#there really are a lot of crossovers between these two fandoms

[loonlynxshenanigans]

Chapters: 1/? Fandom: Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Cartoon 2018), Guild Wars 2 (Video Game)

HEY GUESS WHO’S FINALLY POSTING THE FIRST CHAPTER OF THE CROSSOVER FIC I’VE BEEN WRITING!!! HAPPY HALLOWEEEEEEEEN

[prettygirl-gabi]

Title: Playing for Keeps

Fandom: Women's College Basketball (LSU, USC, UConn)

Pairing: Juju Watkins x Reader x Paige Bueckers

Rating: T (Teen)

Warnings: Heavy angst, jealousy, territorial behavior, unresolved tension, eventual poly relationship

Summary: Being close friends with both Juju Watkins and Paige Bueckers was already a lot to handle, but when they both caught feelings for me? It became a full-on war.

Both were competitive. Both were used to winning.

And both, apparently, had decided that I was worth fighting for.

"You sitting courtside for me, right?" Juju had asked, leaning against my desk in my LSU dorm like she had all the time in the world. "I need my number one supporter looking good in red and gold."

I opened my mouth to answer, but my phone buzzed.

Paige [4:35 PM]: Hope you’re packing some navy and white, ma. Can’t have you out here in Trojan colors. Wouldn't be a good look for you.

I groaned, tossing my phone onto my bed. Juju smirked.

"That her?"

"Don't start," I muttered.

Juju chuckled but didn’t say anything else. She didn’t have to. We both knew that she and Paige could barely stand to be in the same room, and the fact that I was friends with both of them only made it worse.

The game between USC and UConn was already set to be a battle. But for them, it wasn’t just about basketball.

It was about me.

Sitting courtside felt like sitting in the eye of a storm.

Juju was putting on a show—deep threes, crossovers that sent defenders stumbling, celebrations that felt just a little too directed at Paige.

Paige? Oh, she was taking it personally.

Every time she made a play, she looked at me. Every time she scored, she smirked like she was reminding me why she should be my favorite.

And then came the third quarter.

Paige went up for a layup. Juju was right there. They collided mid-air, and Paige hit the ground hard.

The whistle blew, but neither of them cared.

Paige shoved Juju’s shoulder as she stood up.

Juju shoved back.

And suddenly, they were chest to chest, jawing at each other.

I saw it before the refs did—the pure, reckless need to prove themselves.

Over me.

"Man, they’re really about to fight over you," Taylor muttered beside me.

I buried my face in my hands. "I hate them both."

"Sure you do," she laughed.

They both got hit with a tech. The game went on, but the tension never left.

Three days later, I was still recovering from the absolute embarrassment of watching my two best friends nearly get ejected because they couldn’t stop competing for my attention.

So when I heard a knock on my dorm room door, I should’ve known it was them.

What I didn’t expect?

For them to show up together.

I folded my arms. "Y’all better not have come here to argue in my dorm."

Paige sighed, rubbing her forehead. "We’re not."

Juju nodded. "We figured it out."

I blinked. "Figured what out?"

They exchanged a glance. Paige spoke first. "We’re gonna share you."

I stared. Then laughed. "Hilarious. Get out."

Neither of them moved.

Oh. They were serious.

Juju shrugged. "Look, we get it. You’re not gonna pick between us. And we’re not about to sit here and act like we don’t both want you."

Paige leaned against the doorframe, smirking. "So instead of fighting over you, we’re just gonna make it work. Together."

My head was spinning. "You—what?"

Juju smirked. "What, you can handle both of us, right?"

Paige grinned. "Or are we too much for you, ma?"

I glared at them. "I hate y’all."

Paige tilted my chin up. "No, you don’t."

The worst part?

She was right.

I thought the madness would end after they worked things out.

I was wrong.

Because now, instead of fighting over me, they were ganging up on me.

And that’s how I ended up at my lacrosse game, standing on the field, watching both of them sit front row in LSU gear.

They looked way too comfortable. Juju was leaning back in her seat like she owned the place. Paige had her feet propped up on the railing, arms crossed like she was analyzing my every move.

Taylor, sitting on the bench beside me, snorted. "Yeah, that’s not normal."

"Tell me about it," I muttered.

The game hadn’t even started yet, but they were already making themselves known.

Juju cupped her hands around her mouth. "Yo, baby, don’t let me down out there!"

Paige smirked. "She never lets me down, Watkins. She’s built different."

Juju scoffed. "Please, she’s my girl too. We’ll see who she winks at first when she scores."

I groaned, dragging my hands down my face. "I’m actually gonna die."

Taylor patted my back. "Nah, girl, you’re just stuck between two of the craziest ballers in the country."

"That’s supposed to make me feel better?"

She shrugged. "You picked them."

I sighed. "No, they picked me. And now I have to deal with—"

The ref blew the whistle, signaling the start of the game.

And before I even ran onto the field, Paige and Juju were already yelling for me.

Loudly.

Taylor smirked. "Yeah, you’re never escaping them."

After the game, I barely made it to the locker room before Juju and Paige cornered me.

Juju draped an arm around my shoulder. "Not bad, superstar. But next time, point at me when you score, yeah?"

Paige scoffed. "Oh, so you didn’t see her looking at me after that goal?"

I groaned. "Can y’all not?"

Juju grinned. "Nah. We’re invested in your career now, babe."

Paige smirked. "Exactly. We gotta make sure our girl knows we’re here for her."

I exhaled. They were never gonna let me live this down.

Taylor walked past, shaking her head. "Man, y’all are something else."

Paige and Juju high-fived.

I sighed.

This was my life now.

And honestly?

Maybe I didn’t mind it so much.

■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■

       -Thank You For Reading!🩵🩶

                             -prettygirl-gabi🎀✨️

[traincat]

hey!

I recently made a post about wanting to understand the concept of Spideytorch more, and was directed to your blog! If it's not too much of an ask, could you break down their relationship for me?

Sure! I can do that. I'm going to refer back to your post just as a jumping off point -- Spideytorch is definitely, 100% a comics-based thing. Prior to the upcoming Fantastic Four MCU film, the film rights for both characters have never been held by the same company, and "crossover" films are very much a product of the MCU, although ironically Andrew Garfield did once say he wanted Michael B Jordan, who played Johnny in the 2015 Fantastic Four film, to play his Peter's love interest.

Thank you for your service, Andrew.

But while it is comics-based, it's a very different scenario than Spideypool, where the comics are very much based on their popularity as a duo in fandom. I'm not a Spideypool fan, just as like a disclaimer, but as someone interested in the symbiotic relationship between fandom and superhero comics, Spideypool is really interesting because their popularity came first -- they got that team up comic because they were already popular in fandom, they didn't become popular in fandom because they had the team up comic. So it's a really interesting look at how fan activity influences the connections comic characters have. That's not the case with Spideytorch.

(I'm not saying one of those things is inherently better than the other, but since you mentioned Spideypool and their team up comic in your post, I thought it made for an interesting comparison.)

Peter and Johnny literally meet in Amazing Spider-Man #1, back in 1963. The two premier teen heroes of the day, they have a lot of early interaction because they played well off each other -- Peter, a broke loner, was often jealous of Johnny's fame and money, whereas Johnny bemoaned his girl problems compared to chick magnet Peter. (Johnny's girlfriend at the time literally asked him why he couldn't be more like Peter.) They're both pretty big personalities, so there was a lot of pigtail pulling in the early days, but even when they argued there was always a sense that they genuinely liked each other deep down. For Peter, who didn't have friends in the business, Johnny was someone he could rely on, and for Johnny -- who just, like, did not have friends at all until he got to college -- Spider-Man was a peer, someone he looked up to and admired.

(ASM #3)

(ASM #8)

(Strange Tales Annual #2 -- this is the first appearance of Johnny and Peter's "usual place," the Statue of Liberty. Iconic.)

(ASM #19)

(ASM #127)

As Johnny and Peter grew up, the frequency of their team ups faded a little, but their lives have always intersected. In some ways, they've run in parallel. They went to college at the same time, got married at the same time. (Peter's marriage was solid until he sold it to the devil; Johnny's faltered after a decade because sometimes you think you marry someone but they're actually a shapeshifting alien from outerspace who was sent to kill your family. Peter is one of the very few people who Johnny told about that in the aftermath.) Peter unmasked to Johnny, told him his identity, one of the very few people he's done that for. When Johnny "died" (he got better), he left Peter his place on the Fantastic Four. And then, when Johnny came back from the dead, the first person he saw on the other side was Peter.

