#novembersmith

[bearclubbooks]

the anatomy of a fall by novembersmith

my sister (@rocketbabey) and i worked on this together as a christmas gift for our cousin! i did the typesetting & binding and she did the art.

this is the longest fic i've bound so far!! i was a little intimidated when my sister talked to me about the idea, but as it turns out, it's easier to work on when the book you're binding has some heft. the textblock ended up being over an inch thick!

i'm really satisfied with the components of this one - the cover is a mulberry paper with a teak leaf top layer (real leaves!). the paper in its original form is very fragile and flaky (real leaves...) so i did a ton of experimenting and ended up painting the whole sheet with the 'paper' mod podge as a sealant - it made the paper shiny and flexible instead of dry and crackly - a great success. it wrapped around the bookboard with basically no problems. that said, i used So much pva on this bind...

the spine is a homemade bookcloth - broadcloth from joanns, heat n bond adhesive and a thin japanese sketch paper for the backing paper. the endpapers are lokta paper. this was also the first time i tried adding a bookmark and it turned out sooo cute - i'm so happy with it.

the text is set in 12pt centaur, and it's the first book i printed on my own printer! i was finally able to print on mohawk superfine and the difference that makes..... you can't even imagine how satisfying this book is to hold.

i will admit down here that i'm not really into mcr and i accidentally learned more about them doing this project than i ever would have otherwise, but i Am happy with how this book turned out from an artistic standpoint! and godspeed to all mcr fans i hope you're having a great time out there

also novembersmith if you see this and want a copy dm me

[zombyvamp]

anatomy of a fall yeahhh this fic was good to me

[iloveyou8600]

while gerard was at school all day frank was picking out logs and dragging them to lay across the creek and estimating the strength of the logs to hold gerards weight. because he is a ghost and cannot test them himself. so that he could show Gerards the abandoned cemetery where he spends his days in solitude because hes been alone in the woods for ten years with nobody to talk to because he was fucking murdered. he was hate crimed and murdered. and his body was left cold and alone to decompose and return to the earth beneath the creek. If you fucking care.

[ratmanwalking]

Love that this is something normal people can find now on accident because of that new movie

[qkmlh]

Since we’re here now’s a great time to recommend one of my fav Symbrock fics ever:

Free From Fire by Jedtree on AO3

Summary: Eddie chooses to pursue a story that puts them in life-threatening danger. To save Venom from his own inevitable demise, he finds a way to force the symbiote into a new host. Someone better, more fitting, more worthy. Venom is pissed.

Update!! Now adding recs I’ve received (all ao3)!!

@mintaikk Rec:

that blessed arrangement by pepperfield

Summary: That’s us, Eddie, Venom says suddenly, with a bizarre amount of intensity. We’re like these two fools. Eddie squints at the screen for a second before he understands. “What, married?”

@apri1misc Recs:

you’re my cherry pie by novembersmith

Summary: The first time Eddie suggests they have sex, Venom is, more than anything else, extremely confused.

Who You Really Are by MortemRequiem

Summary: Venom thought that Eddie was an Alpha when he took over his body -- he was very, very wrong. -- In which the author is a broke bitch, but she can write fics for Birthday Presents <3 Basically a movie rewrite in the ABO universe.

How to take care of your Human by Darke_Eco_Freak

Summary: An ongoing study by the Venom Symbiote, consisting of helping your human be less of a pussy, reminding him to eat and sleep, helping him socialise, and making a Hero.

it’s called love by yellow_crayon

Summary: Eddie Brock is strong, yes, he’s willing to admit that. But aesthetically speaking, Brock is no where near the quality of Riot’s host. It’s like comparing an old Ford pickup to a million-dollar Maserati. (Riot catches feelings. Things take a weird turn when he forces Eddie and Venom to help.)

