#secret santa exchange 2017

[arkane-secret-santa]

Sign-ups are open! Join us for this festive prompt-based fic exchange on AO3!

[untildawn-secretsanta]

What IS the Until Dawn Secret Santa?

Until Dawn Secret Santa or UDSS/UDGE (Until Dawn Gift Exchange) is a series of virtual fandom gift exchanges that have been happening since 2017! Fans of Until Dawn are randomly assigned to each other to create fanworks as gifts.

Do the gifts HAVE to be Christmas related?

Absolutely not! Most aren't, to be honest, and I recommend checking with your gift recipient before making a Christmas-related gift. The term Secret Santa is just used to help give an understanding to what the event is.

What types of gifts can I create?

Currently gifts fall into two categories: fanfiction or fanart. Participants are welcome to do both OR pair them with other fanworks (edits, playlists, etc...) but this is not required. Edits and playlists MUST be paired with either fanfiction or fanart, however.

If you are interested in creating a different type of gift, please DM either this blog or @samgiddings so that we can discuss the option!

When can I sign up?

Sign ups are now closed. Names will be drawn shortly!

If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to send them in!

[klaineccfanficlibrary]

I’m in the mood for some holiday stories, so any Christmas klaine recommendations? Preferably where they are already together. Maybe even with kids?

Well, you are certainly early in your countdown to Christmas!! This is an easy ask to find fics for - as we have so many different 'bangs' over the years with Christmas fics written for it. Check out our Christmas tag for a large number of fics. Also these in our library:

Klaine Advent 2015

Klaine Advent 2016

Klaine Advent 2017

Klaine Advent 2018

And also these on A03:

Klaine Secret Santa Gift Exchange 2022 | Archive of Our Own

Klaine Secret Santa Gift Exchange 2023 | Archive of Our Own

They are not all Christmas fics, but many are.

Here are some:

A very hallmark Christmas by @coffeegleek

Semi-famous actor!Kurt and semi-famous actor!Blaine work the Hallmark Christmas Movie circuit in true B-actor form. Though they’ve worked on the same movies before, this time they land roles that could change their lives forever. Mostly happy fluff, but has some angst. This is Hallmark, so of course it has a happy ending. Many of my favorite tropes have been included: badboy!Kurt who really has a heart of gold and sweetness, famous!Kurt, famous!Blaine, actor!Kurt, actor!Blaine, soulmates, soulmarks, AU Glee, angst with a happy ending, and fluff. There’s also a heavy dose of cheesy Hallmark Christmas Movie writing in both the script and commercials. In true AU form, canon characters abound in various non-canon roles.

~~~~~

A Boyfriend for Christmas By @caramelcoffeeaddict CoffeeAddict80

When Kurt takes his 6-year-old nephew, Caleb, to see Santa, he's mortified when Caleb asks Santa to give his Uncle Kurt a new boyfriend for Christmas; Blaine - who is working as one of Santa's helpers - however, is eager to help Caleb get his Christmas wish.