(FF #1)

(ASM #657, titled Torch Song)

(Fantastic Four #601)

They've lived together, fought together, shared their lives with each other. They trust each other, bone deep, despite their squabbles and differences. It's always been a love connection, however you define that love. It's a connection that has existed from 1963 until today, across multiple fictional universes and continuities. For me, the appeal of them has always been not just their chemistry but also their history.

Also they're just a lot of fun.

(FF #17)

(Fantastic Four v5 #14)

I have a long list of important comics for them in chronological order here, if you want to read more: https://traincat.tumblr.com/post/123691883369/so-ive-only-recently-gotten-into-spidertorch

I hope that helps clear up the history a little bit!

[ozoraslegend]

About "light" and "darkness" in Digimon

If you are a member of Digimon fandom long enough, you will know a fact: there're lots of fic crossover between 02 and Frontier.

This is not weird or surprising. First, 02 and Frontier are both in the Seki quartet, the first four seasons of Digimon franchise. And going against common negative opinions of a part of fandom about these two seasons, 02 and Frontier do get quite a good love from many fans. They also do have many uncovered, contradicting, or just curious-inspired parts, so fanfics are just being numerous!

And interestingly: 02 and Frontier both get quite same treating from fandom because they are somewhat similar outsidely. The characters are "flat" and " bad stereotype". the plot is "messed up", and the two seasons "don't have deep messages". Of course, these are false ideas, but 02 and Frontier have a specific between-line writing that is difficult to understand and sympathize. I really don't blame the fans to misread!

02 and Frontier has characters both known for particularly tight group dynamics compared to others, and both groups are known to be somewhat "chaotic" (and, affectionately, “very stupid”). With 02, that is from lack of planning or being too airheaded. The Frontier gangs, on the other hand, can and will cause trouble and will be very proud of it. And somehow escape it perfectly, of course.

So? Basically, "Takeru would hate Kouichi because of him being the Warrior of Darkness. 02 group would be wary about Kouichi (and Frontier gangs because of that as well (especially Hikari too)." is a (in)famous trope in crossover between 02 and Frontier. Let's debunk it.

First, this is out of character of Takeru. People tends to forget that Takeru is a polite, respectful and carefree person. If someone tells him "Hey, there's a Warrior of Darkness!", well... He won't react so boldful. He is actually very infamous for keeping his emotions inside, so unless he saw something really pissed him off, I don't think he will act too angrious. Takeru never blew up at anyone without some kind of good reason; it’s just that the level of his intensity was unnerving.

Takeru will pretend he has it together and has everything under control. He won't show any of his negative feeling, instead, he would investigate and find out the truth himself... while dodging questions and his own emotions. He simply handles everything with a “yeah, okay, sure! :)” attitude. Except when really needed, Takeru... rarely do things that are easily to do to solve problem, but passively deal with them when they run to his face. So if he completely snapped at Kouichi for no reason besides him being darkness-associated, that’d be really out of character.

And beside, Takeru is a quite social and generally nice individual, who treat other kindly! I don't really get how others can misread his personality in another way. Let's move to the next point.

Second, Takeru doesn't hate darkness, or have a black-and-white-morality. The thing is that Takeru himself says that he's not going to inherently hate anything darkness-related on sight (in 02 episode 34):

Takeru is pretty clear about what exactly he hates earlier in that episode:

Trying to change the world with that power...Trying to conquer the world...It's unforgivable!

Basically, he hates people who try to toy with darkness to play God, “create sad lives” like BlackWarGreymon with it, and do things that resemble Devimon in Adventure (like “dabbling” in the powers of darkness much like the Kaiser would later).

But in regards to darkness itself, you can find a proof three episodes later that Takeru is pretty understanding of the topic (02 episode 37):

...so he’d probably treat the twins with a lot of respect.

So while Takeru would probably hate Duskmon if he didn’t know more about what was going on behind him, that's obvious, if he actually learns about Kouichi’s situation and background, not only would he be very likely to sympathize with Kouichi and advocate on his behalf, he’d also probably fly into a murderous rage at Cherubimon for exploiting the powers of darkness to make Kouichi suffer! And because that kind of topic really pisses him off, he might even get more pissed off than Kouichi himself is about it.

Actually, these kinds of tropes just throw all character development of Takeru and turn him into a flat character. Takeru also would become a writer, and you can't think that he just skipped all nice characters with darkness-themes.

And mentioned that, Ken and Kouichi are usually being simplified to be just as the same as each other. Although they have many similar features, like "thoughtful, perceptive, very in touch with feelings, VERY assertive, resilient, strong in heart, and kind out of choice even when doesn’t have to be", but they are different individuals. In a language level, Kouichi uses the "ore" assertive pronoun while Ken uses the "boku" more gentle one.

In conclusion! Takeru would be the one to clarify with the Frontier gangs to make sure that Kouichi isn't dabbling in the powers of darkness for the others' sake. And then he'd become the most vicious protector of the twins. And the rest of the Adventurers would just follow his lead since Takeru and Hikari with their sensitivity to the balance of the world.

[kwamiwayzz]

Jeckole Fic Rec List Part II

(Art by emilu-enjuagas on Twitter)

I'm doing another one of these, but more for newer-ish fics. The more well-known ones are the most Kudos'ed fics you'll see on AO3 (for good reason), but I thought I'd give some love on some fics that probably aren't getting as much attention since the fandom isn't as active as it was last year.

Similar to the last rec list that I had, I'll mostly be sharing my thoughts that may or may not talk about the plot for each fic.

Candied Consideration by Kayleen756894 - This is by the same author who wrote Inscriptions (aka one of my favorite Jeckole fics), and while I haven't read it yet, I can always trust this author to deliver. It's a crossover fic, which may not be everyone's cup of tea--but, it's a crossover fic with Heathers (that one musical I haven't seen). I know nothing about Heathers, but based on some of the things I've been hearing about this fic, it's that one crossover that a lot of people didn't expect they needed. Both source material are pretty similar in terms of vibes which makes it fit pretty well for someone who's primarily a Class of '09 fic reader. I have yet to read this, but it's Kayleen, so...I'm sat.

Even When It's Quiet by mlpvsbojackhorseman - I didn't get a chance to read the old version when it was still running, but the author ended up revamping it and is currently on Chapter 2 with a darker tone. As someone who loves hurt/comfort Jeckole (especially fics that touch more on the darker aspect of mental health), this was that type of fic I was looking for to scratch that itch. I want to note that the tags include Dead Dove, but the author mentioned it's more for exploring really taboo subjects as Jecka and Nicole's relationship progresses.

God, I'm Very, Very Frightened I'll Overdo It by Fox_Is_Fandumb - I believe this fic has been around while the fandom was much more active, but it recently updated earlier this month and thought to put it on this list. I don't care if people say it's OOC for Nicole and Jecka because I'm vanilla and like seeing them happy. But what makes this not as "OOC" for me personally is that their core personality traits are still retained in some way despite being more mellowed out. It's meant to be a collection of oneshots during their (Jecka's) college years, most of which are pretty fluffy. If you're looking for some light-hearted fluff between the two that takes place after high school, you should give this a read.

Wanweird by AbsurdofOurs - I didn't think I'd find another fic that gave me the same feeling as Progman's Jeckole, but this was definitely the one. Nicole is peak loser in this one, and I love it. She's living in Emily's car and sells vapes to kids on the playground, all while still thinking about her situationship with Jecka back in high school. I say that this gives me the same feeling as Progman's Jeckole since their dynamic is largely inspired by Codepedent Philosopher's Guide to Staying Alive. And honestly, I eat that kind of codependent dynamic up so good. I love the interactions between Nicole and Jecka, and there were some scenes where I found myself laughing because of the comedic timing. I love the way that this author writes Jecka and Nicole's dialogue, and if you're looking for a specific codependent flavor of Jeckole, this is the fic for you.