About Free From Fire:

DEF ONE OF MY TOP SYMBROCK FICS EVER THE PROTECTIVE POSSESSIVE AND OBSESSIVE STALKER VENOM IS SO SO SO GOOD!!! And Eddie is a self sacrificing fool who DOES NOT do well without him but is definitely trying his damnest to protect Venom back. They deserve each other <3

Please share recs, y’all!! I’d love to know what some people’s faves are!! (*^▽^*)🖤

[aziraphales-library]

Hello! I’d like to recommend a post-s2 fic written by a friend that is absolutely astounding but I think got lost in the mass uptick in fic posting that occurred after the season dropped: Fixed Bells by novembersmith (ao3 work ID: 52240153). It’s got the time loop trope, the character voices are super accurate, and there’s absolutely no mistreatment of Aziraphale but there is resolution of the miscommunication we were left with in canon! Also the smut is A+++.

Hello, my dear.

What a lovely friend you are, taking the time to recommend this! How very kind!

Fixed Bells by novembersmith [Rated E, 26K words]

“You look terrible, by the way. Wow, you are not okay. Well, lucky you, I know, it’s been a while, but I am here to help. Sorry it took so long. We were a little distracted, but eventually, Bee and I concluded that maybe, slightly, we, and especially I, kind of owed you one.”

In which Gabriel conveniently happens to have a low-power time travel device lying around, generously decides to donate it to Aziraphale so Aziraphale can use it to thwart the next apocalypse, and Aziraphale immediately uses it instead to try to fix That Conversation. Surely with enough chances, he can get it right?

-Mod AB

[19emma75]

my fav frerard fics

Ok so here’s my grank fic rec list!! I’ve put links to each fic on ao3 for easy access + most if not all have nsfw/explicit elements so be warned!! I’ve written afew tags next to each one so u get an idea but no spoilers ok here we gooo

⭐️ = fav of all time/must read

- The Best Part of My Day by pixie_revolver - office co-workers au

- ⭐️pinkish by antspaul - kid fic, fake relationship to lovers

- Black Market Blood by autoschediastic - short vamp!gee/human!frank

- ⭐️The Mess We've Made by ViciousVenin - pencey era frank, strangers to lovers, angst with happy ending

- Life as a Process by ViciousVenin - fav vamp!gee fic, college roommates au

- Happy Together by MorningGloryxxx - focus on mental health/lgbt themes/addiction, eventual happy ending

- A Splitting Of The Mind by Shoved2agree - yall already know, cw for heavy mental health focus

- Unwanted Thoughts by ViciousVenin - touring, pining, friends to lovers

- Skin of the Canvas by sinsense - art school/nude model au

- ⭐️Unholyverse trilogy by Bexless - holy grail of fics, priest!gee, demons, stigmata (you've probably already read this ik)

- ⭐️The Anatomy of a Fall by novembersmith - supernatural, high school au

- ''that was easy'' by metaleaterz - 'the staples fic', they just work at staples and its cute ok

- another superstition by metaleaterz - friends to lovers houseflipping au

- ⭐️Crossed Out by Haze - time travel and blood magic!! so incredible it should be made into a tv show umbrella academy style

- ⭐️In a Column of Lights by xobarriers - entomologist!gee/director!frank, SO wholesome and sweet and lovely

- Did You Miss Me? Cause I Missed You by LiberXI - wholesome/funny/smutty friends to lovers college au

- ⭐️Nothing Above Nothing Below by LiberXI - pencey era strangers to lovers with a supernatural twist, LOVE the writing style sm

- You Will Leave a Mark by brooklinegirl - short but intense pencey era strangers to lovers

- rough ‘round the edges by starryfrens - sick fic with gee as frank’s caregiver, heavy and heartwarming

- Living on a prayer by beforethesungoesdown, Kitoko_kun - priest x priest with expected amounts of catholic guilt and pining

- Before The Second Show by CharredLips - sweet + fluffy bullets era mutual pining

- ⭐️Wishing You Were a Ghost by pixie_revolver - “right person wrong time”, angst with happy ending, heartbreaking but amazing

- ⭐️Kinktober 2023 by insusurro - all parts set in the same universe, surprisingly heartwarming for the subject matter, great characterisation

- ⭐️Moth to Flame (or Whatever) by onceuponamoon - insanely perfect florist au

- Companion by onceuponamoon - workplace au (carer/office worker)