~~~~~

The Christmas Guest by @lilyvandersteen

Kurt goes home for the holidays and finds out a fellow passenger will have no-one to celebrate with, so he invites him to spend Christmas with the Hummel-Hudsons. Somehow, Kurt's family thinks the guy he brought home is his boyfriend. As the days go by, and his Christmas guest proves enchanting in every way, Kurt finds himself wishing they truly were dating. Could his wish come true

~~~~~

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Christmas and New Year's Eve 2023 Pt 1: New Bookmarks and WiPs

Happy holidays everyone! Let's get into the holiday spirit with some new Christmas fics I've recently added to my Bookmarks and MFL lists! LOTS of stories, so this list is split up into two lists! PLEASE check out the lists below for past bookmarks and MFLs! If you have a WORK IN PROGRESS that you'd like added to this list, PLEASE add them in the replies/reblogs and I'll add them to subsequent posts of this list!

The second list posting shortly is my MFL list, so if you have a finished fic you'd like me to add to the lists, please add them to the next post!

Thank you so much!! <3 Merry Christmas!!

[PART TWO]

See also:

Christmas Fics (Dec. 2017)

Christmas: Oblivious That One or The Other is In a Relationship

Christmas 2019 Part 1 (All Bookmarks XMas and New Years)

Christmas 2019 Part 2 (Marked for Later)

G / T / K+ Rated Christmas Fics (Dec. 2018) (Updated Dec 2021)

Community Recs: Christmas 2020 (Updated Dec 2021)

Christmas Trees / Decorating

Christmas-Time Love Confessions

New Year’s Fics (Jan 2023)

Christmas 2023 Pt 2: Marked for Later

BOOKMARKS

Santa Knows by Itsallfine (T, 1,719 w., 1 Ch. || Christmas Party, Love Confessions, First Kiss, Fluff, Matchmaking, POV Sherlock, Pining Sherlock) – Sherlock and John both get exactly what they want from the Yard's secret Santa exchange. Pure holiday fluff.

The Way to Start the New Year by glass_rose_paperweight (G, 4,251 w., 1 Ch. || New Year's Eve, Fluff, Pining John) – On New Year's Eve, Sherlock drags John to America for a case, much to John's frustration. However, a mistake in booking looks like it might lead to an even worse New Year's Even than John originally thought ... or, maybe it's just what the boys need.

This Year by DiscordantWords (T, 6,283 w., 2 Ch. || TEH Divergence / No Mary, New Year’s Eve, John’s A Mess, Jealous John, Awkward Conversations, Trapped in a Closet, Estranged After Return, John POV, Semi-Reunion, Angry John, First Kiss, Reconciliation, Clueless Sherlock, Happy Ending) – Last year, Sherlock Holmes showed up at the Landmark with a fake moustache and a bad French accent and threw John's entire life into disarray with two words: "Not dead." This year, there are more surprises in store.

Wonderful, Etcetera. by VictoryCandescence (T, 16,955 w., 3 Ch. || Wonderful Life AU || Alternate Timelines, Brotherhood, Homophobia, Suicidal Ideations, Mentions of Drug Use, Friendship, Different TRF, Sherlock’s Past, Victor Trevor is Past Boyfriend, Depression, Hallucination?, Love Confessions, Christmas, First Kiss) – Sherlock thinks everyone would be better off if he had never existed, including and especially himself. When he finds himself in a world in which his wish has been granted, he begins to think perhaps even he could be wrong – but it takes an unlikely chaperone to make him not only observe, but understand.

Deck the Halls by itsalwaysyou_jw (T, 31,018 w., 24 Ch. || Advent Fic / Multiple One-Shots, Assorted Tags) – One Johnlock ficlet for every day leading up to Christmas. Who is ready for pining, first kisses, established Johnlock, and everything in between? This collection of stand-alone ficlets will have it all. 

Not Broken, Just Bent by Schmiezi (E, 87,585 w., 43 Ch. || Pining, Love Confessions, Rape/Sexual Assault, Torture, Hurt/Comfort, Heavy Angst, Villain!Mary, Suicidal Ideations, Main Character Death, Sherlock First Person POV, Parentlock, Sherlock’s Mind Palace, Grief/Mourning, Emotional Love Making, Possessiveness, Depression, PTSD, Kidnapping, Virgin Sherlock, Eventual Happy Ending) – "For a second, I allow myself to remember teaching John how to waltz. There is a special room in my mind palace for it. A big one, with a proper parquet dance floor. For a second, I go there. I remember holding him, closer than the World Dance Council asks for, excusing it with the fact that we are training for a wedding, not for a competition. For a second, I feel his hand on mine again, smell his sweat, hear the song we used. For a second, I allow myself to love him deeply. For a second, only a second, that love reflects on my face." Fix-it for S3, starting at the end of TSoT. Evil Mary.

Bakers with Benefits by Raina_at (E, 88,130 w., 14 Ch. || Great British Bake Off AU || Strangers to Lovers, Switchlock, Friends with Benefits, Mentions of Alcoholism / Past Drug Use, Banter, Flirting, Fluff, Light Angst, Semi-Public Sex, Past Sherlock/Victor, Mutual Pining, POV Sherlock, Obsessive Sherlock, John’s Bum) – Sherlock Holmes has a successful YouTube baking channel, but what he really wants is his own bakery. When an old friend sends him a call for the very first Great British Bake Off, he seizes the opportunity to finally win a sponsor for his bakery. Here's the plan: Win Bake Off, get the bakery, don't fall in love with the handsome Army doctor at the neighbouring station. Easy.

The Lost Special: Family Matters (As Do Relationships) by ShirleyCarlton (M, 144,688 w., 40 Ch. || S4 Fix It Fic / Meta Fic, Unreliable Narrator, John’s Mind Bungalow, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, Demisexual Sherlock, Holmes Family, John Whump, Gay Mycroft, Misunderstandings, Drug Addiction, Parenting, TFP is a Nightmare, Virgin Sherlock, Slow Burn, Minor Character Death, Switchlock, John’s Past, Sherlock’s Past, Eurus, Love Confessions) –Sherrinford is not really the name of some high security prison. That was just a figment of John’s frantic coma dream. And Eurus is not actually Sherlock’s sister. That’s just something random she said to John before shooting him. Sherlock and John were never actually estranged. That was just their act to cover up what really happened to Mary – or Rosamund Moran, as her real name has turned out to be. Sherlock does have a secret sibling, though, and his name is Sherrinford. After finally eliminating Moran – though in a rather dramatically different way than they had envisioned – and exposing the truth about Eurus, John encourages Sherlock to delve into his past and to find out whether the reasons to keep Sherrinford away from Sherlock were the right ones, and to discover what really happened in 1981. Along the way, Sherlock and John gradually, finally, stop keeping each other at a distance, and eventually become a proper family of their own.

WORKS IN PROGRESS

Christmas with You by hey_there_buddy (NR, 3,258+ w., 11/? Ch. || WiP || Christmas, Marriage Proposal, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Established Relationship, Waltzing, Morning Kisses) – Sherlock wants to propose John and he came up with his own idea.

From the First Time That I Saw You by BookGirlWithLove (E, 6,813+ w., 4/16 Ch. || WiP || Actor John AU || Christmas, Meet Cute) – Sherlock Holmes very rarely paid any attention to popular culture. He didn’t listen to the radio or watch telly. He seldom watched films. Unless that film had a certain actor in it. A certain actor who, while he might not be on everyone’s favourite list, was most certainly on Sherlock’s. In fact, he was the only celebrity to ever give Sherlock pause, which said a lot. That actor was John Watson. Who was currently standing in Sherlock’s sitting room, awkwardly holding two bottles of wine.

Christmas in Honeycutt by helloliriels (T, 25,768+ w., 12/16 Ch. || WIP || Christmas in Connecticut AU / WWII AU || Kidnapping, Spies / Secret Agents, Codes & Ciphers, Past Relationships, Developing Relationship, Fake Marriage, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending) – John's publisher asks if his family could entertain a war hero at their idyllic estate in Somerset for Christmas. Only ... John doesn't have a wife ... or a daughter. Or an estate. He has a bedsit. In London. And some wounds of his own to recover from ... but he can't tell his publisher that or he'll get fired … What's a writer to do? Cracking Codes. Super Spies. Sherlock in Disguise. A wild Christmas romance set in the countryside! Just what the doctor ordered! Part 6 of the Liriels Chaptered Fics series

The Prince of Hearts by prettysailorsoldier (M, 46,206+ w., 12/? Ch. || Modern Royalty AU || WiP || Matchmaker Sherlock, Prince John, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Sexual Tension, Mutual Pining, Christmas, Fluff) – Sherlock Holmes is making big waves in London as the head of a thriving matchmaking firm, his unconventional approach earning him the title 'The Chemist'. To Sherlock, love is in the data, a collection of variables plugged into equations to calculate the perfect match, but, when the royal family of the small country of Galerre hires him to find a spouse for the crown prince, he will find that some matters of the heart are not so easily solved.

