#samaras fic recs

[drelldreams]

wanted to share this thanemara (samara/thane) fic. 💗

[linovadraws]

Hey, I loved The Last Binding trilogy, and your art is beautiful. Do you have any recs of similar (as in queer, not necessarily historical or magic) writing, that you have enjoyed?

Thank you @vmcgmidlifecrisis!

As for queer recommendations...I read a lot! And a lot of what I read has queer characters, but somehow I always immediately blank out when doing recommendations. So here's some that I either JUST read or have been rotating in my brain lately.

I've been re-reading Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner and it's sequels and prequels and it's been a great time! Almost everyone in the stories is queer and also probably involved in a murder/learning to murder/doing advanced mathematics.

I read Long Time Dead by Samara Breger in the fall and it's still constantly on my mind. It is a sapphic gothic vampire romance that is very very fun and I really appreciated the characterizations and relationships, even outside of the main couple. Poppy Cavendish is a delight and her biggest regret is that she can't eat human food anymore when she becomes a vampire.

For contemporary queer romance, I read the Carlisle duology which is Truth and Measure and Above All Things by Roslyn Sinclair in August and was delighted the entire time. It is an adapted Devil Wears Prada fic, but I think it stands really well on its own! It is also super hot! I normally hate romance novels where a character is pregnant and yet?? AND YET?? I loved this one.

[depressed-sock]

Here are the fics I did for Spec Recs! :D

A shot of whiskey before the bar fight starts

Coats/ Nonbinary Shepard

There are a lot of reasons he should just stay out of it. He's on shore leave, he's had a few drinks in him already, the kid looks like they can handle themself just fine. The list goes on and on. And yet somehow that doesn't stop him as he slides up to the bar right between the kid and the asshole bothering them. Signaling the bartender for another drink. 

Patch me up, Kiss me better   

Karin Chakwas/Zaeed Massani

Doctor Chakwas helps patch up Zaeed after he takes a hit from a mission.

A few moments before

Kasumi Goto/Keiji Okuda Greybox

A small moment spent just before the Normandy goes through the Omega 4 relay.

A place to rest    

Falere & Samara (Mass Effect)

Falere rebuilds a little bit at a time.

I'm sure I put the fleet somewhere    

Kaidan Alenko/Jack | Subject Zero/Male Shepard

The galaxy becomes lawless after the Reapers are defeated. Somehow that just means Shepard gets himself into trouble more often then before.

Losing the Soul

Akksul/Evfra de Tershaav

Evfra cannot be angry at him. He can feel his own anger blistering and festering under his skin.

[sparatus]

What one of your works do you suggest someone start with?

honestly frankly given i have over 120 works on ao3 it's hard to rec anything when i dont know your preferences or anything, i don't know if you want longfic or one-shots or story-focused works or ship stuff or au or what. my pinned post is my current main wips so a good starting point is looking at that for the serieses i'm working on and seeing if those appeal to you, or just going to my works page and filtering by ship or character or what have you. you know what you want buddy idk what to tell you i have a lot of works and predominantly write niche shit

that said, i'll group a few recs by length, just to make this easier. all titles are links.

one-shots:

"Prince With a Thousand Enemies" (8.7k), and its companion piece "To Be Loved, To Be Loved" (7.2k); Sparatus/OC, backstory work

the I'll Follow You series; Desabrudas, pre-canon, backstory work

"The Demon"; Morinth & Samara, pre-canon

"A Luncheon Most Foul" (7k), aka "wives club"; Aediteia Epirian & Nautilea Victrilianus, OC-centric

"When the Lights Go Down" (3.8k); Kryterius, post-canon

"The Driver" (5.7k); turian OC-centric, Sparatus's staff

"Still on Patrol" (3.7k); turian OC-centric, naval horror

"run, boy, run" (5.8k); Kryterius, pre-canon, pre-relationship

"Roots in the Riverbed" (2.2k); salarian OC-centric

chapter fics:

To Catch a Rabbit; 11 chapters, 82k, Kryterius murder mystery mission fic, complete, sequel in progress

Serpents in the Garden; 4 chapters, 16.2k, pre-ME1 Council political intrigue and conspiracy

The Silence is Killing Me; 4 chapters, 14.5k, post-ME1 Sparatus dealing with PTSD from the Destiny Ascension crisis

Broken Mirror; 77 chapters, 334k, no-Reapers AU, large cast, Saren isn't the villain, first in an ongoing series with 2 sequels complete and 2 more underway

In Retrograde; currently in progress, OC-centric, rewrite of an older OC series co-written with xMidnightSun

that's all you're getting for summaries you're just gonna have to trust me on these

broken mirror and the rest of its series are the main thing i always want people to read but i acknowledge the first third of it shows its age a lil and also 334k is A Lot. but also the first sequel following it (blood in the water) is one of my magnum opuses i think and im frequently told is the best in the series so far So There. also the companion novella to the big second arc (the weight of memory) is easily some of my best shit. but yeah 334k is a big ask so probably start with silence serpents or rabbit if you want to start with the chaptered works and go from there.

[glygriffe]

Reading & Rec List of the month

Since I didn't read anything Irish-themed this month, I thought I could at least make this end-of-March rec list a little green!

Supernatural Fanfics

Something like that an untitled drabble by @chapeldean (Dean & Charlie)

Untitled therapy drabble: a conversation between Sam and Dean, set after 15 x 18, by @starcrosseddeancas

As a captive: a rewrite of Appointment in Samara by silver_penny that is ethereal and makes you reflect on life and death. (Dean, Death, Tessa)

Are You Okay: a short fluff piece about a hunt gone slightly wrong written by @octoberclidan (Dean x Reader)

Helping: love this canon slice of life by @starlitesky set late in Kelly's pregnancy (Castiel & Kelly)

They were roommates: Drunk Cas cannot hold his tongue about anything including his feelings. A fun little Sastiel piece by @posingasme (Castiel x Sam)

What Goes Around Don't Come Around (or Maybe It Does): The light and the warmth that Crowley deserves by @rauko-creates that I discovered thru the First Sentence Game (Dean x Crowley)

In the Woods (Soulless!Sam edition): by @amemipiacitu. Castiel is still captive, and Dean is still mute, but this version of the story is darker than anticipated. First chapter was written for the Weekly Prompt Challenge (WPC) of the Fanfic Lounge.

Plain sight: AU about a kidnapping that has a lot of twists and turns for a shorter fic! By @luci-in-trenchcoats (Dean x Reader)

Untitled outline by @queerstudiesnatural where Dean uses his words as much as he can… This is lovely 🥰 (Dean x Castiel)

Untitled Lily Saunder pitch set after 15x18 by @sailorsally that gives me Little Mermaid’s vibes (Dean x Castiel)

Prompted: a reread because @bobwess is a master at bloody hurt/comfort short stories (Dean x Castiel)

Not related to Supernatural

Microfiction about someone (Anghim) fond of climbing ☺️ by O. Westin /@microsff

Murdered by Mr Hand Man: My first My Hero Academia fanfic read! (I don't even watch the show or read the mangas..) Shigaraki Tomura coming into the real world to murder you. By dino_boy on AO3. Courtesy of the Fanfic Lounge WPC.

Nobody Likes The Duke Of The North: A fic also written for the @fanficlounge by @verobatto that I should have read a little sooner, but that I discovered thru the First Sentence Game (Original work)

I also started to read two paper books: American Gods by @neil-gaiman and Douze coups de théâtre by Michel Tremblay (around 20 of his stage plays are available in English I don't know about his novels, tho).

Have a good time, and make new friends between the pages!

[general-du-vallon]

Recs list

I've been reading a few fics about our favourite absolute love of a musketeer Porthos :) Here are some I've loved a lot!

Wonders by Anonymous

Porthos gets a letter from Samara.

Either I've read this before or I read another one where he gets a letter from Samara that I loved, I believe the first but either way it's warm and fun and a lot of things in a small space. It's really lovely little rumination, and gives Porthos something good about his heritage as well as all the sadness in the show.

Holding On by Stk (Silasthekitty)

d'Artagnan getting to know the others in modern AU having many panic about Porthos's lovely grabby hands, so much fun! I love the relationship between them all and how d'Artagnan is seduced. It's also very funny.

Fever by Swashbuckling

Gen fic where Aramis (eventually) takes care of Porthos who is a bit ridiculous and of course very lovely. a little hurt/comfort slice of fluff. They're nicely characterful and I like the way they talk and things. Also they take good care of Porthos which is BEST.

Porthos Paper Doll by Irusu

Not a fic, just a glorious art, it is what it says on the tin - a paper doll design with some little outfits how great!

EDIT: add any gay Porthos centric fics if you have recs pleassseee your own too I want MORE.

