight new prompts, or one of our previous prompts. Part 1 | Part 2

- Both fics and art are welcome for this challenge. There is no minimum or maximum word count, and all forms of art (moodboard, drawing, fan video etc.) are welcome.

- This is a Harry Potter challenge, and all pairings are allowed, as long as they include at least one character from the book / movie. This includes Rare Pairs, Next Gen, Cross Gen and characters from connected canon such as Cursed Child and Fantastic Beasts.

- All works posted to the AO3 Collection will be shared to the Tumblr page. Please give it up to 48 hours for me to share your work to Tumblr. If it hasn’t been shared after that time, there’s a chance I have missed it. Then feel free to send me a message to remind me to share it. The AO3 Collection will be the same as the one for the Liquid Luck Drabble & Art Challenge, but works for this event will only be accepted between the 1st of July and the 31st of July. After that, the challenge is over and the AO3 Collection is only open to Liquid Luck Drabble & Art Challenge works again.

- Drabbles / fics will be shared with a post with information and a link to your work. If you create art for the challenge and you tag the page, I will reblog your art, but as tagging doesn’t always work, please send me a message if your art hasn’t been reblogged after 48 hours.

- Works for this challenge have to be new. Older works that fit the prompt will not be accepted into the AO3 collection or shared to the Tumblr page.

- All pairings, ratings and genres are allowed, but please make sure to add the correct tags, and please post a warning if your work is NSFW, or if it contains upsetting themes or possible triggers.

- Prompts for the Liquid Luck Never Have I Ever Challenge may be combined with prompts for other challenges, but please make sure to check with the mods for those other challenges / fests as well!

- A masterlist of all the works created for this challenge will be shared on this Tumblr page after the challenge has ended.

🧡

[inu-mothership]

Inu-Mothership Spotlight Saturday Update: July 27, 2024: KogKag!

Hi everyone! We here at @inu-mothership are back with a new round of fic recs! Our server has just celebrated its third anniversary this week, and to honor that, we'll be revisiting some of the ships that we featured very early on in our Spotlight Saturday days. This week, we're going back to our very first fic rec list, which was KogKag!

This week, we're back with 15 new fics, all published after our last KogKag list, which was a summary of the 2022 KogKag Secret Admirer event! Stories are listed below the cut in alphabetical order, according to title, with rating and status (ongoing or complete) also noted. We hope you find some new KogKag gems in this list!

The Beauty of Storms (G; complete) by abovetheruins (Ao3)

Outside, thunder rumbled. A flash of lightning illuminated the sky, throwing the tree trunks beyond the cave into sharp relief. Kagome’s breath caught at the brilliant display, though she was distracted from the storm by the faintest whisper of footsteps beyond the cave. Within her next heartbeat, the wall of water bearing down upon the entrance parted as a shadowed figure pushed their way through.

Caught in the middle of a rainstorm, the Inu gang take refuge with the wolf clan. Kouga and Kagome share a moment.

Chasing Fate (M; complete) by @fawn-eyed-girl

Yōkai exterminators Kagome and Miroku are called to investigate the mysterious possessions and murders that have been happening on the late night Musashi train line. When confronted with the culprit, Kagome is surprised to see not one, but two faces from her past…

The one who broke her heart. And the one whose heart she broke.

Can she put the past aside to solve this case? And perhaps also reunite with the ookami who still owns her heart, even after she let him go?

Cultural Variances (T; complete) by @arisukingdom

Kouga has been courting Kagome for years now, but she is clueless. One day, he had the perfect excuse to complete all the courting traditions he knows of but they aren't enough. What does she need?

Duty Bound (E; ongoing) by Nora_Wall (Ao3)

It's been several years since the defeat of Naraku and supposed destruction of the Sacred Jewel. Stuck in the past, Kagome has been trying to adjust to the tedious life of a village miko while harboring a dangerous secret. With the emergence of a deadly illness sweeping through Edo, Kagome is tasked with helping Kouga save his pack. The only problem is that Kouga is determined to use this opportunity to not only save his tribe, but to convince Kagome to be his. Drawn to the powerful wolf demon, Kagome must learn to walk the fine line between following her heart and staying duty bound to protect those she loves.

Happenstance (T; complete) by @megara09

A chance encounter in a dark park with a stranger who saves her.

When Kagome injures herself, Kouga takes her home. After learning that her injury will prevent her from helping at her family’s shrine, he volunteers to help out.