Since First I Saw Your Face by Stavia_Scott_Grayson (M, 398,966+ w., 19/22 Ch. || WiP || ACD Canon / 1884 Victorian AU || Friends to Lovers, Pining, UST/URT, POV Sherlock, Christmas, Developing Relationship, Turkish Baths, Victorian Attitudes, Sussex Holiday, Cocaine, Holmes’ Childhood, Cold Cases, References to Canon) – During the Great Hiatus, Holmes, studying in Tibet, reflects on his first meeting with Dr John Watson.

[carylerxsecretsanta]

!pinned post (carylerxsecretsanta)

Are you a fan of Carol Peletier and Daryl Dixon (aka Caryl) from AMC's The Walking Dead? Do you like to create media (fanfic, gifs, fanart, etc.) for this beautiful couple? Then you've come to the right place. This blog was created in 2013 as a way to celebrate the Carylers and to give each other little happies on Christmas Day each year. Please check in around November to sign up for all the festive fun and holiday joy!

This year was the 10th Annual Caryl Secret Santa exchange. You can find links to the past ten years worth of gifts below (included in this post). I hope you find some goodies to fill your days (and nights) with Caryl-y goodness!

Merry Christmas!

Caryl Secret Santa Presents (2013)

Caryl Secret Santa Presents (2014)

Caryl Secret Santa Presents (2015)

Caryl Secret Santa Presents (2016)

Caryl Secret Santa Presents (2017)

Caryl Secret Santa Presents (2018)

Caryl Secret Santa Presents (2019)

Caryl Secret Santa Presents (2020)

Caryl Secret Santa Presents (2021)

Caryl Secret Santa Presents (2022)

Caryl Secret Santa Presents (2023)

[smoshgoshbefosh]

december 1st please!! <3

Hey, your birthday is one day after Ian's. That's super cool! And also, your birthday last year? ICONIC in terms of Smosh videos.

Which Smosh Videos were Posted on Your Birthday

2011:

Epic Lunchtime- Smosh Pit

2012:

Dat Bootie- Smosh Pit

Evolution of the RPG (Gamer Nation)- Smosh Games

2013:

We Play Cards Against Humanity (Raging Bonus)- Smosh Games

2014:

Speed Drawing Pokemon- Smosh Pit

We Can't Stop Dropping (Maricraft)- Smosh Games

2015:

Every Jedi Ever- Smosh Main

Just Cause (Honest Game Trailers)- Smosh Games (all Honest Game Trailers were deleted recently)

2016:

Who Knows Me Best Challenge! (Squad Vlogs)- Smosh Pit

VR Golf Is Dangerous! (Reality Shift)- Smosh Games

2017:

Punishment Jenga Trivia (Game Bang)- Smosh Games

2018:

Who Is the Best Ref of Summer Games (Smosh and Order)- Smosh Games

2019:

No uploads on December 1

2020:

Our Secret Santa Gift to MatPat (the Great gift Exchange)- Smosh Pit

Can You Guess The Youtuber? (Youtuber Games)- Smosh Games

2021:

No uploads on December 1

2022:

This Guy's Poem Will Really Make You Think (Short)- Smosh Main

Best Gingerbread House Wins!- Smosh Pit

She Just Ate A Ghost Pepper (Short)- Smosh Games

2023:

My Dead Friend- Smosh Main

Taking Ride or die Bestie to a Whole New Level (Short)- Smosh Main

Crazy Questions and Crazier Answers (No Wrong Answers)- Smosh Games

Bloopers My Dead Friend- Smosh Main

My Dead Friend Watch Party- Smosh Main

[a-still-small-vox]

Fics written in 2023, and their word counts:

The Bridge • FFXV | Promptis | 5,116 words | FTH gift

You and I Kaleide • FFXV | Promptis | 12,626 words | Promptis exchange gift

My Only • The Witcher | Gerlion | 1,714 words

A Ring for Dandelion • The Witcher | Gerlion | 1,798 words

Petals On Your Tongue • The Witcher | Gerlion | 2,954 words

Sleeping Bastard • FFXV | Promptis | 3,658 words | FTH gift

To Last Your Whole Life Long • The Witcher | Gerlion | 2,590 words

Hear My Cry • No. 6 | Nezushi | 794 words

Like The Wind • No. 6 | Nezushi | 1,980 words

One Dance • No. 6 | Nezushi | 694 words

A Quiet Evening • No. 6 | Nezushi | 889 words

Lost & Found • No. 6 | Nezushi | 1,320 words

The Spark & The Storm • No. 6 | Nezushi | 899 words

The Wanderer • No. 6 | Nezushi | 1,689 words

Why Do You Like Me? • Mighty Nein | Widomauk | 1,803 words

RE-ROLL • Mighty Nein | Widomauk | 12,354 words

The Moonweaver's Child • Mighty Nein | Widomauk | 6,567 words

grab your things, I've come to take you home • Mighty Nein | Widomauk | 4,231 words

See Through • FFXV | Promptis | 2,834 words | FTH gift

Welcome to the Polycule • Homestuck | KatNepDaveJade | 2,036 words | Homestuck Secret Santa gift

The Siren • No. 6 | Nezushi | 2,493 words | No. 6 Secret Santa gift

Unreleased fics:

Window Of The Soul • FFXV | Promptis | 5,341 words | Book Club Discord Exchange gift

Masquerade Heist • Critical Role | Widomauk | 5,316 words | Tealeaf Tavern Secret Santa gift

Long Shadows • Critical Role | Widomauk | 66,461 words | Super secret upcoming longfic, in beta~

Translations:

Petit fics pour la Semaine de Kaidan 2017 • Mass Effect | multi | 445 words | original by BardofHeartDive

Petit fics pour la Semaine de MER 2020 • Mass Effect | multi | 476 words | original by BardofHeartDive

Le Club des Maris Morts • Mass Effect | Kaidan/m!Shep | 1,347 words | original by BardofHeartDive

Récupération • Mass Effect | Kaidan/James/m!Shep | 1,618 words | original by BardofHeartDive

Fragile • Critical Role | Kimallura | 2,246 words | original by BardofHeartDive

La muse accidentelle • The Old Guard | Andy/Quynh | 2,422 words | original by Saltwaterselkie

Les cicatrices qu'elle portait • Black Widow | Natasha Romanov & Clint Barton | 2,485 words | original by Saltwaterselkie

14,000,606 • Avengers: Endgame | Steve Rogers & Bucky Barnes; Steve Rogers & Tony Stark | 4,120 words | original by BardofHeartDive

Toutes mes lignes invisibles • A League Of Their Own | Max Chapman & Clance Morgan | 2,319 words | original by Saltwaterselkie

La Teuf d'Halloween de Billy Batson • Shazam! | Billy Batson & Batman | 3,478 words | original by Saltwaterselkie

Total fics: 24 + 10 translations Total word count: 150,147 + 20,956 (translated)

Specifics:

Best/worst title?

Best: You and I Kaleide, Hear My Cry, Like the Wind, RE-ROLL, & grab your things, I've come to take you home

Worst: See Through, One Dance

I think a lot of the titles were uninspired this year, but those two are the least aesthetically pleasing to me.

Best/worst quote/passage?

Best:

Brighter, richer, a window opening to a world Prompto has never known, a dimension unfolding before him. He is experiencing something for which he has no name, has no language and no words and can’t describe. It isn’t just the visual phenomenon. It is the way his heart, too, is opening. As easily and as freely as a door swinging wide.

The simplest explanation, which is no real explanation, is colour.

And the colour is blue.

And the world is breaking apart, fracturing and wheeling and turning in a glorious, shining ballet. Yet Prince Noctis’s face somehow remains the same, an anchor and a harbour and a refuge. There are new colours in his face and colours in his hair and colour dancing around him which he’ll only later know how to name, peach and pink and black and grey and blue, more blue; pure, vast blue of sky.

(You and I Kaleide)

Why?: Writing the descriptions of the magical kaleidoscope moment in this fic gave me the opportunity to be very creative and artsy. Honestly, I probably could've pushed it even further than I did. But I think this is the fic with the most unique visuals this year.

Best/worst first line?

Best: Caleb knows he’s smart, but he would need a major in psychology with double minors in tiefling and carnie to figure out why Mollymauk pays him as much attention as he does. (Why Do You Like Me?) Why?: Most of my first lines are pretty serviceable. This one is actually clever.

Worst: “H-hello?” (The Wanderer) Why?: Conveying emotion through adding a letter to indicate a stutter is a bit of a cop out. The runner up to this is "“We need a miracle,” Ignis muttered." (See Through) because I feel like that's a cliché thing to say.

Best/worst last line?

Best: Cradled by the arms of his living friend, who time had returned to him, he finally fell asleep. (RE-ROLL) Why?: None of the last lines from this year really stood out to me, but this one is definitely the most interesting.

Worst: Then they dashed out of the alleyway and back into the fray. (The Spark And The Storm) Why?: My last lines tend to have at least some emotion in them. This line doesn't really have any. It's pretty weak.

General questions:

Looking back, did you write more fics than you thought you would this year, less than you thought, or about what you predicted?

I wrote way more than I expected. I would never just expect to write 150K, aha. I especially didn't expect to write one fic a day for a week (which is what I did for No. 6 week), nor did I expect to write a novel-length longfic, which is what Long Shadows turned out to be.

What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted last year?

Last year I didn't know I'd get into the Witcher games or the Mighty Nein in 2023. I already had a vague interest in the Gerlion/Geraskier ship, but I didn't know I was going to start actually engaging in the fandom beyond having read one novel. And I've always had a vague awareness of Critical Role thanks to my other mutuals, but never had the intent to get into the fandom myself. That one happened, I think, because I got a chance to play my first game of DND this summer, and got interested in other DND stuff in consequence.

What’s your favorite story this year? Not the most popular, but the one that makes you the happiest.