[grandprixbarzal]

ABBY

THIS WAS SOO GOOD

OH MY GOD ABSOLUTELY AMAZING THE TENSION WITH NICO 😮‍💨

enchanted- nico hischier

word count: 6k

summary: from the moment you met nico hischier, you were enchanted by him.

warnings: platonic!jack x reader, unrequited love (?), sorts angsty, drinking, slight jealous nico, trevor x reader implied but for like literally a second, unedited

note: this is very prologue-esque and more of a background to the actual story so yeah. questions, comments, concerns are always welcome <3

Being five years old and one of the only kids on your street wasn’t exactly fun, but when the Hughes family bought the neighboring house and your mom told you that they had three sons, you were over the moon. You didn’t care that they were all boys, you were just glad to have potential friends that you could play with, even if it meant learning how to play a sport. However, no one ever expected you to become attached to the hip of Jack Hughes, and him to yours.

From the moment you met, he was your best friend. He included you in everything, taught you how to play street hockey, and he even yelled at his brothers if they were being a little mean to you. People often told the two of you that you were destined to get married, but neither of you agreed. You both knew you were always going to be by each other’s side, just as best friends, for as long as you lived. Even years later, and a few relocations, the two of you were never far from each other.

OCT 2019

“Jack, are you sure they don’t mind me coming,” You asked for what seemed like the hundredth time that night, “I don’t want to intrude on your team thing.”

You leaned forward over the center console so you could look at Jack, ignoring Ty’s quiet chuckles as he drove to his teammates house. Nerves crawled across your skin as the thought of meeting his teammates slowly inched closer to reality. This was different from meeting his friends from World Juniors; these were professional hockey players making more money than you could ever dream of. Your eyes were wide and swimming with worry as Jack turned to look at you, his lips turned up in a smile as he shook his head.

“It’s fine,” He said your name through a breathy laugh, “I promise. Besides, they all really want to meet you.”

“And see if he’s lying about you not being his girlfriend,” Ty added, casting you a playful wink before turning back to the road.

“Yeah, that too,” Jack feigned annoyance as you rolled your eyes, “But mostly they just want to meet the person I talk to all the time.”

With Jack’s reassurance, you leaned back in the seat and closed your eyes, trying to bring your heart rate back to a normal speed. The sounds of the city faded into a hum as you relaxed into the cool leather of the Range Rover, trying to clear your mind of the anxious thoughts that plagued you any time you were to meet new people. Jack being by your side brought comfort, but that unfortunately didn’t stop the knots from twisting in your stomach.

What if they didn’t like you? What if you embarrassed yourself in front of them? What if Jack stopped talking to you because you didn’t fit in? That thought alone made you want to hurl in the backseat of the car, but the feeling of the car stopping followed by seatbelts unbuckling tore you away from the insecurities and back to reality.

Ty and Jack shared a look with each other as you stared at the house, gripping the edge of the seat like you were about to fall out of it. Ty hops out of the car and makes a beeline straight for the house, while Jack opens your door and gently grabs your wrist, tugging your body out of the car. He’s known you long enough to know that you would talk your way out of going inside if he gave you the opportunity, so he didn’t.

“C’mon, they’re gonna like you, I promise,” He tried as the two of you walked towards the door, “Plus, they probably want to ask you how you’ve put up with me for so long.”

You swallowed the growing lump in your throat, pushing back the feeling of being a foreigner amongst hockey stars and their girlfriends. You didn’t want to ruin your only chance at a first impression because you were nervous, so you put up the best facade you could as Jack pushed the door open. He glanced at you one last night, jerking his head as a signal for you to go before him, and you did.

People you’ve only seen in pictures were scattered across the house, only a few of them breaking conversations to glance at you. Those who did, were instantly on their feet and making their way towards you with beaming smiles and a teasing glint to their eyes. You forced yourself to let go of the fabric of your dress that you had been crumbling between your fists, extending your hand to meet who you knew to be Andy, thanks to what you’ve seen on twitter.

“Hey guys! You must be Y/N,” He greeted, carefully shaking your hand, “It’s nice to finally meet you! I’m Andy and this is my wife, Rachel.”

“Nice to meet you, too,” You grinned as you swapped his hand with his wife’s, hoping that your own wasn’t damp with sweat, “Thank you so much for including me.”

“Any friend of Jack’s is a friend of ours,” Andy stressed the word, brows slightly lifting as he glanced between the two of you.

“Well, I truly appreciate it,” You laughed, “Jack’s more like an annoying brother, so it’ll be nice to know other people in the city.”

Jack stayed close enough to your side as some of his teammates slowly filtered towards him, greeting them in their own ways before they moved to introduce themselves to you. You slowly felt the weight lift from your shoulders as they treated you with nothing but kindness and like you were no different than them. You’d barely been able to move from the door since your arrival, too busy making introductions and brushing off comments about Jack being your boyfriend.

Then, you watched as a guy who was easily the most attractive person you’d ever seen in your life approached you with kind eyes and a gentle smile. He had his hair tucked underneath a backwards cap, his body clad with dark jeans and a tan shirt that hung loosely over his frame. You forced yourself to look away, eyes darting to the floor as you, once again, grasped at the fabric of your dress. Jack takes notice to the way your body language shifts, and a coy smile toys at his lips, but he knows now isn’t the time to tease you.

“Hi, I’m Nico,” He reaches his hand out to you once he’s standing right in front of you.

His eyes were brown; the kind of brown that reminded you of fresh soil in a blooming garden. His voice was deep and accented in a way that enveloped you like a warm and comforting blanket. His touch made your heart race and nerves bubble in your chest as you take his hand in your own. It was weird how quickly you felt yourself become attracted to someone you quite literally just met, but you were going to keep it to yourself for as long as you could.

“Hi,” You shyly introduce yourself, the hair on your arm raising, “It’s nice to meet you.”

“It’s nice to meet you, too,” He smiled, dimples denting his cheeks in a way that almost sent you to your knees.

You dropped his hand, your own falling to your side, and you swear you saw Nico drag his eyes up and down the length of your body. Suddenly regretting your outfit choice, you cleared your throat and turned away from him and towards Jack, who had been watching the interaction with an amused smile. You narrowed your eyes at him, earning a laugh as he shook his head.

Your head snapped towards the large group of people when you heard your name being called, “Why don’t you come tell us how you’ve managed to put up with Jack for so long?”

NOV 2020

Going back home for American thanksgiving was thrown off the table the second Toronto had one of its biggest storms in years. The airport, and many surrounding others, were shut down with an undetermined date of reopening due to so much damage. With your mom being American, your family celebrated both Canadian and American thanksgiving, but your school schedule only allowed you time to go back home in November, and you’d been looking forward to it for months. The second your mom called you with the news, you couldn’t help but deflate in disappointment.

When Jack found out you were missing the holiday with your family, he immediately extended an invite for his team party to you. It wasn’t going to be much, he had said, just some of the wives and their girlfriends, including his own, having dinner. You initially declined the offer, telling him you didn’t want to third wheel, but it wasn’t until Jack’s girlfriend showed up at your apartment door to get ready with you that you truly realized how badly you wanted to go.

“Thank you,” You said for the hundredth time, smoothing out the wrinkles in your shirt before following her out the door.

“Stop thanking me,” She playfully rolled her eyes, “No one should have to be alone on Thanksgiving, and Jack agreed when I suggested I come over and “make” you come with us.”

Knowing that she came on her own accord made tears line your eyes, and it made you feel welcome. Out of all of his previous relationships, none of them ever made you feel comfortable like she did. They all tried to force you out of his life because they were convinced you were in love with him or vice versa, but not Ava. Ava was gentle and she was kind, and you had no idea how Jack managed to pull her.

You followed her out of your apartment building and to the parking spot Jack’s car was occupying. You slid into the backseat, responding to Jack’s greeting with one of your own as Ava put all of her stuff in the trunk. Once everyone was buckled in and ready to go, Jack set off to whoever’s house the dinner was being hosted at and the three of you fell into natural conversation, making the drive there fly by.

You helped them carry the food they brought inside, poking fun at Jack because you knew he didn’t cook any of it. He insisted he was actually a phenomenal chef, but you were quick to remind him of the undercooked chicken from the week prior, and he went silent. When you walked inside, you were shocked to see so many of the guys and their significant others spread throughout the house. Most of them weren’t from the states, and you fully expected them to be home, but you supposed they couldn’t pass up the bonding opportunity.

You followed the couple into the kitchen, listening to Ashlee’s instruction of where to set the tray of desserts in your arms. When you turned to follow after Jack and Ava to go mingle with some of the others, you ran straight into the chest of the one person you didn’t want to be alone with.

