#this and that downton abbey fic 'lost time'

[toms-cherry-trees]

Don't Hold My Hand (I'll Break Your Heart) || Tommy Shelby x Fem OC ~ Prologue

Summary: How can one recover from having their life swept out from under theit feet? When a promising future becomes lost, shattered by a past that should have remained long forgotten? Is care and love enough to undo the damage, or will it just be a sweet balm to give a brief respite of the pain before the unavoidable end?

Word Count: 3.7k

Warnings: Vague description of war injuries

Author's note: This fic is loosely based on Me Before You, keyword loosely. I don't have many information on what voluntary nurses did after the war nor how did they treat those with long term injuries, but I am working as best as I can with what I know so do not expect this to be entirely historically accurate. There also may be some ableism akin to the period but it will be kept minimal

This is also my first time writing Tommy with an OC! Say hello to Charlotte Florence Tindall everyone! She is an OC I've had for 3 years based in Lady Sybill Crawley from Downton Abbey

Next part 》

The gates to Arrow House stood tall and imponent amidst a thick grove in the depths of Warwickshire. The estate’s name had been forged in sturdy steel and perched high above the iron and brick archways, kept in pristine condition despite the long exposure to the elements, with the family’s proud surname hanging just below in equal condition. Charlotte could easily imagine an unfortunate servant sent there on the daily with a ladder and some polisher, his only duty being to keep the family’s name spotless, literally.

The journey towards the manor was brief and silent, the bumps in the road barely noticeable in the luxurious car that had picked her up from the train station, with leather seats and a smoothly purring engine. She knew little about the brands and commodities money could afford, but the vehicle, driven by a smartly dressed man in a crisp suit, surely cost more than all the money she had ever owned or would ever own in her life as a former VAD nurse.

The Great War had taken many opportunities, but in its wake, it had unexpectedly given some. Hordes of girls and women turned to their nearest recruitment offices or hospitals to receive express courses in nursing and home care, to serve their country side by side with the men, restoring to health those who had been wounded in combat and caring for those who had given it all until they had no more left. Field hospitals, Red Cross stations, local hospitals, and convalescence homes; all packed to the gunnels with soldiers who had been wounded, scarred, maimed, and traumatised beyond repair.

But the war had come to an end. The volunteers, the ones who had risen to the task, scattered and went back to their lives. And so did Charlotte. Only to realise the long battle had just begun. The men would not recover only because the conflict had concluded. Many remained who would need lifetime care and attention that not many families were trained or willing to provide. The nurses returned, offering their skills in little advertisements printed in newspapers or glued to shop windows.

She had it easy, in a way. Early in 1919, a man she cared for harnessed her in to be his private nurse, but that lasted until he came forward with less honourable propositions. Then came an elderly colonel, whom she watched over up until his last breath. And most recently, a strapping young sergeant, whose fiance, who didn’t take kindly to having a young woman dress and wash him, nearly chased Charlotte off.

She quickly grew disenchanted with the job, having found mostly trouble and no small amount of tears in it. Perhaps she was not made for this as she originally thought. Maybe she would do better as a cashier or cook; she could seek a post as a secretary or a board girl in the telephone company. She had learned enough to defend herself as a seamstress. Anything to keep her clothed and fed while sparing her the suffering.

But one day, a letter arrived at her door. A letter sent by the treasurer of Shelby Company Limited. The infamous Polly Gray. A shiver ran down her spine when she read the name in elegant calligraphy over expensive paper, and a part of her feared the envelope would burst in her hands like a hand grenade.

Who in Birmingham didn’t know about the Shelbys? In the slums and the rookeries, people didn’t pray to God; they prayed to the Peaky Blinders. They owned the factories, the distilleries, the pubs, and the institutions. They owned the police. They owned the very streets the people walked every day, their houses, their money, and their lives if they so wished.

And now, it seemed they wished to own Charlotte.