- Buy Handmade + Bread and Butter by jjtaylor - adorable artist/baker au

- ⭐️Paris!Verse trilogy by vesna - artist gerard/record label owner frank, INSANELY good characterisation, so beautiful and emotional

- Time Travel ‘verse by ladyfoxxx - funpoison/frankghoul/rrr time travel shenanigans, amazing and kind of heartbreaking

- Christmas Miracle by insusurro - wholesome and festive teacher au

- Choosing My Confessions series by pixie_revolver - kinky/wholesome priest au

- a constant record of disillusion by drapnel - non au realistic pre-bullets to post-summer sonic ‘04, heavy so read tags

- All Through The Night by LiberXI - bullets era meet cute

- ⭐️The Horror That I’m In by pixie_revolver - paramour estate, paranormal activity, frank goes through the horrors, angst with happy ending

updating periodically so keep an eye out <3

[littleststarfighter]

May I ask if there’s any mcr fics that you would recommend

These are what I’ve enjoyed so far. All Frerard (Frank/gerard) fic recs. I have many more to read (saved about 100 fics yikes) so will have more recs in the future if anyone is interested? A lot of supernatural, spooky and ghosty ones here. And, lots of Danger Days as that’s what got me into reading them in the first place. Of course I started with what is seen as the holy fic trinity. These are just my tastes. I can’t promise that they’ll be yours, but hope there’s something you like XD

Unholyverse by Bexless

“He thinks I have stigmata,” Frank said, because what the fucking hell, it couldn’t get any worse. He might as well just lay it out.

“Oh, well,” said Brian into his hands. “Of course.”

The Anatomy of a Fall by novembersmith

The unholy union of a high school AU and a ghost story. Gerard's life takes a strange turn when his family moves to a small town in Vermont and he discovers the locals aren't all what they seem to be. Also includes: unexpected nature walks, murder, pining, improper treatment of crime scenes, a number of bone-related puns, high school bullies, and a short-range shrub named Ferdinand.

A Splitting Of The Mind by Shoved2agree (Gaiamdma)

Gerard Way sees the world differently. Alone and institutionalised, Gerard claims that he is being hunted, and that his mind holds the key to existence. Does Gerard really hold such a powerful secret? Or is he just insane like everyone else in the institution?

Run by vesna (mrsronweasley)

Being a secret teenage werewolf is hard. Frank should know. He is one.

James Cameron Got It Wrong by ladyfoxxx

In which 2005!Frank and Fun Ghoul get it on. Then Frank accidentally winds up in 2019.

Shadows In The Parking Lot by Cellphonecharm_au

In which there’s a mass grave under Frank and Ray’s apartment complex, Frank doesn’t believe in ghosts, & Frank’s ex-boyfriend is, conveniently, a paranormal consultant.

The Science of Sleep by chimneythunder

It’s 2011 and Frank Iero’s life is pretty average until the night where he starts getting dreams about a strange, apocalyptic California where there’s rayguns, grey corporations and terrorists who use art and colour as a weapon. Interesting and fun at first, but the more he dreams about this world, the more he starts to wonder if it really is a dream... and the deeper he gets into this futuristic world, the more it seems to affect his life in the present day.

And just how exactly does everything all seem to link in with that douchebag black-haired artist who sits in Starbucks every day?

The Calypso Initiative by theficisalie

AU: A rise in technological and medical advancements combined with an unexpected surge in mutations around the globe can only mean one thing: superpowers. As a child born before the information boom of 2010 rocked the world with the official news of these "SuperHumans", Frank Iero was kicked out onto the street at nine years old. His power seems to be more of a curse than a blessing: his body creates and leaks a net of energy that sets those who are unaware of it on edge. He is saved at first by a rogue agent of the government who understands the plight of the homeless children, and then by a small team of government agents who bring him into The Institute: an underground compound set up by the government to teach those with emerging superpowers how to control and use their gifts.

