#post s8 divergence

[absolutelybifurious]

shoulder the sky (let the rain come)

buddie | teen and up | wip | magical realism, magic and very messy eddie diaz, generational trauma

Eddie is cursed. He remembers standing in the rain, watching Buck climb up that rig, towards a fire. He remembers feeling the sky like lightning in his chest. He remembers thinking, again and again and again – there is no curse. There is no curse. He closes his eyes and tries to breathe, but there’s nothing in his chest – nothing but that lightning strike all over again. For so long, Buck’s been here – for so long, Buck’s survived whatever collateral damage Eddie brings with him. But lately, things are worse – lately it is one thing after another after another. There is no curse. “Buck!” Bobby calls, and there’s panic in his voice. “Buck, get out of there now.” “I can’t just leave this guy!” Of course Buck isn’t going to leave someone behind. He’s Buck. He’s a good firefighter. He’s a good everything. Eddie tries to find the rhythm of his own pulse, but it’s all carnage and shrapnel.  He wants to yell over the radio – yell something, anything, to make Buck understand that he has to get out of there. That Eddie can’t let him die – that Eddie can’t kill him like he kills everything else.

OR

Eddie Diaz is cursed.

[read on ao3]

[epicbuddieficrecs]

Weekly Recap | October 1st-13th 2024

Hope all my fellow Canadians had a good long weekend! Had a week from hell last week so I didn't have time to put up the rec, and it's even a bit late for today, but I did it!

If you know anyone who's not tagged, please don't hesitate to tag them in the comments!

Complete

Siri, Call... by Tizniz/ @tizniz (Sickfic | 1,5K | General): Buck is sick and needs to call for help.

for thy true-love take by lecornergirl/ @clusterbuck (Outsider POV, Established buddie | 2K | Teen): OR: Chimney Han and the ethics of slipping your coworkers love potions

watch out, you might get what you're after by Daisies_and_Briars/ @cal-daisies-and-briars (Getting Together | 2K | Mature): Buck unintentionally woos Eddie. And then has a hell of a time processing the way he feels about that.

i hate accidents (except when we went from friends to this) by bellabrady (Getting Together | 2K | Not Rated): Or: How Buck and Eddie's first kiss leads to someone calling the police on them.

Put To Good Use by kittyeddie (PWP, BDSM | 3K | Explicit): Or, Buck and Eddie finally have a kid-free day at home, and take advantage of every second of it

At First Scent by Inell/ @inell (Urban Fantasy AU | 4K | Teen): When Buck visits Maddie, he meets Chris, a magic user needing his sister’s help learning how to use his powers. He also meets Eddie, Christopher’s dad, and feels a connection that he’s only ever dreamed of finding.

Bears, and Foxes, and a Three-Legged Bobcat by Tizniz/ @tizniz (Pre-Buddie, First Date | 4K | General): Buck and Eddie go on a non-date date to a wildlife park. Cuteness ensues.

Just Right by Inell/ @inell (Future fic, Getting Together | 4K | Teen): After getting injured on a call, Buck wakes up the next morning and tries to piece together what happened, accidentally changing his relationship with Eddie in the process.

to adam, from your ribs by justhockey (S8, Getting Together | 4K | General): And the thing is, Buck is so good at being alone; he’s been doing it almost his whole life. But when he’s reminded of the way love tastes, drizzled like honey on your tongue - the way it feels, like the warm glow of sunlight on your skin. That is when he truly aches. Not the breaking, because he’s done that a thousand times over. It’s the knowing that really does him in. The having, for just a little while, before it’s snatched away so quickly he can still feel the burn on his fingertips from trying to hold on.

Hall Pass by Inell/ @inell (Post-S7, Getting Together | 5K | Teen): After Buck and Eddie take Jee and Mara trick or treating, Chim and Maddie play a trick of their own to help Buck finally make a move on Eddie.

it's leading me on, every time we touch by lightyears (Post-S6, Getting Together | 5K | Explicit): Eddie doesn’t think anything of it when he reaches across the table to pile some pasta onto his plate, says, “Just my back. It’s been giving me a bit of trouble.” “You’re hurt, Eddie?” Bobby asks him, and Eddie’s sure that his intention isn’t to capture the rest of the team’s attention, but by way of being Captain, it happens anyway. “I promise, Cap. I’m good. But if it helps, I can go speak with a doctor, make sure nothing else is going on.” Chim chirps up: “A physio probably makes more sense than a doctor.” “Or an occupational therapist,” Ravi suggests, and Eddie’s sure it’s to stave off a Chim-Hen showdown. “Even a massage therapist would probably help.” And then Maddie says, “Buck used to be a massage therapist” and everyone goes quiet, heads all swinging in Buck’s direction.

sweet sunbursts of flesh pink magic by Underhung_Aura/ @eddiebabygirldiaz (Canon Divergent, Witch Buck, Sex Pollen | 5K | Explicit): Buck’s magic has always been a bit volatile. Jittery. Fluctuating. A touch reckless. Messy and bright and loud. Maddie says that a person’s magic is supposed to match the person themselves, that the form it takes isn’t happenstance or random, that it’s a reflection of your purest self, an extension of your soul that you can manipulate. Safe to say, Buck’s never cared for that assessment. or, buck has magic and eddie gets doused with sex pollen

Happy Accident by Inell/ @inell (Post-S8E01: Buzzkill, Friends to Fiances | 6K | Teen): When Buck gets some good news, he accidentally kisses Eddie, which leads to a conversation that changes their relationship.

Kissing On The Corner, Wait For Just A Minute by fruitsdoesnotknow/ @tayf-ghost (Secret Relationship | 6K | Teen): Buck and Eddie think they're so smooth. They're cool, calm, collected. Normal, in fact. Just two normal best friends. Nothing to see here. Nobody is convinced.

Does it bite at your edges? by noxeratum (Infidelity, Post-S7, Getting Together | 6K | Explicit): Eddie Diaz is so repressed that he thinks his jealousy is bigotry and feels bad about it.