Mrs. Gray convened her for an interview at their estate since they requested her services as a nurse to care for a war veteran. The letter provided little more information other that they offered generous pay, accommodations, and a day off of her choosing. A preset date and time had been included, next to a train ticket to get her to the station closest to them.

Charlotte could not tell exactly what drove her to actually assist. Perhaps she wished to know how and why they found her. Maybe the lure of a salary twice the average had lured her in. Or the morbid curiosity of meeting this soldier; as far as she knew, the Shelby brothers didn’t need anything from anyone.

When she arrived at the manor, a stern-faced woman took her coat and bag. She barely had time to admire her surroundings before the maid led her towards a drawing room. Dark wood in panels and furniture, crimson wallpaper, two walls entirely lined with bookshelves filled with books of all sorts, some in pristine condition and others worn and falling apart.

Amidst all, in a settee of black velvet, sat Polly Gray. Pearls hugged her neck, hung from her ears, and adorned the front of her silver frock. Bracelets and rings decorated her fingers. Masses of papers covered the tea table before her, which she methodically separated into neat piles. By her side were a glass of whiskey and a cigarette with crimson stains, the ashtray filled to the brim. The face powder could not conceal entirely the dark circles underneath her eyes, and some fine streaks of grey contrasted against her golden chocolate curls. A woman not quite old in age but worn out tremendously by troubles and tribulations Charlotte didn’t know.

She cleared her throat, since she appeared so immersed in her paperwork she didn’t notice her.

“Mrs Gray”

“Sit” The harshness of the command contrasted with the undeniable softness of her voice, edged with barely contained nervousness, as if she stood ready to collapse. Hurriedly, she collected the scattered papers and dropped them in a pile at her side, just in time for the stern maid to place before them a tea tray, all polished silverware and hand-painted porcelain. Mrs. Gray and her spent several minutes in fraught silence, stirring a cup of fragrant tea with two sugars, while Mrs. Gray added the last of her whiskey glass into her cup. Charlotte waited for her to speak first, but the woman seemed to be in no rush, which only added to her own anxiousness.

“Mrs. Gray. You called me here. You sent me a train ticket and a driver to pick me up. Why?”

She stirred her beverage methodically, making five perfect clockwise rounds with the spoon and gently tapping it on the rim twice. Staring into the steaming liquid while she pondered her words.

“You are a nurse, aren’t you? You have field experience, and have also have cared for disabled soldiers." Not an interrogation, merely a statement. She didn’t question her about how she knew that. If she so desired, she could track down her school teacher and ask her how well she did in maths when she was nine. But that still didn’t provide her with answers.

“I am. I have worked with several patients, and if you wish, I can provide referen-”

She cut Charlotte off with a wave of her hand. “I already have your references. I spoke with your previous employers myself.”

A cold shiver spread down her legs. What could she possibly require from her that she take such an effort to map out her past? If she had that information, it meant they had checked her background and that of her family and close friends. And she assumed she had passed whatever unspoken test they carried on her; otherwise, they wouldn’t have brought her straight into their den.

But again, why?

Mrs. Gray put down the teacup and finally looked at the other woman’s face for the first time since her arrival. Her eyes were large, deep in colour, and full of wisdom and caution.

“Do you have any experience with men with reduced mobility? That is, men who are wheelchair-bound?”

That treaded closer to her area of expertise. For a brief moment, she feared she would be taken to a dimly lit basement where she’d be asked to save the life of a grievously wounded man with a gun pressed to her temple. Or maybe she just read far too many crime novels.

“I do. I worked with many men who had lost their ability to walk, either by spinal injury or loss of  limb."Before the following pause prolonged for too long, Charlotte pressed the matter further. “Is that why you called me? You have a veteran who can’t  walk."She spoke the words carefully, since she had learned through trial and error that not all people reacted well when she spoke too harshly about the state of the patient, so she tiptoed around the subject with carefully chosen words.

Suddenly she stood, setting the cup aside with such carelessness that the tea splattered everywhere, staining the lace covering the side table.