Reflection by Kayleen756894 - Another Kayleen fic, but this time, it's a Halloween special. I read this when it came out and the pining on Nicole's end made me think I was witnessing her in a glass closet. Nicole is a vampire in this one, surprise, surprise, but she also craves Jecka's blood--the same friend who may or may not let her have a hit when she gets hungry. The part I love the most about this fic (aside from the prose) is the banter between the two. It was definitely needed after everyone's disappointment from the third game lol. If you're looking for a fluff(?) Halloween-themed fic, this is for you.

sweetgirl by jackdotcom - This was a really sweet fic I read (while I was bedridden from my Illness Part II) that takes place around Christmas. It's broken up into three chapters (though can easily be read in one go), and it has Nicole and Jecka having a shitty time but decide to spend the Christmas day together pretending that it's not Christmas.

Last Night in Town by bunmoder - I actually read this last night, and I believe they're a newer writer that came in, but I loved the way they wrote the overall mood of this fic. It's a more bittersweet Jeckole fic, but it's also very fluffy during the quiet moments.

I Was Never Complete Without You by MentalCrit09 - Also another post-Flipside fic, but for those people who hated the FYE Roadtrip route. It focuses more on Jecka's recovery back into normlacy after being rescued from that distasteful ending. It's not super angsty and has enough balance between the heavy subjects of what Jecka went through as well as the general fluff after reuniting with Nicole. For anyone who really wanted a fix-it fic/happy ending fic from arguably one of the worst endings from Flip Side, this fic is for you.

Laughter of a Faded Star by Progman - This actually isn't an old fic, and also a bit of a strange one. However, after my hesitation from reading a very AU-divergent fic, I thought this deserved to be on here. I've mentioned before that I tend to lean more towards Jeckole fics where they're adults, so that's most likely why this is here. I do want to mention that it feels very divorced from the original source material, but Progman explains it enough in both the writing and their author's notes to why Nicole and Jecka are the way they are here. Nicole isn't super fucked up here since her dad never shot himself, but because of that, she and Jecka never met in high school. This is more of an AU where they meet as adults, where Nicole is a part-time comedian while Jecka is a therapist/psychologist. It might not be up everyone's alley, but I enjoyed reading it and seeing how their meeting played out as their alternate selves.

And that's it, for now at least. I really wanted to try and focus more on newer/recently updated fics (post-Flipside) despite throwing in some older ones. It's not a very long list, but hopefully I can create a Jeckole masterlist one day (including Explicit works) that has fics stretching back from post-Re-Up.

I'll probably have a general Class of '09 rec list at some point because while I'm mostly a Jeckole monoshipper, there have been some fics for other pairings that I thought were well-written. But we'll see when I'm not too lazy to make that one lol.

[rachelbethhines]

60 Years of Doctor Who Anniversary Marathon - Tennant 10th Review

Doctor Whooves: Wrong Way Backwards - Fan Crossover

Okay first off, this particular story is sort of like BF's Flip Flop in that you can listen to either 'side' in any order, with events happening simultaneously. This playlist is my preferred order; Doctor Whooves: WWB but this one is perhaps the most common listening order Doctor Whooves: Wrong Way Backwards. You can also go with the edited down version which streamlines everything into one video, which means no repeated scenes but you do lose a little of the ending dialogue.

(Note: If you listen with headphones you'll get the best audio experience as the sound editor does a lot of neat tricks with levels) 

But what is 'Doctor Whooves' do you ask?

Well back during 2010 My Little Pony kind of exploded upon the fan scene with a new animated tv series. Now I was never a MLP girl myself, and I've still yet see a single episode from any of the various series, but the fandom was everywhere. And as animation student at the time, I obviously had classmates who were really into the show, so I was familiar with it by proxy.

Anyways one particular background character caught the fandom's eye, a pony with an hour glass mark whom everyone said looked just like David Tennant.

He was dubbed Doctor Whooves by the fans and spawned an entire sub-fandom within the series. There were comics, fan-fictions, animations, and even fan audios. And not just one or two fan audios but whole audio series. Several in fact! By my count there is at least 20 different series, and that was back in 2016, I wouldn't be surprised if there were even more by now.

Wrong Way Backwards is a crossover between two of the bigger fan series, The Doctor Whooves Adventures and Doctor Whooves and Assistant, and I do not exaggerate when I say it might just be the best multi-Doctor story ever written.  

No I mean it! 

This came out twelve years ago. It predates Day of the Doctor by like two years and has all the hallmarks of what we would consider to be keystones of the modern multi-doctor formula but cranked up to like eleven. Doctors having heart to hearts with companions, Doctors yelling in each other's faces because they're riddled with so much guilt, companions teaming up and being bad asses together, slapstick comedy with the Doctor weirding people out ect...

It's like this little oddball crossover within a crossover fan project became the blueprint/standard upon all other later multi-Doctor stories are held to. 

I won't lie, the entire reason I included a fan section in this marathon was just so I could talk about this story. Most entries are selected randomly, but this particular one was planned from the beginning because more Doctor Who fans need to know of it's existence. Sure, the dialogue maybe a little on the nose and the MLP side of things does keep the serial from going as dark as it could, but in many ways that just adds to the charm.

And best of all, you don't really need to be familiar with either parent show or fan series to listen and understand the story. Since the MLP world is a new dimension for the  Doctor to explore, he becomes the pov character for the audience, same for when he travels to the parallel world. This means things are explained to the audience as the Doctor discovers them, so it's easy to follow along, and any throw backs or nods to continuity are really more to do with the respective audio series rather than the parent shows. You might miss an easter egg here and there but the story is easy to follow regardless.

In addition to being clever and heartfelt with it's writing, it also has a top notch production, with good audio production and voice acting. I highly, highly recommend checking it out. 

[alwaysakin]

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Fanfic Rec

Guys I have so much useless fanfic knowledge -- one of my friends asked me for a list of Buffy fics and this happened.

Non-Buffy Centric, One-Shot Fics

Potential Friend by srmcd1 - a cute little ficlet that looks at what might have happened if Jesse lived.

Age Difference by Amina - for all the Oz fans out there! A time-travelling Oz gives Buffy a new perspective on life and relationships. Slightly Angel-bashing.

All that I wanted was just to be haunted by you by chasingfictions - After the events of "The Body," Jenny's ghost bullies Giles into moving in with the Summers girls. This one made me BAWL.

Appropriate conduct by The_Eclectic_Bookworm - an increasingly angry series of memos between Principal Synder & Jenny, Giles, and the other teachers of Sunnydale High. Absolutely hilarious.

i belong to time, you belong to me by chasingfictions - Dru knows when she meets Spike, that he will fall in love with a slayer. She forgets, until she doesn't. Beautiful, poetic, and very Dru.

One Girl in All the World by zedpm - a trans!Buffy AU, where she was born in a boy's body and is still the slayer. A beautifully done AU, with Oz and (surprisingly! Riley) as particular standouts. Minor Spike/Buffy.

The Holy Grail of Buffy Fics: Long, With a Focus on an Ensemble Cast. Absolute Masterpieces.

hit rewind by untiljanuary - Hands down, the best Buffy fic I've ever read. Buffy (from some time in season 6, but unclear when), is sent back in time to season 3. What makes it so interesting is that it's from everyone else's perspective! The author writes Cordelia, Willow, Faith, Angel and Spike in particular so well. Lots of interesting character work, though the plot hasn't deviated too much from canon so far.

Ships: Buffy/Spike, Angel/Cordelia, Willow/Tara, Anya/Xander. The Buffy/Angel ends on mutual terms.

two roads diverged (and that has made all the difference) by RoseyPoseyPie - a Buffy season 5/Angel season 2 crossover. Hoping to escape Glory, the Scoobies end up in Pylea with the Fang Gang. This fic is absolutely hilarious (the scene where everyone gets high and drunk together is a notable standout). The author writes Anya, Lorne and Cordelia in particular super well. Dawn and Angel's dynamic is also amazing.

Ships: Buffy/Spike, Angel/Cordelia, Anya/Xander, Willow/Tara.

don't know how to stick around, but I wanna by chasingfictions - a series in an alternate universe where Faith, instead of going to prison, joins Angel Investigations. Very Fang Gang centric, but really builds up their family bond. Darla, Faith, and Wesley were stand outs to me in this.

Ships: eventual Faith/Buffy, and minor canon pairings. Faith briefly pursues other girls, including Darla.