Nico’s hands carefully grasped your biceps to keep you steady as your hands instinctively flew to his chest. The feeling of his calm heartbeat underneath your palms was a stark contrast to your own as it slammed into your ribcage and your thoughts became hazy underneath his heavy stare. You swallowed thickly, slowly craning your neck to meet his eyes. He had a smile plastered on his face, his facial hair reduced to nothing but stubble now, as his dark eyes gazed into your own.

“Careful, sünneli, ” He teased as his thumbs rubbed subtle circles against you, making your skin light on fire.

“I didn’t know you were right there,” You mumbled, your cheeks growing warm at the unfamiliar nickname as your fingers slightly scrunched the fabric of his shirt.

“I could tell,” He laughed, “I didn’t know you were coming today. I figured you would go back to your family.”

You couldn’t help but let your shoulders slump at the mention of your family, your eyes falling to the ground as you dropped your hands and pinched at the hem of your shirt, “I was supposed to, but the weather is too bad for planes right now. So, I stayed here instead.”

Nico, noticing the shift in your demeanor, dropped his hands down to your elbows, squeezing them gently as he spoke, “I’m sorry. Being away from family is not easy, but helps to focus on the people around you. That’s what I do when I miss home.”

You tried to cover your pathetic sniffle by clearing your throat, but he picked up on it anyway. Nico was quick to pull you into his chest, his arms wrapping around your upper body as you instinctively wrapped your own around his waist. His embrace was warm and it was safe as silent tears slid down your cheeks, your hold tightening ever so slightly.

While you wouldn’t say you were the closest with Nico, he had grown to be someone you considered a friend during your time in Jersey. He always treated you with nothing short of kindness and respect, and that didn’t help the ever growing crush you had on him. You occasionally let yourself believe that his lingering touches and flirty comments meant something, but you were always quick to slap yourself out of it. You knew better, or you thought that you did.

“Let’s go out there and enjoy the dinner,” Nico suggested as he pulled away from you, voice soft and gentle, “You can sit with some of us at the “singles table”.”

“Yeah, I’d like that,” You shyly smiled as you wiped at your cheeks to get rid of the any evidence of your sadness.

You sit with Nico and a few others at what he dubbed the “singles table”, which was really the couch closest to the door, mingling and laughing as they talked about whatever came to mind. Though, it was a little hard for you to focus with Nico’s thigh pressed against your own and his arm slung across the back cushion behind you. To make matters worse, every time he leaned forward to grab his drink, he would delicately place his hand on your knee, and it made your body light on fire.

Jack noticed the two of you walk out of the kitchen together, subtly elbowing his girlfriend as he watched you sit on the couch. She watched with wide, adoring eyes as gushing whispers of how cute the two of you would be filled Jack’s ears. When he met your gaze, he passed you a teasing wink, laughing when your face flushed and shook your head, forcing your eyes away from his own.

When it was time to eat, everyone filtered over to the multiple plastic tables that had been pushed together to make one long one. You made sure to take the seat next to Ava before anyone else could, and Nico took the spot on the other side of you. You ignored her stifled giggles and the way Jack raised his eyebrows, choosing to keep yourself occupied with passing along the various items being handed across the group of people.

Loud voices filled the room as a few of the guys brought the food out, setting the large turkey in the middle of the table with sides surrounding it. You fawned over the mashed potatoes with Ava, but Nico pulled your attention away when he pointed at the green bean casserole with his face twisted in disgust and asked what it was. She subtly elbowed you in the side, silently teasing you as your face flushed and your eyes brightened the moment you looked at him.

“It looks,” He paused, his eyes flitting down to you, “Unappealing.”

“Don’t worry,” You laughed, as you smoothed the napkin in your lap, “I don’t like it either, but it’s unfortunately a staple for the holiday. You should try it. It might surprise you.”

“Maybe. That’s happening a lot lately,” His voice trailed into a whisper, his eyes darting to his plate in front of him as he shifted in his seat.

You tried not to read too much into what he said or his actions following, choosing to instead fall into conversation with the others around you. Everyone ate, joked, and told stories of their life before Jersey, and it made the time fly by. Before you could really grasp it, everyone was packing up their things and helping clean the house before they departed for the evening. You and Ava assisted a few of the wives and girlfriends with the dishes, wanting to get them done so Ashlee didn’t have to worry about them tomorrow.

Once the house was cleaner than it was when everyone arrived, people started to filter out the front door after bidding those still present a goodbye. A few still stood off in corners and mingled with each other, waving at those who called their names as they slipped out of the door. You held a small container in your hand as you followed Ava out of the kitchen, passing everyone smiles and side hugs as you went. Jack’s hovering near the door with a few of the guys, Nico included, waiting for the two of you.

“Ready,” Jack asks as he slings his arm across Ava’s shoulders, “We’re going to go back to mine and Ty’s place and hang out if you guys want to come.”

You watched the way Nico’s body stiffened, his eyes avoiding your own as he nervously cleared his throat, “I already have plans, but maybe next time.

“Yeah, he’s meeting up with Mia,” Miles dragged out her name, clapping Nico on the back as he teased his friend, “I’ll swing by though. I’m not doing anything.”

Ava and Jack didn’t miss the way your entire body sunk, your gaze falling to the floor as your hands tightly grasped at the container. You felt stupid for being so upset by the news, but you should’ve known better than to let yourself think that Nico’s flirting meant anything. You’d been surrounded by hockey players almost your whole life, you know that it was all fun and meaningless for them, and he was no exception.

“Alright,” Jack spoke, trying to shove some of the newfound anger towards his teammate down his throat, “We’ll meet you there. See you later, Nico.”

Nico couldn’t help but let his eyes land on you again, and it wasn’t hard to notice the way your demeanor had changed. The brightness in your eyes and smile were faint now as you waved goodbye to everyone behind you. Jack and his girlfriend didn’t bother to spare a second glance at him as they walked out of the house and out into the frigid New Jersey air, and neither did you.

SEPT 2021

With Jack finally moving out of Ty’s apartment and into his own this season, he decided to have his own version of a house warming party. He and Ava had broken up before the summer, neither of them wanting to do long distance since she was moving across the country for her new job. That left the decorating and most of the party planning to you, which you preferred anyways. If it was up to Jack, he’d slap a keg in the middle of his apartment, buy one bag of chips for everyone, and call it good.

The two of you spent the better part of the day cleaning his apartment and getting what little furniture and decorations he had put up around his place. He did, however, listen to your advice a lot better than you thought he would’ve, but you knew it was only because he was nervous about having everyone over in what was his first place to himself. He even went out and bought a few random decorative pictures to hang on the wall because he felt like it was too bland, but you replaced them with pictures he had of his family and friends, and of the team.

Hours later, Jack’s apartment was littered with people he’d met during his time in Jersey. Most you knew, some you didn’t, and others you didn’t want to thanks to their nasty sneers when you would talk to him. Being ridiculed by Jack’s relationships, a term you used very loosely, seemed to increase tenfold now that his fame consistently grew. For the most part, it didn’t bother you, but you did have to delete your original instagram account and start a whole new, private account to keep yourself a little sane.

You were in the kitchen getting yourself a new drink when you felt a presence weigh on your chest, and you didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. Ever since Thanksgiving last year, you avoided interacting with Nico unless you had to. It was over dramatic on your part, a fact Jack often reminded you of, but you were trying to shake off the feelings you had for him. You wanted to be able to act normal around him, and every time Nico even spoke to you, you were thrown back to square one.

“Hey,” His voice was right behind you, “How was your break?”

You spun on your heels, your shoulder brushing against his chest because he was that close to you, and nearly stopped breathing the moment you met his stare. He’d cut his hair over the summer and let his beard grow up more than usual, and the sight made you want to melt. Guilt pitted in your stomach as you reminded yourself that you shouldn’t think about him like that anymore. It wasn’t fair.

“It was nice,” You mumbled, internally pleading with yourself to step away from him, “How was yours?”

“Yeah, mine was nice, too,” He lightly chuckled as his danced across your face, “So, I was wondering if you—”

“There you are,” Jack shouted as he pushed into the kitchen, stopping in his tracks as his eyes darted between the two of you, his eyebrows raising, “Matt just got here. He’s looking for you.”

Your mouth dropped open to respond, but Nico’s voice smothered your own, “Who’s Matt?”

The air in the kitchen thickened with an unknown tension, Nico’s stare returning to you as he watched your chest rapidly rise and fall. Your eyes were wide, pleading with Jack who looked just as lost as you were after he walked in on his best friend and now captain only centimeters apart. Swallowing thickly, you close your eyes and side step away from Nico before letting out a deep sigh.

“He’s my boyfriend,” You mutter, quickly walking away from the two men to go find the aforementioned boyfriend.

“What was that about,” You heard Jack ask, his tone slightly accusatory and clipped.

“Nothing.”

