#mostly shorter fics this month because that’s all i really had time for

[neondiamond]

⛄️ Recently Read Fics - January 2023 ⛄️

These are all the amazing fics I read over the past month (from shortest to longest). Don’t forget to leave kudos and comments to show the authors your appreciation if you read any of these! 💙

⛄️ Bad Move, Just Act Normal by @berzerkshires (600, NR)

Quarterback Harry Styles wore rookie kicker Louis Tomlinson's jersey to a press conference.

⛄️ Little Taste by @wabadabadaba (1k, G)

a morning with little Harry and caregiver Louis.

⛄️ Let’s Get Skating by @wabadabadaba (1k, G)

Harry plans on going ice skating alone but those plans change when a very cute stranger forgets his headphones.

⛄️ (Route)r To My Heart by @itsnotreal (1k, M)

Harry’s upstairs neighbor is loud as fuck. What better way to deal with the problem than by being passive aggressive with his WiFi’s name?

⛄️ sweaty palms and racing hearts by @onlythebravest (1k, G)

A short story of two shy, nervous and blushing boys on a date at the cinema.

⛄️ Falling (For Two) by @louistomlionson (1k, NR)

In the middle of a morning run, Harry loses his balance. Niall and Louis are walking to their car just in time to witness his tumble and, lucky for him, more than happy to help.

⛄️ London by @hellolovers13 (2k, M)

A lazy morning in bed.

Finally home.

⛄️ Odd Dogs by @londonfoginacup (3k, G)

Zayn is not a dog person. Zayn does not understand dogs. He doesn’t know why they do what they do.

Yet here he is, at the doors of the Allegheny Dog Rescue, staring in at an odd dog and a blue eyed boy.

⛄️ Christmas Pretenders by @larryatendoftheday (4k, T)

When Niall convinced Louis to come home with him for the holidays as his fake boyfriend, he never expected he'd run into the loveliest man he'd ever seen.

⛄️ just an (un)ordinary evening by @onlythebravest (4k, E)

Harry and Louis during an ordinary weekday evening, having a somewhat slow and relaxing night together.

⛄️ You Taught Me A Lesson (That Feelings Are Reckless) by @whenyoucallmelover (5k, G)

the one where Harry and Louis live together but like to ignore each other... Until one day, they don't.

⛄️ ‘Sno(w) Joke by @sun-tomato (5k, NR)

The last thing Louis wanted was to get stranded on his birthday.

But perhaps it was exactly what he needed.

Featuring a snow storm, a library, and a very grumpy Harry Styles.

⛄️ The Hour of Us by @louistomlionson (5k, M)

Harry loves her quiet life with her two partners, Niall and Louis. But one day, her magic starts acting up. Will Harry be able to figure out what's happening, how to fix it, and soon?

⛄️ Wanted: Dog Walker by @louandhazaf (6k, G)

Louis needs a dog walker.

Harry answers the ad.

⛄️ All at once, this is enough by @lunarheslwt (7k, G)

Harry, overcome with burn out, wants to nest but he has never nested before, doesn’t know how to. Louis, his best friend, is only happy to help him make a nest and be there for him. Along the way, they find something more.

⛄️ All Shook Up by @littleroverlouis (9k, T)

Memphis, Tennessee is looking to crown the Ultimate Elvis Tribute artist. A majority of the contestants are content to shake their hips on stage, but singer-songwriter Harry is taking it more seriously. He is confident his voice and charisma will send him straight through to the finals.

He is already polishing his crown before even setting foot on stage, until he meets a fellow competitor. Louis is talented, charming, and a natural born performer. He commands the stage— and Harry's attention.

Harry has his eye on the prize and the Ultimate title, but what happens when someone becomes the ultimate prize?

⛄️ It’s Thursday. Let’s Get (un)Dressed. by @bananaheathen (9k, E)

When Louis is peer-pressured into downloading TikTok over the holidays, he fully expects to hate it. And he does hate it. All of it. Well... except for aspiring OOTD influencer, @harrystyles.

⛄️ Behind closed doors by @greenblueish (10k, E)

the one where omega Louis finds a sock on alpha Harry's door handle that causes a big misunderstanding but is also the beginning of something new.

⛄️ Midnight by @kingsofeverything (10k, E)

“Alphas are for fucking and pheromones,” Louis said during their first conversation, when he was moving into the building and Harry offered to help haul boxes up the stairs. “I’m perfectly capable of carrying my own groceries.”

Louis relented when his Omega friend Zayn intervened and asked if he was also capable of moving his couch by himself. All Harry’d wanted to do was be a good neighbor. Now, here he is, half a year later, balls deep and four months into a no strings attached, sex only situation with the Omega of his dreams. He’s still not sure how it happened.

⛄️ Eyes on the Horizon by @uhoh-but-yeah-alright (12k, E)

Freshly dumped, recently fired, and about to turn 40, Harry's friends insist on taking him skydiving to cheer him up. His younger and extremely fit instructor Louis makes him even more nervous than the idea of jumping out of a plane, but both may be exactly what he needs to turn his life around.

⛄️ maybe we could be enough by @liberty-barnes (13k, M)

Harry wasn’t afraid to admit that his wedding...well, his entire marriage, really, wasn’t exactly what he’d pictured.

He’d wanted a big celebration, with family on either side of the aisle, flowers everywhere, beautiful clothes, and most importantly: his loving fiancé waiting at the altar with a heart-stopping smile on his face.

He did not, however, get that beautiful wedding.

[or, five times Harry hated Louis, and one time he loved him.]

⛄️ Your Gift is Wasted On Me by @bravetemptation (54k, NR)

Omega Louis has severe touch deprivation and is averse to touch. But he’s fine. Really.

Alpha Harry is the new neighbor who loves to bake cookies and is very curious about the omega across the hall.

[hollowbait]

Started watching Bleach again as an adult because I saw a 100k+ fic and decided that in order to read it, I needed to understand the canon. Once I actually got into the canon I fell immediately in love with Urahara and got sucked into a totally different ship. This is that ship. And since I'm a firm believer that once you read over 100 fics for a ship in less 3 months, you need to make a list of your favouriters, here we are!

@uraharaichigo's current top 25 URAICHI FIC.

breaking and entering is a crime, you know (but i'd forgive you of anything) by Excalis | T, 4k | “Why do you keep breaking into my house?” Ichigo complained, in lieu of a proper response. It was best to not feed Kisuke’s ego. “I was sexiled from my own home,” Kisuke sighed.

Your Humble Offering (In The Mouth Of This Abandoned Church) by RayShippouUchiha | M, 10k | Ichigo, the man who took Kisuke’s crumbling self into both of his hands and pressed the pieces back together with a gruff sort of gentleness, dies.

the shore at dusk (there you'll find my heart) by Starsilver | M, 5k | Ichigo dreams of the heartbeat pounding of the waves and the taste of brine on his lips.

Alchemy by athena_crikey | G, 22k | Shiba Ichigo leads a boring, blameless life as head administrator for the Shiba Clan. Until one day, a mysterious repair shop moves in next door.

Brightest by athena_crikey | T, 8k | “You fill your life with colour and noise and friendship, Kurosaki-san. It’s a very impressive trait. You turn enemies into friends. I… I turn friends into enemies.” Urahara’s still smiling; bitter, brittle.

Madness of Monday by NotLonelyJustAlone | G, 7k | How… how… how? How do you explain ‘I’ve either gone mad or I’m reliving the same week and I don’t feel mad and everything happens the same but I remember it all and I can’t can’t can’t keep doing this please help please please please because even if I’m not mad already I can tell the road there is definitely shorter today than yesterday?’

Standing Over Him by NotLonelyJustAlone | T, 10k | “And you, Kurosaki Ichigo, are mine.” Ichigo without his powers, but not totally alone.

Bureaucracy Hell by Aliendel | G, 8k | Reizei Ariko was considered old for a shinigami. Useless in a fight, she’d been relegated to an administrative position at the Academy. She was content with her mostly monotonous life dealing with arrogant nobles and stupid brats. Until an orange-haired young man barged into it and turned her life upside down like he had so many others.

Fashion Faux Pas? by celestivian | E, 20k | Ichigo has a big party to go to, and nothing to wear. Out of desperation, he seeks out Kisuke for help. Kisuke, of course, delivers.

You Don't Have a Soul, You Are a Soul (You Have a Body) by FeelingFredly | G, 2.6k | Kisuke has a disregard for his own safety a mile wide and it's enough to drive Ichigo mad. This time he finds the shopkeeper unconscious but not alone, and the woman with him has some very interesting things to say.