As always, it's a bit of a toss-up, but I think Long Shadows fucking rocks. I can't wait to share it with everyone. The Bridge, You and I Kaleide, and RE-ROLL are all really good too.

Okay, NOW your most popular story.

You and I Kaleide is my most popular by hits. The Bridge is my most popular by kudos. (Both in the FFXV fandom.)

Story most underappreciated by the universe?

It's kinda sucky to roll up to the Critical Role fandom like five years too late, especially with such an investment in Widomauk. The CritRole fandom also doesn't seem to comment much, and never really seems to have done so, which is a shame. But I feel like people do like my stories, even if they're not very vocal about it. ;3;

Story that could have been better?

All of my No. 6 week fics were made via writing sprint, so they're not necessarily the best thought out stories I've ever written. I think they're pretty good for what they are, though.

Sexiest story?

Long Shadows /eyes emoji

You can look forward to TWO sexy scenes in that one~

Saddest story?

The Bridge and Sleeping Bastard have some sad moments. RE-ROLL is kinda about a twenty three hour long panic attack, lol. And Long Shadows has a VERY angsty opening, woof.

Most fun?

Welcome To The Polycule has the most banter and silly lines in it. It's kinda unavoidable with Homestuck fics, because that's just how the characters talk.

Story with single sweetest moment?

Probably You and I Kaleide, which is just romance all the way down. But you could also make an argument for one of the fics in my Witcher 1 series. (My Only, A Ring For Dandelion, & To Last Your Whole Life Long)

Hardest story to write?

RE-ROLL, You and I Kaleide, and Long Shadows had the greatest effort put into them. I took copious notes on episodes 26 and 27 of the Mighty Nein campaign in order to be able to write RE-ROLL. You and I Kaleide has a pretty complicated structure that it took me a few tries to get right. And Long Shadows is a longfic, so of course it took more planning than just a one-shot. I've already written an author's note explaining my process for it, which will be released when the fic is fully posted.

Easiest/most fun story to write?

The writing sprints for No. 6 week were all pretty easy. Come up with an idea in five to ten minutes, then write for half an hour. Maybe a few minutes more or a second sprint. Done.

Did any stories shift your perceptions of the characters?

I wrote Why Do You Like Me specifically to explore why Molly would like Caleb. I can see why Caleb would like Molly. Molly's great. But early-campaign Caleb is, well. An anti-social asshole with purposefully poor hygiene who gets reprimanded multiple times for being dishonest and selfish. Yet, there must be something special about him that's obvious to the people around him and not just to the audience, otherwise this ship wouldn't be as popular as it is. The question I had was what, and this fic helped me explore that.

Most overdue story?

See Through was based on an idea I had in like 2018. You and I Kaleide was also a prompt I had sitting around for a while. This is why I hoard all of my good story ideas - I never know when I might bust one out to write it for some gift exchange - or just because!

I also have been saying for many years that I ship KatNepDaveJade, but I never put my money where my mouth is before to actually write the ship.

Did you take any writing risks this year? What did you learn from them?

Lots, actually. You and I Kaleide had a very complicated structure. RE-ROLL used real dice rolls to direct the plot. And Long Shadows starts off with just a huge chunk of unapologetic angst, which is so not my normal wheelhouse. Then there were the writing sprints I just posted. Then The Bridge and Window Of The Soul have premises that are a little risqué, as they deal with themes of suicide and burgeoning sexuality. So yeah, I had a lot of fun flexing my creative muscles this year.

What are your fic writing goals for next year?

EDIT AND POST LONG SHADOWS!!!

Work on one of my currently unfinished fics (Perchance to Wake, OFF-Script, or Fateswap Beyond)

*

That’s all, folks! If anyone else wants to do this wrap up like it’s a meme and tag me, go right ahead. Happy New Year!

[tgon]

Ghosts of Fear Street, Fright Christmas | Review

Title: Ghosts of Fear Street #15 – Fright Christmas Author: Stephen Roos (as by R.L. Stine) Cover Artist: John Youssi

INTRODUCTION

The cover artwork got my hopes up. Never before has Silent Night looked so loud loud loud! Unfortunately the plot is less interesting. The ghostwriter must have organized a White Elephant Plot Exchange, because the entire story is lifted from A Christmas Carol. It’s safe to assume R.L. Stine forgot this book exists, too, because he penned his own adaptation of the Dickens classic in 2017 entitled Young Scrooge.

I was fully prepared to skip this book. Bah humbug. But last night I was visited by The Ghost Of Christmas Past. The spectre said unto me, “Fright Christmas had an audiobook adaptation in 1997 starring Kieran Culkin. This wasn’t the most successful Christmas project for the Culkins, but skipping it could be seen as an insult. If they have the power to put a star in Hollywood Boulevard for Macaulay, think about how easily they could put you in the ground!”

Well, I’ve had a sudden change of heart. Let’s give this book a chance! One last toast to has-been ghosts, the review will be soon.

STORY REVIEW

Kenny Frobisher is less of a “peace on earth” guy and more of a “piece of work” guy. When his sister visits Santa in the mall, Kenny spoils the occasion by calling it all fake. He even rips Mall Santa’s beard off! Maybe Kenny is banking on the resale value of coal. Anyways, Kenny wisely dips out after the beard stunt sparks a child riot. He sneaks into a secret control room, pushing past a big sign that says DANGER! KEEP OUT! So maybe Kenny is also banking on the resale value of Darwin Awards.

Kenny decides to flip some random switches, which was quality entertainment in a pre-internet America. This great plan backfires when Kenny locks himself in. Kenny fears that the ghostwriter is copying another story from the 1840s ⁠— until the door mysteriously creaks open. He emerges to discover an abandoned mall. He must have stayed past closing time. Or maybe he timetraveled to the early 2020s.

Santa rises from the shadows, but this fella ain’t holly-jolly. He looks ticked. Truly chilling. If that doesn’t scare you, have you considered SANTA is an anagram for SATAN? Truly chilling. Kenny yanks down on Santa’s beard, but this one doesn’t detach. Uh oh. Santa reprimands Kenny for his naughtiness and warns that the boy will be visited by three spirits. Kenny flees to Dalby’s Department Store, which is a cute bit of continuity, as this store is an important location in the main Fear Street series. Kenny decides it’s a super good time to nap on one of the luxury beds. Yes he’s trapped in a mall and haunted by ghosts, but it’s 8:59 (PM!!) and he’s sleepy, dagnabbit.

Kenny wakes up to the revving of a motorcycle. He meets an intimidating biker named Night Watchman. The guy claims he’s been watching Kenny all the time, but I guess “All Hours Watchman” doesn’t sound cool. This dude shows Kenny a flashback, a day when Kenny bullied some kid named “Tiny Timmy” in front of the whole school. Of course, Kenny enjoys revisiting this memory. To keep his grip on the situation, Night Watchman simply rams Kenny with his bike. Truly an underrated rhetorical strategy.

Eyes snapping open, Kenny finds himself back in the department store. The bed has been torn to shreds. He meets a wintery ghost named Ice Man. This fixes a huge problem in the original Dickens story: the total lack of wrestler-style character names. Ice Man whisks Kenny away to show him how the Frobishers are handling Christmas Eve without their son. Kenny’s sister seems pretty upset, but Mr. Frobisher offers helpful advice such as

“These things happen, honey.”

Think that sounds cold? Turns out, the family is only sad because their dog is lost. They haven’t even noticed Kenny is gone. I guess if you live on Fear Street, you develop an Oregon Trail mindset. Sometimes we have two kids, sometimes we have one kid, oh well what can you do.

Kenny is woken once more, this time by techno lights and crazy music, and he finds himself in an open grave. After all, you can’t spell GRAVE without RAVE. There’s also an unknown figure skulking around above him. Kenny pleas for help, but the figure turns out to be a hooded ghost. The spooky dude points a skeleton-finger at Kenny, and a hoard of ghost kids descend on our protagonist. Oh my God, they killed Kenny!

Back in the mall again, an electrician shakes Kenny awake. The boy fell asleep in the control room. Feeling a sudden change of heart, he buys a gift for his sister. When Kenny gets home, the family dog has indeed gone missing, just like in his dream. Luckily, Tiny Timmy happened to catch the dog and returns it, upgrading him to Regular Timmy. But then Timmy reveals a spooky skeleton-finger, signifying that he was the mysterious ghost from Kenny’s dream. I made a visual aid to convey the terror.

THE VERDICT

If you’d like to create your own adaptation of A Christmas Carol, it might be beneficial to follow this simple set of rules: Don’t.