Talk Dirty to Me by ameliahart (Post-S7, FWB | 6K | Explicit): In which Buck has recently ended things with Tommy, Eddie wants to explore his sexuality, and they decide to start sleeping together. As friends, of course.

Through the Looking Glass by jukoist/ @beforejuko (Post-S8E01: Buzzkill, Getting Together | 6K | General): Buck likes Tommy. He does! And he definitely isn't in love with Eddie. He's just... worried. Because Eddie keeps vanishing on Sundays, leaving Buck with the boyfriend he definitely likes as much as he should. Everything is fine. Or, a post 8x01 coda.

Basics, Understanding Basics by fruitsdoesnotknow/ @tayf-ghost (Post-S7, Getting Together | 7K | Teen): Chris gets sick, loses part of his memory, and reassures Eddie and Buck they can still kiss in front of him. That's really thoughtful of him, except for the fact that Eddie and Buck aren't dating.

🔥All The Things You Want From Me by giselleslash/ @gigi-gigi (Post-S7, Getting Together | 7K | Teen): “Can I ask you something?” Eddie shrugs. “Sure.” Tommy looks nervous, unsure. Tommy never looks nervous, or unsure. “Do you think Evan would move in with me if I asked him?” (Or the one where Eddie feels Buck slipping through his fingers and can’t let him go, so he tells him not to move in with Tommy and blows everything apart.)

My Carpet’s Got Crop Circles by fruitsdoesnotknow/ @tayf-ghost (Eddie & Karen, Getting Together | 9K | Teen): Or, five times Karen tries to use wine nights to get Eddie and Buck together, and the one time she didn't need to.

🔥Late Fines by Daisies_and_Briars/ @cal-daisies-and-briars (Canon Divergent, Librarian!Buck | 12K | Teen): Buck is a children's librarian at the branch closest to Eddie's house. When he gets himself involved in the lives of a cute kid and his handsome single dad, he gets a glimpse of what he wants in life. It might just take a few years to get it.

Eddie Diaz VS The Buck's Boyfriend Agenda by songbvrd/ @songbvrd (Post-S7, BuckTommy Break-Up | 23K | Mature): Eddie starts gathering information about why no one trusts Tommy. As he grows to hate their relationship more, he learns more about himself and what he wants.

🔥 ice cream before dinner by cloudydaisies (Post-S7, Getting Together | 58K | Teen): or, gerrard messes with the team's schedules and eddie 'i just drove my son to flee the state' diaz is the only option to watch mara and jee-yun after school on tuesdays, which, shouldn't be a problem at all, right?

🔥 Any Other Way by Daisies_and_Briars/ @cal-daisies-and-briars (Canon Divergent, S2 | 102K | Mature): In a switcheroo alternate universe, Buck spends young adulthood in the military, while Eddie, who has no idea Christopher exists, spends his twenties messing around, finally enjoying freedom away from his family’s expectations. When they both end up in Los Angeles, at the 118, some things are different, and others will be the same in any universe.

WIP

Gentle On My Mind by Daisies_and_Briars/ @cal-daisies-and-briars (Canon Divergent, Shannon Lives, Buck/Eddie/Shannon | 5/? | 32K | Explicit): In which Shannon lives, tells a lie, and sends hers, Eddie's, and Buck's lives down a very different path.

🔥 go and kill, go and die by Daisies_and_Briars/ @cal-daisies-and-briars (Zombie Apocalypse AU | 9/14 | 40K | Mature): The 118 are a group of survivors in a small California town in the wake of a zombie apocalypse. For months they've been isolated and safe. But the arrival of some new players, the search for some missing loved ones, will shake everything up and put their little team in jeopardy.

Podfic

[Podfic] déjà vu by NC Pods (N0Connections)/ @n0connections // fic by peaktotheocean/ @peaktotheocean (S7E07: Ghost of a Second Chance | 10-20min | General): It is completely possible that Buck put too much thought into buying his couch. But Eddie can’t think of anyone else in his life who would buy a couch just so his kid would be comfortable.

🔥 [Podfic] With a Little Help From my Friends by MeggieJolly/ @meggiejolly // fic  by extasiswings/ @extasiswings (Post-S3, Feelings Realization | 10-20min | Teen): “You know…several of us parents get together once, maybe twice a month or so. You’re welcome to join us if you’d like. I can add you to the email chain.” Not for the first time that day, Eddie’s surprised. It’s not that he’s opposed, more that the invitation is unexpected. He’s not particularly social—when he is it’s with the team or with Buck or with his family, all of them in each other’s houses, in each other’s lives both at work and away from it. Outside of them… It occurs to him that he’s never really known how to make friends. [Or: Eddie makes friends outside of work and realizes that Buck might not, in fact, be just a friend]

🔥 as lucky as us [Podfic] by blackglass/ @blackestglass // fic by hammersmiths/ @henswilsons (Ravi POV, S7 | 20-30min | General): One of the first things Ravi learned when joining the 118 was to, under no circumstances, think too hard about Buck and Eddie’s relationship. But brother, they could try make his job easier. “I mean, I get it,” Buck’s saying, overhead, and Ravi’s knee-deep in literal human crap and even he can smell that shit from a mile away. “You and Tommy have a lot in common.” or, Ravi continually suffers as a third-wheel.

🔥 [podfic] baby, can i hold you? by All_I_Ask/ @alliaskisthepossibilityoflove // fic by fleetinghearts / @shitouttabuck (pre-Buddie, angst/comfort | 30-45min | Teen): Eddie’s eyes are squeezed shut, and Buck feels something inside him crack when this helpless, devastated sob wracks his body, eyelashes clumped with tears he’s not letting fall. “What do you need?” Buck asks again. “What can I do?” Eddie makes a frustrated noise. “I don’t know. I don’t know why this won’t stop.” or, eddie panics. buck holds him.

🔥 Heart, I Implore You [Podfic] by ReformedTsunderePodfics (ReformedTsundere)/ @film-in-my-soul // fic by @letmetellyouaboutmyfeels (Vampire Eddie, PWP | 45-60min | Explicit): When Buck finds out his best friend isn't exactly human, he volunteers to help keep Eddie from dying. It's definitely just to keep Eddie from dying. No other reason. None whatsoever.