“Come with me." She headed towards the hallway, not even looking to see if Charlotte followed. She barely had time to steal one more sip before rushing behind her, straining her legs to keep up with her pace. She led her through a back door and out of the house, towards a stone and gravel backyard, smelling of horses and petrol. Other than a few hounds and a lone gardener trimming some bushes, no one else was around. No one listening but Lottie.

“My three nephews enlisted around the same time in 1914. And I will forever be grateful that the three of them made it home alive." She walked with her hands behind her back like a man. With that ramrod straight posture and her puffed chest, she could put a general to shame. It certainly worked to intimidate her, and she walked a step behind her, feeling unworthy of keeping up her pace.

“John and Arthur came back okay. Or as okay as men could after the things they saw and did” John and Arthur. Both names rang a bell, but she hadn’t seen them personally. They acted as henchmen more than businessmen, terrorising the factories and the foremen in their factories. Legend has it that a foreman in a Sparkbrook steelworks bought a house with bribes for tossing bodies in the furnace.

“But Tommy” She continued, bringing her attention back to the present. “He was a tunneller. There was a collapse near the end of everything. I don’t know the entire story, but the tunnel caved in on them. Out of fifteen boys, only five were dug  out."She fell silent for a moment and made the sign of the cross. Pain wrung Charlotte’s heart, but she didn’t allow it to settle. She had quickly learned to push pain into the back of her mind during the war. If she allowed herself to feel it, she’d collapse like wet clay.

“They brought him back on a stretcher. I never thought a person could be more blue than white and have more broken bones than whole ones. He spent the rest of the war in a hospital room and remained there for a good part of the next year. Every doctor expected him to just die in his sleep, but he refused to give up. He made a full recovery and came home as if nothing happened.”

The tone of her words and Lottie’s very presence there indicated that not all had gone well.

“He took over his duties in the business and married a girl he fancied. They even had a son. No indicator that something could be wrong". Her pace had slowed, allowing her to catch up, now walking by her side, not wanting to miss a word. She had left the backyard behind and now moved into bare grass; from the entrance, she hadn’t quite grasped how far the estate stretched. It could easily and comfortably house two manors equal in size with their own stables and gardens.

“He suddenly started complaining of pain in his legs. Stiffness, soreness, especially in the mornings” She recognised the symptoms immediately but chose to remain silent while she spoke. “Soon he had trouble walking; sometimes his knees gave out and he just fell. He resisted the cane as much as he could, but in time he could not remain upright without it for  long.

“We sought a doctor in London. He said a disc in his back had cracked in the accident. The fracture had been stable, but as time passed, it worsened and began to collapse and compress his  spine."She waved her hand dismissively. “I didn’t understand any of the technical words, but the doctor said the injury would progress. The spine would be compressed more and more until he lost all use of his  legs.

Even though Charlotte didn’t see her expression, she noticed in her words the sorrow she felt for her nephew. And she didn’t blame her. To have him delivered home in pieces, seeing him go through a miraculous recovery only for this to happen. His life robbed from him, one sliver at a time, seeing his own body fail him day by day.

Mrs. Gray exhaled slowly, as if regaining her composure. “Ever since he got the diagnosis, he changed. He became irritable and wrathful. He refused to be seen with the cane; whenever he met people in the office, he leant into something or sat down. Then he refused to be seen altogether and handled business locked in his office." She pulled out a cigar case from her dress pocket and offered her one, which Lottie kindly refused.

“When he no longer could manage stairs easily, he started working from home. He seldom saw people; only his brothers and I could visit him” The smoke left her mouth with each word, since she consumed the cigarette so desperately she barely had time to breathe out. She thought that she didn’t need all that information to do her job, but she didn’t interrupt her. She sounded like she needed someone to listen to her at least once.

She finished the first cigarette and quickly lit a second with the leftover stub. Her crimson coated lips parted, as if she wanted to say something else but chose not to at the last second. Instead her features contorted in a snarl briefly, lips pursed like she tasted something bitter, and then shook her head and regained her composure.