Car by CheshireSense (cywscross) | G, 4k | Urahara Kisuke handles pursuit of a love interest about the same way he handles everything else: with needlessly convoluted plans carried out in the most roundabout way possible because straightforward just won't cut it for him. He's lucky Ichigo's used to it by now.

Guard by CheshireSense (cywscross) | T, 18k | Later, Kisuke will remember and tease, "Were you really obsessing over me, Ichigo? Oh my, I have my own personal stalker!", and get an elbow to the face for his troubles.

Skeletons in the Closet (and flowers by the window) by Sky_King | T, 51k | Kisuke has a plan. He always has, and he’s very good at seeing it to completion no matter what. But as he grooms that noble boy into the perfect weapon to defeat Aizen, he begins to regret ever pursuing this idea.

A Deep Drink by Mousieta | T, 9k | Ichigo is a grad student who needs help writing his thesis. And Kisuke…. well no one has ever asked Kisuke what he needs. Does he even know? Does it matter?

i've always been this way (please don't scream) by Mister_Fox | T, 5k | “Ever wanted to snatch a pigeon out of the sky and eat it?” Kisuke asks idly.

Fade to Crimson (I know your name) by Starrie_Wolf | T, 8k | Ichigo’s a relative newcomer at the Seireitei Shatterdome, but he’s settled into the steady pace of his work fine, even made some friends. There’s just one thing.

what is reality? (what is a lie?) by Starrie_Wolf | T, 15k | Sequel to what is a gift? (what is a sacrifice?). Kisuke promises to restore Ichigo's powers after Ichigo makes a sacrifice he doesn't expect, and this changes things when Ginjou starts sniffing.

Equilibrium Position by Silmariën (Starrie_Wolf) | E, 15k | He can't believe he has Aizen to thank for getting them together. Can you send fruit baskets to Mugen?

Feeling Horny by Silmariën (Starrie_Wolf) | E, 3k | When Urahara shoved Ichigo to Hirako to learn how to control his inner Hollow, Ichigo thought it meant Urahara wasn’t Hollowfied. He was wrong.

Ficlet February by nahnahnahnah | G, 20k | And he had faith, he did, that Ichigo would defeat Yhwach. That was a startling enough realization, that he would have faith in anyone other than maybe Yoruichi and Tessai.

Patience by floweringbloom | E, 4k | Ichigo needs to have more patience, but he's very good at being Kisuke's distraction.

Remember Me (I won’t wait) by fw_feathers (callmeren) | G, 6k | On November 6, 2022, 13:00, the world’s first VRMMO game «Brave Souls Online» officially opened its servers. On November 6, 2022, 15:37, Kurosaki Ichigo put on his NerveGear and entered «Brave Souls Online». On November 6, 2022, 17:30, the game of death began.

Every Second (I’ll be running) by fw_feathers (callmeren) | M, 25k | “You didn’t tell us your zanpakuto spirit is a giant sea serpent, Ichigo-san,” Kisuke says mildly. “Ah,” Ichigo says, shading his eyes with a hand. “Should I have mentioned that?”

For You, My Dear, I’d Wait Forever by PhishyFish | T, 27k | Everybody knew about the 12th’s lieutenant. After all, he made quite the striking figure. Wild orange hair, a permanent scowl, and power that clung tightly to his skin, it really was not an exaggeration that everyone knew him, or at the least, knew about him.

[kasienda]

Fanfiction Year in Review 2023

I fill this out every year. It’s become a bit of a tradition for me. Allows me to reflect on everything that I’ve written and kinda think about where I want to go next. And I like it better from the ask games because I don’t have to wait for asks to come in and can compare my answers from one year to the next. ^_^

1 List of fics completed this year in the order they were finished:

Displaced (Ladrien oneshot)

No Regrets (Ladynoir oneshot - smut)

You Don’t Have To Pretend With Me (Platonic Adrino oneshot)

Representation Reveal (S5 Adrinette oneshot)

Kisses in the Rain (S5 AU Love Square - technically multichapter, but it’s shorter than many of my one-shots)

Would Trust You With Everything (Adrino multichapter)

Just An Ordinary Girl (Marichat oneshot)

Love Remains (Ladynoir multichapter)

Spin the Bottle (OT4 with cour four - technically oneshot, but it’s longer than Kisses and has more kisses in it. Haha!)

2 Number of words written: 

Written: 166,114 words

Published: 151,018 words (more than twice 2022’s number!! Go me!!) 

Those numbers are incredibly close together because I haven’t been redrafting as much. Those numbers include six one shots, three completed multi chapters. And another four multi chapter WIPs saw at least one update.

And in another fun milestone! I broke a million words published on Ao3 just this last week!! (I've been writing fic since 2003 and everything I've ever written is on Ao3!)

3 Your most popular fic:

Not Part of the Plan - I suspect that this is mostly because being a teen pregnancy fic, it’s my most tropiest story this year. Haha! 

4 Your personal fav:

Aftermath - This story has usurped Right Behind You as my favorite. I’ve been able to connect to the raw hurt and grief in this story, and there’s something very raw and human about it that others seem to be able to connect to as well. I think it’s some of my best work, and that is also thanks to an amazing beta in @ladyofthenoodle who has lent her expertise in more than one way in making this one more true to lived experience. 

5 Your fav scene:

It’s so hard to pick a favorite!! I narrowed it down to my three favorites in no particular order. 

The last scene in Ch 5 Love Remains - Chat Noir give amnesiac Ladybug a geography lesson from space. It’s got Whole New World vibes, and I just loved the imagery of it.

Ch 4 of Aftermath - I’m particularly proud of Marinette’s panic attack when Adrien tells her she doesn’t have to keep coming over. Like it feels like it comes out of nowhere, but it just totally makes sense. And how it manifests and how she soothes herself (it’s not healthy, but it’s so GOOD!)

Ch 7 of Would Trust You With Everything - The scene where Chat Noir tries to tell Nino who he is, but inevitably doesn’t. And how Nino reassures him through all that. This scene feels so raw, but so heartwarming in light of Adrien’s fears. And I don’t know - it’s beautiful to me.

6 A fic or scene that challenged you:

I really struggled with Right Behind You this year, though it wasn’t for lack of trying! I had started out the year hoping to go back to an update a month here and I only updated it three times throughout 2023. 

This was incredibly frustrating because the initial drafts of scenes would come pretty easily, but I couldn’t seem to make them pop the way the earlier chapters did. The good news is I think I figured out what the issue was. Most of my writing this year has been speed writing. And a big part of that is just where I’ve been emotionally. I’m very very out of practice in editing and redrafting, which this story and Aftermath both definitely need. 

I’ve only been able to edit Aftermath because I’ve had a ton of help. (Thanks Noodles!) Sadly, it’s harder to find betas for rarepairs, but I have succeeded! (Thanks@coffeebanana!)

7 A line of writing you’re proud of: 

“She wanted to be there to see it. To see him.”

This line is way better in context, but I’ve made myself cry about three times with it. And I refuse to explain it because that would give its power away. Guess you’ll just have to go read Aftermath. 

8 A comment that touched you: 

I can never answer this question without mentioning several!! 

Would Trust You With Everything - this story had a ton of enthusiastic followers - way more than rarepair work usually gets, and I wrote this story right after my life fell apart and all the commenters here made throwing this story together just that much more joyful during a time when I REALLY needed it. (I'm looking at you, @bittersweetresilience, @bbutterflies @flightfoot @coffeebanana and so many others that I don't know your tumblr name!!!) Not Part of the Plan Comments - I added sex ed lessons to the end of each chapter here because there’s so much about fertility and pregnancy that people don’t know if typical pregnancy fics are anything to go by, and this seemed to inspire so many people to share their pregnancy stories!!! And these have been so cool because I’ve learned that these stories just don’t often have an opportunity to be shared. And it’s neat that this story with its accompanying lessons could create a space for that!! Aftermath comments - lots of people who have really struggled with moderate to severe depression have apparently felt very seen by this fic. And that a story that is essentially about two characters who feel very alone and like no one can understand can help people feel LESS alone and MORE understood is simply amazing!! I love this story so much!! AHH!! Here's one from @neurovascular-entrapta that meant a lot to me.

9 Something that inspired your writing:

Grief and the need to feel things in a distant abstract-these-are-story-book-characters kind of way so I don’t have to feel my actual feelings as closely every moment of the day really kept me writing the whole year long.

10 Your proudest accomplishment (that one scene; finally finishing that one fic; posting your first fic; etc):

My writing has been really raw and messy this year, and I can’t keep tenses straight to save my life. But there’s something powerful about the rawness that I really like even as all the grammatical errors and the lack of effort on the technical side of most of my stories has driven me nuts. 