Re-Read

Down to the Bones of Me by giselleslash/ @gigi-gigi (Post-S7E10: All Fall Down | 5K | Teen): The morning after Christopher leaves Eddie gets in his truck and drives. Buck lets him go, and Eddie fights to come back for both of them.

[fandom-hoarder]

I'm currently watching season 12 of spn for the first time and oh my god, samdean are so married. Wow. Y'all were not exaggerating.

Do you have any late seasons (doesn't necessarily have to be season 12) wincest fic recs?

I'm so happy to hear you're enjoying the late seasons domesticity! I love them so much.🥰🥰🥰

Your ask has made me realize I really need to make a masterlist of my rec lists, because my tag is a mess right now lol. I do have some recs for you! IDK if you care about spoilers, but I tried to avoid s13-15 fics just in case. Many of these skew angsty with a positive ending, because that's my jam.

Mid-Late Seasons Wincest (through s12)

Fics:

Let’s Do Some Living After We Die by AmyPond45 (post s11 canon divergence)

Darkness, Darkest by themegalosaurus (ep 11x13)

Bleeding Out by themegalosaurus (ep 11x13)

Wire Inside Me by merle_p (post 12x07)

Bullet for my Valentine by merle_p (ep 11x05)

the apprentice year by deadlybride (between s7 and s8)

what lasts by deadlybride (gencest s8 canon divergence)

Getting Down And Out by verucasalt123 (post ep 10x12)

timshel by deadlybride (ep 11x20 + early seasons retrospective)

a few things worth saying by hathfrozen (s10 canon divergence)

the blood in your mouth by hathfrozen (s11 biting, cannibalism kink, sweeter than that sounds lol; I recorded podfic for this)

Camp by LaughableLament (s11 era fake relationship case fic)

Summer Film Festival of Death by OldToadWoman (case fic, canon compliant through s11; includes a side pairing for Mary)

almost rosy by shiftylinguini (post-ep 12x02)

The Starving Time by Sintari (s12 case fic)

Memory Box by smalltrolven (post 12x08/12x09, Sam has powers)

presumption by deadlybride (post 12x05)

so let it out and let it in by nowhere_blake (12x02, I made podfic for this, too)

All Things Series by sonofabiscuit77 (s12, s12)

Rec Lists:

Caretaker!Dean in the Bunker is a rec list of bunker era hurt sam fic

Mary Finds Out is mostly s12, I think, but leans Mary critical due to the request.

Self Recs:

his body is his but he gives it to me (11x09 pwp, possessive/protective exhibitionist Dean)

To Reclaim Love's Obsession (11x13/11x14 love spell)

[raayllum]

fics of mine to check out if you haven't, a non-comprehensive list (and some co-written with thosefiveadoraburrs)

MULTI-CHAP:

21 days: They say it takes 21 days to form a habit. // Rayllum from 1x03-3x05. 14k, Complete

looking for a way to break in: Canon divergence/AU. In a world where the moral lines of Dark Magic are less evenly divided, Rayla is a Moonshadow elf in the service of the royal family of Katolis. Rayla is Prince Callum's bodyguard AU, slowburn. Complete, 97k.

if heaven and hell decide: Claudia convinces Soren to play the long game. OR: a post 2x03, canon divergence where Claudia and Soren travel with the trio rather than betraying them right away. 53k, Complete

love you again: AU as of S3. A prominent mage and on the cusp of his thirtieth birthday, Callum thinks he’s finally starting to truly leave the past behind. Until a kid claiming to be Rayla’s shows up on his doorstep, that is, asking for his help. Ongoing.

Horizons: Callum and Rayla make their way from the Starscraper to the Nexus. Set during S6; rated E. Twoshot

Teach Me How to Name the Bigger Light: Fanon S6 with a strange amount of overlap with canon S7 and speculative S8. 115k, Ongoing, probably the best thing(s) I've ever written fandom wise

(if time is money then) i'll spend it all for you: Runaan and Rayla's parents are de-coined. Now it's time to adjust to how the world and their daughter has changed, including her relationship with one particular human. 146k, Complete, canon up to S3.

as the poets say: When Amaya is accidentally caught up in a Sunfire prophecy and its subsequent ritual, her and Janai's journey to Mount Helios may finally force the two to confront their feelings for each other. Janaya, twoshot

ONESHOTS:

this fall just might kill me: Callum goes to the Sunfire elves to be purified in hopes of ridding himself of Aaravos' hold on him. It doesn't quite go according to plan. Rayllum, oneshot (canon up to S5), 7k

say the wind won't change on us: Callum discovers that Rayla came back to Katolis, secretly injured with a slow-acting curse, when they're already two weeks deep into sailing the Sea of the Cast Out. Arguments, caretaking, and the search for a cure ensues. 11k

a frightening thought: Soren thinks he may be falling in love with Corvus. This is a problem for more reasons than one. Sorvus, Rayllum, Soren&Callum

Hard to Please: A rumour regarding the prince of Katolis starts when he keeps rejecting proposals. 6k, set during the post s3 timeskip

will not be denied: Per the monarchs of old, King Ezran is visited by Lady Justice in a dream. 1.5k

i care if i am guilty: The Moon primal has its own consequences in store for Rayla’s choices. 3.8k

just wait for me to come home: Canon up until S3. Rayla runs and Callum chases her. It’s their own cycle to break. OR: the post-TTM reunion fic with a whole lot of angst. 16.8k

[thesrctsoftheuniverse]

I'm trying to write one really long s8 canon divergence fic from eddie's POV that has already become really near and dear to my heart and I can't stop thinking about. it has over 10k words and i think im not even halfway done and i want to finish and post it before the new year

but instead of being able to finish that my brain wont stop giving me post 8x08 buck angst fics and i keep writing smaller fics and adding to my ever growing pile of WIPs

[screamlet]

@ i wish you would write asks

fyi i haven't forgotten you!!! but work is work and brain is tired!

and i might? not write any other "what are your intentions?" additions/interstitials- i want the fic to stand on its own as much as possible 💖

it's not just a canon divergence story; i finished like 95% of it before the s8 premiere. the vibes now post-breakup are so, so different that i don't think i could capture their specific atmosphere anymore. so thank you for asking!! but after writing that one addition, i want them to stay in their little snow globe where no one can touch them, myself included lol

[lostintheuniverseslies]

Hi! I think you used to have an account on ao3 for 9-1-1 fics called dreaming_of_yesterday? I really loved your lawsuit! canon divergence Bucktommy fic "I'll be Lying Awake Counting all My Mistakes," and I think you'd paused it?