“He bought this manor to be away from everyone. He wanted to live alone, with only the staff to help him, but I couldn’t leave him alone in that state, even if he refused to be helped. He may be an arse, but he is still my nephew” Lottie snickered at her last statement, disguising the inappropriate sound as a cough.

“I realise I could not handle it alone. There is just so much to be done, and many things he would never let me do for him” Another lit cigarette, consumed as frantically as the first two. “I tried to hire him a personal maid but she had the talent of a doornail”

“That’s why you sought me?” It made sense now. A common maid couldn’t handle his injuries and his needs like she could.

A bitter laugh fell from her lips “I sought a nurse, yes. And another one. And another one” She didn’t pay heed to her concerned expression “He never got along with any of them. Despised them, I dare say. Tommy cannot stomach being stared at or treated with pity” She made a mental note of that for her future work, that is, if she survived the day “Not all the pay raises and benefits in the world convinced them to stay long. I offered to pay the last one’s bank loans if she reconsidered her resignation, but that only held her in for another three weeks”

Charlotte’s resolution to take the job faltered by the minute. Why would she want to care for a man who seemed hellbent in making his caretakers miserable? Sure, his situation was nothing short of horrible, but did that really give him the right to spread his venom to those who tried to do good by him? And most importantly, did she really want to put herself through that? The pay was the best she had ever been offered, but would the money be worth it?

Suddenly Mrs. Gray gripped the younger woman’s hand, so tightly her fingers ached. She should have shaken her off, but the desperation in her eyes deterred her from it. She looked like a woman standing on the edge of the abyss, hanging only from her grasp.

“I personally collected your reference letters. All of your previous employers spoke of your patience and your affection. Of how your softness and cheerfulness helped them. I think you are what Tommy needs. I think you are the one who can help my nephew” Her grip tightened and an involuntary mewl of pain came from her throat. She released Lottie’s hand, and instead placed a pleading touch on her bicep.

“Please give it a try. At least for a month. I know he won’t live to be an old man. And whatever life he has left, whether it is 4 years or 4 decades, I want him to find peace. Happiness, even. I want him to have a reason to wake up in the morning” She could tell she wished to say more, but had cut off her words.

With all she laid out before her, Charlotte barely resisted the temptation to grab her purse and run for her life. But something in her words, in the story she narrated for her, it pulled at her heartstrings. She had a thing for lost causes and broken things. In the worst scenario, she would walk out depressed but with enough money to start anew.

She only had one request

“Can I meet your nephew before I make my decision?” 

Mrs Gray dropped her arm and pressed her lips into a thin line, eyebrows knit together in a scowl. She wanted to say no, that much she could tell. Maybe she thought she shouldn’t see Thomas until she had her signed up so she couldn’t back out. But Charlotte wouldn’t agree on anything until she spoke to him

“Of course”

Back into the house, she took her to the second floor. Lottie quickly noticed the house had been retrofitted in ways most couldn’t afford to offer Thomas a semblance of comfort. Large paintings hung in the stairway, most of them displaying a man with blue eyes and a dominant posture, always standing with his hands behind his back.

A set of double doors stood ajar towards the back of the floor. The room behind stretched almost all the length of the house, and Lottie noticed in the wall the dents where walls had been taken down to create such a large space. The furniture stood well spaced between each other to allow wide passages, enough to comfortably fit a wheelchair. Sunlight filled the alcove, coming from the many windows with the drapes drawn back. A set of glass doors led to a magnificent veranda that overlooked the estate.

Just outside, close to the balustrade, sat a black-haired man, his back turned to them. The wheelchair he sat upon was far more complex and luxurious than the ones she had in the ward. He wore a robe and slippers, as if he had just risen from bed despite being well into the afternoon.

Mrs. Gray walked out first, while she waited just under the lintel. She stood next to the man, one hand on his shoulder.

“Tommy, there is someone I want you to meet”

“No” His voice cut through the air, deep and curt. It sounded manly, and would have been pleasing to hear in other situation

“Tommy, please give her a chance, I promise-” He cut her pleading short with a smack of his fist on the wooden armrest.