I am proud of myself for being able to get back into the big projects in these last few months after not being able to face them from April to October. And I’ve started participating in a few writing events here and there again in addition to working on my own pet projects. 

11 Do you have any writing goals for the next year?

Well, I wanted to finish Not Part of the Plan in 2023, which didn’t happen only barely! So hoping the last chapter and the epilogue make it out within the next month. Once that’s done I think I want to try and make Aftermath and Right Behind You my primary focus projects this year. And of course, I’m sure new plot bunnies and writing events will take over my brain on occasion. Last year, I said I wanted my writing to become a reliable mental health tool for me again, and I’m glad to say that it definitely was that for 2023. I hope I’m able to use my writing this year to continue my healing journey. 

And maybe go and proofread all of the fics I finished in 2023 to fix all the inconsistent tense issues to prepare them for being bound eventually!

12 Anyone you would like to thank?

SO MANY PEOPLE!

@jennagrinsoverml for being one of my oldest fandom friends! For becoming a real life friend for all that we haven't actually met in person. For all the times you vented to me and listened and sent me pictures of your family and gushed over pictures of mine. I'm lucky to know you!

@ladyofthenoodle - for showing up in my DMs, For being a most insightful beta, for dragging me into a larger community over and over again, for listening to both my real struggles and my first world problems, for being my friend!!

@thelibraryloser - I don't know how to put this into words. But I very much look up to you. For your resilience through difficult times - you are role-model for how to handle this world with grace and kindness. Thank you for your stories!

@coffeebanana - for being so enthusiastic in the creation process before and after! When I have a story that is getting no attention one comment from you makes it so it doesn't matter. You give me all I need.

@bittersweetresilience and @wackus-bonkus-maximus for just being so kind and enthusiastic and supportive of any idea I happen to be talking about in any given moment. I guess for enabling me. Haha!

@blur0se and @mila-beedoodling for sharing your ideas and inspiring me to create new things!!

@asukiess, @chocoluckchipz, @sariahsue, @miabrown007 for creating so many beautiful things and for being kind and engaging in so many conversations!

And now, I'm really nervous that I'm forgetting someone because this is the first time where I feel like I've had more than three fandom friends. Haha! It's a good problem to have I suppose. In general, thank you to the miraculous community for helping me to survive this year. <3 <3 <3

Happy New Year Everyone!!

I invite anyone who wants to, to fill this out! (Or something similar because I think it can be modified for artwork pretty easily). But if you do, please tag me, so I can be a cheerleader for all you've accomplished this year!

[sketchy-rosewitch]

Our Little Bird: Rusty Nail x gn!reader x Bo Sinclair

Warnings: A/B/O dynamics, slut shaming (?), angst with a happy ending.

A/N: @bisexual-horror-fan is hosting something called Multi-May! Or for some reason I called it PolyMay, all month she is posting Polyam focused fics! I wanted to participate so I chose my babies Rusty Nail and Bo Sinclair!

You shift awkwardly in the grocery store trying to pay attention to what you need to get in the isle you are currently in. Rusty and Bo needed to run some errands and said they’d meet you back at the grocery store. They said it wasn’t supposed to take that long. It’s been almost an hour. They usually never left you alone this long, mostly because you had a habit of attracting unwanted attention.

It isn’t your fault. Really it isn’t. Alphas see an omega by themself and all they wanna do is talk, make sure they’re okay, see if they’re single and maybe or maybe not move on. You bite your nails and try to focus back in on the list, humming to the music that played in the store.

Your nose picks up on a group of omegas coming towards you and you furrow your brows absolutely confused on what they could want.

There’s a strong grip on your shoulder as an Omega turns you around. You see four of them crowding around you. Your heart picks up its pace.

What did you do this time?

“So how’d you end up with two Alphas?” The one who grabbed your shoulder asks, she’s shorter than you, and looks a little older, she reeks of burnt sugar and sour blackberry. You try not to gag.

You shrug and look at the small group, not really wanting to talk to them.

“So what, you just spread your legs and they came running towards you?” Her jaw clenches as she looks at you with disgust. You shake your head absolutely hurt by her assumption.

“No! I- I dunno! They just saved me and both wanted me! I don’t know how to explain it.” Your hand fumbles with your tucked in t-shirt.

“Look at me Omega.”

Your heart clenches and because of your nature, you look up at the other Omega and whine lowly. You’re always such a great listener.

“You know Alphas are a rarity. All omegas know that. Yet you still decided to take two for yourself. You’re a selfish slut, you don’t deserve either one of them. I bet they hate having to share you. Bet they think you’re cheating right now. In fact I bet that’s what you were doing. Wanting a third, maybe a fourth to scent you. Well you’re not getting them!” The Omegas claws grip and dig into your cheek, you whimper loudly and that’s when you smell a mix of cedar wood, whiskey, fresh rain, and engine exhaust.

Your heart picks up pace. “Please.” You beg between squished cheeks. “They’re close by, if you could just back up so they don’t hurt you, I won’t tell them!” More whines come from your chest. They cause your ears to ring and you’re sure it bothers the groups ears too. The woman doesn’t let go until it’s too late. Your boyfriends storm into the isle, she looks over at them backs off with a disgusted look.

“I ain’t gonna hurt you. But you better stay away from our Omega.” Bo growls, Rusty comes up to you and holds your face gently, checking to see if her nails dug too far into you. “You okay little bird?” Rusty rumbles, you lie and nod.

“I ain’t jokin’ either. Causin’ them distress like that. I’m sure an Alpha wouldn’t claim you regardless if we were a rarity or not. Especially the way you’re actin’. Now git!”

Bo turns and faces you. Your heart rate slows as you calm down. Bo kisses your scent gland gently. “Are you okay? Sorry about takin’ so long. Line got held up. We’ll make sure one of us stays with you next time.”

Your eyes don’t focus on anything really. It’s all blurry, you just quietly nod your head and let Bo do the rest of the shopping.

You hear Rusty and Bo talking but don’t focus on anything they actually say, Rusty’s calloused hand holds yours and you just stare at the ground.

You are selfish. You’re a whore and you really could’ve just had one partner. One Alpha or even Beta to call your own. But no you had to get claimed by two of them, because you just couldn’t pick. Now you’re practically taking all of the resources. Greedy bitch.

Rusty and Bo know something is up with you. Your Cherry and Coconut smells burnt to a crisp .Their hearts ache for you to feel better. They wanna kill that omega for whatever she had said to you. You hate confrontation especially confrontation in public so Rusty and Bo silently decided to wait until the three of you get home to talk.

-

Groceries are brought up and put away. Bo and Rusty watch as you silently go up to your shared bedroom to lay down.

Rusty’s knuckles crack as his fists turn white.

“I’ll kill that damn bitch myself. Won’t take long for me to find her she smells of envy, sour and disgusting. Doin’ somethin’ horrible to our birdie’s mind.”

Bo huffs, he feels just as angry as Rusty. But one of them has to be rational while the other isn’t.

“I wanna kill her too. But we gotta think about birdie right now and what they would want.”

That hurt Bo to say more than anything. Not because he doesn’t want to put you first but because that bitch deserves to be put down.

Rusty and him take a few deep breaths. Something you taught the both of them so they would clear their minds. Then they make their way up the steps.

The bedroom door is shut and Rusty knocks before entering. Your smell is spread all over the bedsheets, you’re curled and looking out the window.

They come around you and crouch down.

“Birdie come here.” Rusty whispers, you look away and hesitate before getting up and sitting in the man’s lap. Bo gets as close as he can facing both of you and kisses your face gently. “Tell us what’s wrong. We wanna make you feel better. Hurts us seein’ you like this.” Rusty rubs his thumb between your brows soothingly.

Your body knows better than to deny him.

“Told me I was selfish for letting two alphas mark me. Told me how rare you guys were and that I was a slut and they said that they bet I’d spread my legs for any alpha. B-but I wouldn’t! It’s not my fault that you two marked me and I marked you two but it feels like my fault! I don’t like it! Because-Because then I am greedy! I should’ve never met you two then I wouldn’t have been so greedy.” You sob loudly. Bo and Rusty let out a small whine. You just barely hear it.

“Oh birdie. Ya ain’t selfish. Relationships happen like this all the time. An alpha ain’t selfish for wantin’ multiple omegas, a beta ain’t selfish for wantin’ an alpha and an omega, and an omega ain’t selfish for wantin’ two alphas. Etcetera Etcetera. I don’t want you thinkin’ that. That omega hasn’t found no one to be hers and she’s just angry because you found two people to be yours.” Bo explains, you nod your head, confirming you understand.