Best Spuffy Centric Fic

wouldn't it be nice? by SummerFrost - an alternative universe, where the will-be-done spell in season 4 goes a little differently, and Spike and Buffy start a slow crawl towards friendship that becomes... something. So soft and sweet. Has two sequels, and the season 6 one in particular is WONDERFUL.

Every Letter That You Write Me by othellia - the obligatory fandom soulmate AU. Young Buffy is absolutely adorable in this one, and Spike and Buffy's relationship is bittersweet, raw, and believable.

Choices by lafillesauvage - An AU. After Season 5 of Angel, Spike becomes human. Angel does not. Buffy still chooses Angel, and these are the consequences. Slightly excessive Angel bashing, but the characterization of Buffy and Spike, and little notes like Buffy's relationship with Giles being slowly fixed and Willow getting a non-Kennedy girlfriend are great! Buffy/Angel with a happy Spike/Buffy ending.

The Darkling by OffYourBird - the iconic time travel Spuffy fic. Buffy goes back in time and meets Spike... in the 1970s. His slow path to redemption starts differently, with tons of interesting changes in the timeline. Be warned, this one is LONG and smutty. Shout out for making me believe Giles/Anya could work as a couple!

Inside Man by HollyDB - An Angel season 5 fic. Spike calls Buffy. This shows all the things that change when Buffy has a spy on the inside of the Fang Gang. Follows canon up until the last episode, but provides fun context.

Short, Cute Cangel Fics

give them all that they can drink by eagle_eyes. The one where Cordelia is ace. Amazingly written, and the Cangel relationship is so soft and believable.

Another Chance by NikitaDreams - After the events of Angel: the Series, Cordelia travels back in time. Focus on Cangel and Connor. Lots of cute family dynamics.

Halloween Happily Ever After by GeckoGirl89 - cute, mutual pining between Angel and Cordelia in season 3. Angst with a happy ending. Really highlights how oblivious Cangel were to each other's feelings.

[breakaway71]

On the Death of a Fandom

I saw a post recently that I haven't been able to stop thinking about. In it, someone mentioned Julie and the Phatoms being a dead or dying fandom. Someone replied rather heatedly denying this phrasing.

Okay. Listen, this fandom has owned my entire heart for four years. I've written hundreds of thousands of words and I see no signs of slowing down anytime soon. And I'm sorry, I really am, but no matter how much I love it, it is a dying fandom. It's impossible to deny. There has been no new content to provide fuel for years. Look at the amount of engagement on fics from three or four years ago, then from two years ago, then now. There has been a massive decline even from a single year ago. I'm admittedly on the fringes, primarily writing crossovers, gen fic, or one of the less popular ships, but you can't deny the facts. Because for all that gen fic is not generally popular, Family Matters - a fic that was written very early on, and definitely not the best or most cohesive work - is still the most kudos'd JATP fic on AO3. Meanwhile, the stories I've written in 2023/2024 - most of which I'd argue are far better - are lucky to still be hitting double digits.

I have literally experienced the entire range of this fandom, most popular to least and every angle in between, and I have witnessed the steep decline, the slow death, the masses of people who moved on to other things and never came back, especially after the cancellation announcement.

And it sucks, obviously it sucks, but that shouldn't stop the people who love it from still loving it. It shouldn't stop people, new to the fandom or old friends, from engaging with it. Because, yeah, the fandom is dying, but it's also still here. There are a lot of us still not willing to let it go. Call it life support.

JATP is not the first dying fandom I've been a part of. It won't be the last. The way we engage with media has changed so radically from what it was ten, twenty, thirty years ago that fandom deaths happen so much more swiftly and brutally now. There isn't a lot of staying power anymore, especially for shows that were streamed from a place like Netflix, shows that never even got multiple seasons. Frankly, it's a miracle there are still any of us here at all, and that does speak to how much this show meant (and still means) to so many people.

But dying or not, that doesn't mean you shouldn't find the joy where you can. it doesn't mean you should feel strange if you got into this fandom late and want to create for it now. My last fic gave me a ton of joy to write, and received all of 13 kudos. And I treasured every damn one of them all the more for knowing how few people are left to have enjoyed it.

Don't be offended that people understand when a fandom is dying. Just do what you can to keep it going as long as possible, for as long as it continues to mean something to you and give you any amount of happiness it can.

[merinsedai]

Thank you, @ficreadingchallenge for this fun little bingo challenge this summer! Some of these, I could have filled multiple times and some I had to have a search for, but all part of the fun!

1. Under the influence: Spoils of War by @seiya-starsniper [E] Aphrodisiacs! Starting strongly with the smut. Kinda feral for this piece, multiple rereads. Hob is not a good man but he is good in bed. Dream has not spoken since he arrived. How long ago that was I don't know, but I'm in awe of the pettiness. Excellent, love it. Very much E (and probably not the only one on this list...)

2. Newest fic in the tag of your choice: listen, I'm very one-track minded. Dreamling has basically been the only tag of my choice for the past two years. So, the newest fic when I decided to do this square was: Dream Ship by @often-adamanta [E] A spicy little tale set on a space ship which Dream controls and Hob's his muscle. They're a new partnership and Dream's not happy about it so he's giving Hob the silent treatment. Queue Hob taking some alone time, Dream accidentally interrupting and Hob having no privacy issues at all. The start of something beautiful, no doubt.

3. Inspired by another fanwork: I'll Go To Sleep and Dream Again by @chaosheadspace [E] which is inspired by Shelter by softestpunk. An accidentally human Dream has need of the help of Hob Gadling to help him navigate life as a human (eg facial hair, food, and morning wood), regain his Endlessness and recover his tools. Whilst falling in love and having some hot sex ofc. Also, a lot of lovely petnames.

4. Mistaken Identity: As a Stranger I Know Myself by @phinofthestorm and @sleepsonfutons [E] Could be no other choice for this square. Gripping drama, mysteries, feeeeelings, smut (obvs), plentiful existential angst, and shit goin' down. Featuring Jessamy the raven knocking her head against the wall; Burgess's cane; name repetitions; everyone having A Time of it; side characters Shipping Them Too; oh, and a main character you don't expect to like as much as you do...

5.Slow Burn: What Dreams May Come, When Living is at an End by Sebena [T] This fandom is slow burn central, but this is the fic I'm currently in the middle of, and I'm quite enamoured with the relationship between Knight Hob and Morpheus, and it's beautifully descriptive. Plus some lovely pieces of art by @teejaystumbles A real treat.

6. Dressing Up: Make it Count by @arialerendeair [E] Dream gets to dress Hob up very nicely for posh dinners aboard the world's most famous ocean liner in this wonderful Titanic AU. Dream gets to dress down, too! A longer fic but absolutely gripping! Could also use Aria and Konstadt's Colour Forecasting [E] for this square. There's lots of fancy tailoring and clothing choices going on here. And lots of smut, relationship navigation and lots and lots of kissing.

7.Author's oldest fic: Metamorphosis by @windsweptinred [M] Delightful fic about-yes- the metamorphosis of Dream and Hob into Something Else. Starts with high drama as Dream is about to take Death's hand as the Kindly Ones are ravaging the Dreaming and takes things in a very different direction. There's stunning artwork on each chapter that really adds to the reading experience!

8. Small Fandom (<1000 fics): In Which Cat/Cow Is Not A Yoga Pose by @temve [E] ok, technically a crossover with The Sandman (although for pure Aldrich Kemp there's A Fishbowl, a Forklift, and a Friend: or, Who Hired Aldrich Kemp? which I read back in April, so doesn't count for the summer challenge) Temve has Aldrich's voice down to a T and her humour is so on point. I laughed out loud many times in both these fics.

9. Gift Giving: For Your Affection by @cuubism [T] short and sweet little fic by cuubism dealing with high larceny as a love language. cuubism's writing is so joyful, the playfulness she often gives to her Dream brings me great happiness and there's no exception here.

10.Enemies to friends/lovers: Tower and Rose by @moorishflower [E] Beauty and the Beast style 'au' with a magic tower, a mysterious lord, a plucky peasant Hob, an 'imprisonment', a terror stalking the grounds and many, many questions. Why are all the servants ravens? Twists and turns a plenty, and some fun eldritch sex sprinkled in.