“I said no! I don’t want her here. Put her in a cab and send her away” Mrs. Gray seemed to be at her wits’ end. She crouched next to him, like when one speaks to a child. She couldn’t make out the words she hissed at him through clenched teeth, but whatever she said, he didn’t like. With surprising skill he turned the wheelchair around and nearly ran Charlotte over, having barely managed to stop the chair with a heel on the floor.

The paintings did little justice to the blueness in his eyes. A vibrant blue not often seen, but filled with ice the moment they laid on her. The smart haircut had been replaced by an overgrown mane, jet black strands curling behind the ears and waving around the top. A five o clock shadow obscured the clenched jaw down to the neck. But even unkempt like that she felt the aura of haughtiness and pride bordering on arrogance emanating from him. He held her gaze for endless seconds, and not once she shied away from his cold eyes.

“Whatever it is you think you can do for me, save it for someone else. And now, get out of my home”

He wheeled past her, moving towards the main double doors. He couldn’t really go anywhere, but she figured he planned to hide somewhere until she left.

Lottie stood there, a bit dumbfounded, while Mrs. Gray returned to her side, despair plastered in her features, mixed with barely contained anger

“He is like that sometimes, but I promise you, some days are better. I will talk to him and get him to behave, and if you-”

“I can start tomorrow” She cut her off. Her jaw hung open, eyes widened as she struggled to wrap her mind around her words. Words that shocked Charlotte as much as Mrs. Gray, for she hadn’t actually allowed them out of her mouth. They just left in a blurt. But she meant them, even if she couldn’t quite tell herself why. It went beyond the money; she wanted this job. As if something invisible pushed her to stay there; as if there she’d truly find a purpose. It made no sense, but hunches and feelings rarely did

“Don’t worry, Mrs. Gray. I think I can help your nephew.”

[merinsedai]

for the @dreamlingbingo

Square/Prompt: E4: Meeting the family (replacing Purgatory)

Title: Dreamling Abbey (epilogue)

Rating: G (Dreamling Abbey itself is M)

Ship(s): Dream of the Endless/Hob Gadling

Warnings: n/a

Additional Tags: Downton Abbey au, omegaverse, omega Dream, alpha hob

This is a short addendum to my CHBB fic, Dreamling Abbey, which you can read on ao3 (mind tags)

Dream is nervous. Hob can tell. It’s in the tightness around his eyes and the way his fingers twitch on the handle of the bag he has perched on his lap. It’s in the tiny jiggle of his knee and the way he keeps reaching to touch his hair pins and check that his hat is on straight. After many months of close study, Hob understands Dream’s body language better than anything. 

The next time Dream reaches to reflexively straighten his hat, Hob places his own hand over his lover’s, and squeezes gently. Dream’s eyes, which had been unfocused and far away, snap to his immediately. Hob gives him a reassuring smile which Dream returns with some reluctance.

“They’re going to love you, darling,” he says quietly and feels Dream’s fingers twitch under his own. “They already do. You’ve seen the letters.”

“I think that you have given them somewhat of a false impression of me,” Dream answers with a grimace. “I fear that I shall be a disappointment.”

“Never,” Hob declares. “I speak only truth, me.” he nudges Dream with his shoulder, “And they brought me up to be an excellent judge of character. Come on, the train’s slowing and this is our station. Let’s go.”

****

The hustle and bustle of the disembarkation at the station takes Dream’s mind momentarily off of his impending meeting with Hob’s family, but as soon as they’re clear of the train and striding down the platform his worried return and amplify. 

Hob’s world is so different to his, the expectations of omegas the complete opposite of how he was raised. He is meant to be competent, assertive, helpful. He is supposed to be capable of running a household himself, not just directing others, and most importantly he is supposed to be a partner to his alpha and not just a pretty accessory. What are Hob’s parents going to think of him bringing home an omega with no culinary skills (save the ability to bake a very mediocre cake under heavy supervision), no knowledge or aptitude for knitting and mending, and absolutely no idea about how to go about simple household chores like washing and ironing? They are going to think he is the most useless of beings.