“If anyone’s selfish it’s both of us for wantin’ you little bird.” Rusty says.

Your heart flutters a little and you smile. Rusty picks you up and kicks off his shoes before moving to the bed, Bo follows closely behind him and the two of you squish you into a sandwich. They kiss your face and scent glands. Their hands move to feel you all over, finally you feel full comfort in the whole situation. You kiss both of them on the cheeks. You hum in contentment.

No you weren’t selfish, they weren’t either. Fate wanted you to be with two alphas and that was something society was just going to have to deal with.

[wolfstarshipping]

I’m in a reading slump, do you have any good fics that you can recommend me?

Hi, thanks for asking lovely anon! I've thought about this and I have several different approaches on how to answer your ask, so this'll be a longer list, I hope you find something you like!

First category: Texting Fics!

I love text fics because they're usually very fast-paced and easy to read, so I think they might be a good way to combat a reading slump!

You could either go with the iconic Text Talk by merlywhirls (141.250 words), a boarding school AU with a home-schooled, chronically ill Remus, a true classic and the fic that started the whole wolfstar texting fic trend back in the day!

Or, one of my personal favorites from the same era for purely nostalgic reasons, aesthetic: trash boys by Emaly/merlywhirls (89.473 words, everyone is super queer, strong chosen family vibes, with an HIV positive Remus and genderqueer Sirius).

Or if you want a modern text fic classic, there's always Staying Strangers by 3amAndCounting (319.368 words, university AU, this is one of those fics I've reread a couple of times already, just because I love it so much, especially the texting in the beginning).

Snow In June by BrigidFaye (25.561 words) is a magical AU set in the US that also has some texting elements, even though it's not as text-heavy as the fics mentioned above, but the worldbuilding and the setting is wonderful, and lumberjack Remus is everything I ever needed in my life!

Dear Your Holiness by @mollymarymarie (142.264 words) is a priest AU and band AU, with a bit of texting, though this one is also already kind of moving into the next category of fics mentioned below. Obviously the whole catholic priest theme is not going to be for everybody, but if you think you might enjoy that, I highly recommend it, it's so, so good! And if you don't think you'll enjoy the themes of this fic, check out literally any other fic by mollymarymarie, I think at this point I've read almost all of them and enjoyed every single one I read immensely!!

Alright, so now the next category is fics with plots that will get you out of any reading slump:

I've recently become obsessed with @lynxindisguise's fics, so I'd also recommend checking out all of them, but since I've mostly recommended longer fics on this list so far, I'll go with a shorter one: in the dark, there is discovery (11.796 words) is a wonderful pirate AU that you can easily read in one evening, and it has beautiful world building, Remus Lupin as a seamonster and my new favorite trope - there was only one hammock.

Let Me Get What I Want (This Time) by Sierra_Sitruc (69.878 words) is a plot-driven and amazing fix-it-fic, that I keep thinking about even months after I've read it, and that had me stay awake at ungodly hours just because I couldn't put it down and wanted to know how it ended!

The Bent by @ebp-brain (40.257 words) is an incredible fic about queer lives, politics and art, oppression and resistance, so if any of those things sound like something you'd enjoy I highly recommend reading it, I always love earlybloomingparentheses' writing, it's so, so beautiful and powerful!

take me as i am (48.494 words) has one of the most unique settings I've ever read - it features Sirius as an (adorable) sleep demon, who is supposed to give Remus nightmares, and I also love the way this fic depicts various mental illnesses.

In saccharine by moonymoment (26.447 words) Sirius is a ghost haunting Remus's apartment, and this is another one of those fics I keep thinking about because it was just so so good.

full moon twofold by renaissance (12,031 words) is a Gothic-romance style AU and an incredible take on the question "what if Remus never went to Hogwarts?".

And now maybe a few shorter fics:

The first rec in this category is not even a specific fic but just a tumblr account: @wolfstarmicrofic, if you scroll through their blog you'll find lots and lots of really short fics which might just be what you need to get back into reading!

In You, I Count Stars by @wolfpants (1.540 words) is a wonderful hogwarts-era oneshot set in the Astronomy Tower with a pining Sirius.

It's Cold Outside by Remustrash (1.788 words) is a very fluffy and cosy there-was-only-one-bed fic, featuring the most oblivious of all oblivious puppies!

June, and Other Natural Disasters by montparnasse (5.524 words) is a beautifully written fic that made me feel all the feels and has great summer vibes!

Okay and the last category is fics with A+ vibes that'll make you forget all about your reading slump:

The Long Way Home by @hollyivydruzy (177.337 words) is a university AU and the kind of fic I didn't want to ever end, because the characters felt so incredibly real, and it's so easy to get completely immersed and lost in their wonderful, chaotic world and follow along on all their university adventures.

this desperate in love by drowsyanddazed (20.776 words) is a very cute high school AU, and reading it felt like watching a coming of age / teen movie in the best kind of way!

wading in waist-high water by @colgatebluemintygel (82.060 words) is a Great British Bake-Off AU that features Remus as a contestant and and Sirius as a host who's thirsting after Remus, and I just love the whole setting and atmosphere of the fic, as well as the writing! And this fic's Arthur Weasley needs to be protected at all costs, I love him a lot!

A Brief History of Dragons by @eyra (23.488 words) is an incredibly cosy and wonderful modern AU set in Cornwall, I absolutely ADORE Remus in this fic and love the way his and Sirius's relationship slowly develops, this fic has such a special place in my heart.

Alright I think I could keep going and add to this list forever but I'll stop now, let me know if you read any of these, and I hope they'll end your reading slump! x

[fantasticalleigh]

I've been quiet and not posting much art lately because all my spare time has been occupied by two special projects: a Reylo comic and a Dramione comic! (There's actually another WIP reylo comic but it's on the back burner rn BUT it's free to view on my Patreon!)

Most comics I've made in the past have been shorter form but these are longer and more intricate, which is a challenge but a really rewarding one and it's been a lot of fun working on them. I hope to complete both sometime in October.

Porg Confessional takes place months after TLJ. I will share it in full once it is complete.

The Dramione comic is based off my Dramione fic Sweet Sacrifice (dark, read the tags!!) and will be explicit, mostly in chapter 2, which I haven't started working on yet. This comic takes a large divergence from the fic and explores what might have happened if Hermione had never met Draco along the road, and had been left outside the village as a sacrifice instead.

Due to the nature of the themes involved in this story it will be a Patreon exclusive, which is where I keep most of my nsfw work.

Anyway--keep an eye out for further announcements. I can't wait to share these with you!

[wolfstarlibrarian]

Hey! It's me again 🤭 I was gonna start reading the fic you just recommended and then I remembered that I'm already reading like 4 long fics at the same time for the past month or so😭. So now I'm curious, are you like me? Do you tent to read various fics at the same time or do you try to focus on one and then start another one?

Another question, what is a fic that "changed your brain chemistry"? One that changed something in you. For me, it has to be Casting Moonshadows. That fic was like my getaway drug to wolfstar😭, broke my heart. I still think of it sometimes. If I remember correctly, the song I Got You Babe was referenced there, so now every time I hear it, it brings me back to the scenes...

Again, congrats dear librarian!!🫂❤️

Hello again friend! My favorite way to read is to BINGE a story. And I truly mean "can't go to sleep or function all day because I can't stop reading" which...is not so great for my life. However, reading a long fic that's a WIP is a great way for me to regulate my reading. So I usually end up filling in the time between long fic chapter releases with shorter things and one-shots. And wow yeah, Casting Moonshadows is definitely a world tilting sort of read. I will tell you that the fic I read that completely altered my fandom preferences was How Remus Got His Groove Back. I had previously been mostly reading canon, and this was a modern au divergence that really opened my eyes to how much fun could be had with these characters. I've been a modern au fluff addict ever since. Thanks again!

[the-one-who-lambs]

AO3 Questions Tag Game!

I was tagged by @bamsara (on my main @onethirdofimpossible but most of my readers follow me here for cotl stuff so I'm posting it here)

I tag @i-eat-deodorant and @megsiepoo!

Under the readmore because this is long as shit

1 – How many works do you have on AO3?

69 BAYBEEEE

2 – What’s your total AO3 word count?

213,360 words published

3 – What fandoms do you write for?

Previously: Pokemon (no longer online), Steven Universe, a few Deep-Sea Prisoner games (Wadanohara and the Great Blue Sea, The Grey Garden, Ice Scream)

Currently: Cult of the Lamb

4 – What are your top five fics by kudos?