I just wanted to ask if you'd ever consider returning to that fic, and if not, thank you for sharing as much as you did as long as you did! I think you really captured the characters in a really lovely way, and I really enjoyed reading your updates when they happened. Best of luck with all of your other writing!

Oh my gosh hi! Yes, I originally paused it because I was having some major writers block. But then after 8x06 aired, I kind of lost all motivation. I really loved these two and what happened in 8x06 left me very sad and disheartened. I haven't even watched the rest of the episodes (which is unusual for me). So I ended up deleting the ao3 account and the fics because I didn't think I'd ever return to writing for 9-1-1 and I didn't want to leave those fics out there if I never intended to go back to them. (I realize now that was a shitty thing for me to do to the people who loved them). If you'd ask me a week or two ago, I probably would have said no, I wasn't going to return to it. But lately, I've been thinking about it. I do still love BuckTommy and "I'll Be Lying Awake Counting All My Mistakes" and some other projects I had in the works for them. I don't want to stop just because the show writers went somewhere else with the couple. I can't say definitely that I'll return but if I do, it would more than likely be the next couple of months during the shows winter break or after s8 finale. If I do put "I'll Be Lying Awake Counting All My Mistakes" back up, I'll probably do it on the one ao3 account I have (lostintheuniverseslies) but I'll be sure to post and tag on here so anyone who was a fan could see it's back. I appreciate your kind words and it honestly came at the right time as I've been struggling with figuring out what I wanted to do. Thank you for reaching out! 💕💕💕

[esther-dot]

Any good Jonsa fic you discovered lately? Looking for a Sunday read 💘

It Comes and Goes (canon divergence 5k, WIP)

“Are you alright?” A voice breaks her melancholy, and she jumps, turns, but it is just a boy, maybe a year or two older than her, with curly black hair, and purple eyes.

“Yes” She says quickly, scrubbing at the tears at her eyes, embarrassed to be caught so unladylike, her cheeks going a bit pink, “I’m fine thank you” She says, notes his black clothes, he must be a man of the Watch, but no, he mustn’t have taken his vows yet, and yet she is fixated by his eyes, such a perfect purple she can’t help but look into them.

resuscitation (breathe me back to life) (s8 canon divergence, 2k)

Hot tears sting her face as the kiss turns salty. But Sansa presses closer still, nearly clawing her way into Jon’s space, as if she tries hard enough she can meld them together, one heartbeat becoming two.

Once upon a time there was a white wolf (written like an old school fairytale, 2k)

The raven said that the wolf's kiss had changed the wolf-dragon and that the red wolf had to give him a wolf's kiss every day so that he would remain a wolf. So they were very happy, because the red she-wolf wanted to kiss the white wolf again and again and the white wolf wanted to kiss the red she-wolf again and again. The grey she-wolf thought it was all very strange, but she was happy that the white wolf was a wolf again, and so she thought it was alright.

(anytime we get a grossed out Arya I giggle)

i wanna learn to love (but all my tears have been used up) (post canon, 6k, WIP)

It's only then, when she finally allows herself to think of the children, that he crosses her mind.

sailorshadzter has a new one! i'm fire and i'll keep your brittle heart warm (canon divergence, Jon is Sansa's sworn shield in KL, 18k, WIP)

Jade_Masquerade has a new post s8 fic featuring jealous Jon always loved a queen (23k, WIP)

If you were looking for modern AUs, I would recommend ganymede_elegy and kingsansa's works.

I have some more recs in this tag and here are my AO3 bookmarks to give you more options.

Happy reading, anon!

[queeenpersephone]

20 questions for 20 writers

tagged by @katebishopofearth ilysm lizzy <3

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 53

2. What’s your total AO3 word count? 455,252 (almost half a mil)

3. What fandoms do you write for? so many. predominately, marvel, the x files, shadow and bone, the librarians, the umbrella academy, game of thrones (a few years ago). but i have a few i've only written one or two fics for.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos? like one of yours, ye multitudinous ocean (pjo) (2283 kudos) - delicate (marvel) (2005 kudos) - are you there, chloe? it's me, god (lucifer) (1428 kudos) - it will be a heaven of black-red roses (marvel) (1208 kudos) - a ring around the moon (s&b) (1170 kudos). the crazy thing? the top one i posted this year.

5. Do you respond to comments? ALWAYS. nearly every one, even if it's just 'this was great'. i only don't reply if it's just emojis (which are still appreciated! i just don't know what to say lol) or if it's like a rude demand for sequels or to update. i don't mind asking for a sequel, but just be nice about it.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? ooo that's hard. objectively though, it has to be the whole thing would fracture which is a strange daisy x coulson fic (agents of shield) where daisy, inspired by watching doctor who with fitzsimmons, causes the apocalypse when coulson is killed.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? that's a really hard question! new years day in terms of payoff (ironwidow) and now when weather turns to may (all my sisters fly to me) (doctor who, companions traveling together without the doctor) in terms of canon divergence lol. it's the epitome of everyone lives, nobody dies.

8. Do you get hate on fics? not very frequently! i think i'm in good fandoms (or good parts of fandoms at least) it's shocking considering that i ship some pretty touchy ships. i think i've gotten the most on ironwidow fics tbh. i always delete it without responding so i think that's why i get so little - zero interaction policy.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? oh yeah, although i held out for a long time. what kind? like mildly explicit? it's usually in a darker context, i suppose.