Frank finally has a place where he seems to belong, and a group of friends: Mikey Way, a telepath; Gerard Way, whose body is a vacuum that neutralizes energy; and Ray Toro, a healer. All is far from perfect, however. Frank’s powers and training are put to the ultimate test when he has to fight both evil and betrayal to save not only the world, but also the best family he’s ever known.

synchronicity (cut me open, cut you down) by BackyardOwl 

Party Poison glares like Frank’s mere presence could’ve jeopardized the game. But then the scowl melts off and is exchanged with a smirk.

“I’m so glad you came tonight!” he says in the fakest sugary tone possible. “It’s important for a novice to observe, because you learn so much. And surely you learned from this, because that?” He motions to the arena behind him. “That’s how you play GridSlam.”

Frank is shaking. He’s this fucking close to decking the motherfucker. Novice? He hasn’t been a fucking novice since age fucking 11!

(a story about heated rivalries, mourning your loved ones, and cheating death)

Strange Things Happen At The One Two Points by lovebashed 

1930s. The Dust Bowl. Having no place to turn after his mother's death, Frank joins a carnival. By doing so a chain of events commence, that lead him to Pete. Frank and Pete couldn't be more different, but they both possess strange powers that gain momentum as their journeys unfurl. Both their lives, and that of those they know, will be irrevocably changed before the end. Carnivale AU.

I Believe We're The Enemy by Test_subject_306

"You know what?" Frank snaps, glaring at the person who used to be Party Poison. "You know, sometimes I wish they'd just killed you instead."

[hualian-fic-recs]

Hello!I’m curious,do you happen to know a fic/fics where Hualian wants to do the ‘thing’ but Hua Cheng keeps on thinking that Xie Lian can’t get it up??I mean a fic where he thinks that but obviously Xie Lian is more than capable and in the end they do it :D

Hi there! Fics most like your ask are:

Beast with Two Backs by VampireFaun. E, 36k, heavy spoilers. This one is really lovely and deals with erectile issues and working on it together. The ending is v satisfying

Pleasure, Panic, Pleasure by capyshota. E, 7k, no spoilers. Xie Lian is automatically reacting and Hua Cheng pulls away. Xie Lian is like noooo I want it just ignore my reactions.

Some more post-canon loss of virginity fics:

and i will surround you with a love too deep for words by Fireborn. E, 35k, spoilers. This one is like a warm hug all the way through!

you, my destiny by Naamah_Beherit. E, 12k, spoilers.

Ever After by GirlApart5. E, 8k, spoilers.

perfected by trail by an orphaned account. E, 8k, no spoilers.

why wait by novembersmith. E, 4k, no spoilers, though they do mention the coffin scene

every path leads to you by Nyerus. E, 14k, no spoilers

**Also note that when I say no spoilers in these, I mean that HC comes back after being away like in the novel, so I guess that is inherently a spoiler, but there is no allusion to important plot points or reveals from the novel. So if you wanted to read them even if you haven't finished the novel, they wouldn't give anything major away.

[abigailspinach]

F: Anyway, the third tentpole. This is a fanfiction for Naomi Novik’s Temeraire series— M: Yeeesss! F: It is called “O Captain, My Captain”—excellent title—by novembersmith, and it is a short and really sweet story about Temeraire, the dragon, finding somehow, handwave handwave a magical amulet which allows him to transform into a human being for a short time, and he’s very excited about this and his beloved human captain, Laurence is initially quite dubious about this. But then, is also on board. It is so adorable. M: I mean, a lot of this—We’re in a mountain, and you are our transport, just… F: Now we are stuck here, question mark? Yeah. And meanwhile Temeraire is just like “wohooo, skin!” and launches himself at Laurence. [Laughter] M: Oh you have gold in your eyes, I couldn’t see that before. F: That was so… A: Temeraire in this fic is perfectly characterized, I mean, just really really spot on. M: Just a soft boy. A: He’s a good, good soft boy. And it really drives home the fact about how, you know when he’s in dragon form, he’s not quite human. So when he behaves in a way that is obnoxious or weird, you excuse it. You’re like, oh he’s a dragon, right? But when he’s in human form, you’re like, oh wait, you’re the same person in just a different body and it is way more obvious what an obnoxious little twit you are. F: Yeah, like a keystone of his characterization is: gives no fucks. M: Oh yeah, wants to know and has no embarrassment whatsoever. Temeraire has never gotten the concept of shame. F: No. And also he’s constantly questioning and encouraging Laurence to question the social norms that they operate within, within you know, the Napoleonic Wars and the army, and the society. And it just becomes a lot more obvious when he’s just like “why can’t we have sex?”  M: Yeah, “why can’t I kiss you?” F: And Laurence is like, “so many reasons!” And he’s like, “all of them are stupid.” [Laughter] M: “Oh but just let me kiss you once, and you have to kiss me back.” A: And then when Laurence is like, “so how did you learn about this anyway?” [Laughter] A: And Temeraire’s like, “oh, Granby told me.” It’s like, “of course Granby would tell you, Granby probably told you on purpose because he knew that this would happen and he wants to fuck with me.” [More laughter] F: But it has a really nice aspect that the others don’t, because we’re seeing this person who is usually a dragon, but not usually a weredragon, not usually used to human form. M: Yep. F: Just being totally delighted by the exploration of human biology— A: Legs! F: —which is really sweet. Legs! M: But what do boobs feel like? You can’t ask Temeraire!