11.Lyric Title-listen to the song, too!: please wake me/for my love lies patiently by @beatnikfreakiswriting [E] sequel to the also-having-a-song-lyric title, would you let me know...? aka fics that live rent-free in my head after having rewired my brain. Featuring the most relatable Hob ever, copious interesting facts in the author's notes, and a Dream who would have scared the shit out of me if he'd been my lecturer but is hot af and needs lots of love really. Lots of scorching smut too. Is this a theme? Obviously. Bonus that each chapter, and the series title, have song lyric titles too.

12.de-aging/kidfic England and Nowhere (Never and Always) by @dsudis [M] The last fill on my card, and one I had to search for. And I'm glad I did. I'm about 1/2 way through so don't know the resolution but a lot of it is very soft, especially Dream's relationship with the changeling toddler, Finn. Finn feels very much like a real little boy in his actions and his dialogue. I'm very much enjoying this fic.

FREE SPACE: literally anything by @tj-dragonblade fluff and smut and pure delight.

13.character study: Unsent Letters, Nameless Stranger by @rainbowvamp [M] letters from Hob to Dream throughout the centuries detailing the evolution in Hob's thoughts, attitudes and feelings towards his life, his history and mostly, his feelings for Dream (aka a lot of pining). I'm about halfway through the letters so far and am looking forward to getting back to them.

14.happy ending: My Fair Gadling by @zigzag-wanderer [E] a work in progress, so we haven't reached the happy ending yet, but I have faith in the author and this absolutely wonderful fic. Hob has such a strong narrative voice, he is a delight to read and so, so funny. I laugh out loud constantly in all of ziggy's fics, whether that's the dialogue or the hilarious analogies and metaphors. Professor Morpheus is a study in buttoned up sadness to begin with, but just wait until he's unleashed. He's unbearably sexy when he rolls his sleeves up and fixes car engines at the side of the road, and endearingly earnest in bed. I eagerly await every chapter (especially to find out what outfit Hob has shimmied into that day).

15.Secret Relationship: Risk and Reward by @signiorbenedickofpadua [E] absolutely cracking Regency au. Lord Morpheus spends a lot of time early on feeling mildly fevered. It's probably nothing to do with his new house guest, Mr Robert Gadling, right? These guys slowly, so slowly move towards Something Special. There is the ultimate thrill of finger brushing; the admiration of shapely legs and the highly charged Shakespeare reading. Also balls, duels, painting, stargazing, horse riding and misuse of biblical quotes. And I'm only half way through! The relationship is of necessity given the time period, secret. At the point I'm at, it's finally begun in earnest and I'm excited to see where the plot takes them next!

16. Angst: Exit Wounds by @valeriianz [T] There are many angst-ridden fics in this fandom, and I am a sucker for angst. I love it and seek it out. This fic by sanyumi tore my heart out, stomped all over it and then threw it in the river for good measure. Sometimes you just need to feel destroyed and this delivers.

17. Omegaverse AU So Tell Me Where To Put My Love by @seiya-starsniper [E] Another of my favourite au topics! This starts out with an unhappily arranged marriage, secrets and angst and lots of miscommunication and then explores the developing relationship between Hob and Dream; Dream getting to feel empowered; more miscommunication; knitting; Hob getting to be incredibly rude to Dream's mother, and a very happy ending. Could have tagged loads in this square. Special mentions to i have no fear of time / for who knows how my love grows? by @gabessquishytum [E] for pure horny good times most centuries; and also the incomparable Lover, Be Good to Me by @omgcinnamoncakes which I haven't actually read this summer but which hasn't left my brain. The ultimate omegaverse slowburn and healing fic. Wonderful.

18. High School/College au: Dr Hardass and Professor Sweetheart by crimandclove [G] an outsider pov look at Hob and Dream, who are both professors at the same university (and also married, of course, though the protagonist doesn't know it). And by the same author: Coincidence, [T] which is the story of how Dream and Hob met and became friends in high school. Pure nostalgia for me and Hob is such a delightful pov character to follow. Unfinished but with a full synopsis of how the story would have gone.

19. Road Trip: The Blood of Bucephalus by @llflorence [E] no actual roads, but these guys sure go on a journey. Set in ancient times, with shades of Alexander the Great. Except it's king Morpheus and his loyal soldier (and lover) Hob. Featuring Hob being mostly bewildered about what's going on and Morpheus being the most tight lipped monarch in existence. Also featuring a love for horses and Morpheus's unquenchable desire to travel incognito. Written with the same tenderness, intensity and mystery that is Lis's hallmark.

20. New author (<1 year) Coma Dreams by TheTroubleWithTribbles [M] a fic I had to actively search for but very much enjoyed reading. Some domesticity, Dream being caring, Matthew being traumatised, and Hob enjoying an extended trip to the Dreaming. Featuring some laugh out loud moments, Dream with broccoli patterned oven gloves and Hob being free with terms of endearment.

21. Crossover or fusion fic: Half Asleep, Half Waking by @softest-punk [G] again, I could have chosen fics by softestpunk to fill most of the spaces on this grid! Isn't their writing delightful? Such warmth and such range. Something for whatever you're in the mood for. Am in awe. Anyway, this is a crossover between The Sandman and Rivers of London. I didn't know the RoL books, but after reading this I listened to them on audible and came back to the fic. Very enjoyable- thanks, Cecil! Nightingale is my favourite character from RoL and I loved his relationship with Hob. And Hob gently chiding Molly and Nightingale to get their acts together, ha!

22. Superpowers/no powers Au: Here in the Darkness by @cuubism [M] Since we've got one 'super' character, and one 'normal' character in Dreamling, I chose cuubism's reverseverse fic where they've switched around. Good grief, it was good. Hope is a ray of sunshine, eh? He's just going around being lovely and offering hope, and being kind to Morpheus. And then gets captured and treated horrifically for a century. There's plenty of angst, Morpheus being snitty, then depressed, then a vengeful angel and then they get some softness. It's pure cuubism magic: it's fucking brilliant.

23. Only One Bed: The Chase by @imnotcrying-ipromise [M] I followed along with this story as it was being published early last year, and it was a wild ride of emotions and cliffhangers! Not only is there only one bed, there is a hunt across the country, a wonderful yet dangerous connection, and of course, some falling in love. It's such a fun and thrilling tale: a unique concept with a menacing villain. The sense of peril is real: for our canon characters and some lovely ocs we meet, too. And in the quieter moments there is a lot of sweetness and care between Dream and Hob. An excellent re-read this summer.

24: Soulmates: Destined by @arialerendeair [M] I love a good soulmate au, and this is a cracker by Aria. Featuring not one, but two rescues, a number of villains getting their just desserts, and visits to a Greek temple. Hob is, by turns, a bamf and a gentle, considerate man. He's spent 600 years trying to figure out what the letters of his soul mark mean, and when he does... Dream has spent countless years not even knowing he has a soul mark/mate; it takes a severance from the Dreaming to reveal it, and when he finds out...

[lynelsscareme]

Two Hero of Legend's walk into a restaurant, and neither is ever, ever going to tell their respective group what they just saw.

Swift:

Legend:

Swift: ... Never talk about this?

Legend: deal.

Gates of Courage and Linked Universe are entirely different trees in the garden of time. They can see each other, and entangle their branches, but they can only ever grow and drop their own leaves. Legend is from a universe where he will - maybe - retire and have a life. Swift did... not do that. Did not do that at all. Legend dreamed and woke up, faith in happy endings shattered. Swift's nightmare kept going when he left Koholint, and that quest isn't the only one with nothing to show for it except bad memories and poor sleep.

(There is only one Ravio per timeline, after all, and Swift dreamt his away by accident. Much like many other quests he only barely remembers completing across time and reality itself... He's not really sure what number he's up to, and he's not sure quests in realms that may no longer exist after his timeline converges in the War of Eras matter in the count.

In the end, between the two, only one of them carved an Ocarina out of a time stone, and of all his regrets at least Legend doesn't have to lose sleep over that.)