So concludes our third Biennial Holiday Special. Maybe by 2025, Elon Musk will buy this blog for billions of dollars and replace me with an AI. If you don’t want me replaced by a robot (or maybe you chuckled while reading this entry), feel free to leave a like or drop a message.

BEST QUOTE

“Sorry, Kenny,” Dad said softly. “We were reading A Christmas Carol. I know how you hate it.” “Not anymore, Dad,” I said, […] “I love it! It’s one of my favorite stories now!”

Why? At what point was that experience anything other than traumatizing?

[iressails]

hi there!!! I’m your content creator secret santa 🤫🎄 how are you?? do you have anything you’re looking forward to this (holiday) season?

I’ve checked out your blog to see what kinds of things you enjoy, but I’d love to hear from you directly 😊

what are some of your favorite shows and movies? who are your favorite characters? ships? do you have any particularly favored music artists lately? maybe specific songs? maybe you even have some favorite books you’d like to share! what about favorite colors?

is there anything you absolutely DON’T want? lol just in case 😅

I hope you have a great rest of your week!

HII!!! I have been preparing for this question for a couple of days and right now immediately I've forgotten everything I know and like, and have ever liked.

[Pause to review my blog and get my thoughts in order]

i love red, green and orange. all the traffic lights baby!

Im looking forward to the holidays it's been... a year.

My ship (just the one rn *sob): I'm currently in Homicide: Life on the Street (1993 - 2000) hell. I love Frank Pembleton and Tim Bayliss with my whole heart, but a 30 year old show and 65 year old men are a bit of a hard ask even from a kind Santa. Bayliss was my first canon bi character on TV and I've not been right since.

Update: Earlier in the year I was heavily into Joanne Davidson/Kate Fleming from Line of Duty (2012 - 2021) until I was gratified by this fic: Bleed into me by Authorette and somehow never thought of it again.

(Yeah not sure about the non-canon (but one half queer in canon) unhappy ending cop duos being my shipping highlight of the year)

Movies: I love Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001), Pride (2014), Barber (2023), Gattaca (1997), Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997), Trust (1990)

Shows: Bob and Rose (2001), Homicide ..(ahahaha) Trust me (2017), Borderliner / Grenseland (2017)

People: I think Rebecca Ferguson, Raul Esparza, Hunter Schaefer, Lesley Sharp, Ethan Hawke, Carla Gugino, Laura Main, Brain Molko, Emma D'Arcy, Vanessa Kirby, Katie McGrath, Caity Lotz, Toby Stephens, Adrienne Shelly, Alexander Skarsgard, Patricia Arquette, Emerald Fennell and David Harbour are just so pretty

Characters: Omar Little (The Wire 2002 - 2008), Catherine Cawood (Happy Valley 2014 - 2023), Christine Chapel (Star Trek Strange new Worlds 2022), Alex Vause (Orange is the new black 2013 - 2019), Nomi Marks (Sense8 2015 - 2017), Joan Holloway/Harris (Mad Men 2007 - 2015), and Deran Cody (Animal Kingdom 2016 - 2022), Charles (Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994), Carrie Mathison (Homeland 2011 - 2020), Patsy Mount (Call the Midwife)

As for hates... I dont like too many fancy fonts on gifs, or double exposures that make people look like they have two heads (I'm guilty of this, yes, yes). Not big on the music. My spotify wrapped this year was where I was reminded that I had just listened to Alanis Morissette, The Crystal Method, Bright Eyes and Placebo and things-to-run-to as I always do. Every year. It is an utter wasteland.

Thank you in advance I'm sure whatever you make will be wonderful. I love this exchange so much. Both ways giving and receiving.

[katblu42]

Signals

A (Kagaku Ninja Tai) Gatchaman fic written for the Secret Santa gift exchange in 2017. The prompt I was given tasked me with giving Joe and Jun a moment alone, lost on an island with time to reflect on their hopes and fears, and a possibility of romance between them.

I hope there is an audience for this fic here. I loved writing this, and the challenge of shipping these two (who I'd never really considered would end up together) pushed me to write something I was quite proud of.

It is fairly long at just over 14000 words, so this is just the first part. Rated G Minor injury Minor character death budding romance (I've tagged with Battle of the Planets as some fans may recognise enough familiar content to follow the story.)

Signals (link to AO3)

Four birdlike shadows flashed across the stainless steel wall of the compound. Two streaked left and disappeared behind pallets piled high with boxes, while the other two headed right and vanished into the darkness between the dimly lit doorways.

“This doesn’t look like the stolen electronics components,” Ken whispered.

“No,” Jun agreed, “it seems more like catering supplies.”

“I guess even Galactor have to eat.”

“Hey, kid, what’d you see?” Joe prompted Jinpei after a brief reconnoitre.

“First door leads to bathrooms, second one looks like kitchens,” the youngster responded. “You?”

“Last door looks like it leads to living quarters. Door three’s the winner – stairs leading down.” He grinned a mirthless grin, then spoke into his bracelet. “G2 to G1. I think we’ve found the way in.” There was no response.

“Aniki?” Jinpei tried whispering into his own communicator. “Should we go in?”

“Comms are down. They must be jamming us,” Joe surmised. “Go see if you can find them. I’ll stay here.”

“What’s taking Joe and Jinpei so long?” wondered Jun. “We should have heard something by now.”

“G1 to G2. Found anything? . . . Joe?” Ken waited but received no answer. “No response. Do you think they could be jamming us?”

“Yep!” Jinpei popped his head around the corner of the stack of boxes, then continued as he joined his teammates. “That’s what Joe thinks too. There’s a way down over there. Come on!”

“Hold on,” Ken grabbed the young swallow’s cowl and held him back. “We need to try contacting Ryu before we get any deeper into the base.”

“Are you kidding?” Jinpei turned to Jun. “Does he really expect to be able contact to Ryu out there in the God Phoenix when we can’t even get a signal in here?”

“G5, this is G1. Do you copy?” Ken spoke into his bracelet. “G5, do you read?”

“He’s not expecting an answer, but you know we have to try,” Jun reminded him. “It’s procedure. And the God Phoenix has signal boosters.”

Just then Joe dropped down from the top of one of the taller stacks to join the others.

“I guess we can’t call in the cavalry?” Joe’s question was answered by a shake of Ken’s head. “The jamming device must be somewhere in the base. Last time we contacted Ryu we were less than a hundred meters away from where we are now.”

“Maybe I can find a way to detect the device,” Jun suggested as she opened her bracelet’s faceplate.

“Good idea,” Ken agreed. “We get in, Jinpei and I will find the stolen equipment, you and Joe find and neutralise the jamming device. Twenty minute time limit – if communications haven’t been restored by then we get out and blow the base.”

“We won’t have that long if we go now,” Joe said, ominously. “There’s a lot of activity over there now. Change of shift, meal time or something.”

A five minute wait allowed the foot traffic around the stairs to die down while Jun found a signal that could be the jamming device, and a way to track its location.

The four ninjas made it down the long flight of stairs without needing to deal with more than a half dozen Galactor infantry. The staircase opened out to a wide intersection of corridors. They’d seen similar layouts before and could make educated guesses as to which direction to head in to find what they were looking for.

“Signal seems strongest this way.” Jun indicated the corridor leading straight ahead of the stairs.

“Twenty minutes,” Ken reminded them, then took off down the corridor on the left with Jinpei close behind.

The corridor Jun and Joe needed to take appeared to be a main artery through the base. It was wide with a high ceiling and doors leading off either side at regular intervals. A suspended catwalk allowing access to the corridor lights and air ducts ran above the centre of the corridor. Joe suggested they’d encounter less goons if he and Jun traversed the catwalk. Progress was slightly cautious to prevent the suspended lights from swinging as they walked. All the while the signal Jun was following became stronger. The end of the corridor brought them to a large set of interlocking, sliding steel doors.

“Whatever we’re looking for is through there,” Jun whispered.

“Looks like it has a keypad lock, that’ll mean we need a code.” Joe groaned at the prospect. “That door will be too thick to drill through or torch – it’ll take too long.”

“Maybe we’ll get lucky,” Jun smiled and nodded towards a pair of Galactor soldiers approaching the doors.

Sure enough, they stopped at the doors and the taller of the two punched a series of numbers into the keypad. As the huge doors slid apart the two men started to walk through, and Jun and Joe swooped. Quick as a flash, a streak of pink and another of blue descended from the catwalk and flew through the doors. The two Galactor goons never knew what hit them – both were out of action before the double doors had closed again.