Add in a creepy stalker and a big secret for some extra flavor!

Howling Heart (E; ongoing) by @mynightshining

Unexpectedly stuck in a storm together after time apart forces Kagome and Koga to address the elephant in the room.

Hungry Like a Wolf (T; complete) by @mynightshining

Koga lived centuries as the Pack's bachelor alpha. It's fine, really. It doesn't bother him anymore. He embraced the lifestyle. Little does he know the Tanabata festival has a surprise in store.

Joys of Music (G; complete) by @classysassy9791

Kouga hated waking up early, until he didn't.

Little Red (NR; complete) by Langus (Ao3)

The autumn air was crisp and the full moon high in the night sky. Its light bathed the forest floor in a cool cerulean glow that cast long shadows into the underbrush. She pulled in a cleansing breath and let it out in a rush.

"Chase me," she breathed and immediately began to run.

An Olympic Rendezvous (E; complete) by NeutrInu (Ao3)/ @neutronstarchild

There is a reason that the Olympic Village supplies so many condoms. Athletes need to find ways to relax and celebrate, right? When Kagome meets an absolutely gorgeous wolf demon from the French team, she decides it’s time to ‘relieve some of that post-competition tension.’ And with this much chemistry, who needs a common language?

Open Invitation (G; complete) by monophobian (Ao3)/ @nikkxb

Kouga didn't know what she was studying or why she was studying or why she was so stressed about it, but he did know he could help. Somehow.

He didn't realize how quickly he adapted to Kagome at his den.

Skip (G; complete) by @commandercrouton

Kouga surprised his wife with a romantic dinner for a special anniversary. Except Kagome doesn’t know.

Slipping Traces (M; ongoing) by @pointyobjects

Kagome arrives back home with an education and a new title in her small town: the governor's daughter. It's her job to make every citizen of Serenity Creek feel entirely at home, including the handsome, aloof new Horsehand.

Summer-time Blues (G; complete) by GoblinOnAHouse (Ao3)/ @brain-rot-hour

Kagome has a lot of thoughts about life with Kouga and the Pack.

And summer.

Zephyr (T; complete) by AshMish111 (Ao3)/ @mrfeenysmustache

For Kagome Higurashi, the winds of change blew fast and hard, leaving her tossed about and her world upside down.

They were best avoided.

But sometimes change comes on the gentle currents of a warm breeze, and before you know it you’ve gone too far down stream to turn back.

She should have known;

She’d always associated Koga with wind.

[sweet-s0rr0w]

Firstly, I am finally unshadowbanned! So sorry again if I missed any tags or messages in the past month, I was not ignoring you ❤️❤️

2022 has been a tough one for me fandom-wise; I've had writer's block since I posted my Wireless back in July, and consequently haven't read nearly as much as I'd have liked to, especially in the latter half of the year. BUT, I did this last year, so I thought I'd continue the tradition with a selection of fics I enjoyed in 2022! Absolutely not a comprehensive or objective best fics list, and very much subject to my shit memory, so might well be added to at a later date.

Drarry

Salt and Sauce by @onbeinganangel (T, 3.3k)

To Make A Way by @cavendishbutterfly (E, 5.5k)

Not Nineteen Forever by @sorrybutblog (E, 5.9k)

An Emerald In The Sky by @corvuscrowned (M, 6.6k)

First Week of Eternity by InnerLilith (E, 7.8k)

Per my last letter (I hope you choke on it) by @fluxweeed and @lastontheboat (T, 10k)

The Pirc Defence by @sleepstxtic (E, 10k)

Take the Moon by @tackytigerfic (M, 15k)

Yours Truly by @skeptiquewrites (M, 15k)

Witness Marks by @gryffindorhearts (M, 16k)

any day now by @oknowkiss (E, 17k)

Preserving Lemons by @saintgarbanzo and @ihopeyoubothstaysafefromharm (E, 17k)

The Only Magic Left Between Us by @lqtraintracks (E, 24k)

Heal Thyself by astolat (T, 47k)

Paper Rings by @lettersbyelise (E, 50k)

Meet Me at Midnight by @the-starryknight (T, 57k)

In Free Fall by @kbrick (E, 81k)

A Case of You by @epitomereally (E, 97k)

Other HP

The Hollow by @wolfpants (E, 13k, Remus Lupin/Draco Malfoy)

Licurici by @lou-isfake (E, 133k, HP/DM/Charlie Weasley)