Because of how massive the fandom base is for LU, I might as well state the differences up front so people don't get confused by changed characters and circumstances for each link. No, they aren't part of the same timeline (tree, I've decided to consider it) but they have a lot of shared patterns. The most glaring differences is both the number of Links (Gates has... an unholy amount) and the sequence of events. (The True OG timeline is the Downfall in Gates. Deal with that information how you will. Just know that Swift will be coming to terms with both saving untold numbers of people of the absolute destruction that originally awaited them when the Heroes Spirit broke, and condemning possibly hundreds of thousands of people to witnessing the same cycle of chaos that had plagued the world since the First Hero. You know that scene in Sinbad, where Eres shows the Sand Ocean? Yeah... close shave, mate.)

I can't not acknowledge the importance of LU in how I've made and altered certain characters - I've had to completely rejigg certain ones entirely whenever I notice I'm unintentionally mimicking or running alone the same ideas as Jojo - but that goes without saying, as does the influence all the other 'Link Group Quest' fics and comics have had over the years. There are so many that I, personally, have read and liked that it'd be impossible to list them. Regardless of that, I will happily tag my fanart of other people's pretty dam awesome depictions, and my own as vastly separate entities, and will do my best to extend that curtesy to all the others making their own Mega Works.

The most enjoyable part is, thanks to the Magic Systems and Major Divine Plot Bunny that makes my AU what it is, crossovers can be whatever you or I wish it. This is our sand pit, and we all have been given our buckets!

[In other words, don't let the size and complexity of LU scare you out of making your own variations of the idea. Nor the idea that others like me have been making ours for a while, or have seen the idea before. There is no crime punishable in playing with barbie dolls, go absolutely bonkers.]

[kitmarlowe]

hey hope it's okay to ask but i'd like to know ur takes about the simon says episode of inside no 9 being about male fandom in particular? cause ive always enjoyed that ep and how it read some fandoms for filth lol but in my experience fandom is pretty female dominated so i'd be really interested in hearing about the specifically male side of it

sure. this probably would be more coherent if i'd rewatched the ep to remember things properly, so we're relying on my brain.

this is just my experience of viewing the difference between male and female fans (if we can understand these are generalisations and there's often crossover), so it’s likely this does not apply to all fandoms, but HERE WE GO.

to start, despite what I’m saying, simon is absolutely an amalgamation of a lot of things in fandom, both male and female. I expect much of it has come from mark’s experience on sherlock (shipping in particular). his worst traits come from all sides, but I don’t think it would work as well as an episode if it was about a female fan. his actions absolutely stem from the male side of fandom.

female fans, on the whole, seem perfectly happy just discussing the material with other fans. they form little groups and friendships, sharing jokes, discussion, art, fanfic. the men absolutely do this too but there’s an interesting difference in the way it happens. I don’t see men refer to their writing as fanfic, because fanfic is a female-dominated area and it has a reputation outside of fan spaces for being frivolous, out of character, and full of sexual fantasies about the male characters. male fans seem to view themselves as above it and need to legitimise their work. they’ll make short films, publish the their fanfic as short stories, interpretations, bonus episodes - anything to separate it from ‘lesser’ works. in the episode, when spencer dismisses gavin’s work as fan fiction, simon is clearly hurt by it and says, “well, no, it’s more sophisticated than that.” even though it absolutely is fanfic. men don’t want to be lumped in with the women because they view themselves as serious creatives, not obsessive fans. (all fanfic is creative, never change.) the men are also obsessive, they just don’t want to be viewed that way.

simon clearly sees himself as above other fans. he thinks running a podcast legitimises him and puts him on a level with spencer rather than the fandom he’s doing this for. he’s a content creator. the podcast is for the fans, I don’t think he views it as just a fan podcast. this is a kind of superiority I’ve seen in the male side of fandom. running a podcast validates them and brings them closer to the original material and makes their views, in their eyes, more intellectual. they, to paraphrase simon himself, actually know their stuff in a way that other fans do not. and if they can get a creator on, well… they’re a bridge between the two. they become part of it. simon believes he’s deserving of a co-writing credit, he thinks he deserves to be in the episode because he has risen above the other fans. he is a creator, just like spencer.

while most male fans I’ve seen manage to remember that they are just fans, they’re also more likely to seek the approval of the creatives. not just a “glad you like it” but a mark of recognition, for them to almost say, “yes, you are like me.” while they’re not awful like simon, they still have that same need to be seen as more legitimate, sophisticated and intellectual than what the common fan is viewed to be. I don’t think the women care as much about that. male fans need people to know that they understand the material on a deeper level — they need the creatives to know that.

simon feels entitled to the ninth circle because of the time he’s invested in it, he believes his view counts as if he’s in the writers' room with spencer, even before he blackmails him into the real thing. so do other male fans I’ve seen. I don’t think they’d ever quite go to the extent that simon does, but they’re certainly further down that path than female fans are.

and that’s why it had to be a male fan in this episode. look at doctor who — all three modern showrunners are men from fan spaces (as is mark himself). you know there were women from the same era who were writing their own stories, within their own communities, but isn’t it interesting how they didn’t become ‘legitimised’ through work on the show? what is big finish if not fan fiction legitimised?

and to end: all sides of fandom can be toxic (and they've touched on several areas in this episode) but it is also more often just an absolute blast. gavin's speech is in there for a reason, to recognise the good side. so whilst it sounds like I’m being negative towards the male fans, they're also a big part of that.

[nordicfiord]

Do you have any other dynamics between the voices that you like,besides Cold and Contrarian?

Love your art,by the way,especially Contrarian!I love how soft and puffy he looks!

Ohhh, thanks for the question! And thanks for the kind words!! Have another Contrarian – he is pretty sure his friendship with anyone would be good!

it also would consist of bullying half the time but if everyone is content that it can lead to some of the best friendships out there!

And now… IT’S RUMBLING TIME!!

tldr: I am semi-interested in most dynamics, but am currently obsessed with just one. Crossovers and AUs make dynamics more fun for me to think about because of backgrounds.

So! Voices, huh? What a wild bunch.

I love those little guys. I love that mostly here at the stp fandom we are just interpreting them through our own lenses of understanding – through our own perspectives. It is very fitting, and it allows all of us to view these dynamics in many, many different situations.

Honestly, my brain is a mess. It is a giant cauldron, where everything at once is boiling and twisting and turning. That’s why everything is mixing up into lots of crossovers and weird ideas. 

Can I say that I like voices dynamics in canon? Sure! I like that one Adv-Fury route with Stubborn and Contrarian having the “I may not have a brain, gentlemen, but I have an idea” moment. I like that Hero tried to stand up for us in Cage and Paranoid helped Skeptic to insist on his solution by “physically” restraining him?? What a power move. Pretty much every interaction between voices is something interesting to think about, honestly.

But, uhh…

My brain just chose two random clowns and said “Them. I wanna rotate them.”

Honestly I don’t even know why he (my brain) did it. Maybe he just projected my favourite dynamic (clown and clown enabler). But I like other dynamics too??? Why not them???

Genuinely don’t know.

BUT!

Remember I talked about AUs, crossovers and stuff? Those are bigger dollhouses for my brain. There he can assign some dynamics to characters and watch them unfold.

Examples? Sure!

Skeptic being “the mom friend”. Originally it went from the need to have anyone that could control ContraColdChaos. But when I thought about putting voices in my old Steven Universe AU (I will talk about it here I swear it is just too much to unpack….), it all just made so much more sense. Because there Skeptic was the one responsible for revolution and leaving their home world, ended up on an unknown planet with some very troubled teammates (traumatised disabled leader, “I-died-so-many-times-I-can’t-be-stable” general, repeated killer of said general, army refugee and a high-quality spy) and he HAD to take responsibility and make sure nobody dies. Also that created a very interesting dynamic with Hero, because Hero is basically a young abused ruler who doesn’t believe he has any autonomy… and here Skeptic is, his subordinate, who literally is making all the decisions. Like, it’s clear that Skeptic cares and wants the best for Hero… but he is pretty much adding to a family emotional neglect.

And there’s more. Opportunist feeling like he owes Smitten for saving his life. Cold and Skeptic trying to process that they’ve killed and revived the very same person. Smitten being this person and trying to live a normal life with his murderer and resurrector in the same home.

I guess I just… Can’t operate inside of the canon universe with the little outside influence there is?

Maybe in my head-universe, when TLQ left, he left the voices a big fun playground, where they can put various masks and play many, many different stories. They need something to occupy their “forever” too, after all.