The Care and Keeping of Eldritch Gods. Until the rewrite of RL/FG is done, this is my magnum opus

Present My first ever CotL fic. This was the first time I'd written fic in like four years and I was dusting off my writing muscles...

Smitten soft narilamb....

Cat(nip) Boy wrote this for shits and giggles in my early fandom days. The One Who Waits on catnip

How Narinder Takes His Tea First part of the old RL/FG series. Though I'm remaking it as a longform multichap fic, I'm keeping up the old series because of the memories + I don't want other people who saved the old one to lose it.

5 – Do you respond to comments?

All the time! I was able to respond to literally every single comment back in 2022, but as last year went on, I realized I probably can't realistically do that anymore. It's a blessing and a curse.

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

We already knew how this would turn out. Title not given directly in my answer in case of spoilers. My readers saw it coming because I had built up to it, but I took my time writing the gradual reveal in the last chapter to make sure it landed the way I wanted it to.

And one more comment I won't post here bc (for anyone who wants to read it) spoils the ending but shoutout to the person who physically felt the shock lurch through their body when the realization hit them after the slow build-up.

As much as I love angsty stories with happy endings, what gets me more are stories that are happy at face value, with endings that are heartwrenching because of the underbelly of what lurked beneath that facade.

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

The Risen Lamb and the Fallen God. Bit a spoilers below if you're avoiding that

The original wedding fic (as part of the original series) is up, but it's going to get a good polishing in the rewrite. Lambert and Narinder are going to have a private first dance, Thenana and Narinder are going to have a deeper conversation, Ratau's interactions with Lambert are gonna be shown rather than just told, Aym and Baal will be revived.

8 – Do you get hate on fics?

Mostly no. There was one time last year that I was compared to another writer in the fandom and slowly asks evolved into "your own concepts are being done better by others" and shit, and the other writer got hate messages as well, and... well, it was a whole thing. Don't wanna talk too in detail about it because I don't wanna beat a dead horse but cotl writers have unionized so we got the last laugh I guess

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

lol ya it's on remainderofreality. What "kind?" uh. experimental because I'd never tried the genre before this fandom and it kinda shows but that's okay.

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

Honestly, I'm not really into crossovers! Unless it's Webber in cotl. He can stay, he's cute.

11 – Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Yeah. It was actually the first fic I posted online, ever. In middle school, I wrote a whole ~100k-ish word self-insert pokemon fanfic, which I wrote by hand in like five composition notebooks, so I never posted that online. But after that I decided to post shorter one-shots for pokemon online, and a few months later I found one of mine reposted without credit. Plagiarized entirely, basically. It scared me and I deleted everything I had posted online, and I don't have extra copies of the works now. :(

12 – Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope, but I'd be okay with it if I was asked beforehand and proper credit was given!

13 – Have you ever co-written a fic?

Yeah! Of Duty and Devotion is basically a glorified roleplay between me as Aym, @i-eat-deodorant as Baal, @checkplzjuliet as The Lamb, and @surfdudeboy as Narinder. I also wrote Hide and Seek, a cute little Bishop family one-shot, with @lordiedams (hi Damien I miss you).

14 – What’s your all-time favorite ship?

Narilamb. I haven't focused on a ship for this long, except maybe Rupphire back in the day, but I'm fixated so much more on CotL than I was for SU.

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

Honestly, Of Duty and Devotion lmao. I'm much more focused on my own projects and so are Pavi, Surf, and Juliet. I do want to finish it though.

16 – What are your writing strengths?

Pacing, diction, syntax, getting the intended point across and doing it well. Once I commit to doing something, I don't usually let myself "give up" on it, hence why I barely have any unfinished WIPs. That's a skill honed with tons of practice, though. I have massive ADHD, and I'm bad at finishing things, but when it comes to writing by god I'm gonna do it.

17 – What are your writing weaknesses?

I often struggle to get to a point where I'm totally focused in on what I'm writing. It does happen once or twice a month, but honestly, I'm usually so busy with life stuff that I don't get to do that most of the time! I wish I had more time to make room for my hobbies, but alas. At least summer is coming up, and I'll be able to do that more often, hopefully!

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

It's possible to do it naturally for sure, but I rarely see it done well in fic. I've never attempted it...... or, wait, have I? I guess Thenana's sign language counts, huh? ...I feel like I need to do more research about this topic to answer the question properly.

19 – First fandom you wrote for?

Pokemon <3

20 – Favorite fic you’ve written?

The Risen Lamb and the Fallen God or The Care and Keeping of Eldritch Gods.

Risen/Fallen (and the enemies-to-lovers narilamb dynamic) was like the first thing that I did to make a "mark" on this fandom, and I didn't expect it to inspire so many people for sure! But, the first iteration of the series was so rushed. I wrote the whole thing in just over three weeks and averaged one chapter published every day and a half. Now that I have a better grasp on the characters after playing with them for a long while, I get to see my improvement, and I get to see so many friends I've made along the way sticking with me, the revamped "director's cut" version is definitely on track to be my favorite work.

However. It has yet to surpass Care and Keeping. As the oldest of four kids in my family, I based so much of Shamura on my experiences as an eldest sibling, and many of the experiences the younger bishops had in their formative years on our own childhoods. I based Narinder's childhood off of brother #1's (brother who is two years younger than me), Kallamar's childhood on my own, Heket's childhood on my sister's (five years younger than me), and Leshy's off of my youngest brother's (ten years younger than me). This story wasn't just an exploration of the Bishops and their dynamic/relationship pre-canon, it's also a testament to my own love as an eldest sibling... and all the anxiety associated with that, too.

Thanks for tagging me! Back to working on my presentation...

[damianbugs]

batfam taking care of dick grayson fics !! time travel fics !! heart wrenching batfam fics that actually analyse the characters and give a good character study and don't simply accept fanon crap (coffee addict tim drake im looking at u) !! ur top 5 all time fave batfam fic !! and also, i love ur stuff so much on ao3 thank u for sharing your work w us <3

THANK YOU SO MUCH !!! this is so sweet i am so happy you enjoy my work <3 i will do you one better and offer a list combining all your requests to the best of my capabilities !! you've caught me at a great time, because i am currently obsessed with batfam timetravel.

i will admit i definitely have more than five favourites (my 500+ carefully curated and organised private bookmarks should be proof enough) so i hope you like the ones i have selected here :D ! (these are in no particular order!)

MY TOP 5 FAVOURITE BATFAM FICS (on ao3) !

Tap by CKBookish

Bruce returns home from the time stream, haunted by phantoms and dreams. Dreams of a past that can't be real.

But all of that wouldn't be so bad if his home didn't feel so empty in the absence of one of his children. Jason, refuses to talk to him or even answer his calls and Bruce can't figure out why or what he did wrong, not after they had mended their fences before his disappearance.

Meanwhile,

Catherine struggles to hold it together for her and Jason as life falls apart around them. When all she has to give is love she does her best to give it all.

MY NOTES: one of my all time favourite not-exactly-time-travel time travel fics! features some wonderful character building and complicated relationships, and the plot itself is just incredibly. the way everyone is written is definitely realistic to how i would imagine them personally (especially dick).

A Good Place by LemonadeGarden

Damian Wayne is kidnapped and sent back years through time. Together, he and Father – who's only been Batman for a mere six months –must figure out how to return him to his own time.

Over the course of the next week, Damian discovers that Mexican gangsters do not mess around, that social workers find Bruce annoying, that Bruce might be a little messed up, and that crystal chandeliers create the fondest memories.

Oh. And Alfred has hair.

MY NOTES: not only is this one of my top favourite time travel fics, it is also one of my favourite bruce and damian fics. it is so witty and fun, but also hurts immensely. fics where the kids are forced to endure young bruce's ridiculousness is always a treat, and here it is infinitely more amusing because it's damian finding his father entirely silly.

Modus Tollens by fanfictiongreenirises

Dick is cursed to kill anyone he touches.

MY NOTES: this one is fantastic. really gut wrenching throughout and you really feel for dick when it gets tough, but the sweet ending makes up for all the pain. dick loves his family and his family loves him immensely.

I Used to Be an Adventurer Like You, Then I Took an Arrow to the Knee by audreycritter

Stephanie was just on patrol and now she’s stuck somewhere, sometime, with Bruce.

They bleed and bond and mostly try to keep each other alive— you know, just a Tuesday.

MY NOTES: don't mind me casually recommending just the best bruce and stephanie fic to ever be written. it is unhealthy how many times i have read this one. and it is time travel! this is my dream come true. it also features one of my most favourite studies on bruce and stephanie and what they represent to each other.