Jun and Joe found themselves inside a large hangar. Technicians and mechanics in Galactor uniforms, and small service vehicles moved about the vast space. An enormous, somewhat bird-shaped aircraft occupied the centre of the domed area. A kind of mezzanine level jutted three meters out of the side walls about ten meters above floor level, extending three quarters of the way around the room, leaving a semi-circular hangar door at the far end.

After dragging the hapless goons out of sight, Joe and Jun crouched beside equipment racks against the side wall and took stock of their surroundings.

“What is that?” Joe asked, indicating the massive, blue-ish metal aircraft with a nasty looking long, thin, slightly curved beak. “Some kind of wading bird?”

“I don’t know,” Jun replied distractedly, “but the jamming device is probably somewhere on board.”

At that moment an alarm started blaring.

“Jinpei and Ken!” Jun gasped.

“. . . can take care of themselves,” Joe reassured her. “But if I’m not mistaken, we’re gonna have to hurry this up.”

The amount of activity in the hangar (and by the sound of it, on the mezzanine level above them) began to increase as uniformed soldiers began responding to the alarm. Orders were being barked, weapons collected and readied for action, and likely locations for the intruders suggested; “The Command Centre!” . . . “the plant room” . . . “The power generator!”

“Do you think they found the stolen components?” Jun whispered.

“I think they found trouble.”

“Then maybe we should go and help them.”

“The best way for us to help would be to get inside that . . . thing and find the jamming device.” Joe studied her expression for a moment. He hoped his own concern for Ken and Jinpei was not as obvious, but he could also see determination behind that golden visor. She nodded, doing her best to put aside her unease.

There were now less technicians and mechanics in the hangar, but there was still some activity audible above them. Guards could be seen posted at entrances on the mezzanine, but they were focussing their attention away from the hangar floor.

“Looks like now’s our best chance,” Joe suggested before heading off in a blue streak across the hangar and concealing himself behind one of the long, folded metal legs of the giant bird. Jun quickly followed.

The main hatch and ramp was closed, but a small opening in the bird’s hull, designed to allow maintenance access, had been left open in the rush to respond to the alarm. The ladder had been removed, but a five meter, near-vertical leap was no challenge for the two ninjas.

Just as Joe made his landing inside the iron bird, and Jun was preparing to jump, the vibrations and muffled sounds of an explosion somewhere within the base shook them. Jun fought the urge to look for the source of the detonation and instead focussed her energy into her leap, and soon joined Joe in a narrow space running uphill towards the bird’s left wing. They couldn’t fit side by side, and Joe had to stoop to keep from hitting his head. The tunnel was designed to give maintenance crews access to control cables, electrical circuits and crawl spaces between mechanical sections.

Another, slightly louder explosion and the sound of distant gunfire reached their ears.

“We need to hurry,” Joe grumbled and began making his way up the access tunnel.

“I wish I knew what was going on,” Jun complained.

“Then we’d better find this thing and disable it so we can get hold of Ken and ask him!” Joe shot back as he continued up the tunnel, leaving Jun little choice but to follow.

They had made about ten meters of steady progress when another alarm began to sound. A different tone from the earlier one. The maintenance hatch Jun and Joe had entered through clanged shut below and behind them. Sounds of running feet and voices made their way nearer and the loud, mechanical cacophony of the main belly hatch mechanism clunked to life, culminating in the gritty clang and grind of the ramp hitting the hangar floor.

Jun took a breath to steady her pounding heart, and consulted her bracelet to try and get a fix on the location of the jamming device. They had to be pretty close.

“We need to make our way up and to the right,” she stated in a far less panicky tone than she felt.

“Then we’ll need to check out these side shafts,” Joe suggested.

Footsteps and voices were now evident both inside and outside the mecha. A distinctly metallic screeching sound indicated the opening of the main hangar doors. Servos began clicking as the mecha’s systems started to come online, engines whined into their warm-up sequence. Preparations for take-off had begun.

“Okay,” Joe backed out of one of the side shafts. “Not that way! By the sound of it, that leads to an engine.”

“This one!” Jun exclaimed from another shaft a little further up.

The side tunnel she had found led a short distance into a small room lined with shelves and racks stocked with tools and spare parts. Joe crawled through into the room and stood at his full height for the first time since they’d entered the mecha, then strode straight over to the door at the other end of the room and listened.

“. . . base is compromised, Lord Katse has set the self-destruct. As soon as he is aboard we’ll take off . . .”

As he turned to face Jun he saw her expression change to one of alarm and Joe realised his own expression was a mix of surprise and concern. He relayed the overheard information to her.

“Then we need to get out of here,” she responded. “We have to warn Ken and Jinpei!”

“They will have figured it out by now,” Joe reassured her. “They’ll find a way out of the base. Right now our best chance of escape is to stay aboard this mecha. If Katse is using it as a lifeboat then it’s a guaranteed safe ride out.”

“Then what? Our comms are still down. The others won’t know where we are.”

“We stick to the plan – find the jamming device and disable it. Then we can contact the others and . . .” he trailed off in thought. “Maybe we can track Katse back to Galactor’s headquarters.”

“And what if we can’t disable it? Or if we can’t find it? Or if we’re discovered and . . .”

“Then we blow this thing to pieces and hope for a soft landing.”

Just then the engine noise increased and the mecha lurched as it moved into take-off position. The belly hatch ramp could be heard retracting and closing. There was a large explosion somewhere close by, perhaps even within the hangar. Another change in engine note and a sudden jolt accompanied the take off. The bird mecha barely cleared the hangar entrance as a massive fiery explosion blasted out of the base. The shockwave and turbulence sent the aircraft lurching and rocking, causing badly restrained equipment to fly in all directions about the storeroom. A large tool chest began to topple.

“Jun!” Joe warned as he staggered and struggled to stay upright amid the aircraft’s erratic movements.

Jun tried to leap clear of the heavy chest as it fell, but she was off balance and struggling to find her footing. As she jumped the mecha pitched sideways violently and her right ankle buckled beneath her. The tool chest crashed to the floor, narrowly missing her feet on its way down and her way up. She landed heavily in a half-kneeling position next to Joe with a grunt and a grimace of pain.

They rode out the rest of the turbulence in silence, concentrating on staying balanced and clear of further falling objects. Then as the mecha’s flight began to level out into clear air, Joe reached out to help Jun to her feet.

“You okay?”

Jun kept hold of Joe’s arm as she tested her weight on her right foot.

“Aaaaah!” She hopped a little on her left foot. “No! I don’t think anything’s broken, but I can’t put much weight on it.”

“Okay,” he said, slowly, “so, you stay here. Show me how to track this jamming device and I’ll go find it. Then I’ll come back here and we’ll get out the way we came in. Moving through these tunnels is too slow for my liking, but it’s a more discreet option than using the main corridors.”

She considered his plan for a moment. She didn’t much like the idea of sitting around helplessly, wondering if Joe was having any luck. The chances of him finding it without drawing unwanted attention were too slim.

“No,” she asserted, a look of steely determination in her emerald eyes as she fixed them on his. “Let’s go with Plan B – blow this thing to pieces!”

He held her gaze a while, discerning how much of this was pain talking and how much was about wanting to know if Jinpei and Ken were okay. He could see that she wanted this over quickly, but she was looking at the options. If they destroyed the mecha it might destroy the jamming device as well.

“Alright,” Joe sighed and gave a nod. “What kind of charges have you got?”

He and Jun took stock of their combined stash of explosives and timing devices, discussed what little they knew so far of the mecha’s structure, propulsion system and dimensions, and came up with a plan of action. Joe would need to leave Jun on her own for a while, but there was little chance of either of them being detected while he was gone. Jun handed over the two small, but powerful devices she’d assembled. All Joe would need to do was place them and set the timers.