Anyway thanks if you’ve read this far!! I appreciate it, really. Sorry if it’s not uhh… organized? Like I said, my mind really is a mess, haha.

Have a nice day everyday!~

[bygonesigh]

20 Questions for Fanfiction Writers

Thank you for the tag, @songofamazon!! ^_^ I really enjoyed reading through your detailed answers!

Tagging: @biowaredisasterbisexual , @hyperions-light , @ofcrowsanddragons , @basedonconjecture , and @thepalehorsevictoria but really @ anyone!! If you do it, I will read it!

(tried to think of those with multiple published works, if I missed you, I'm sorry!!)

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

At this moment, I have five. Soon to be six since I'll be uploading my Taash drabbles/short fics for Taash week :)

2). What's your total AO3 word count?

263,219!

3). What are your top five fics by kudos?

Since I only have five fics, I'll be listing the first one only.

An Examination, of Sorts — Rated E; Female Rook/Emmrich Volkarin; 148 kudos; 16,848 words.

Honestly, it's just smut, haha. If anyone clicks, please heed the tags (dubious consent).

4). What fandoms do you write for?

Currently, just Dragon Age. There are several fandoms I'd like to write for, though! I just haven't gotten around to those ideas in my mind, yet.

5). Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Of course!! :) I value all comments I get! I know how sometimes it can be nerve wracking to make one.

6). What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

In my only longfic, Var Abelas, I gave it two endings (good or bad). The 'bad' ending involves Lavellan dying and Solas tearing the Veil.

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

I'd probably say An Examination, of Sorts. Lich Emmrich and Rook are together, YAY!

8). Do you get hate on fics?

Not that I know of? And I hope it stays that way...haha ^^;;

9). Do you write smut?

Yes! Though it took me a bit to get there. I'm naturally a very nervous person, and just the thought of writing smut made me, well, nervous lol. But I pushed through! And now..*glances at AO3 page*...I may have opened the flood gates. Now, if I write it well? That's another question, lmao.

10). Do you write crossovers?

Not at this moment, but I would be open to writing a few, sure. Though only in adjacent genres, like a Dragon Age and Baldur's Gate 3 crossover.

11). Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of!

12). Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope, haha.

13). Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

No, but I would be open to it!

14). What’s your all-time favorite ship?

This is an evil question! I have so, so, so many ships that I love to read though I haven't written for them. UGH, I can't choose one!!!!! (lol it's been like ten minutes and I'm still thinking)

Okay, though I haven't written for it at all—

V/Johnny SIlverhand from Cyberpunk 2077. It's not 'official', but I absolutely love this pairing. I'm a huge sucker for major angst and tragedy, and V/Johnny SIlverhand is the perfect tragedy :')

15). What’s the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

If it is published, I will finish it. It may take months or years, but I'll finish it (I am very stubborn).

16). What are your writing strengths?

Hmm... I'm not really sure? I think I can write banter/dialogue well.

17). What are your writing weaknesses?

I make a lot of typos when writing, and I do not easily catch them. I often skip words when writing and my brain will fill them in, making it harder for me to see (text to speech helps a little).

18). Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in a fic?

Do it, wooo!! I personally italicize the other language if I use it, conlang or not. Though in my opinion, there should be a balance between the other language and the primary one you're writing in.

19). First fandom you wrote for?

This is going into the childhood trenches, here. Hmm...as a child I wrote Sailor Moon fanfic but didn't really "publish" it. It was more a series of drabbles, as I was very young and didn't know how to write a story.

20). Favorite fic you’ve ever written?

Hmm... This is difficult. I don't think I can choose a fic, as with all of them I have conflicting emotions. I have more favorite moments in each, if that makes sense. For example, I'm ambivalent to chapters 1/2 in An Examination, of Sorts, but I absolutely love chapter 3!

[zmediaoutlet]

aw, @runawaydr3amerao3 (!!) tagged me to do a little fic questionnaire, which seems like the perfect thing for a springtime friday afternoon -- also a fun (alarming) trip to the AO3 statistics page:

1. How many works on AO3?

220

2. Total AO3 Word Count?

1,589,415

3. Top 5 fics by Kudos?

1. oh so good, oh so fine; 2. there will be better days; 3. see things so much clearer; 4. into the flood again; 5. side two, track one

4. What fandoms do you write for?

...Supernatural, lol. Although I also have dabbled in the usual suspects: J2 AUs, HP, MCU, Final Fantasy, etc.

5. Do you respond to comments?

Usually! Not if they're emojis, but if someone's left actual words I try to respond. I'm currently very behind, yikes, and the new rate-limiter on AO3 is not helping.

6. Angstiest Ending?

Hm. Probably a tie between cheyenne and the hollow summer; they're both no-hope spots, which I normally avoid like plague, but they were appropriate for those stories.

7. Fic with the Happiest Ending?

Arguably it should be any of the heaven fics, haha, but I think it might be the constant vow -- not because nothing bad will ever happen to them again (s7 is coming!), but because they're so tied together by the circumstances of that fic that I think maybe they can weather any danger.

8. Do you get hate?

Sometimes! Rarely regarding fic, though, and I've often wondered why. Maybe because my public-facing affect is so hard-shelled. You can't poke me, trolls. Sorry.

9. Do you write smut?

And well. :)

10. Do you write crossovers?

Only a few! I like them in concept but the only way I like them is if they're hard fucking work, lol. It's a fun challenge tho, sometimes.

11. Ever had a fic stolen?

I know for a fact I've had a few lines plagiarized here and there, and boy is that a queasy-making experience when you notice. But as far as whole fics, idk. Whatever happens on wattpad can stay there.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes, a handful, and the BEST thing is to then take that translated fic and run the bot-translation back into English. Some of the shit that happens is surprisingly poetic and some of it will make you laugh until you cry, haha. But I think my favorite is the translation of the heaven fic into Spanish, because the title became so beautiful: llegarán días mejores. <3

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

Only once, and it was a shitty experience. Not just bc of other things about the co-writer but like -- I thought we were going to co-write and not what actually happened, which is that I wrote everything and the like two pages she contributed had to get re-written. :/ It's a fun idea in theory but the practice was. Bad.

14. All time favourite ship?

...guess. --ALTHOUGH if we get outside my own writing there are tons of ships I adore and just never feel the need to actually write anything. Shout-out Amram/Zelikman from Gentlemen of the Road.

15. WIPs you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I despair of my super long J2 AU that's the xover with the Kushiel 'verse, Nightblooming Flowers. What's there is fun and fine, and kind of works as an ending where it does cut off, but it was supposed to get a complicated knotty plot and... ugh. Also the writing style is a lot more flowery than I actually like to do -- appropriate for the subject matter but it's just not something I gear into easily. Maybe I should reread the book series and just lock in. (Maybe I should quit my job.)

16. Writing Strengths?

I think I'm really good at the balance of when to switch between summary and scene -- and from there pacing generally. To my credit, when it's fucked up in a story I do know; I just don't always have the wherewithal to fix it. :)

17. Writing Weaknesses?

PLOT. And also, as my bud has pointed out, I avoid shenanigans, and that's to my detriment actually. I never want to do cutesy shit -- twists, reveals, ticking clocks, villains, last-minute character introductions, etc. I think this is bc I really learned taste on literary short-form and including things that make reading actually fun is very looked down on, haha. Honestly I should make that a challenge. Shenanigans Bingo.

18. Thoughts on mixed language dialogue?

It's great. I'm only comfortable enough to do it in Spanish pero no es algo debería disputar--debe escribir en el idioma apropriado para el cuento y los personajes. Although I'm never totally sure if I'm using por or para right. Once the entire conversation switches into another language I do prefer that the narrative just quietly indicate that now they're speaking French or w/e and continue in English; actually writing in the other language is most useful when you're obscuring information from the narrative POV (although becomes a nice Bilingual Bonus for the reader).

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Final Fantasy! I'm sure it was bad.

20. Favourite fic you’ve ever written?

Errr. In one sense, always the most recent one. But I think the actual writing in asceticism might be the best.