The rest of the night, you stayed glued to Matt’s side, letting him gush about how he was surrounded by his hometown hockey team. You found yourself searching for Nico more often than you cared to admit, but what was shocking to you was that he was already looking at you every. single. time. The moment your eyes would meet his, you willed yourself to look away from him and focus on the guy whose arm you were tucked under, but you couldn’t. He had you locked in.

To make matters worse, when the two of you managed to finally end up in the same circle of people that Nico was in, he was anything but nice to Matt. His usual gentle tone was replaced with short, harsh cords anytime he spoke to your boyfriend. It shocked you enough that you wanted to leave the party entirely, but Matt didn’t seem to notice, or maybe he just didn’t care.

“Thanks for having me, man,” Matt expressed, his face bright with excitement, “Hopefully I’ll see you guys again sometime soon!”

You broke up with him a week later.

DEC 2022

This last year was eventful, to say the least. You were in the hardest year of college, spending more time stuck in the library with a new group of friends as you all studied until your brains were fried to even pass junior year. When summer came, you went to Michigan with Jack like you always did, and you even had a very short and meaningless fling with Trevor. Though if Jack were to ask, nothing happened.

When you returned to school that September, you had an entirely new outlook on life. You were tired of trying to have a plan for everything, you were tired of holding on to things that weren’t good for you. You were going to lead your life with the intention of taking care of yourself, building yourself up instead of tearing yourself down because of others.

The moment Jack had called you to ask if you would be interested in tagging along with a few of his teammates for New Years Eve, you instantly agreed. The semester was a little stressful, yet still nothing compared to last year, and you hadn’t had much time to see Jack let alone go out. So when the opportunity presented itself to you, you were more than happy to oblige.

The bar was loud, the air sticky and damp as bodies pressed against each other and alcohol spilled onto the floor. You held on to Charlie’s hand as you shoved your way through until you could see the group of boys that were shoved in the same corner they always were. They were huddled in a circle, some of their bodies shielding you from seeing who all was there, but you knew you’d find out who was there soon enough.

“Hey guys,” You yelled over the mixture of loud music and voices, earning the attention from those in the group.

Jack was immediately pulling you into his chest as everyone called out your name in a greeting, tipsy smiles and slightly glazed over eyes already adorning their faces. When you finally escaped the arms of your best friend, a few of the others replaced him and tugged you into their side as you introduced Charlie, who looked slightly overwhelmed, to everyone. You were relaxed and carefree as you fell into conversation with the others, and then you saw him.

You hadn’t really spoken to Nico over the last year, only really speaking to him in formal pleasantries and passing comments about Jack. After his treatment towards your boyfriend ultimately led to you breaking up with him, you withdrew your affections and excessive kindness towards him. You treated him the same way you treated all of Jack’s other teammates, maybe even a little less kinder if you were being honest, and he didn’t even seem to notice.

His lips turned upwards into a careful smile as he tipped his drink towards you in greeting. You gave him a small smile in return before you forced your attention back to Charlie, but you still felt his gaze on you. You could always tell when it was him because it made the hairs on your arms raise; it made your heart rapidly beat inside of your chest even before you even knew it was him.

He didn’t try and approach you at all during the duration of the night, but you hadn’t expected him to. You stuck by Charlie’s side most of the night, not letting her too far out of your sight, and one of the guys was never too far behind either of you. Jack made sure that either himself or his teammates had an eye on you at all times, knowing that the holiday caused people to act out, and he didn’t want anything to happen to you.

It was five minutes till the clock would hit midnight, and you were huddled in the corner with everyone after dancing for what seemed like hours. You had a new drink in your hand, Dawson’s arm slung around your shoulders, and a tipsy smile on your face as everyone mingled with each other. Jack had snuck off with Charlie somewhere a while ago, and you were not naive enough to go searching for them, so you stuck by the group of hockey players and their partners.

Despite Nico not uttering a single word to you the entire night, you felt the burn from his stare almost the whole time. You avoided looking in his direction, knowing that you would fall back into the enchantment that was Nico Hischier after working so hard to break free from it. You were focusing on things that brought you peace, and Nico brought you anything but.

“Guys, a minute left til midnight,” Shara shouted over the music, “Where is Jack?”

“Occupied,” You and Dawson called out at the same time before falling into laughter.

Those with partners pulled them closer to them, smiles on their faces and giggles falling from their lips as the music cut out and a countdown started. You accidentally met Nico’s eyes as your gaze wandered, and the way he was white knuckling his drink made confusion settle in your chest. Though, you didn’t have much time to dwell on it when you heard Dawson’s soft voice call your name.

“What do you say,” He raised his eyebrows, asking the question bouncing through his brain without outright saying it, “Just as friends, of course.”

With the crowds of people counting down from ten around you, you playfully rolled your eyes, but turned your body more towards him anyways. Kissing Dawson was not going to mean or change anything between the two of you, so you figured there was no harm in doing it. The moment the clock hit one second, you stood on your toes and pressed your lips against his until an eruption of cheers filled the bar.

It was short and simple, both of you pulled away from each other when laughter escaped through your lips. You let him pull you back into his side while everyone was pulling each other into hugs or clapping each other on the back. However, you were so focused on everyone else around you, that you missed the way Nico was glaring daggers into his younger teammates skull.

A few days later, you’re sitting at the counter of Jack’s apartment after his practice earlier that day. He was rambling on about their upcoming game against the Red Wings, shuffling through his fridge in search of food. He pulled out a small container of what looked like leftover pasta, his hands flying around him as he spoke.

“You want to know what’s weird, though,” He called over his shoulder as he opened the microwave, “Nico’s been kind of a dick to Dawson since New Years, and no one can figure out why. It’s kind of messing with Mercs, too.”

You nearly choked on your coffee with the new information, your eyes widening as you attempted to catch your breath. Jack’s brows shot up as he watched you stumble over your words, your hands clawing at the counter top as you coughed. You tried to not let yourself get too hung up on the possibility that Nico didn’t like the fact that you kissed Dawson, that maybe he was jealous. You couldn’t let yourself dance back into that dangerous territory again.

“You good,” Jack asked, leaning forward to give you a curious look, “You know something I don’t?”

“No,” You rushed out, shaking your head, “No. I mean, I don’t think this would matter to him, but I did kiss Dawson that night at the bar.” The second the words left your mouth, Jack doubles over in laughter as if he knew something you didn’t

APRIL 2023

The air was calm and cool as you sat outside some coffee shop, waiting for Jack and Nico to come back with the drinks. You were scrolling through your phone, your bottom lip pulled between your teeth as you read through your twitter feed. You were so far deep into a thread that you hadn’t even heard the two guys take their seats at the table, or the way they snickered to each other when you didn’t budge as your name was called.

It took a careful kick to your shin from presumably Jack to break you away from your trance, your head snapping up as the device clattered on the table. They were looking at you with raised brows and small smiles as you awkwardly cleared your throat and straightened your back, grabbing your drink from Nico as he slid it across the table.

“Took you guys long enough,” You playfully mumbled, bringing the cup to your lips.

“I’m surprised you even noticed we were gone with how invested you were,” Nico teased, his voice light and airy as his eyes stayed trained on your face.

Over the last few months, you had grown closer with him yet again, but this time it was on the premise of you only treating him as a friend. He had approached you one evening after a night out, apologizing for his distance and lack of effort in conversation, nearly whining when he asked if you two could start over. While your crush was still very much present, you agreed on the reset and opted to treat him the same way you treated everyone else as a way to protect your own heart.

“Shut up,” You rolled your eyes as a light blush decorated your cheeks.

Jack calls your name as he glances up from his own phone, setting it down in front of him as he leans forward, “You’re coming to the lake house right? I know you’ve got most of the summer off from work.”

“Eventually,” You tear your eyes away from Nico, “Charlie’s wanting to go travel somewhere in Europe this summer for a little over a week, we just haven’t decided where.”

“Summer is in like, a month,” Jack points out, shaking his head in amusement.

“Yeah, trust me I know,” You groaned, throwing you head back in slight frustration, “I keep telling her we need to choose soon but she’s not sure where to go. She just knows she wants to go.”

“Come to Switzerland,” The words leave Nico’s mouth before he really registers he said it, though he doesn’t regret it either way, “I can show you around.”

Your eyes widen, snapping over to him as your jaw goes slack and your heart rate increases. You’re searching his face for any sign that what he said was a joke, that he wasn’t being serious, but all you were met with was his soft eyes and small smile that he always had. The fact that he appeared genuine in his suggestion made you nervous, it made your mind hazy and cloudy with mangled thoughts.

“Oh that’s a good idea,” Jack’s voice raised, a bright smile on his face, “I think you should do that. I know you’ll be safe with Nico, and I won’t freak out if you don’t text me back after ten minutes.”