Joe returned to the maintenance tunnel and followed it upward, looking for a lateral corridor that would cross over to the other side. Just as Jun had predicted a cramped tunnel, presumably somewhere close to the bird’s shoulders provided access to a central power cell which supplied most of the ship’s critical systems. It was likely the path he had just travelled would be mirrored on the other side of the ship.

It took only a few minutes for Joe to secure the explosive device directly to the power cell, set the timer and make his way back to Jun. Together they made their way back through the maintenance tunnel toward the small hatch in the hull where they had come in. On the way Joe ducked into the side shaft he’d found earlier and set the second explosive device close to the engine, this one on a shorter timer.

They were delayed slightly by the seal on the exit hatch. Jun used a small charge to blow the electronic lock and they were able to drop through and freefall clear of the giant metal bird, just as the timer on the first explosive reached zero.

As two sets of Birdstyle wings unfurled the dull crump and thud of the first explosion caused the steel bird to buckle outwards between the metal wings. Joe began to ride the air currents, searching for a place to land on one of the small islands dotting the Pacific Ocean below them. He spotted a likely candidate and looked back to check that Jun was following as he directed his glide towards it. The second explosive detonated, causing a fireball and black smoke to belch from the engine behind the mecha’s left wing. The ugly steel bird was losing altitude, breaking apart and beginning to tumble as further explosions flashed across its body. The spindly legs were among the first large pieces to break away, along with large sheets of the outer casing and smaller pieces of flaming debris.

The long, narrow curved beak detached and plunged into the ocean as the spherical head launched away from the elongated neck and steered up and away. It had to be Katse’s escape vessel.

Checking over his shoulder at regular intervals to watch for debris, and to ensure Jun was still close by, Joe glided above the wooded area of the island and started descending toward a long stretch of beach. Dodging various jagged pieces of hot metal jutting out of the sand, he touched down gently in the soft, white sand close to the trees. Knowing Jun would find landing difficult with an injured ankle, he immediately turned to check her position. Following her trajectory, he ran along the beach to meet her at her landing point.

Jun glided in to land, seeing Joe waiting to assist. She touched her left foot down and allowed her momentum to take her forward towards Joe’s waiting arms so that she didn’t have to put weight on her right foot as she put the toe of her boot onto the sand. She held Joe’s right forearm and left shoulder as she steadied herself, and looked up to meet his concerned gaze.

“Thanks, Joe”

At that moment the largest remaining section of the bird mecha, which had only remained in the air this long through the sheer determination of a small Galactor flight crew who were desperately hoping against all hope that they may somehow survive this catastrophe, finally succumbed to its fate and crashed into the ocean in a dramatic and bright ball of flame. Joe closed his eyes and turned his head against the irritation of the flash of light. Jun turned to study the colour and shape of the flames and smoke on the horizon, analysing the probable cause of the aircraft exploding on impact the way it did.

The bright flash faded to an orange glow and began to disappear as the smoke billowed, rose and dissipated. Joe, no longer irritated by the light, turned back towards the crash site.

“I guess that’s it. Now we’ll never figure out what it was meant to be.”

“I think it was an ibis,” Jun informed him, “although I’m not sure why they decided to paint it blue.” She shifted her position slightly with an awkward pivot and a limping half step.

“Here, let me take a look at that ankle.” Joe indicated a nearby fallen tree trunk and gently guided Jun over to it, lending a hand to help her sit. Kneeling at her feet, he took her right foot in his hands. “This isn’t going to be easy, but we need to get this boot off.”

“It’ll be easier if I transform out of Birdstyle,” Jun offered.

“Check your communicator,” Joe suggested. “Can you contact the others?”

“What? Why?” Jun responded with appropriate confusion, raising her bracelet to follow Joe’s instruction.

“Just try it.” Joe had that look that said he was thinking two steps ahead and waiting for her to catch up.

“G3 to G1. Do you read me, Commander? . . . Jinpei? Ryu? Do you copy?” There was no response.

“Comms are still jammed. That means the device is still active and somewhere nearby.” Joe watched Jun as she concentrated on where this train of thought was going. “There is a chance that there are survivors from the crash who could also be monitoring our transformation frequency. It’s a slim chance, but do you want to risk it?”

Since Galactor had gained the knowledge of the team’s transformation frequency some months back Dr Nambu had cautioned them all to be even more careful of when and where they transformed.

“No,” Jun conceded. “But how did you know our communications were still down?”

“I know Ken,” Joe grinned. “As soon as that jamming device is out of action we’ll hear him chirp.” The grin faded as Joe began to concentrate on the job at hand. “Okay, you ready?”

Jun gave a nod and manoeuvred her foot as best she could while Joe gently eased the long, white boot off, revealing her reddened, swollen ankle. She found herself marvelling at the gentle touch of his hands, the tender care he took as he had her test the range of movement, and that mixture of calm, controlled confidence, and pure concern in his eyes each time he looked up at her to ask a question. It didn’t take long to determine the injury was most likely to be a sprain, albeit a nasty one. Joe reached into a pouch on his belt and brought out a compression bandage. She watched in silence as those hands that she knew could be deadly when necessary expertly wound the bandage around her ankle with such gentleness.

“You’re good at that,” she remarked as he finished pinning the bandage in place. He gave her a bemused look. “The first-aid thing. You have excellent field dressing skills.”

He found himself unsure of how to react, so he smirked, shrugged and adopted his best doctor-ish voice. “Well, without ice to bring the swelling down you will have to make sure you rest and elevate that ankle.”

“I’ll rest it when we get back to the God Phoenix.” Jun’s expression changed to one of resolve as she reached for her boot. “Right now we need to find that jamming device.”

(Read the rest on AO3)

[arkane-secret-santa]

Three days left for sign-ups!

Join us for this festive prompt-based fic exchange on AO3!

[natalidenton]

It's been a while since I updated this ol' thing, so thought I'd finally do it. Shout out to whoever made this meme back on DA!

I decided since I stopped adding in the lil blurbs that I'd just make the size of the canvas a bit bigger cause as I get better I wanna show off the details xD

Forrrr anyone interested uhh from like 2017 onwards I haven't really done a lot of art each year, working full time steals a lot of my time and motivation to want to do things other than sleep lol. But I do try to do studies, and I've tried to do Outfit August for my witch OC, and I take part in some secret santa gift exchanges, so I do a few things.

[ceallaigheirinn]

Ten lines tagging meme

Thank you to the lovely @politicalmamaduck for the tag!

Rules: share the first lines of ten of your most recent fanfics and tag ten people. If you have written less than ten, don’t be shy and share anyway❤️

1. “It was late, well into the small hours of the night by the time their shuttle reached planetfall and descended toward the surface below.” HANDFAST. A Reylo canon-divergent forced marriage fic for the 2023 Valentines Exchange.

2. “It had been a little over a standard month since she touched down on Tatooine.” GRIMTASH. A Reylo post canon reunion fic for the 2023 RFFA Valentine Exchange.

3. “The sun descended over the Silver Sea as it did every evening.” HEATHENS. A Reylo soft BDSM kink fic. Wanted to write outside my comfort zone.

4. “The sun was just beginning to set on the horizon on the Silver Sea as Rey entered her small apartment on the outskirts of Hanna City.” I WILL ALWAYS BE WITH YOU. A Reylo Dark Rey origin story/Reylo baby fic for the 2021 RFFA Valentine Exchange. Really need to reexplore this universe and write a sequel.

5. “Tatooine summers always meant sandstorms.” UNSTUCK IN TIME. A Reylo Bring Ben Back fic for the 2020 RFFA Anthology. Biggest work I’ve written. Post-canon. Wanted to prove I could bring back while being 100% canon compliant. Take that, Abrams!! Time travel!

6. “The springtime monsoon season had come to Batuu and for the seventeenth day straight, sheets of unrelenting rain pelted down from the sky.” WHAT WAS LOST IS NOW FOUND. Amnesia trope Reylo fic for the 2020 RFFA Valentine Exchange.

7. “It wasn’t their bed on Chandrila, but this one in the Millennium Falcon’s captain’s quarters was the next best thing.” THE WEIGHT OF A SOUL. A Reylo fic for the 2019 RFFA Anthology. Vengeance demons with a bit borrowed from Ammit mythology.