Now I get to tag other people, yay. Let's see: @enteselene, @hearthouses-admin; @flownwrong; @nigeltde-fic, @phynali, @quickreaver, @themegalosaurus

[turtleblogatlast]

hey!!! this is less of an ask and more of a fic rec tbh 😭 but have you read 'I May be Invisible, but I Still Look Good" by Dandy over on Ao3???? It's after the movie AND Leo-centric and like he gets cursed so his spirit is ripped out of his body. It's like 125k words of wonderful storytelling

OH- but for an actual question, do you have and fic recs?? or any AU's you think people should go check out?

I tried answering this before and it erased my reply orz

ANYWAY YES I HAVE read this and I absolutely love it with every fiber of my being.❤️ 100% one of my top fics to read in this fandom that I even go back to for a reread more than once. The characters are perfectly done and the set up for the story is believable with a fantastic payoff, highly highly highly recommend to anyone who hasn’t read it yet.❤️

As for recs, I’ve always been terrible at giving recs since my memory is very bad especially for ones I haven’t read in a while.😭 Off the top of my head I can recommend (note these are practically entirely Leo-centric since he’s my special guy you understand (the others aren’t forgotten at all though!!!) - and most of these are very very well known so you’ve likely already read them…):

[Note many of these are unfinished and may remain that way - please no one harass the writers for more, let them write at their own pace if they choose to write at all]

- The Neon Void by sugarpastels is absolutely incredible, the dramatic irony of it all as we follow Leo in the state he’s in and see just how broken all the Hamatos are by his “death” is just 👌👌👌 The fact that this places with one of my favorite tropes aka “Leo being in the Prison Dimension longer than canon” is just so good. Genuinely a thoroughly gripping tale that I highly recommend. It’s not complete yet (a lot of this list isn’t) but what is there is so amazing please read (though you most likely have read it already haha)

- little kid with a big death wish and firefight by remrose are another two you’ve likely seen but by god are they worth the read. Firefight isn’t done yet but it and death wish are so amazingly well written and really go into how trauma affects people differently and how ties with family can be tested in traumatic situations. Hard subjects definitely but very maturely done. (Also I misread firefight as firelight for way too long before I realized it-)

- Power Up and Times Five by pickedcarrotsandradish are both unfinished but I can’t care because what we were given is so good that I’m fine with them as they are. Both deal with Leo’s insecurities and bad feelings about himself and, very importantly, the fics go into how these insecurities establish a base for Leo’s very real flaws and how those flaws push him to act the way he does. Very interesting and compelling stuff here!! Power Up especially does really cool things for the boys’ mystic power ups, especially Leo’s, and I loved reading about the ins and outs of what they could do.

- Race Against Life, Death, and the EPF by Cass_Phoenix is just so engaging to read??? Like I love the entire set up for it - it’s feels so fresh and like you’re in Leo’s desperate situation yourself. I was so excited whenever a new chapter came out because the atmosphere was so well done.

- A Mixed Bag by GreatlyBlessed is SHOCKINGLY not Leo-centric for once haha. It’s not completed, but again, like the others above it is so good that I recommend it anyway. This story is actually a crossover between four sets of TMNT (‘87, ‘03, ‘12, and Rise) and the dynamics set up in it are SO fun I love it. Team 2 is my fave because you have literally all my faves on that team how could I not?? I also highly appreciate that everyone gets a chance to shine and that there’s no bashing at all, they’re all just very much in character and it’s refreshing to read ❤️❤️❤️

There’s a LOAD more that I could recommend I’m sure but I don’t remember them off the top of my head at the moment.😭 If I remember I’ll come back and add them in!

(Forgot about AU’s- honestly there’s some that I see and catch up on when I see them but there’s just so many that it’s a bit difficult to keep track of sometimes! I’d have to go around and fully look through many before having a solid answer haha! The ones I do see are always so well done though, I may come back and add them here if I remember 😅)

[marichild]

20 Questions For Fic Writers!

ty for the tag @valleykey <3

how many works do you have on ao3?

listed as 114! I cannot remember how ao3 counts the works but I do have a fic or two on anon and like 3 in a private anon collection.

what’s your total ao3 word count?

673,463. for now anyway

what are your top five fics by kudos?

there are more important things than words between us || 8.8k hits || gyuricky || zerobaseone || canonverse getting together

something that has become absolutely clear || 5.1k hits || karmagisa || assassination classroom || spin on the cave scene

for me, like the real me || 4k hits || karma & gakushuu || assassination classroom || transmasc karma has a crisis

a vinland saga fic that has been been put in priv anon collection awaiting time to be rewritten

what’s the lie? what’s the truth? || 3.9k hits || sequel to cave scene fic, the karmagisa fight scene

what fandoms do you write for?

quite a lot! right now I’m writing mostly for link click, alien stage, and bsd, but I haven’t stopped writing for jjk either! there are assorted miscellaneous fandoms thrown in there, though.

do you respond to comments? why or why not?

I do! no specific reason other than I get so excited when people comment on my fic and I just have to say thank you and respond to any thoughts they leave behind. truly, nothing makes me happier than talking about the creative process/choices/thoughts I put into my writing with people who are eager to do so.

what’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

hmmm. I don’t really do unhappy endings but rather ambiguous/open ended ones. if I had to pick out of my recent works, probably the kyouka & lucy idol au which didn’t solve any problems at all, or the lukatill power play fic where…well. I stuck to how blink gone went in canon, so. </3

what’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I WRITE MANY HAPPY ENDINGS. honestly it depends on what one perceives to be more positive than the other, so there’s no set answer for this, really.

do you get hate on fics?

shoutout to the guy who managed to be both racist and misogynistic about the main canon couple of the racism bad discrimination bad war bad series. other than that weirdo who jumped me within five minutes of posting my first attack on titan fanfic (which was genuinely so funny tbh), nope, unless I’m just forgetting.

do you write smut?

eh. sometimes. more so than usual these days to be honest.

do you write crossovers?

not really! I do write x aus of y universe, but the only crossover I have ever done so far is the jjk x bsd crossover and that is for the sole purpose of dazai menacing/unsettling gojo.

have you ever had a fic stolen?

not that I’m aware of.

have you ever had a fic translated?

yep, a few times! I’m always so honored like…wow….a translation…

have you ever cowritten a fic before?

technically not, but kavi @blackwaves and I fully wrote both our versions of lukatill power play fic after rambling in dms and wrote it specifically for that purpose lol.

I am also writing a companion comedy fic to their vein/lu guang fic, which is how that universe has been nicknamed the toxic romcomverse. because we low-key lost our minds thinking about how cheng xiaoshi and xia fei would react to vein/lu guang hooking up and it’s genuinely a fucking mess. stay tuned for more bad sex decisions from two puppies who are sulking about things they should not be.

what’s your all time favourite ship?

woah. that is a difficult question. if I were to really choose probably percy/annabeth from pjo or hiccup/astrid from how to train your dragon although I haven’t actually written for either of them. if I were to pick one I have written for. nico/will from pjo or (sorry for the rpf ships) yeonjun/beomgyu (tomorrow x together) and heeseung/jay (enhypen).

what’s the wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

uhhh there’s a lot. thinking about it, probably the zb1 kidfic. or the if I stay au. I do want to go back to it eventually; I just don’t have interest in it right now due to a variety of factors.

what are your writing strengths?

I’ve been told my prose and characterization is pretty good! I do take pride in it as much as I question what the hell I’m doing sometimes.

what are your writing weaknesses?

action-based scenes, probably? those are particularly difficult for me. tbh I can think of too many haha

thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

as long it’s done well and respectfully? honorifics and such don’t have direct translations and sometimes if a character who speaks a different language is present, that might also work. it really depends on execution for me.

first fandom you wrote for?

winces. during my wattpad days? bts x reader fic. (ironically I am I listening to bts as I write this. specifically the truth untold and filter) on ao3, enhypen! my most recent fic (assuming you’re reading this before I post my femslash february fic) is enhypen, too. nostalgia I guess.

favourite fic you’ve ever written?

careless as could be, a sigchuu character study fic. aka my current baby in the bsd fandom. (I’m cooking more insane shit trust)

the little blue bird that’s lost its voice, a shin/raiden fic (for 86). honestly I’m just fond of the characterization and all there. 86 unlocks a weirdness in me sometimes.

tags!!! all optional btw dw

@obsidianstrawberrymilk @blackwaves @anticidic @monkey-banana41 @bungoustraypups @lesbiansanemi anyone else interested!