“You still will,” You lightly laughed, “I mean, it sounds fun, but only if you’re sure? And I’ll have to ask Charlie, but I don’t think she’ll mind.”

“I’m sure. I’d love to show you around my home,” He beams, his leg slightly shifting so his calf brushes against your own.

Jack’s immediately rushing on about how he’ll call Charlie, and typically you’d tease him about that, but you were too focused on the man in front of you. The sun was hitting his face in a way that made his dark eyes shine brighter than anything around him, bringing you nothing but a warm blanket of comfort that overshadowed the rays of sun by a million miles. The effect Nico had on you slightly terrified you because you’d never felt this way towards anyone, but you were determined to keep that a secret for as long as you could. All you could do was hope and pray you could keep that up on a week long trip in his home country, the one place he truly felt relaxed and like himself.

[diaphanouso]

Fic Wrap Up Meme 2022

Tagged by @otemporanerys! Thanks!

Words Published: 109,585 …w h a t... (o_o')

Fandoms: Mass Effect, The Shape of Water, a tiny sprinkling of Gremlins

3 Fanfics with the most kudos in 2022:

Acts of Service (138)

Vox Spiritus (137)

Flare (113)

(So grateful to everyone who read and enjoyed these ❤️)

Favourite Opening Line from a fic in 2022:

Silence blanketed the settlement as Nihlus lifted his omni-tool to check his bearings. Due north, toward the mountains. The light of the twin moons cast an amethyst outline along the edges of the slanted metal roofs. (from Stay)

Favourite Closing Line from a fic in 2022:

Their breaths joined the night air, perhaps to go off and form a storm somewhere, leaving the two of them to the sweet moment of peace they’d found together, lost in each other under the eternal watch of the night sky. (from Breathe With Me)

Fic I’m Most Proud of in 2022: That would have to be Stay, written for last year's Spec Recs fic exchange. It's a Samara/Nihlus (Specticar!) fic that explores what happened between them when she pursued him to exact justice all those years ago. It also touches on Samara's grief over her daughters. It was my first time writing her, and I really enjoyed learning more about her character! And of course, writing anything with Nihlus is always fun 😏 Also thought the smut was pretty hot, if I may say so. 😅

New Things I Tried in 2022:

Fic exchanges! Spec Recs was the first organized fic exchange I'd participated in, and it was such a great experience. It pushed me out of my comfort zone, and I'm so glad for it. I also participated in last year's Fornax Exchange and the N7 Exchange for the first time and really enjoyed both experiences.

Writing classes! In August, I started taking some online writing classes. I learned and wrote SO much, ending 2022 with a lot of short original works and skills I can try to transfer to my fic writing!

Experimenting with screenwriting! I entered some screenplay challenges where we had like a handful of days to write a 5- or 6-page screenplay based on randomized prompts. While I had a very small amount of time just to learn the basics of writing a screenplay, it was a lot of fun. And it reinforced how hard it can be to convey a character's state of mind JUST through their actions. It also made me more aware of character blocking. In general, it was a great experience!

Goals for 2023:

Draft a significant portion* of Hungry Eyes; resist posting until it becomes unbearable

Get back to polishing chapters from Vox Spiritus, maybe even post them

Wildcard🎲: For whatever random plot bunny pops up that demands my attention. Appease random plot bunny.

Be more conscious of how I think about my writing. That mostly means pay attention to the negative self-talk that starts up every so often. If I'm in a "hate my writing" spiral, I want to try and identify what specifically I'm hating on and look at it constructively (maybe even kindly), the way I would with a friend. Easier said than done, but I'm gonna give it a whirl.

Keep learning and improving my writing craft!

*uhhh I'll know what this is when I get there, lol

Tagging @dispatchwithlove @angry-jager @kalliesa

[queercraftingchonk]

Fic Rec: Sweet Femshep x Samara Fluff on a Snow Planet

Day 2 of #N7RecWeek, I recommend It's a Small World by alivelesbian on Ao3 as a work that got me invested in the rarepair of Female Commander Shepard and Justicar Samara. <3

Rating: G

Summary: “In truth, Shepard knew there would always be a possibility that she would run into Samara on one of their separate, independent missions one day. Though they were in a relationship and met in person as often as their duties allowed it, Shepard was still part of the Alliance, and Samara had made it clear that although the war was over, the galaxy still needed what remained of the justicars to root out injustice. Their work took them to different locations, but if the war had taught Shepard anything it was that sometimes old friends could show up in unexpected places.”

Shepard gets stranded on a largely uninhabited planet. Fortunately, a certain asari justicar just so happens to be in the area.

It's an absolutely delightful one-shot of romantic fluff for Femshep and Samara keeping warm on a remote blizzard planet in a cozy shelter when they happen across one another while on separate missions. Features some fun moments with Garrus and Tali as well, delighted to see their old justicar friend and teasing Shepard good-naturedly about Mako driving~

Excerpt from the one-shot: "Later that evening the couple were basking in the warmth of their cabin, relieved to finally be out of the cold. Samara was sat on the sofa doing some gentle meditation with her biotics while Shepard searched the extranet for a decent app that would project some warm golden lights onto the walls around them for romantic ambience.

Samara watched as Shepard tested a few apps before settling on one she liked the best.

“What do you think?” Shepard asked as she activated the lights for Samara's approval.

Samara powered down her biotic meditation so that she could turn her focus towards evaluating the lights. “I think they look wonderful. Very tranquil. They make me feel at ease.” She smiled.

“Perfect! Not unlike a certain asari I know, then.” Shepard teased, matching Samara's expression.

Samara wasn't one to blush but if she were, Shepard would absolutely notice it right about now. Instead, the asari in question said, “I am certain that fortunate asari must feel the same way about her bondmate. Where did you find an app to create such beautiful lights?”

Shepard pulled herself closer to Samara and held out her omni-tool so that they could both see the screen. “You know, you can find an app for just about anything on the extranet. I was impressed by the amount of different options I had to choose from.”

Samara wasn't incapable with an omni-tool by any means, but Shepard knew the justicar opted to meditate and hone her biotic powers rather than browse the extranet during her free time. Admittedly, she wasn't as up to date on the more casual range of things the extranet had to offer. This was part of the reason Shepard had gotten the idea for the lights; it would be nice to allow Samara to indulge in something pleasant like this for its own sake, something that was not strictly necessary but served to add to the mood and bring joy anyway."

[rocknrollpanda]

Ready or Not fic recs

i won't rise until this battle's won by alphaesque words: 22399

“I won’t lie to you, Grace.” Daniel’s voice sparks to life, clearer than she’s ever heard it, losing some of the disingenuous quality that she’d chalked up to copious amounts of alcohol and a clearly unhappy marriage. “But, you are going to make it out of here alive.”

“Oh, really?”

He smiles and its real, genuine, eyes alight with a sense of vigor that rekindles her own fire. “Someone has to burn it all down, right?”

Personal addition: it’s amazing! It focuses both on the events of the night and the aftermath, I loved it!

Try, Die Again by Croik words: 16855 TIME LOOP AU

After the dust settles, Grace awakens to find herself exactly where she started, with a card in her hand, ready to play again. But this time will be different; for both their sake’s, it will have to be.

said he’d love me for the rest of my days by shaekspeares words: 13771

Most people spend the days after their wedding blissfully in love, maybe on a beach somewhere, reliving their best memories from the blessed day. Grace spends the aftermath of hers in hospital, and the most reliving she gets are the trauma-induced nightmares of her beloved husband and his family trying to brutally murder her to satisfy the literal devil.

Then her dead husband’s dead brother comes back to life, and things get even more complicated. Maybe she should write a self-help book.

there are cracks in the road we laid, but where the temple fell the secrets have gone mad by RedRosesArePink words: 11552

Grace plays a few rounds of Jenga with her in-laws on her wedding night. In the end she runs anyway.

Personal addition: my absolute favorite fic that has so far been written. Creation of all characters is so amazing, I love everything about it!

blest be the tie that binds by shaekspeares words: 11429

Months after her wedding ordeal, Grace's hard-earned stability is severely threatened by the reappearance of the Le Domas family in her life as ghosts intent on avenging themselves by having her dead by Halloween. As if the horror of having her narrow escape from a satanist nightmare revoked wasn't enough to live with, her technically-ex-but-sort-of-current-husband will stop at nothing to convince her to take him back- nevermind the fact he's legally dead and she asked for a divorce last they spoke.

It is telling that her new best friend seems to have become the ghost of her alcoholic ex-brother-in-law. That little girl from the Ring had nothing on a horde of pissed off angry dead billionaires.

don't waste another heartbeat by pseudowoodo words: 10564

“I’d like to offer you a deal.”

Daniel snorts. “And what? All it’ll cost is my immortal soul?”