[willow-tea]

Second art for the @ineffableidiotsbigbang, this time for @novembersmith's fic (here). Loved getting to play with the lighting!

[emileedoodles]

I took part in the Good Omens Big bang, and it was so fun to illustrate a fic again! My fic writer was the talented @novembersmith and they wrote the best time-twisty post-S2 fic, definitely check it out! (Warning, E rated!)

[iloveyou8600]

its october

[novembersmith]

I DID IT, I made a fic in this the year of our lord (ha ha) 2k23 that ISN'T a yuletide fic!!!

It is time travel, it is groundhogs day, it is Aziraphale taking as much time as he needs as many times as he needs to FIGURE THIS SHIT OUT.

The GLORIOUS artwork created for this bang is currently embedded within the story! I will post links here to the tumblr posts as soon as they are up.

@willow-tea made an amazing study of their faces glowing in the light, and captured so many perfect details of their miracles together, it's SO COOL. THEIR FACES!!!! The light and shadows just feel magical. SEE THE ART HERE!

@emileedoodles's art is SUCH a fun and also BEAUTIFUL snapshot of what it is like to POOF through time while also having uh MOMENTS. VAVOOM. Their mouths???? AHH. SEE THE ART HERE!!

PLEASE ENJOY AND GIVE THE ARTISTS LOVE!!!

[sophia-sol]

A "don't need to know canon" rec list

I was having a conversation with some folks on mastodon a little while ago about the practice of reading fics for fandoms you're not familiar with, and why it works for some people and not others. I understand both approaches, but I am firmly in the camp of being happy to read a fic whether I know the fandom or not, as long as it looks interesting to me!

The particular pleasures are different, but both ways are good: fic about fandoms you know is pleasurably wallowing in an ongoing conversation about something you love (…or love to hate), whereas fic for unfamiliar fandoms is having fun eavesdropping on someone else's conversation and working out a puzzle while enjoying a good story.

But some fics work better than others for reading without canon to contextualize them, and although I'm up for some challenges, you don't actually have to play this game on hard-mode. So I'm here to provide a rec list of fics I have enjoyed without canon knowledge that I think are more broadly successful for that purpose. I hope you find some to enjoy here too!

Arranged alphabetically by fandom.

The Improbable Future, by marycontraire

6k words, not rated

The fandom: crossover between Boy Meets World and Girl Meets World, which are presumably related to each other, though I don't even know what medium they are in.

The fic: A story about family, especially the relationship between a preteen girl and the surrogate father figure in her life. Extremely heartwarming!

Sentimental Reasons, by Frostfire

16k words, rated T

The fandom: Casablanca, one of those famous classic black and white movies, about war

The fic: focuses on the story of a character who is a minor character in the original movie, which allows you to follow the story easily without knowing the original. All Sam wants to do with his life is play music, but racism and war have a tendency to intervene. The story revolves around his relationship with another man, Richard. I love Sam, and I love his pov in this fic. It's an incredible read!