Lost in his worries, Dream doesn’t even realise they’ve left the station platform, content to let Hob lead him with his arm tucked into Hob’s, and so he gets no time at all to prepare before Hob’s family are just there and he is surrounded by warmth and voices and people hugging.

Hob’s mother had immediately wrapped her son in her arms and upon releasing him she turns to Dream and sweeps him into her arms without so much as a by-your-leave. Dream returns the gesture, startled but rather pleased. Hob has been free with his physical affection since they left the constraints of Downton and now Dream realises where he got it from. 

“And this must be your Morpheus!” Mrs Gadling says, glancing at Hob as she releases Dream. Hob smiles brightly and his mother turns her attention back to Dream. “Now let me look at you, let me see this young man who has made my son so happy!” She holds him at arm's length and beams up at him. Hob has her smile, Dream thinks. “My, you are an absolute picture, dear! Simply beautiful. Hob did say, of course, but really, he didn’t do you justice. You’ll have beautiful babies one day, of course, but first there’s the wedding! I’ve been busy getting Hob’s old room ready for you. He’ll be sleeping in the attic, of course, while we sort the reading of the banns. The Vicar has assured us that we can get the wartime dispensation so you won’t have to wait the full three months, thank goodness!  And, our Jenny has been helping too, she’s been embroidering something special for you both!  The room’s quite cosy, I assure you, we’ve aired all the linen and you’ll have to let me know if you prefer strawberry jam or marmalade with your toast on a morning, because if it’s marmalade, I’m down to the last jar and shall need to put an order in at the shop! Hob did say you liked lamb, so we’ve got chops for the table tonight.

“Thank you, Mrs Gadling,” Dream says, managing to finally get a word in when Hob’s mother stops to draw breath.. “You are being awfully kind.”

“Elizabeth,” she says immediately. “Or mum, if you prefer!”

“I-” says Dream, blinking. 

“And I’m Sidney,” Hob’s father interrupts cheerfully, clapping Dream companionably on the back. “Definitely not Mr Gadling! That was my father!”

[klaineccfanficlibrary]

Do you know of any fics where Blaine is in danger?

Wow - that's quite a wide ask. It depends on what sort of danger! There's all the tabs for abused!Blaine; orphan!Blaine; kidnapped!blaine; dark!Blaine, badboy!Blaine or just danger as he's a solider; police or fireman; or famous! Or just the canon, where he's beaten up or in danger from racial abuse or homophobes. Here are some to start!

Lost Boy by myownpatronus 

On September 20, 1999, Pam and James Anderson’s world was shattered when their youngest son, Blaine, was abducted from a local park. Twelve years later, after pain, healing, and tireless searching, the family is reunited in a most unexpected way. But the boy who comes home to them isn’t the same one they lost so long ago. Each member of the Anderson family has to learn to change and grow together as a lost boy is found once more.

~~~~~

Unfound Family by @tonks42

After years in foster care, finding himself moving in with a new family has become all too frequent of a routine for Blaine. But in the aftermath of an attack at a school dance, Blaine finds himself living with a family that’s like nothing he’s experienced before. Life at the Berry’s home is a whole new world. Despite his struggles at McKinley and having to learn to live with Rachel, he doesn’t want to move on, especially considering the new friendship he’s forming with Kurt and the glee club everyone keeps trying to convince him to join.

~~~~~

The Warbler by TheWhiteOwl

Kurt is a famous actor and singer who gets threatening messages and phone calls. One night his house is attacked and his manager suggests him to hire a bodyguard… Or better a whole team, the Warblers. Things just turn more complicated when Kurt finds out that the Warblers’ leader is none other than Blaine Anderson, his former one-night stand.