Le Bail raises an eyebrow in amusement. “I thought you didn’t have one of those.”

Daniel gets one chance to do the night over and save his little brother but the task proves much more difficult than he thought.

recover, try again. by fairycafes (kooscafe) words: 7617

Grace survives, Daniel survives, but surviving isn't living. Together, they will try to recover again, to try again, to love again, and again, and again.

But it's not so easy.

let's play another game. by fairycafes (kooscafe) words: 7194 TIME LOOP AU

She almost thinks she’s hallucinating when she flips the card over and subsequently drops it.

Hide and Seek.

Inside, the scorched record player starts up with a screech. Grace bristles, tears forming in her wide eyes, nails digging into her palm. Run run run, time to run and hide--

“No. Fucking fuck, no--” Equal parts rage and fear pump through her, bruised body shooting up off the ground and looking around, crazed and frightened and--

Le Bail stands before her. "Let's play another game."

that gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam by alphaesque words: 6719 TIME LOOP AU

The worst part of reliving the same night over and over is not the various paths she could’ve taken but that no matter the path, the end result remains the same.

Her in-laws explode and her husband betrays her.

(Not, obviously, in that order.)

17 Dresses (Back into the dark again.) by AngelWithoutWings words: 6653 TIME LOOP AU

Grace has lived through this night so many times it's getting hard to keep track. Every night the disaster of her wedding repeats. Every night at the godforsaken table in that game room, she prays that maybe she won't pull Hide and Seek. (She always does). Daniel catches her eyes often and she feels a chill run up her spin. (The devil does love a good game, but every game has rules.)

[dr-ladybird]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Mass Effect Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Samara/Female Shepard, Samara/Kelly Chambers, Kelly Chambers/Female Shepard (one-sided) Characters: Female Shepard, Samara (Mass Effect 2), Kelly Chambers, Jack | Subject Zero, Miranda Lawson, Jacob Taylor Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, Explicit Sexual Content Summary:

When she tracks down the asari pirate responsible for freeing captive humans bound for the Collectors, Shepard ends up way over her head.

Originally from a kmeme prompt for Shepard recruiting Samara as a young asari mercenary.

There would be questions about the way my comrades had died. I could have made those questions disappear in a moment by consenting to space the bodies. But this one, Hadria, had had a mother who sent her frozen desserts to share with the team. And this one, Poran, had had three sisters, each surgeons of a different stripe, each working at the same Citadel hospital that Poran visited whenever they returned. And this one, Gilatareme, had had a daughter – a babe of merely twelve years. I would not and could not regret my choice, but I would not deny those families their grieving because I did not like the consequences.

As the freed captives enjoyed the fresh air of the planet, the first backwater colony they could find to begin repairs on, I sat and slowly chilled.

————

Clever AU here where the Shepard recruits maiden!Samara instead of the elderly version. Featuring interesting characterisation and a lot of good porn.

[holycatsandrabbits]

Part 20 of Giant Post of Completed Good Omens Human AU’s: November 2022

Thank you to all the creators who bring us so much joy AND to the readers who support the creators! <3

Also! A searchable list of all of my Good Omens human AU recs.

You can use it to find fics where Aziraphale is a librarian, or fics with Ineffable Wives, etc.

More of my Completed Good Omens Human AU Recs on Tumblr

More Good Omens recs from me here: Dannye's fic recs and Dannye's artist recs

And here's me: Ao3 ~ DannyeChase.com ~ Linktree ~ Upcoming releases  ~ Serial romance ~ Weird Wednesday writing prompts blog

**************

Series: (not all of these series are complete)

ASMR by AppleSeeds, and IneffableToreshi Rated T-E (C & A are ASMR therapists)

Bi M' Aingael & Mèinn Aingeal Milis by IneffableToreshi Rated T-E (Musician C & audience member A)

Not Lavender, But Roses by @cassieoh and @liquidlyrium (Ao3 Liquid_Lyrium) Rated T (Mechanic C & fighter pilot A during WWII)

Rocker Crowley by @madrabbitsociety (Ao3 madrabbitgirl) Unrated. (Rock star C & bookseller A)

The Garden of Delights by @zehwulf Rated E (C & A are members of a sex club)

Single Fics:

24. Sugar Baby/Prostitution by @samara-lillllly (Ao3Samara Lilly (Amber_Rose)) 1760 words, Rated E (Sex worker C and bookshop owner A)

A Little Outside Push by @sapphosewrites (Ao3 Sapphose) 2994 words, Rated G (C & A work for rival theater companies)

All's Fair in Love, War, and Show Business by @sapphosewrites (Ao3 Sapphose) 44,139 words, Rated T (C & A are actors)

Almost Heaven by pilatesandpinot 56,503 words, Rated E (C & A are neighbors)

Blindness by @janara7 (Ao3 LCwrites) 1524 words, Rated M (Criminal C & Detective A)

Dare To Be Brave by @mimsynims 28,803 words, Rated E (Author C & bookshop owner A meet at puppy obedience class)

Day 4: Teacher/Student by @samara-lillllly (Ao3Samara Lilly (Amber_Rose)) 1886 words, Rated E (Teacher C and student A)

Day 13: Medical by @samara-lillllly (Ao3Samara Lilly (Amber_Rose)) 1879 words, Rated T (Nurse C & emergency room patient A)

Doorway to Paradise by @tawnyontumblr (Ao3 TawnyOwl95) 5714 words, Rated E (C & A are neighbors)

Endless Night by AppleSeeds 31, 843 words, Rated T (C & A are college students and housemates)

Fringe Benefits by @sapphosewrites (Ao3 Sapphose) 1596 words, Rated T (Actor C & theater patron C)

Ghost by AppleSeeds 5410 words, Rated T (CEO C and ghost A)

Gigantic by @bouncygin (Ao3 PeturbingPrism) 1941 words, Rated T (Ineffable wives: rock star C and pop star A)

Growing Pains by OceanLace 77,309 words, Rated E (Single dad C & nanny A)

Hay Fever by @ineffableomenshusbands (Ao3 Dashicra1) 499 words, Rated M (Preacher's son C and farmhand A)

Hit me with your ledger by KissMyAsthma 1926 words, Rated G (C & A are coworkers)

Honeysuckle & Heat Waves by pilatesandpinot 44,772 words, Rated E (Male gardener C and female bed & breakfast owner A)

It's a Date by @melayneseahawk 6004 words, Rated E (A meets C after being stood up on a date)

It Takes Two by @saretton 12,187 words, Rated E (Single mother C & single father A)

Jack-o'-Crowley [High School AU] by @ineffableimpression (Ao3 alex232227) 1446 words, Rated G (C & A are high school students)

Last Crossing by @holycatsandrabbits (Dannye Chase) self-rec! 7052 words, Rated M (Ship's steward A & passenger C)

Losing Your Head by @tawnyontumblr (Ao3 TawnyOwl95) 1944 words, Rated E (Lady Azirabelle and male rescuer C in a Bastille fic)

Never Been Better by @anxietycheesecake 1118 words, Rated E (C & A are both trans, and are lovers)

On the Ethics of Asking Your Professor on a Date by @melayneseahawk 7433 words, Rated T (Professor C & student A)

Parallel by AppleSeeds 9168 words, Rated T (C & A are graduate students)

Pigeon by Lilian 10,685 words, Rated T (Orphan C & his teacher A are friends in a gen fic)

Search and Rescue by snae_b 18,854 words, Rated E (Search and rescue crew member C & embedded cameraman A)

Space Girl by pilatesandpinot 45,626 words, Rated E (Ineffable wives: C & A are college students)

Spelling Errors by @caedmonfaith (Ao3 Caedmon) 585 words, Rated G (Barista C & customer A)

Star Light, Star Bright by @sapphosewrites (Ao3 Sapphose) 1177 words, Rated G (C & A work at a theater)

Take a Bow by @ack-emma (Ao3 ack_emma) 1061 words, Rated G (C & A are equestrians-- horse riders)

Take Me Up The Avon by Santillatron 6964 words, Rated T (Pirate C & Harbourmaster A)

Temple of the Muses by @ajconstantine (Ao3 AJ_Constantine) 240,764 words, Rated E (Sex worker C & Lord A in the Victorian era)

That's the ticket by by @hasturswig (Ao3 HolRose) 500 words, Rated G (A & C meet at an orchestra concert)

The One that Got Away by @madrabbitsociety (Ao3 madrabbitgirl) 2666 words, Unrated (C & A are old friends reunited)

the point is probably moot by @summerofspock 5957 words, Rated E (A is C's friend's boyfriend)

The Prince's Consort by IneffableToreshi 143,089 words, Rated E (Sex worker C & Prince A)

The Pumpkin Patch by AppleSeeds 6582 words, Rated T (Farmer C & visitor A)