One More Time With Feeling (or, Charlie Brooker and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day), by marginaliana

50k words, rated E

The fandom: british comedians rpf, ft. comedians I've never heard of

The fic: Timeloop! The classic groundhog day experience! And this was a really impressively done timeloop fic. I was particularly impressed with how well the character arc for the protagonist went from totally-an-appalling-asshole to only-normal-level-sympathetic-asshole, and how it shows some of the ways that being in a timeloop can be really awful. And yet - happy ending! Impressive.

The Retirement of Gabriel Argent, by Sixthlight

5k words, rated T

The fandom: Daniel Blackland, which is, I believe, a book series?

The fic: is about two characters who are not Daniel Blackland. It's about finding a way to live a peaceful life that actually makes you happy, when you never thought such a thing would be possible. It's lovely!

go pick out a white dress, by novembersmith

1k words, rated G

The fandom: Deepwater Bride, by Tamsyn Muir, which I'm guessing is a short story.

The fic: a delightful uhhhh one-sided romance about an eldritch sea monster who is really into a human, much to the dismay of, well, everyone. But the eldritch being will not be disheartened! Such a charming voice.

Hesitation Waltz, by cranialaccessory

20k words, rated T

The fandom: From Eroica With Love, which I know literally nothing about

The fic: Two cold war era spies have to pretend to be married for a case. One of them is flamboyant and foppish, the other is grouchy and bad at acting. Together they learn things about teamwork and trust! (and that they're into each other.)

confirmation bias, by novembersmith

14k words, rated E

The fandom: Integrate, which I'm guessing is a book

The fic: This is the fic that instantly came to mind when I first thought of making this rec list. I love it. It's a totally adorable alien/human interspecies romance, from the pov of the alien, who of course finds the human the alien one. Every single thing in the fic is a delight.

Get Up, and Go Forth, by Frostfire

15k words, rated T

The fandom: the tv show Kings, which I once tried and failed to watch, but is loosely based on the biblical story of David and Jonathan

The fic: Hey, it works just fine as bible fanfic instead! (I'm afraid I don't know how it would read if you aren't familiar with the biblical story. My parents were rigorous about making sure I would be biblically literate.) The fic focuses on the Jonathan character, here called Jack, as he explores what it means to be on David's side instead of his father's. I have reread this fic so many times. It's just so well done!

A Divinely Attractive Arrangement, by Fahye

6k words, rated T

The fandom: the movie Love and Friendship. I've read the book Love and Freindship [sic] but the movie, despite the name, is not actually based on the book!

The fic: featuring the pov of the most amiably oblivious person in the absolutely entire world as he settles into his recent marriage. He's so genuinely happy about everything in his life! Even as it is obvious to the reader how much the other characters in the story are manipulating him. I love him very much.

This Episode Brought To You By, by ryfkah

6k words, rated T

The fandom: a kdrama, Mr. Queen. Going in I did in fact know a very slim amount about the actual canon, which I believe is a useful starting point for reading the fic: it's a show about a modern chef who transmigrates into Korean history, into the body of a queen; the queen, meanwhile, ends up in the future in the chef's body.

The fic: is about both the chef and the queen, as they explore their identity and their desires through the medium of food, and it is a complete delight.

Sweet In the Gale Is Heard, by Toft

11k words, rated T

The fandom: Pegasus, by Robin McKinley, a novel I've never read despite generally being a McKinley fan because I heard it ends on a cliffhanger and the sequel was never published.

The fic: A fixit for the cliffhanger! Interspecies romance between a human and a pegasus, and absolutely lovely.

Things Which Catch the Eye, by petrichoral

3k words, rated G

The fandom: The Pillow Book, by Sei Shonagon, which is a book I have heard of often over the years but have never actually read.

The fic: ships Sei Shonagon with another woman who presumably appears in the book as well, showing the arc of their relationship in short snatches that come together skilfully. Truly excellent.

you wait and you wonder who'll take on your odds, by paperclipbitch

138k words, rated E

The fandom: The Queen's Gambit, a tv show which I gather is about chess

The fic: An "exes to friends to spouses to lovers" marriage of convenience story. I love how well balanced this is between all the different aspects of things going on: the feelings between Beth and Benny, the working out how to make a life together (separate from the feelings), the chess, the simmering sexual attraction, the other people in Beth's life who are important to her, and Beth's understanding of herself. Really good!