10. Do you write crossovers? i have! and forth he hastened (and grasped at moonbeams glistening), which is a lotr/game of thrones crossover. it was for a friend - i don't typically like crossovers, but it was fun!

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? yep - i've had some very kind people reach out to inform me, and i've always been successful in taking them down.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? yes! it's a huge compliment.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? yes! one. it's since been removed as my friend took down all of her work due to receiving hate

14. What’s your all-time favorite ship? this is pretty much an impossible question. if you put a gun to my head, i would still say it's a tie between the doctor and rose and natasha and tony. the doctor and rose changed my brain chemistry, and ironwidow basically taught me how to write.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? ooo i have this game of thrones soulmate!au where sansa's soulmates (one romantic, three platonic) are varys, jon, petyr, and daenerys. i have the whole timeline, and i posted three parts of it in a series. i genuinely love the concept so much and i've written a lot for it, but my love of the show took a huge hit in s8 and i don't plan on writing more of it.

16. What are your writing strengths? i think i'm pretty talented at dialogue. i've written poetry my whole life, so poetic descriptions are kinda my thing.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? there's so many things to improve on! general descriptiveness, getting better at showing emotions instead of telling them. writing longer stories is definitely difficult for me.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? i've done it, but infrequently. i don't even like indicators of accent (ie, strollin' instead of strolling) i think it can be offensive very easily. except endearments! love endearments in other languages, but i usually do some research to make sure i'm accurate.

19. First fandom you wrote for? i THINK harry potter? or pirates of the caribbean. fanfiction.net is down so i can't check. no i will not be telling y'all my fanfic.net handle it's better this way.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written? hi this is an impossible question. holistically, it's probably like one of yours, ye multitudinous ocean, a pjo fic that was ripped from my soul either this year. i believe it's one of the best things i've ever written, and has also gotten the best response of any fic i've written. in terms of plot, easily new year's day, which is a marvel rewrite with ironwidow as the focus. the yellow roses of texas (fiveya) is the most symbolic, layered, complex fic i've ever written and i love it to death. honestly, and it's gimmicky to say, i wrote a fic for the sorcerer's apprentice when i was 13 (with a mary sue OC and everything) that had a great response on fanfic.net and it made me want to do this for the rest of my life. so yeah. maybe that one.

yay i loved this! thank you again lizzy for tagging me.

Tagging: @rappaccini, @baronessblixen, @hedgehodgy, @gingerteaonthetardis, @imissthembutitwasntadisaster,

@impulsive-astrophile, @scullysflannel @repeatinglitanies, @scullysexual @thatfragilecapricorn30

pretty sure all these folks write/have in the past! feel free to ignore <3

[ithilien-writes]

31, 32, 37!

31. Do you take liberties with canon or are you very strict about your fic being canon compliant?

i write canon divergence sometimes definitely but i like the challenge of keeping things as canon compliant as possible, especially for aus tbh. a lot of my au concepts are like 'what if everything was exactly the same, except this one thing' bc that's what i generally vibe with. i typically keep canon compliant even with storylines i don't/didn't particularly like, but i will make an exception here or there if something is just especially dumb. mostly though i will just try to write it in a way that makes it less dumb lol. i actually think that can be a fun exercise like, okay, what's a reading of this storyline that makes it less terrible? 🤔

32. How do you feel about smut?

i love smut!! i read a lot of smut. i sometimes write smut (though i did stop for my last fandom when Discourse started to happen and it became stressful rather than fun). i unironically think smut is a great tool for character exploration and depth. sex can tell you so much about someone and especially about pieces of their character you're less likely to see explored in the canon material

37. Talk about your current wips.

ngl, now that my current blorbos are back on my screen every week, i have not been writing nearly as much as i was over the summer. i think i sort of hit a wall on exploring where we left off post s7 and now i'm just ready to see where the actual show is gonna take it. so i'm optimistic that as storylines start to move forward i'll get inspired again. currently i've got three main wips that are well underway but have been kind of on pause: angsty post s7 eddie pov fic where buddie begins basically because eddie is afraid of losing buck, more fluffy post s7 eddie pov companion to my post s7 chris pov fic, and yet another post s7 chris pov fic centered around the tsunami anniversary where chris goes to stay with buck and causes problems for the buck/tommy relationship. honestly idk at this point if any of those will be completed - they might be supplanted by new s8 inspired stuff instead

fanfic writing asks

[quietwingsinthesky]

8 and 16 for the choose violence ask

8. Common fandom opinion that everyone is wrong about.

That Dean would return Cas’s love confession

Okay no actually you know what. I’m gonna talk about that. Maybe it’s just me being deep in Aro!Dean land, but I’m not seeing it. I’m not seeing at any point in the show where Dean loved Castiel. And I’ve been looking, I swear, but I’m. There’s no destiel on my screen. There is a lot more sastiel than I remember but there’s no destiel happening on my screen! There IS a lot of Castiel clearly having Problems and Issues and Angst about dean, and. Zero doubt here there that that angel wants to fuck him. But I honestly can’t imagine any happy ending for dean that revolves solely or even mostly around a romantic attachment. That man is hardwired for family being the most important thing to him, and I love that. Aro!Dean wins again.

Other notable things include: headcanoning Sam as not queer/trans because he’s too boring. Talked about that. Weird fucking opinion to have. That Gabriel is not exactly as fucked up as the other archangels, especially when presenting sabriel as the Good Sam Ship as opposed to samifer. My dudes, did we not watch mystery spot, do the reading. Also. Also. Not acknowledging the really clear character degradation of Lucifer in the later seasons/attributing later seasons stuff to how he acts in s5, just a personal gripe because whatever, people can read him however they want, but I really feel like on a meta level you gotta talk about how these are Two Different Characters who just happen to have been jammed into the same character. Okay. I think that’s it.