Keep Your Head, Your Backbone and Your Heart by MrMich

The last thing that Duke expected on what was supposed to be just a regular patrol was being suddenly thrown five years into the past, coming face to face with a darker, more violent Batman than the one he knew, a broken family, and a Tim who was a foot shorter than Duke, and not even Robin yet.

MY NOTES: there was a moment in time where i briefly made this fic my entire personality with how much i spoke about it. dare i say one of the best duke thomas centric fics and ITS TIME TRAVEL! it is so great. i have noticed that you rarely see tim as robin in time travel fics, and he is so lovely in this, especially his dynamic with duke. as always, young bruce is ridiculous, but how duke navigates through it all is so important to me.

OKAY i will stop here as i frantically try to shove the remaining 495 fics back into my metaphorical ao3 closet. i hope u like these anon! <3 also if you haven't already, check out all these authors other works too! they are all fantastic !!

[dreaming-marchling]

fic writer meme

Thank you @smilebackwards for tagging me!

1. How many works do you have on Ao3? 33

2. What's your total Ao3 word count? 1,855,326 per my stats page - it's kind of wild!

3. What fandoms do you write for? My current two mains are Shadowhunters and Fast and Furious. I have in the past posted stories for Daredevil, Merlin, Harry Potter, Torchwood, The Defenders, Sherlock, Four Brothers and Suits. I have other fandoms I've started fics in but not finished/posted

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos? Day Forty Seven [7055] Set Free [4285] Marked in Trust [4132] Listen [3934] Four Centuries and Also Nineteen Years [3876]

5. Do you respond to comments? I respond to all comments while the story is in progress and then for probably a couple of months after it ends before I stop. Unless someone asks a specific question, then I always respond. I wish I could do all of them ever but life makes it hard.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? I almost answered none of them before I remembered Addicted, which is about Brian and Dom hooking up during the first movie which I mostly wrote to prove to myself I could do smut. I'm pretty sure it ends with Brian realizing Mia (who he's supposed to be maybe getting together with as per the movie) heard them do that and Dom knew she would and from there Brian understanding that they're imploding even without him and the FBI.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Literally all the others, lol. I'm a happy ending girlie.

8. Do you get hate on fics? Yes, in the Shadowhunters fandom if I write Jace as a good parabatai. Occasionally for if I write Isabelle as a good sister or Clary as not a total piece of shit. Also sometimes if I write Alec in a way that suggests maybe Magnus isn't the greatest in the world who has suffered more than Alec ever will.

9. Do you write smut? Yes but I generally prefer the fade to black approach

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you have written? I've never written a crossover.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I'm aware of I don't think. I don't even know if I would want to know, like that would consume me in the worst way

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Yes, but not as Marchling. All of the comments were telling me that the translator was changing things and it was a bad translation and the person doing it was getting really weird. It was just like a nightmare kind of so now I request no one translate my fics. I'm sure someone would do it better and I'm just being all oversensitive because I got burned once but I'd rather just not go down that road again.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? Yes, but also not as Marchling.

14. What's your all time favorite ship? I honestly don't think I have one, it really depends on my mood.

15. What is a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? Oh absolutely. I have a couple of Shadowhunters stories that I doubt will ever be finished because they just don't want to be written I think. I love the ideas but the ideas don't love me

16. What are your writing strengths? I think I write dialogue well. I try to make sure that I include some sort of realistic recovery even if the story is shorter. I like to experiment with formatting to help tell the story and I think it's generally effective

17. What are your writing weaknesses? I can't write drabbles. I am not good at action scenes. I don't do enough description.

18. Thoughts of writing dialogue in another language in fics? I've been corrected in the comments more than once, lol. I like to do the dialogue in another language but write the English in italics so even if I'm wrong everyone still knows what it was meant to be.

19. First fandom you wrote for? I was like 11 or 12 and I posted my first two stories at the same time. One for a fandom I won't name because they're still out there and it's small enough you could find them and I'd rather die. The other for Angel the TV series. I got more comments on the other fandom one and so I was embarrassed that the Angel one got way less and I deleted it lmao. Did I mention I was in middle school?

20. Favorite fic you have written? I am so proud of so many of my stories but I think the Marked in Trust series is always going to be just the tiniest bit extra special in my heart.

tagging literally anyone who wants to play

[blueisquitetired]

ABANDONED WIP WEDNESDAY

This one's a two parter!

Mirror Image was originally going to be a dad!Ingo fic before I decided better of it. I like what I have now more, but there sure is a lot that got scrapped unfortunately.

This post will contain what was written for the first chapter, and the next post will be the overall outline plus one scene set much later in the fic.

Heroes and Villains, Alternate Timeline- Ingo is a Dad Now

Length: 2,000 words

Rating: G

No archive warnings apply

PREVIOUSLY ON- HEROES AND VILLAINS:

*Tragedy struck early last year when famed hero Chandelure perished in a battle against the dastardly Mirror Coat. No body was recovered, but according to the Hero Commission and Chandelure’s former partner and twin brother Eelektross he was all but guaranteed dead.

Yet, not all was as it seemed, as mere months later a new villain arose- one sporting similar powers and going by the name of Smokestack. This outraged Eelektross, as to him it was clear that this was his brother’s true killer- one that had murdered him and stolen his powers for himself. Eelektross declared war on the villain, and swore that he would not rest until his twin was avenged.

That is, until one fateful confrontation let Eelktross see under Smokestack’s mask.

Because what lie under that mask was no heartless killer, but instead Nobori- a scarred amnesiac who emerged from the burning rubble of Chandelure’s battle as nothing but a ghost of a man. A man who was forced to build himself from the ground up, relying on the community who took him in, and doing his best to pay them back for their generosity. And considering that hero skirmishes are the thing that hurt his community the most, his best plan of action was clear.

Now Eelektross, (or Emmet as he is known by in his civilian life) must confront the difficult truth that the world isn’t as black and white as he thought. That villains could be good people, heroes could be bad people, and that he’s been fighting his brother to the death for months now.

But more then that- he just wants to be with his brother again.

Will Emmet manage to confess to being Eeletross? Will Ingo accept such a thing if he did? And will the commission figure out what really happened to Chandelure? Find out in todays episode of…* HEROES AND VILLAINS!

Ingo is alive.

Ingo is alive! Messed up situation aside, that’s the most important part.

Sure, they’re technically mortal enemies at the moment, and sure he’ll probably drop Emmet like a hot sack of coals when he realizes he’s Eelektross, but still. Even if he finds out, (when he finds out, because Emmet can’t keep this secret forever) even if he does disown Emmet, at least he’ll be alive. Alive and happy and mostly safe. ….as safe as an enemy of the law can be.

But whatever! Ingo’s back from the dead and Emmet doesn’t want to dwell on the inevitability of once again losing the most important person in the world to him. He can deal with that later. Right now he’d rather spend whatever time he can have with his brother.

….after he gets back from the bathroom.

Playing with his fingers idly, Emmet really wished Ingo would hurry up so he didn’t have to be alone with his own thoughts. ….but he didn’t want to rush his brother or anything- they’d been talking for hours at that point and taking a bodily break was fine and definitely not an issue. Emmet’s head was just a bad place to be at the moment.

A scrabbling sound at the window caught Emmet’s attention, a humanoid shape huddled behind the curtains. He jumped to his feet as the window slammed open, curtains pushed aside as-

As a teenager rolled into the room.

Or what Emmet assumed to be a teenager. It was a bit hard to tell, as she immediately turned around to close the window behind her- but teenager was Emmet’s best guess. She was a bit on the shorter side with long black hair and a dirty white t-shirt, and when she turned back around Emmet was able to make out large gray eyes. Eyes that grew wider at the sight of him.

“Who-“ “TRAITOR!!” She shouted, before Emmet could get more then a word out. “I HAVE BEEN BETRAYED! FORSAKEN!! FATHER NO LONGER LOVES ME!!!” Dramatically, she crumpled on the ground, limbs splayed and the back of her hand to her forehead.

“Hello to you too Akari.” Ingo quipped from behind Emmet, obviously just coming back from the bathroom. “Why am I a traitor exactly?” “You know what you did!” She shouted, sitting up suddenly- and then pausing when she caught sight of of both Emmet and Ingo. “….ooooor not. When’d you get a clone?” Getting to her feet, she scampered over to Emmet and began to examine him thoroughly, making him feel a bit like a bug. Ingo pulled her back. “This is Emmet!” He told her, a his lips curling up into a little kitty smile. “He is my twin!” (He looked so happy saying that) “Wait really?” ‘Akari’ looked skeptical, and Ingo had to pull her back again before she could enter Emmet’s private space again. “‘Cause I thought you got another illusionist behind my back and I was not going to stand for it.”