The Scent of Desire by IneffableToreshi 87,699 words, Rated E (Omega florist C and alpha bookshop owner A)

The Wilde and The Serpent by KissMyAsthma 7634 words, Rated T (Tattoo artist C & customer A)

Tinder Dates Gone Wrong by OceanLace 2856 words, Rated E (C & A are roommates)

To Be With You by @caedmonfaith (Ao3 Caedmon) 800 words, Rated E (C & A are lovers)

Too Busy Being Yours by @cheeriosandwine (Ao3 cheerios_and_wine) 2690 words, Rated E (C & A are best friends)

What Men Know of Heaven by @sapphosewrites (Ao3 Sapphose) 8446 words, Rated T (Sex worker C & charity shop manager A)

What's Left of Me by @arielavader 1408 words, Rated E (C & A are married)

When We Meet Again by AppleSeeds 4005 words, Rated T (C & A are friends of friends)

You Can Stay At My Place (And We Can Fall in Love) by IneffableToreshi 51,799 words, Rated E (C & A are roommates)

[samaraxmorgan]

Leavings tags wasn’t enough, I had too many ideas

Nail tech Choso who gets so focused when he’s painting your nail art, his face is mere inches from your fingers as he steadily holds the needle-thin brush to paint intricate designs. If you really pay attention you can feel him breathe softly against your fingers, and how often he holds his breath while painting a particularly long line.

Nail tech Choso who custom orders nail polish colors he knows you’ll love because he just can’t get enough of seeing how your face lights up when he tells you he has new colors in stock.

Nail tech Choso who thinks it’s so cute how over the course of your time seeing him, you’ve become so accustomed to his process for doing your nails. The moment you hear the LED lamp beep you immediately pull your hand out and place it in his palm without skipping a beat, you always ask him if he’s using a new product when you don’t recognize the bottle, you’ll ask him “why didn’t you start with my pinky this time?” when he (purposely) starts painting on a different finger to see if you’ll notice.

Nail tech Choso who loves when you book your appointments later in the evening, you always stay late with him while he sweeps up the floors and he always insists on walking you to your car because “it’s so dark outside,” jokingly holding up a cuticle pusher and saying he’ll “protect you with this!” He won’t admit it but he knows you’re perfectly safe, he just wants any excuse to spend more time with you.

Nail tech Choso who can still remember how tense you were the first time you came into the salon, and smiles to himself seeing how comfortable you’ve become over time. He loves the way that your eyes flutter shut as he gently runs his fingers down the back of your hand, lavender lotion making his fingers glide easily across your skin as he wraps his long fingers around your wrist, turning it slightly so that your palm is facing the ceiling as his thumb rubs soothing circles into your hand.

I saw someone say nail tech choso awhile ago

☆ nail tech choso who doesn't look like he'd work in a nail shop. I'm thinking a family member owns it and he just works there when he needs a quick buck. You're skeptical when you first see him. He doesn't look like your usual nail techs, his arms are covered in tattoos and his wrists are hidden behind bracelets and spikes. But the soft smile he gives you melts all your worries away, even if he fucks up your nails you'd have made a new friend out of it and that was enough for you.

☆ nail tech choso who you tell all about your life. Got a bad grade? He's the first to hear. Arguing with your friend? He's going to hear you out and side with you every time. He's filled in on every aspect of your life, and somehow manages to recall every detail.

☆ nail tech choso who's genuinely the best nail tech you've ever had. Probably because he knows you so well, he's able to execute every design and exactly how you have it in your head. You hate it when he's not working because no one else in the shop can do your nails quite as well as him. He makes sure your nails are always perfectly even, and his designs are always precise. And he never charges you extra for the rhinestones and charms.

☆ nail tech choso who you might have a tiny crush on

[swaps55]

Hey Swaps, i’m writing this from whatever levels of consciousness i’ve transcended to having read lichrally all of your works several times now 👁 🧘‍♀️💕

I can’t wait for whatever you have in store next, but in the meantime, any ficrecs for my ratchet mshenko idiots in love craving soul?

Aaaaaaaah, that's amazing!!! The LEAST I can do to reward you, since I cannot physically hand you a cookie, is to give you some recs!!

This is by no means a comprehensive list, and I know as soon as I post it I will remember half a dozen I should have included, but here are some mshenko fics that I love!

One-shots

Mako, by @pigeontheoneandonly. (This is one of my absolute favorite shorts)

The first time I saw Shepard die, the Mako fell over a cliff. 

Touching Bottom, by stone_in_focus. 1,916 words, Teen and up. Kaidan has a conversation with Samara.

Maybe this time around, you'll get it right.

Greenstick Fracture, by spicyshimmy. 6,250 words, General Audiences.

Post-ME3 space husbands. Shepard gets a chance to bond with a son he loves a hell of a lot more than he understands, and they both share some of the same scars. Also, Shepard wears dad plaid.

For a Single Yesterday, by @makoparkingonly. 5,826 words, General Audiences (Note: this fic is BEAUTIFUL, but it is not a Shepard Lives story)

“You have to be fine,” he says, but doesn’t put in the message. He sticks it in the outgoing queue. No hails from Shepard before they’d escaped the local cluster. No telling exactly what that wave of green energy had done, if there had even been any ships able to go back and look for him.

Not knowing anything is the most frustrating thing of all.

There’s no telling how long it’ll be before they’re connected to any kind of network again, if ever. Maybe he’ll die of old age on this planet while Shepard searches the galaxy for them. At least Shepard would have survived to search.

Trikalon, by @dandenbo, 1,146 words, Mature.

Kaidan takes care of what's underneath the armour.

Long Fics

Soldiers Heart, by Lemon. 72,182 words, Mature.

When the battle is over and the war is won, the soldier puts down his gun and returns to the life he had before; a life of peace and remembrance. But what happens to those who can't let go? Whose peace never comes and whose remembrance brings only pain and suffering?

Shepard struggles to regain his sense of personhood after years of constant warfare, his life irreparably damaged by what he saw and did. But all is not lost-- not when he has the strength to ask for help.

Heavy Fire, spicyshimmy. 58,955 words, Mature.

Earthborn Shepard never makes it into the Alliance. Merc life suits him just fine, as does teaming up with C-Sec officer Garrus Vakarian every now and then. And then he meets Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko, poster boy for doing things by the books. 

Alke, by @mallaidhsomo. 52,766 words, Explicit. (One chapter away from being complete!)

The Butcher of Torfan. Frankly, Eric Shepard liked the nickname.

A Crystal Hewn from Stone, by @happychica. 476,150 words (series), Explicit. (Note: I have not read all of this, but I know just how talented happychica is, and zero qualms recommending it)

Giorraíonn beirt bóthar - Two People Shorten A Road, by @theoriginalladya, 186,364 words (series), Mature.  

Stories involving the life of Commander Caleb Shepard. Earthborn. Sole Survivor. Infiltrator.

[otemporanerys]

SpecReqs Recs!

This year, I took part in the Spectre Requisitions @spectre-requisitions-exchange Rare Pair exchange! While I can’t reveal which fic(s) I wrote (yet), there is SO MUCH GOOD SHIT, FRIENDS (full collection here). So I thought I’d throw together a few of my faves from the first day of frantic reading.

Mass Effect Trilogy

Hearts and Stars - James/Ashley, 4.1k, Mature

Five times James and Ashley sleep together and one time they don't.

I adored this fic so much: friends-to-lovers who keep having casual hookups, but it genuinely does feel like a friendship. There’s helping each other through rough times, getting wistful at weddings, all the good stuff. Vega is so sweet in this.

The Incident with the Elevator - Kaidan/Miranda, 4.9k, General

Oh no, they're stranded. In an elevator together. For hours. No choice but to...get to know each other.

Doesn’t go where you’d think sadly. Really nice rapport-building between Kaidan and Miranda, who I sneakily really love together.

Slivers of Time - Female Shepard/Wrex, 8.9k, Mature *

Shepard was alive, dammit, and Wrex would do whatever it took to bring her home. A look backwards at Shepard's recovery, life, and happiness after the Reapers were defeated - as seen by an old krogan.

Yooooooooo this fic is so perfectly bittersweet - also GREAT supporting turns from Zaeed and Jack. The ending is *chef’s kiss* (The M is mainly for violence, apologies Wrexfuckers.)

Stay - Samara/Nihlus, 14.2k, Explicit

While hunting down her daughter, Samara encounters a Spectre who has killed an innocent. The Spectre flees into the wilderness, and the pursuit ends up being more than either of them bargained for.

SCREAMING, CRYING, YELLING. It’s not only the Samara/Nihlus hatesex you always never knew you wanted, but it’s part horror, part devastating character study, part unlikely connection between lonely, broken souls. Run, don’t walk.