Lebenswerk, by Serena

10k words, rated T

The fandom: Sunset Boulevard, a classic movie about movie-making

The fic: A director's relationship with his star actor, and the things he does and doesn't choose to prioritize over the years. It is interesting, and also rather uncomfortable in places, in ways that are entirely fitting to the story. I was really captivated by it!

Moab, by Parhelion

13k words, rated G

The fandom: an old-school sci-fi book series called The People, by Zenna Henderson

The fic: reads like a lovely, quiet, thoughtful, and kind original scifi story itself, about a human-looking space alien orphan stranded on earth with supernatural powers he has to hide, raised by a woman he calls Aunt, as he finds his place in the world of the early 20th century.

Transformers Works, by astolat

331k words, ratings ranging from T to E

The fandom: Transformers. A tv show (or multiple?) and toys and possibly other media as well? About robot war.

The fic: this is actually a link to all of astolat's fics about transformers. Pretty much every transformers fic Astolat has written is basically: given different base assumptions about how the universe works, how to end the war. And I love all of it, omg, both the different choices of worldbuilding in each fic and also the commitment to ending the war. Pick and choose between the fics for what you want to read!

Variations on a Theme from Turandot, by Ada Hoffman

7k words, not rated

The fandom: Turandot, which I'm guessing is an opera, or maybe a ballet?

The fic: A professionally published story which also happens to be fanfic. Does what it says on the tin! I'm not quite sure I followed the ending, but somehow it works like that even so. I found it so interesting.

A Good Bargain, by Neery

11k words, rated E

The fandom: Word of Honor, a wuxia-genre tv show that I have heard goes as hard on gay themes as it possibly could within the censorship rules it was produced under.

The fic: Does the thing where someone enters a marriage of convenience, but takes their marriage vows seriously and is now firmly working on the side of their spouse. And in this case the spouse knows this about them and planned it on purpose! DELIGHTFUL. I adore it.

[musette22]

Hiii Minniieee! I definitely have too much on my to read list and haven’t been able to read as much as I would like🥲 but I’m here asking u for more recs 😂 would u mind sharing your favorite smutty fics? The season and all the cold weather have looking for even more romantic-spicy fics 😂🫠

Hi honey! Of course, always happy to help 😌❤️‍🔥

I've recced most of these before, but it can't hurt to do it again! Some of these are smuttier than others, and some are PWP while others are longer fics with smut, but they're all excellent, imo. I've put bottom Bucky/Steve with the ones I remember off the top of my head, but yeah, obviously heed the tags before you read just in case there's anything you don't like. Hope you enjoy! <3

I can rec literally everything by mcwho (bottom!Bucky) but particularly:

sweet like honey

territorial

resisting a rest

ride in tandem

a firm hand

By Ipoiledi (bottom!Steve):

The Pugilists

Dining In

Late Show

This one

This one

This one

By Chiyume:

Sticky Fingers

Short Circuit

A Hard Case of You

By redhook:

Cause you can’t, you won't, and you don't stop

Say it louder for the people in the back

By endofadream (bottom!Steve)

i’ve got a weakness now

a desert in my heart and nowhere to hide

By notcaycepollard:

in ten breaths (it’s a miracle if we’re still alive)

i've been waiting for the sun (to rise where you are)

By @maddiewritesstucky:

Glad to love you, Steve Rogers

JockVerse

Matthew 26:41

By @howdoyousleep3 (bottom!Bucky)

we freak on the cam by howdoyousleep

Daddy Steve Rogers/Baby Bucky Barnes series

Senator Steve Rogers/Intern Bucky Barnes series

By @luninosity (evanstan)

A Place Not Far Away

come fly with me

Color in Everything

And a couple more that are honestly excellent:

Unusual Weather by novembersmith

Blush Pink by voluptuous_panic

Anything the same by Claudia_flies

Demonique by BetteNoire (WeAreWolves)