“I am Emmet. Not an illusion.” He wished she would stop staring at him. “Who are you?” “Oh my apologies! This is-“ “I am Akari No-Last-Name-Given! Daughter of Nobori No-Last-Name-Given!” She punctuated every word with a dramatic punch or pose, as if she was a cartoon superhero. “I might look small but I’m stronger then you and will beat you up if you hurt my dad!!!” Dramatically, she ended her introduction in some kind of off brand ninja pose- one where she was obviously threatening Emmet.

Ingo looked torn between touched and embarrassed out of his mind. “Akari-“ “Because you coming out of nowhere is super duper sus and Dad is a complete doormat!” “Akari!!” “So if you think I’m gonna just accept you as my unc-“ She let out a high pitched squeal as Ingo grabbed her around the middle, throwing her over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. “Apologies for Akari! She means no harm- she is simply a bit spirited.” “I DO MEAN HARM!!” Akari kicked desperately in an attempt to get free, but Ingo wasn’t budging.

“….You adopted a kid?” Emmet finally managed, watching his brother wrestle with the strange teenager with obvious fondness. “Ah, well, technically she adopted me but-“ “We’re both amnesiacs with superpowers!!! No one can prove we AREN’T related!!!” “I can.” The teen froze for a moment, obviously processing Emmet’s statement, before- “DANG IT!” And Ingo laughed, a loud mighty sound that Emmet missed. He couldn’t help but feel jealous that this strange teenager managed to coax it out of him, that she got to be Ingo’s family while Emmet was still a stranger. …But the thought was stuffed down almost as soon as he thought it. His jealously was stupid and petty, and not earned in the slightest. If he wanted to be Ingo’s family again he needed to work on it- and being jealous of Ingo’s kid wouldn’t help him get back in his brother’s good graces. If Ingo would even allow him to.

“Alright Akari, Emmet and I still have things to discuss. Why don’t you head back home and you can interrogate him another day?” Plopping Akari back onto the floor, Ingo paused for a moment- before giving Emmet a searching look. “…Assuming you would like to return?” “Yes!” Emmet did his best to keep the desperation off of his face. “Yes I would like that verrrrrry much.” “Excellent!” Ingo clapped his hand together in obvious joy. “Now then Akari, if you will please excuse us…” “Yeah yeah whatever.” With a twirl and flourish Akari began walking backwards to the door, flashing Emmet the ‘keeping my eyes on you’ hand gesture. “Watch yourself strange doppelgänger! I ain’t one to be messed with!” And with that ominous statement she bolted out the door.

“….spirited kid.” “Indeed.” Ingo smiled slightly with his eyes, before turning and gesturing back to the couch. “Would you like to continue our earlier conversation? Or would a change of tracks be preferable?” “Please continue.” Hesitantly, Emmet took Ingo’s hand and dragged him back to the couch. “The breaking system? Yes?” “Ah yes, that was it! So as I was saying…”

oOo

Apparently, despite being Ingo’s kid, Akari didn’t actually live with Ingo. She was technically under the care of some other apartment resident, but had the tendency to climb the fire escape and hang out in Ingo’s apartment. Ingo himself didn’t seem to do much actual parenting, but from the few times Emmet saw the two interact it was quite obvious they were close.

“Akari has amnesia as well.” Ingo explained one evening, as the two worked together to cook dinner. (Emmet wasn’t a cook by any means, but Ingo had invited to show him the ropes- and Emmet would never turn down an opportunity to hang out with his brother) “She seemed to see me as a sort of… kindred spirit, and declared herself my daughter.” “She has good taste.” Emmet joked, and Ingo turned away in embarrassment. “I- I would not say that. I am not-“ He shook his head. “It is… quite lonely living without memories. As far as you know you have no friends or family, and are alone in the world.” There was a pause as Ingo gathered his thoughts, the muffled audio of a neighbor’s radio being the only real sounds left. “Meeting you has been… wonderful- like a soothing balm on my soul. You fill a part of me I thought would never be full, and I cannot thank you enough for that.” He smiled slightly with his eyes, and Emmet did his best not to cry. “I believe Akari’s adoption of me was an attempt to fix a similar issue.”

Emmet, well Emmet couldn’t really imagine that. He had been destroyed when he lost Ingo- but at least he knew what he was missing. Ingo and Akari hadn’t had that luxury. “I am glad then. That you found each other.” He fidgeted slightly. “And I am- being with you is also-“ “I’M BACK!” Akari’s cry interrupted Emmet’s stuttered admission, leaving the man cursing his incompetence with words.

“Welcome back Akari!” Ingo called back, bumping lightly into Emmet’s shoulder with an apologetic look. “Emmet and I are almost finished cooking dinner, would you like to join us?” “Eh depends. What’re you making?” Akari shucked off her shoes and backpack as she stumbled into the kitchen area- making sure to give Emmet a distrustful look. “Stir fry.” Batting Akari’s hand away from the vegetables, Ingo does his best to steer her out of the kitchen. “You will need to wash your hands first though. The fire escape is filthy.” “Spoilsport.” She stuck her tongue out at him but did what he said anyway, running out of the room with her arms held out behind her back.

Dinner was in fact almost done, and in no time at all the three of them were seated together at a tiny table. The food was delicious, and Emmet was happy to spend time with his brother- but he wouldn’t deny that Akari’s glaring spoiled the atmosphere slightly. “Be nice.” Ingo scolded gently, tapping the side of her bowl with his chopsticks. “What?? I haven’t said anything!” “Yes, but you are glaring with the heat of a boiler engine on a steam train.” He gave her a firm look. “And as I happen to quite enjoy his company, I would rather you refrained from scaring him off.” “He’s still suspicious.” She grumbled quietly as she finally looked away, pulling her bowl up to her face and glaring at her noodles instead.

Emmet really reeeeeeeally wanted to fire back that he isn’t suspicious, and that he’s here for perfectly benign reasons…. but he can’t. At the end of the day it doesn’t matter that he wishes Ingo no ill will- he’s still Eelektross and he’s still keeping that secret. In some ways she’s right to suspect him.

So he doesn’t fire back, instead asking Ingo about work, all while ignoring the guilt that runs down his spine when Akari shoots him another glare.

He deserves it anyway.

[daniwib]

My 2023 AO3 wrapped

Looking back over my writing in 2023, I can say that I've had a wonderful time and thoroughly enjoyed myself and it seems like those reading my work do too. Thank you everyone who left comments, they really brighten up my day every time I get one, and those who left kudos too.

The word count is a bit off on this, I have approx 100 - 150k more written but haven't posted yet as it's mostly from two long fic that I won't start to post until they're finished (werewolf AU & Seal!Buck for those following along). I also have a few more shorter incomplete fics and partial chapters for my incomplete WIP's that I will finish one day!

Phoenix, Rising is my favourite fic this year because it challenged me the most. I wanted to see if I could write about a well liked, kind and caring character making a life altering mistake and hurting someone he cares about deeply; and what would happen after that. Could I write it in such a way as to not villainise him for his action? It was very difficult emotionally and mentally and I think I achieved my goal. 2023 for me finished with gastro, ED visit, more gastro, another ED visit, correct diagnosis of the gastro as appendicitis while also ill with influenza A followed by emergency surgery. Recovery during a heatwave followed by a tornado on Christmas Day night and then several days without power then followed by 3 months of rain in 2 days starting on NYE, resulting in widespread flooding and the second disaster declared in our region in 7 days. December was not fun for me at all, friends, and there was very little writing done, sadly. But! Tomorrow hubby and I are off to Tasmania for our first holiday alone together since we had kids. I am very excited and I just know I'll return rested and refreshed and ready to get back into writing once more.

Thank you everyone who has read my writing and who has supported me this year. Special shout out to @daughterofscotland and @hella-writes for all our varied and interesting chats throughout the year! And thank you @spicedrobot for your awesome template, I appreciate it!

[galactic-pirates]

Hi! For the questions for fic writers: 1, 6 [Time Will Tell], and 18 [Life Without Purpose], please?

Yay, thank you!

1) What fic of yours would you recommend to someone who had never read any of your work? (In other words, what do you think is the best introduction to your fics?)

Hmm. Given I have moved across fandoms it really depends on that. I mean it’s no use reccing a Librarians fic to a Sanctuary fan (even if I did cross them over and do think they work well together).

I have written one shots and I have written novel length fics. I feel like I mostly write plotty these days but I have a lot of fluff on my AO3 too. Especially back in the day I wrote a lot of prompts.