8. “The first thing Rey noted when she touched down in Coronet City was the complete absence of color.” SERENDIPITY. A Reylo canon-divergent dystopian fic written for the 2019 RFFA New Years Fic Exchange.

9. “Kylo Ren wakes with a strangled gasp as he sits bolt upright in his bed.” TOUCH. Nightmares, Forcebond. Quiet Reylo moment for the 2017 Underrated Reylo Secret Santa Exchange. Was going to be bigger, but I like the simplicity of one chapter.

10. “Ben Solo awoke with a gasp.” SPILLIKIN. Exiled Reylo canonverse for the 2017 RFFA Anthology. Wherein Ben honors his parents and tries to forgive himself.

You get a bonus, because fic because I’m really proud of fic 11. Set in the same universe as Serendipity. Wrote it in a day. Only time that has ever happened.

11. “Ben Solo had been the sole human residing on Maluhia for a little over a year.” SOLITUDE INTERRUPTED. A Reylo fic I wrote the day Carrie Fisher died. Ben Solo lost his mother that day, and I’ve struggled to write a living Leia since then.

Will tag a few. No obligation to participate, but I’d love to revisit and discover fic!

@checktheholonet @briarlily @the-reylo-void @anopendoor @whatceliawrites

[drama-suggestions]

Rom-Com Dramas

Extraordinary attorney Woo (2022) (16 episodes)

9/10 rating on MyDramaList and 8.7/10 on IMDb

Extraordinary Attorney Woo is the story of Woo Young-woo, an autistic lawyer raised by her single father. She graduates at the top of her law school class and obtains her first job at Hanbada, a large Seoul law firm. Her intelligence and photographic memory help her become an excellent lawyer, but her communication is initially seen as odd and awkward. She also encounters people who are prejudiced against her and others with disabilities, such as her fellow colleague Kwon Min-woo, who often tries to sabotage her. Her approach is often unique and helps resolve cases in unexpected ways.

2. Business Proposal (2022) (12 episodes)

8.7/10 rating on MyDramaList and 8.1/10 rating on IMDb

Shin Ha-ri goes on a blind date with Kang Tae-moo, CEO of Go Food, but it goes awry when her date turns out to be Kang Da-goo, the chairman of Go Foods parent company. Young-seo tricks Ha-ri into meeting Tae-moo at his request. Ha-ri lies to Tae-moo and bribes him into pretending to be his fiancée in exchange for 800,000 won per date. Despite feeling betrayed, Tae-moo still loves Ha-ri and they become a couple. Young-seo moves out of her father's house and finds out that she is now Sung-hoon's neighbor. Sung-hoon is upset with her for deceiving his boss, but eventually realizes his growing affections for Young-seo and they get together.

3. Crash Course in Romance (2023) (16 episodes)

8.5/10 rating on MyDramaList and 7.8/10 on IMDb

Nam Haeng Sun, a former national athlete, now owns a side dish store and is attracted to Choi Chi Yeol, a popular and hardworking private instructor known as the "1 Billion Won Man". Despite his reputation, Choi Chi Yeol has become increasingly aloof and irritable due to his growing success. Nam Haeng Sun embarks on a new career in the private education field and discovers a deeper connection with Choi Chi Yeol. However, their relationship is not without challenges, as they must learn to confront their own shortcomings and trust in each other's strengths. It has a satisfying ending that resolves the issues of the characters.

4. I’m not a Robot (2017) (16 episodes)

8.4/10 rating on MyDramaList and 8/10 on IMDb

Kim Min-kyu lives a luxurious but isolated life due to a severe allergy to physical contact with other human beings. Jo Ji-ah is trying to create businesses based on her inventions. KM Financial owns the Santa Maria team headed by professor Hong Baek-gyun, who has secretly created an advanced humanoid robot called AG3. To convince Min-kyu not to sell the team, Baek-gyun sends the robot to him as a demonstration, but it short-circuits and Baek-gyun asks Ji-ah to pose as the robot, giving the team time to repair Aji 3. Ji-ah impersonates Aji 3 and Min-kyu falls in love with her, believing she is the robot. He is disturbed by this and "reboots" her, erasing the robot's memory. Baek-gyun then replaces Ji-ah with the real Aji 3, and Min-kyu discovers Ji-ah's deception and nearly kills him. Ji-ah confesses her love to Min-kyu and they rediscover their love. Aji 3's secret cache is hacked, revealing Min-kyu's illness, which is used to attempt a take-over of KM Financial and complete the sale of the Santa Maria team and Aji 3. Min-kyu manages to thwart the attempt and restores Aji 3 to the Santa Maria team. 2 years later, the Santa Maria team successfully launches a new robot and Min-kyu and Ji-ah are happily living their changed lives.

5. True Beauty (2020) (16 episodes)

 8.3/10 rating on MyDramaList and 8.5 on IMDb

Lim Ju-Kyung is a high school student who has been discriminated against by her family and bullied by her peers in previous school due to being perceived as ugly. She masters wearing makeup and quickly rises to fame. Su-ho is a student of Class 2-5 in Saebom High School who is popular for his handsome looks and being the top of his class. His dysfunctional family and a tragic incident from a year ago have turned him into an ice-cold boy who hates being the center of attention. He is formerly best friends with Seo-Jun and shares Ju-Kyung's penchant for horror comic books. This series, which has an entertaining bromance, explores Ju-Kyung's life and her aspiration to become a cosmetologist.

[dorothyoz39]

SG gift exchanges, challenges, and other fandom events

I've collected all the stories that I've written for fandom events in one series.

The stories in it are:

SGA secret santa 2014: Friends and Lovers

SGA secret santa 2015: Finding Mr. Right

SGA secret santa 2015: Vacations in paradise

SGA secret santa 2016: Winter Holiday Celebration

SGA secret santa 2017: Memories

SGA secret santa 2018: Frelling Genii

SG rare-pare exchange 2018: Peaceful sleep

SGA secret santa 2019: The princess who saved the galaxy

SGA secret santa 2020: Christmas’ frustrations

SGA secret santa 2021: Christmas’ Confessions

SGA secret santa 2022: The Set Up

SGA secret santa 2023: Accidental husband acquisition

Ladies Night: Stargate edition (2024): 100 Alien Cats

[xprojectrpg]

This Day in X-Project - January 28

PHASE 2

2015: Cammie texts Kurt to tell him to get Jubilee to leave her alone. Wade texts Marie-Ange saying he’ll take the job and that the agreement’s on her desk. Warren texts Jean asking if they’re on for their date but this time SHE postpones. The Professor posts with information about his recovery and offering to talk to people about their feelings. Adrienne meets Rogue in Rogue’s suite and offers her a job as her personal assistant- Rogue accepts. Sue meets Warren and they have lunch so she can thank him for saving her life at the conference and they discuss the treatment of mutants in this environment. Rogue posts about having a job and defying her parents’ low expectations for her.

2016: Alison posts in her journal about Alanis Morrisette not knowing about the meaning of irony, and a possible Wham! resurgence.

2017:

2018: Bobby is unimpressed by the Hockey All-Star jerseys, but holds out hope for his beloved Islanders.

2019: Warren posts an apology for the things he said and did while under the influence of the demon.

2020:

2021: Matt enjoys the continued fall out of the stock market turn of events. Doug may have a coffee shop convinced he's the modern reincarnation of Sherlock Holmes.

2022: Let It Snow: Kyle brings attention to the continuing to fall snow and requests shoveling help. Kevin updates to mansion that Snow Valley's employees are stuck in the city. In the office, X-Force quickly divides and conquers plans for sleeping and food. Jubilee and Marie-Ange return bearing food and talk about changes in Jubilee's daily jobs. Amanda give Artie his Secret Santa card and he gives her a small chiding for keeping the team in the dark. Emma is led to the office wine by Jubilee and they talk corsets. Jubilee finds Artie and questions his knowledge of the sleeping arrangements. Doug gives Jubilee accent coaching for an upcoming operation. Artie and Darcy talk about a common ground they share with emotional manipulators. After she drops off files, Kevin instructs Jubilee to dial back some of her theft. Jubilee pops in on Topaz and decides to help her with some of her labeling. Darcy finds Jubilee on top of the fridge. Darcy finds a sleeping Felicia and they have a pleasant chat. Jubilee runs into Amanda on the roof and takes the opportunity to ask after Garrison. Felicia and Jubilee enjoy snacks, a talk, and finally some sleep. Jean lets the mansion know that there is hot chocolate for the taking. Doug finds his nanites are more active with Darcy around. A nightmare leads Darcy to wandering, where she finds Kevin still awake. Jubilee emails Garrison to ask if he's ready for visitors. Topaz runs into Felicia, who took her disappearance hard. Sooraya and Garrison talk about the Mutant Underground, his time with the Brotherhood and some consequences. Marie-Ange checks on Doug, and trades him getting to chatter about one of his interests in exchange for seeing how he's handling the changes in his life and physiology.

2023: Terry invites Kyle to join her on a delivery for the Mutant Underground and dinner afterwards.