Note: Part 1 of the The Warbler series

~~~~~

Westerville Abbey by @hkvoyage

Blaine is the second son of the earl of Westerville, and is considered the spare heir. After his 18th birthday, he attends the London Season to fulfill his duty of finding a wife. He soon realizes he is more attracted to the new footman. Kurt, who has just arrived at Westerville Abbey to work alongside his father, becomes equally as smitten with the earl’s youngest son. Will Blaine and Kurt be able to overcome their class differences in 1910s England? Will their forbidden love survive WW1? A Downton Abbey inspired historical Klaine AU.

Note:  Part 1 of Westerville Abbey series

~~~~~

Go Your Own Way by zavocado

Kurt Hummel just wants to get through his Junior Year at McKinley in one piece. But when the new guy from Dalton Academy Reform School for Boys takes an alarming interest in him, he’s certain he’s going to be in for a wild ride. Badboy!Blaine, Klaine, AU

~~~~~

Worthless/Priceless by captain pihkal and @anxioussquirrel

Kurt buys a beaten and abused Blaine at a slave market and helps him get better.

~~~~~

Catch me if you can By afterthenovels

In the end, catching Kurt Hummel is definitely not what Blaine expected.

Special Agent Blaine Anderson catches con-man and art thief extraordinaire Kurt Hummel twice, and on the second time they strike a deal. They're supposed to just solve white collar crimes together, but they might even end up solving each other in the process.

A White Collar AU.

[sunriseverse]

it's been years since i made a reclist from my bookmarks, and i've trimmed down what i had and added some new things to my bookmarks, so here's a reclist, from oldest to newest bookmarks! fics beneath the cut with the original summary and my recollections/comments after. (please note that for any fics with smut, i can't comment on how the smut is, because i skip those portions.)

Tony Stark Meets an Extremely Unimpressed Time Traveler, or, Thomas Barrow Makes a Surprisingly Good 21st Century Butler by Alex51324 (87k, t, no warnings)

In which Tony Stark ditches a boring party, makes an addition to the household staff, throws a much better party, and tries not to sexually harass his new butler. Or,In which Thomas Barrow has a little trouble getting home from the pub, is generally unimpressed with many aspects of the 21st century, never thought of himself as a conservative dresser before, and may or may not be falling in lust with his new employer. tl:dr: Thanks to time travel, Thomas Barrow becomes the Avengers' butler.

my commentary: this is actually one of the earliest fics i bookmarked! i haven't been into the mcu in...........a long, long time, but i distinctly remember pulling an all-nighter to read the entire thing when i first ran across it. i'll be honest, i had clicked into it assuming it was crack, but it's not—it's played entirely earnest, and, in my recollection, does so well. and, well, what can i say; thomas was my favourite character back when downton abbey was airing (for reasons that i did not realise until much later). largely free of angst or action conflict; the issues stem largely from the conflict between thomas' biases and (mis)assumptions and the modern (well, 2010s) world.

Ain’t No Nancy Kerrigan by cleverqueen (t, 13k, no warnings)

It's 1994, and young Lisa Snart's jumps aren't strong enough for an Olympic singles skater. Thankfully, her older brother has an athletic friend who can match her in pairs. Mick Rory is hopelessly in love with Leonard Snart, though he'd never say anything about it, so he jumps at a chance to do Len's little sister a favor. If he's patient and works hard, maybe he'll even get to skate with her older brother.

my commentary: as i remember it, this fic was an absolute delight! i don't remember a lot of mick-pov fics, though i haven't............been in the dc tags in ages, let alone the cw dc tags, but it's really well-written! it's canon setting, but takes place pre-canon, and the dynamics are very well-written and enjoyable. it's even tagged "pining", which, as i remember it, applies very much so, and, well, what can i say; i have tropes i love.

and who shall wear the starry crown by consumptive_sphinx (2k, t, major character death)

Blackfoot serves Shadowclan, first and always. That is not, in fact, the same thing as serving Tigerstar.

my commentary: i think this is the only wc fanfic i have bookmarked on ao3? and deservedly so! it's a human au, and while it's short, it's so well thought out. the worldbuilding and lore that's hinted at, everything you can feel beneath the surface—so good!