So yeah it’s like one fic doesn’t encapsulate all genre, fandom etc. Maybe I guess for a ‘taste’ a shorter fic as an intro so perhaps one of the Librarians fics? I did half a dozen for prompt month a couple of years ago.

6) What’s one fact about the universe of [insert fic] that you didn’t get a chance to mention in the fic itself?

Time Will Tell 🤔

I find this question hard because did I put it in the fic? Have I just rambled about it? Have I not said it before? Can I remember the difference? No the answer is no haha. So yeeeeah erm… ok let me think.

The difficulty of this question is why the ask has been in my drafts for a couple of days. I have been struggling to think of a good answer. I mean with it being fanfic I was free to indulge myself and so I had that epilogue with all my headcanons about the intervening century.

I think what I might need to say is “do you have any questions?” I have really tried to think of a detail off the top of my head and failed but that doesn’t mean there isn’t something. It just means I am struggling. Sorry :/

18) If you wrote a sequel to [insert fic], what would it involve?

It’s kinda hard to write a sequel when all the characters are dead. Well I suppose Nikola is left but he’s alone, the world is apocalyptic. It’s all very bleak.

I think if I had to continue it somehow then a sequel would involve time travel, like Nikola going back in time to stop the outbreak from happening. I need to get a happy ending somehow.

[roselightfairy]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love ❤️

Aww, I love this! Okay, thank you so much and thank you for the chance to do some navel gazing!

Also... my AO3 has 144 stories on it. When did that happen? For a question like this, I want to pick for quality of writing, but I'm finding myself going back mostly to the stories that either really stretched or defined me as a writer, or simply the ones that were a really memorable experience to write . . . which unfortunately means mostly my longer fics, as so many of the shorter ones were written in a single flurry that I barely remember after the fact! Even though there are some shorter fics that I think are better than the longer ones. So let's get started.

Finding a Voice - I mean, how can I not say this one? This fic, like a lot of my older work, has some passages and scenes that I think are so good I can't believe I wrote them, and some that make me cringe to look back on - but how can I not pick it, when it's the story that probably defines me most as a writer? It's the story that allowed me to stake out my own headcanons and gave rise to hundreds of thousands more in the same world. And, like all my LOTR stuff, I do want to return to it someday soon. <3

Ever Changing, Ever Climbing - still the longest thing I've ever written, and the thing I worked on for the longest time. I lived in the world of this story and these characters for almost a year, and probably came the closest I ever have to what non-fanfic authors experience when coming up with their own characters, because I got to make so much of it up! It similarly has bits that make me cringe, especially when I realize how much more deeply other people have thought about Mirkwood worldbuilding and how much lore I straight-up got wrong, but I think it also has some of my best prose and my best romance writing. And siblings. I got to write baby Legolas in this! And also I just love Laerwen so much and love that I got the chance to write her an origin story, so that it doesn't all exist only in the background of my head.

Only Through Surrender - come on, this is my current obsession; I was never not going to put it on the list! But in some ways, this is exactly the inverse of the previous story. I wrote this faster than I've ever written anything this long, and it's the most daring thing I've ever written in terms of plot. The romance is almost a subplot, which I don't know that I've ever done satisfactorily, and it's an AU, which is not something I'm great at sustaining, and even though I don't know that the writing style overall is my best work, I think that the structure and pacing of the story - and the things I did with characters - are pretty good, all things considered! The only non-LOTR fic on this list.

Velle - in terms of "fun to write," this story might be the very top of all of them. This was @deheerkonijn's and my early-covid project (we actually started it a couple months before, but I think working on it saved us in those early telework days of stress and angst); it's a form of storytelling neither of us had tried before, combining both of our skills, and it's probably the most rigorously edited and densely-packed thing I've ever written. We went over and over and over this story with a fine-toothed comb, making sure the writing and the art worked perfectly together, and we liked it so much we printed it as a physical book! *smooches my copy gently*

Having moved out of the most iconic ones, I wasn't sure what to pick for the last! This became a bit of a toss-up, but I wanted to have a shorter fic represented, so: the hunter's heart, the hunter's mouth. This is my only fic with a Richard Siken title, so I figured it was fitting given that he's everywhere right now. ;) Inspired by the title, this is one of my more deliberately poetic fics, and I had a lot of fun with the writing. It's also some of my more daringly explicit work! (still does not include any words for certain aspects of anatomy)

Thanks so much again for sending me this ask! So sorry for how much I ramble when talking about myself! ;) Off to go pass it on!

[doom-dreaming]

🚿🦗🤷‍♀️and 🏡

🚿 Where do your best ideas seem to strike? I know the joke here is in the emoji, but I do genuinely get a lot of my ideas in the shower. I'm using "ideas" loosely here, because I get Big Fic Ideas fuckin. all the time without any warning. But usually, my actual writing starts with dialogue and I fill in the thoughts and description around the central conversation, and for some reason, it's so easy for me to come up with natural-sounding dialogue while I'm zoned out on muscle memory in the shower. It's also a fun way to make the natural facial expressions and gestures that accompany the conversation without getting weird looks, because no one can see me. :)

🦗 Do you write in sequence or jump around? Depends on the fic. For one-shots or shorter fics, it's usually in sequence because it's contained enough that the general layout of it is just kinda in my head. For longer fics or nebulous AUs that don't have an established plotline, I jump around more. Mostly because if I have an idea for a scene, I need to write it down or I WILL lose it. And if I get to the point where it's supposed to go and decide I need to rework it or not use it, that's fine, but the alternative is getting to that point and thinking "man, I had that really good idea a month ago and I can't remember it." And that sucks so bad.

🤷‍♀️ What's a fic you didn't expect to be popular, but really took off? This is tough because I don't really ever expect any of my fics to be popular(tm). I don't think of myself as a Big Name Writer in any of the fandoms I've written for, so I'm always kind of surprised when something I write gets enough traction to escape my immediate sphere of friends and fellow freaks (affectionate). For Halo, the one that surprised me was the very first ask prompt I answered (the johntana national girlfriend day one). That one still gets a weird surge of notes from time to time that a lot of the other short prompt fics don't. For non-Halo, I think it was the one I did for a Borderlands art trade, the one where the reader is part of the camera crew for the Calypso Twins. I thought it was going to be too specific to appeal to as wide of an audience as it ended up getting.

🏡 What is your perfect writing environment? Pen and paper + silence or unobtrusive music and no interruptions. Physical writing keeps me from worrying about it being perfect on the first try, so I can get a bunch out at once and worry about edits later.

[karatam]

for the ask meme 1, 4, 27 and 77 (for "come back (even as a shadow, even as a dream")

For this writing meme

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

I've only really written that one multi-chaptered fic, so I can't be totally sure, but I think I probably prefer writing one-shots. Or maybe just slightly shorter multi-chapters lmao. it was literally 4 months of writing 2000 words a day, and kind of burned me out for a while afterwards. It was fun, and (mostly) rewarding, but wow it was a lot of work. With one-shots, I usually write them in a week and don't need to worry quite so much about plotting out every little thread and detail.

4. Where do you find inspiration for new ideas?

truly randomly. some are prompts from friends, but some are just random ideas in my head. like come back was all based on a single image in my head that happens about halfway through, and I then wrote over 100k words to make it happen lmao

I have written ficlets based on submitted prompts before, but I think all my more substantive fics have been from my own ideas or a friend's suggestion

27. What is your most and least favorite part of writing?

Most favourite: that moment when a bunch of plot threads come together and just resolve themselves, either on purpose or by accident. there were a few times when Kay, my beta, went "oh wow, this is a great callback/parallel to this previous scene" and I was like "oh, huh, I definitely meant to do that. definitely". also when people leave comments about how rude a fic is lolol

Least favourite: there were days when I just had to write the bits getting us to the important scenes, when I had to just drag myself to the keyboard to get some words down. also, when the plotting wasn't quite working, when things aren't lining up quite right.

also, honestly, when the feedback isn't quite what I was hoping for, but I've been trying to not focus on that

77. Do you have a favorite scene you’ve written from "come back (even as a shadow, even as a dream)"?

I think in chapter 3, it's just a scene of Ava and Bea talking about the situation, about their relationship, and it has my favourite line of the whole fic. I wrote it and went "oh, there it is" because the romance of the fic really finally clicked into place for my writing.

also, in the final chapter, there's a part with Beatrice and Mother Superion that I hadn't intended to really write, but it got me in the heart. Also Ava and Lilith (fun fact: Lilith was not originally going to have such a large part in this fic, but as it grew and turned more into a speculative season 3, it just made sense to have her there, because she's such an important character)

and, of course, the scene that I wrote the whole fic around, which I hope I did justice to ;)

Send me a few numbers!