16. You can’t understand why people like this thing (characterization, trope, headcanon, etc.)

I do not like coffee shops AUs. Actually, it’s more that im Extremely picky about AUs that aren’t canon divergence, and will drop them immediately the minute I feel like I’m no longer reading about the characters I like and am instead reading about Generic Guys who say funny quips and then kiss. Which is not a coffee shop au specific problem but the frequency with which that kind of au attracts that writing means I have kind of been turned off from ever reading them again.

if you are writing Sam into your coffee shop au and at some point he does not drop some insane backstory about the time he was kidnapped and forced to fight to the death with a bunch of other college kids, you have failed at writing this au and I am banishing you to the shadow realm /j

The other thing that I do not understand at all, and this extends into a problem with canon, I’m well aware, is how happily people will accept the idea that Castiel is rebellious/different from other angels because he was just Made Wrong. he’s too Broken to be like a real angel. that all the other angels are mindless drones and Castiel is the one good one who could learn about free will, usually justified with it being that “his love for dean is what makes him special”, but even outside of destiel circles, this kind of thing gets very annoying lmao.

And it’s just. That’s wrong. The show might have decided post-s8 that it believed this about Castiel but it’s False and Bad. I’m gesturing wildly at Uriel and Anna and Gabriel and Lucifer and Balthazar and Michael and shit what’s that one angel doing pinball I love them, them too, and Castiel is not special!!! He should not be special!!! All angels have the capacity for free will, they are living under a terrifying system of suppression that has stripped them of their ability to use it and has taught them that when an angel does something they disagree with, killing them is a mercy! (See: the implications of that one angel healer in s9 + Uriel and Cas being sent to kill Anna for falling in s4)

CASTIEL IS NOT SPECIAL. STOP SAYING HE IS SPECIAL. THE CRACK IN THE CHASSIS LINE IS BAD TO HOLD UP AS EVIDENCE OF HIM BEING UNIQUELY FLAWED.

ahem. sorry. i like the supernatural angels. i think making castiel into some separate special being who is the only one capable of rebelling and feeling love and etc does a massive disservice to the heaven storylines and angels as a whole. i think the show’s choice to never have another major angel character who wasn’t killed off quickly/made “too evil” to redeem was a bad decision and contributes to this view of cas as Different and The Good One.

[epicbuddieficrecs]

Weekly Recap | December 23rd-29th 2024

Last weekly recap of 2024! I hope everyone had a good Christmas!

Now I gotta start working on my favorite fics of the year rec 🙈

Complete

Too Much is Never Enough by scarmaddiewrites (Hurt/Comfort, Getting Together | 1,8K | Teen): Buck doesn’t remember calling Eddie, let alone what the call was about. He definitely doesn’t remember Eddie showing up to his loft, crawling in bed behind him, and holding him so tight that his body was forced to relax. Or Eddie takes care of Buck after a call

drive on through the night (if it's a drive back home) by inbetweenthestacks/ @organizedstardust (Post-S8A, Christmas | 2K | General): “I miss Buck,” he says morosely into Eddie’s shoulder. “Grandma’s gingerbread isn't nearly as good as his.” Eddie huffs a laugh. “I miss him too, bud. I wish we could see him.” It somehow feels like an understatement. He thought moving would help with the ache in his chest from missing Chris, and it did, but the ache was just replaced by missing Buck instead. “I mean…” Chris says, sitting up. He gives Eddie a sideways look. “Could we?” -- The Diazes surprise Buck for Christmas.

see the lights, and hang the stockings by wafflesofdoom/ @capseycartwright (Christmas, Getting Together | 2K | General): Eddie finds out that Buck has never ever had a Christmas stocking of his own. He's very determined to change that and share a few Diaz family traditions.

homecoming by Wildehack (tyleet)/ @wildehacked (Post-S8A, Chris comes back from Texas | 3K | General): “You need to calm down,” Maddie says, putting her hand on his arm. Her eyes are doing that huge, sympathetic, shiny thing, and that’s totally not necessary.

You're all I need underneath the Christmas tree by giselleslash/ @gigi-gigi (Christmas, Getting Together, Post-S8A | 3K | General): Eddie’s in love with Buck, but he’s not sure he should tell him, well, at least not until Buck comes over one night and crawls under his Christmas tree.

i was made for loving you baby (you were made for loving me) by Anonymous (PWP, Post-S8A | 4K | Explicit): Eddie isn't moving to Texas, and instead has something else to say to Buck. Things escalate pretty fast.

Take off your clothes by Anonymous (PWP, Post-S8E6: Confessions | 4K | Explicit): Or, Eddie is a nudist when he can be, so Buck isn't surprised to find him half naked when he runs to him for comfort post-breakup. Except, maybe there is something different about it this time.

under the mistletoe (with you) by justhockey (Christmas, Getting Together, S8 5K Teen): Buck has a pretty good imagination, but never in his wildest fantasies could he have dreamed up the way that Eddie is looking at him right now. (Or, three times they kiss beneath the mistletoe, and one time they don't need it.)

i might kiss you on the back of your neck (because it’s christmas time) by sibylsleaves/ @sibylsleaves (Christmas, Established Buddie, Future Fic | 7K | Explicit): It's the holidays and Buck and Eddie are trying to snag an intimate minute alone..but between two young children and an adult son coming home for the break, it’s not as easy as they hoped. or, Five Times Captain Diaz and Recruit Lieutenant Diaz fail to sleep together and one time they do

run thru everything that u are by taegyungie (Christmas, Post-S8A, Getting Toghether, PWP | 9K | Explicit): The thing is: Eddie hasn’t had to think about dating at all - not until his mother called to remind him how thirty-something-and-single he is right before Christmas. It hasn’t crossed his mind much, it hasn’t interested him whatsoever. He’s having too much fun hanging out with Buck all the time. So no, he hasn’t considered dating men. Not really. He gets the idea and then he runs from it. Somehow, he always manages to run straight into Buck. The irony is not lost on him.