To Catch a Thief - Samantha/Kasumi, 3.3k, Mature *

Samantha Traynor is rather stuck on the enigmatic "Master Thief" working alongside her on her latest project for the Alliance. But can she catch the thief for herself?

Cute, hot, EXCELLENT Samantha. I need a Leverage-style TV show of this yesterday.

Mass Effect Andromeda

Be Kind, Rewind - Peebee/Female Ryder, 2.6k, Teen

In a quiet moment, Ryder and Peebee share memories of their respective childhoods.

I’m not as big into MEA as some, but I think Peebee’s romance is way underrated and this really captures their energy. Very sweet melding, but with an edge of playfulness.

I would also like to give a quick shout-out to my gift fics (thank you nonnies):

Fly Along With Me, I Can’t Quite Make It Alone: Kaidan/Garrus, 5.3k, Explicit

“I quit C-Sec today, Kaidan. I’m going to Omega.” He pauses and looks Kaidan square in the eye. “You could come with me.”

Takes One to Know One: Female Shepard/Aria, 7.5k, Teen

“Nice to see you, too,” Aria drawled. “Even if it took you entirely too long.”

“I believe she told you to fuck off,” the bartender said in a mild tone.

Shepard rather wanted both of them to fuck off.

“Humor me, Shepard,” Aria said coolly. “You owe me that much.”

Thanks to the hard work the mods put into making this exchange happen, and to the other participants for creating so much brilliant fic and art - please go forth and comment/kudos!

(* In the interests of full disclosure, I do know who wrote these, but that doesn’t change the fact that they’re good)

[thetorchwoodarchive]

[image id: text reading Torchwood Halloween Rec Fest in the Torchwood logo font. There is a jack-o-lantern with a sinster face surrounded by mist. In the mist are Tosh, Ianto, and Owen, appearing as ghostly figures, looking scared. The Jack-o-lantern’s face gives off a shadow. In the lower right hand corner Gwen looks frightened, holding the Ghost Machine.]

Thank you for your spooky, strange, and scary Torchwood Halloween Recs! Below you will find our favorite Halloween and/or Horror themed Torchwood Stories, full of tricks and treats.

As always please take note of additional tagging and warnings on each individual fic

A Lantern in the Dark of Autumn by NancyBrown (JackIanto | complete | 1144 | G)

“You'll go as a priest, I'll go as a pregnant nun."

Treats by NancyBrown (JackIanto, GwenRhys | complete | 3598 | G)

Jack and Ianto take their toddler out for Hallowe'en.

Bite Me by NancyBrown (GwenRhys, JackIanto | complete | 4050 | M)

Gwen is turned into a vampire. Because Torchwood.

Treat or Trick by NancyBrown (JackIanto | complete | 1067 | T)

Five unusual trick or treaters show up at the tourist office.

The Charm's Wound Up by NancyBrown (Gen | complete, series | 2405 | T)

Fire burning, check. Cauldron bubbling, ditto.

Rhyme Time by BricklingGhost (TeamGwenee) (Gen | complete | 116 | Not Rated)

Four short little poems for the Halloween season.

Tagline: I saw the VIDEO. Got the CALL? What Next??? By BricklingGhost (TeamGwenee) (JackIanto | complete | 2418 | Not Rated)

'Tagline: I saw the VIDEO. Got the CALL? What Next???

Bollocks. That’s just a myth. Some git showing off and claiming to be the one person alive who Samara doesn’t bump off. He’ll be boasting that he’s been chosen to kill Voldemort next.'

When another unsuspecting victim falls foul of the cursed tape, he is pointed towards Captain Jack Harkness as his only hope for salvation.

Broken Reflection by BricklingGhost (TeamGwenee) (GwenRhys, JackIanto | complete | 3348 | Not Rated)

A seemingly routine mission results in a week of hell for Gwen and the team.

The Picture of Javic Thane by thirteeninafez (JackIanto | complete | 22392 | T)

The painting was an old Victorian portrait, showing a man sitting in an almost throne-like chair, posture perfect and facial expression stoic. Deep colours swirled from brilliant brush strokes, perfectly capturing the image it was displaying. It took Ianto a second to realise that the figure in the maroon, nearly purple suit (and matching bow-tie) was in fact the same man that was currently holding the painting in the Hub.

“That’s what came through the Rift?” Ianto asked incredulously, trying to ignore the smile that was tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Ghost of My Present by Paycheckgurl (JackIanto, Ianto&Gwen, Ianto&Martha, Ianto&Rhiannon | Series | 5196 | T)

The chronicles of Ianto Jones’ afterlife as a ghost

Toil, Trouble, and Trick-or-Treating by moonlightrhosyn (JackIanto, GwenRhys, KathySuzie | complete | 2755 | T)

I know what this is. She planned this. She thinks I don’t spend enough time with the kids. That’s why she’s doing this.”

“Doing what, Ianto?” Gwen asked him. “What do your sister’s dinner plans have to do with you?”

Ianto heaved a sigh. “She just asked me to take David and Mica trick-or-treating so she ‘can go to dinner’ - she just wants me to spend more time with them, and she’s come up with this.”

“I can go too,” Jack offered as he joined them. He grinned. “I love kids!”

In which Jack and Ianto take Halloween night off to look after Rhiannon's kids, while Gwen and Suzie coordinate Halloween Watch (and Gwen tries to get Suzie a date, after two years of strategizing).

Blood on Steel by Sholio (Owen&Ianto, Team | complete | 12257 | T)

An alien booby trap turns the Hub into a deathtrap. Lucky thing it doesn't react to someone with no vital signs. Now Owen is their only hope. More specifically, he's Ianto's only hope.

The Edge of the World by Orinoco_II (JackIanto, Owen&Tosh | complete | 8448 | M)

When an Antarctic research team disappear without a trace, an old friend of Jack's enlists Torchwood to investigate. What could be lurking beneath the ice?

sink your feet into the mud (and I'll return) by violetmessages (Gwen&Ianto, GwenRhys, JackIanto | complete | 3404 | G)

What if she could bring Ianto back?

It’s a dangerous idea. It’s got the potential to be catastrophic. But Gwen is all out of options. She’s surrounded by the graves of the people she loves, abandoned, save for her husband, and she refuses to let her best friend go without a fight.

alone in my mind by princessoftheworlds (Gen | complete, series | 6224 | T)

3987. An abandoned spaceship drifting through deep space, sending out a distress signal to whomever encounters it. And one Ianto Jones who boards to find that all the hundreds of passengers have mysteriously vanished.

Erlkönig by engagemythrusters (JackIanto | complete | 5621 | T)

Something lurked in the darkness. It waited and watched, and it was coming for Ianto.

Empty, Unseen, and Preyed Upon by Engagemythrusters (JackIanto | complete | 6215 | T)

Torchwood ought to be more careful. Sometimes, things lurked in the darkness. And sometimes, those things bit back.

the woods are lovely, dark and deep by someawkwardprose (GwenSuzie, Gwen&Ianto, JackIanto | WIP | 6639 | T)

There's a witch in Roundstone Woods, and Gwen is going to make a deal with her.

I Am Not My Own by methylethyl (JackIanto | complete | 12518 | M)

Torchwood's disability pay is about this big--" Ianto held up his thumb and index finger, about two centimeters apart. "--and comes out of a gun at a thousand meters per second." [Or, the fic in which Ianto bleeds everywhere all the time.]

Statement #0041708 - Future Sight by Jackdaw816 (Gen | complete | 1690 | T)

Statement of Lisa Hallett regarding a peculiar mirror found at a car boot sale

Non Sum Qualis Eram (Known Some Call Is Air Am) by lookninjas (Gen | complete | 11829 | Not Rated)

When a ghost hunter vanishes in the haunted house that he was examining, the Torchwood team is called in to investigate. Once inside, they discover a mysterious hallway, a spiral staircase, and a strange series of connections to a childhood that Ianto can't remember.

The Zagrith's Claw by AVAAntares (JackIanto | complete | 7291 | T)

Changing fate always demands a price -- and sometimes, the cure can be worse than the disease.

(Written for Torchwood Halloween Fest 2020. Prompt: Cursed objects)

Midas by ShastaFirecracker (JackIanto | complete | 4559 | T)

Fiddling with unknown alien artifacts never ends well, and yet they never, ever learn.

(be)longing by MonsterMince (LisaJackIanto | complete | 11467 | E)

Jack's deaths in 1899 attract the attention of Torchwood Three, who are need of a man who can't die to deal with the vengeful ghost of Ianto Jones haunting their base. As Jack investigates the reasons behind Ianto's death with the help of another ghost, Lisa Hallett, he starts to find his place as part of a new trio.

AU of how Jack joins Torchwood, but really just an excuse to let Jack have ghost!sex.