WIP

🔥 Finding Mr Christmas by JJK/@trenchcoatsandtimetravel (Canon Divergent, Reality TV, Christmas | 8/10 | 47K | Teen): "Welcome to Finding Mr Christmas! You’re all here chasing the same dream, to star in a Hallmark Christmas movie, and over the next few weeks we’re going to be putting you through your paces to see which of you has the most star quality and that ‘it’ factor that makes you shine above the rest." 🎄🎄🎄 An AU where Buck and Eddie meet as contestants on Hallmark's Finding Mr Christmas competition (and fall for each other).

Wherever you find love (make it last all year) by rainbow_nerds/ @rainbow-nerdss (Canon Divergent, Christmas | 5/7 | 8K | Mature): Buck first met Eddie on Christmas. This is the story of seven Christmases they spend together.

🔥 there is no road by littleghost/ @ghostlandtoo (Post-S8A, Eddie moves to Texas | 3/6 | 41K | Explicit): Years ago, almost a full decade, Shannon had asked him to move and Eddie refused because he was trying to build a life for himself again. Eddie knows if he asks Buck, he’ll get that same refusal. Worse, Buck could say yes and Eddie would be uprooting Buck from the very life he built for himself. He doesn’t ask, and Buck doesn’t offer, and they pack up Eddie Diaz’s life in Los Angeles into cardboard boxes. Or: Eddie moves to Texas. Buck buys his house. There’s a love story somewhere in here.

Podfic

[podfic] Happy Holidays to the Clown Car by All_I_Ask/ @alliaskisthepossibilityoflove, fic by letmetellyouaboutmyfeels/ @letmetellyouaboutmyfeels (Established Buddie, Christmas | 0-10min | Teen): Buck stresses about making their first Christmas perfect. Eddie proposes about it.

[captainelliecomb]

Fic Stats Halfway Through 2023

Haven’t had time to do a WIP Wishlist since round 20 in April. Am still reading and slowly commenting. Travelled for work twice as much in the first half of 2023 as I did all of 2021 and 2022 combined. Loads of downloading and reading offline.

In February, I randomly decided to track my fic reading this year. Have some stats as of the end of June. I haven’t read a single fic that doesn’t contain Jaime x Brienne. Sometimes paired with others, too. Haven’t been this monofannish in years.

I read fast, comment slowly, and write rec posts even slower. Not an official rec post, but I recommend everything and everyone in these lists.

Limitations: I know I haven’t written down all the fic I’ve read. I’d say at least 90% of it is in the spreadsheet. None of the lists but one include WIPs or they would dominate everything because I reread with every new chapter. I obsessively reread things. Top authors may appear more times than they have number of fic. Means I’ve reread some of their stories at least twice. I am awful at spreadsheets and manage only the most basic information. Absolutely no pretty charts either.

Time for the stats!

Words Read Feb - June: just under 13 million

Authors I’ve Read 20+ Times:

aviss (61) ddagent (53) tall_wolf_of_tarth (31) angel-deux (29) janie_tangerine (29) winterkill (29) chrkrose (27) Lady_in_Red (25) sdwolfpup (24) Zeta_Mei (20)

Most Read Completed Fic:

so all the world can see by EllisJay (ASOIAF) (9) Undisclosed Desires by Roccolinde (GOT) (5) To be in your arms again by sdwolfpup (GOT) (4) Beyond the Ice and the Fire by littleobird (GOT) (3) Choices by Gwen77 (GOT) (3) Ice by Gwen77 (GOT) (3) They Make You Swear and Swear by angelowl (GOT) (3)

Certainly not obvious I’ve often been in the mood for a show fix-it. I’m tentatively working on one myself.

Pretty much everything else in the spreadsheet has been read twice.

Most Read Currently-Being-Updated-and-Still-a-WIP Fic:

Come-into-my-castle by Zeta_Mei (ASOIAF canon divergence) (13) Pound of Flesh by The_Midget (GOT canon divergence) (9) Simple by languageintostillair (GOT fix-it) (7) when the sun shine, we shine together (Reality Show AU) (7) lover boy. by SeeThemFlying (Modern AU) (6)

Top Five Longest Completed Fic Read Once: 

Heart Full of Gasoline by sdwolfpup (Formula One AU) (406,767) Diamond in the Rough by cardinalgirl75 (Baseball AU) (374,333) Honor Compels Me by angel_deux (GOT S6 canon divergence) (335,399) The One: Game of Thrones Edition by motorbike_on_the_avenue (Reality Show AU) (236,912) Baby Mama by SeeThemFlying (Soulmate + Surrogate AU) (222,769)

Top Five Longest Completed Fic Read Twice:

Brienne-centric Kinktober 2021 by dancinginthecenteroftheworld (varies) (101,177) And Counting by nubbins_for_all (GOT S8 canon divergence) (97,301) All is Black by Weirwoo (GOT fix-it) (65,455) The Right Question by Aviss (pre-canon canon divergence) (56,354) Butterfly Effect by Aviss (pre-canon canon divergence) (51,274)

I know this debate goes around and around. This is where I learned GOT fic is canon divergence for me unless it specifically includes Jaime leaving. It’s fix-it at that point.

[destieltaggedfic]

Canon Divergence - Part 9

The last post was AUs let's go with canonverse but different today.

There's Only One Sure Thing That I Know – blinkiesays   Ao3

Set S6 AU.  Six months after Sam fell into the pit, Cas calls Dean asking for help.  They meet up in Ohio where they are now both stuck, unable to cross the state line.  Being in one location means they need to get jobs and a place to live while they figure out who has done this.

Word Count: 20k                              Graphic Sexual Acts

The Stranger You Recognize - Cynifer   Ao3

Set S1 AU.  Hungover after Sam refuses to go with him to find John, Dean is rescued by an angel.  That angel Castiel has been watching over him for years and wanted to meet him.  Dean agrees to let him tag along to find his dad and they become close.

Word Count: 18k                              Graphic Sexual Acts

One Word – angelofthequeers   Ao3

Set S8.  In the crypt, Dean sticks to his original script and tells Cas he loves him at the crucial moment.  But in the days that follow, just because he said it, doesn’t mean he’s going to do anything about it.  How will this one word change the events of S8?

Word Count: 43k                              Graphic Sexual Acts

First Son – paceprompting  Ao3

Set S10 AU.  The MoC is calling not really for violence, but for Dean to give into temptation.  Specifically, his temptation for Cas.  The angel quickly agrees to help especially after they discover it quiets the mark better than anything else, while they look for a cure.

Word Count: 41k                              Graphic Sexual Acts

Sign of God - Yool_chan   Ao3

Set S15.  They imprisoned Chuck in the Mark on Cas, but when Sam tells them all the horrible endings that Chuck showed him, including one where the empty had taken Cas because of the deal, Dean feels that if he’s always going to end up miserable he may as well have Cas in the meantime.

Word Count: 12k                              Graphic Sexual Acts

[addictedtostorytelling]

i’ve been rewatching csi from the beginning (because i’ve never been able to make it past season 9 without grissom) and i’m finally up to the end of season 7… i have like 3 episodes left and i’m SAD. this team dynamic is so special to me and i feel this slow crawl of devastation that i’m (again) witnessing the end of what has been for 7 seasons. soon sara won’t be her usually cute and passionate self (in love too) that we get see in season 7, and she’ll leave, and then warrick is going to die, and grissom will leave… and nothing will ever be the same on this show. i don’t know how to get over it. how did you do it? how do i move on? how do i mourn this team dynamic that i’ve loved for so long and get used to new variations of the team? god, i wish grissom came back for a proper full ep earlier than the freaking series finale and the new show. i’m just… not sure how to enjoy without them all 😭

hi, anon!

yours is a very heartfelt question, and, unfortunately, i am probably the wrong person to answer it, because i never really "got over" the changes to the show post-s7, either.

not gonna lie to you: i have only watched the s10-s15 era of the show once through in its entirety.

the s8 and s9 angst i can deal with in order to get to the happy gsr ending in episode 09x10 "one to go." however, i hate all later seasons of the show beyond that point with all the salt that is in me, not only because of the cast turnover but also because the writing and production values of the show changed so much as to make the series (and the remaining characters) unrecognizable.

most of the time, i just straight-up ignore the fact that those seasons exist, preferring to imagine my own canon-divergent au version of the show (starting from the end of s7) instead.

i really do not engage with them unless someone sends me an ask.

that so, i can't exactly tell you how to learn to accept the new team or get comfortable in that altered narrative landscape. i never did, on either count.

instead, my advice is this: keep in mind you're not obligated to finish watching csi if doing so isn't enjoyable to you. you fell in love with a particular group of characters, story universe, and cast dynamic, and if those things went away or ship of theseus'd themselves into a production that is fundamentally different from the one you fell in love with in every way save name, you don't have to stick around anymore.

remember: you're watching this show as a hobby, not a job.

the #1 rule of fandom is to follow your bliss, so if you're not naturally motivated to finish the series—and especially if the thought of doing so is actively causing you dread—then you don't have to force the issue.

give yourself permission to say, "for me, the series ends with episode 08x01 'dead doll' or episode 09x10 'one to go' (or wherever you want to draw your line in the sand)" and then walk away.

if you need closure, write your own au version of what happens after that point or else find some fanfic author whose vision aligns with your own. keep living blissfully in your s1-s7 happy place with the original team graveyard, where grissom is the boss and sara stays in vegas and warrick doesn't die and they all keep solving cases together until retirement.

and then don't sweat it.

you're not being a "bad fan" or letting anyone down, and there's still plenty of material in the early seasons for you to engage with.

now.

if you absolutely feel you must finish the show (for whatever reason), i guess one thing i might suggest is to engage with work from fans who genuinely enjoy the later seasons. i know there are some folks in this fandom who adore the new characters and team graveyard version 2.0. they write meta and fic and make gifsets about it, and they have a total blast doing so. hanging around their blogs might help you to find things to appreciate.

another thing you might do is give yourself permission to "cherry-pick." watch just to see what happens. if there's stuff you like, go ahead and incorporate it into your conception of the show. the rest, discard. as i said above, you're not obligated to enjoy the show in a certain way and especially not "across the board." so if you like the fact sara has mother-in-law drama but hate the fact she gets divorced? then keep the first thing and toss out the second. if canon makes a stupid-ass decision, you can elect to ignore it.

and regardless of whether you ultimately decide to finish out your watch-through or not, don't forget: the beginning of the story—i.e., those seven golden seasons you so love—will always be there, and you can return to them as often as you want. the beauty of a story is that it exists in perpetuity. grissom, catherine, warrick, nick, sara, and greg will all still be there waiting for you, and you can continue to enjoy their dynamics however you best prefer them.

good luck, anon! if you choose to continue your watch, i hope you enjoy yourself. if not, then i hope you have fun mentally setting up shop in the early seasons.

i certainly do!

thanks for the question! please feel welcome to send another any time.

[ariastarke]

welcome to ariastarke 🫶

m, 24, she/her. fanfic writer, avid reader, sylvia plath and jane austen trash.

quick links:

about page

ao3 (main ships: gendrya, elriel, jurdan)

follow my pinterest! + a quick breakdown of my pinterest boards!

taylor swift songs as book recommendations: the complete series (wayyy under construction)

my fic masterlist (up to date!)

the ariastarke fanfic guide for beginners, aka my favorite works that i’ve written:

all i ask (7/7, 66k words, gendrya, teen). fake dating, modern au

in the heat of moments with your heart playing up cold (1/1, 16k words, gendrya, mature). canon divergence, friends to lovers

you made it a joke (that’s how the fun ends) (1/1, 21k words, gendrya, explicit). 7 weddings and no funerals, fwb, modern au

what i’ll say is just what i’m hoping for (2/2, 23k words, gendrya, mature). canon divergence, post-s8, fix-it fic

but we were something, don’t you think so? (1/1, 20k words, gendrya, mature). modern au, breakup fic, 5 year timeline

everyone knows you’re the way to my heart (2/2, 32k words, gendrya, explicit). modern au, winter olympics, friends to lovers

want me down to the marrow (1/1, 5k words, elriel, mature). unresolved sexual tension, missing moments