The Nationwide Network of Oz by ErinPtah (3k, t, no warnings)

It's long past time Oz upgraded from the wireless telegraph.

my commentary: it's such a shame there's not a lot of oz novel fics—i truly think the series doesn't get the attention it deserves. a fun little short dorothy/ozma fic, with a dash of magitech and blogging.

Spaceships, Private Jets, and Minivans: How to Start a Global Incident in 5 Minutes Flat by Scientia_Fantasia (49k, t, no warnings)

One early summer morning in Riverside, Iowa, a spacecraft crash lands into the backyard of a highschooler by the name of James T. Kirk. Earth history is changed forever.

my commentary: i actually lost this fic for a long time and only tracked it down after a year of searching; it's a fun, teenaged star trek au—i'm usually not too fond of aus where characters are teens, but this one pulled it off very well! and it's rather funny, and the way the characters run into each other and get involved in the plot is very fun!

we make our friends, we make our enemies by ORiley42 (52k, t, no warnings)

Benji finds out he has a new neighbor. This new neighbor happens to be off-the-charts hot. Hijinks, friendship, more-than-friendship, and secret agent drama ensue.

my commentary: i actually read this from start to finish as it was updating! the author, ORiley42, is a fabulous writer, and this fic? so good. i've fallen away from the mi fandom, but i have fond memories of it, so this fic has a warm place in my heart. also, the trope of a civilian getting involved in spy bullshit? so good. and the pining. the drama.

The Long Con by harleygirl2648 (19k, t, no warnings)

There are two kinds of cons: long and short. Short cons mean short-term gain, with smaller rewards, mostly just everything you have in your pocket at that moment. Long cons mean lots of time, effort, costumes, masks, props, sets, and other characters all looking to set up the downfall of the mark and take them for all that they've got. Con Artist/Thieves AU: Will Graham and Hannibal Lecter are both interested in acquiring a Botticelli, but both of them are quite fond of each other's short games. For both of them, it's the deception and thrill of the game that's worth more than the payout. And well, after all, aren't the easiest people to scam are those who think they are smart enough to not get scammed?

my commentary: it's an art heist au, what more can i say? it's funny, well-written, and, crucially, fun.

deus ex machina by coloredink (26k, t, creator chose not to use archive warnings)

"What the hell?" said Katz. "Is that--" "Yeah, I know, it's kinda flashy." Will shut the car door behind him and patted his pockets for the little fob to lock the car. "Isn't that Hannibal Lecter's car?" The car beeped to indicate it was locked. "Yeah, I guess so." Will walked away, toward the field, Katz on his heels. "I needed a new car." "So you bought the cannibal car?" ----- You asked for it: the one where Hannibal is a murderous self-driving car.

my commentary: every time i talk about this fic, people are like. [newt geiszler voice] w—wh—whhhhattttt? and, yeah, okay, i get it, i do, but i swear to you, will graham x the luxury car possessed by hannibal lecter the cannibal's soul is, in fact, a fantastic fic. it's so well written, so funny, so novel. it's the cannibal car!

The Man Who Invented Sherlock Holmes by Calais_Reno (15k, t, no warnings)

John Watson, struggling young doctor, doomed to live an ordinary life, dreams of writing detective fiction. If he can just figure out his hero's name, the story will practically write itself.

my commentary: look. i am, at my core, a lover of experimental, weird concepts. and "john watson accidentally brings a fictional character into being and they fall in love" is, in fact, precisely something i would like. and, and, and! it's acd canon, and written in such a charming style! it is truly one of my favourite fics.

A Really Private Person by astolat (18k, m, no warnings)

The end of the world started on a Wednesday in March.

my commentary: i don't have many poi fics bookmarked, but this one is absolutely the best out of all of them. the emotions i will always associate with reading it are that of being half lucid and experiencing something just so utterly satisfying it makes you smile like a cat.

I've Got Nothing To Do Today But Smile (The Only Living Boy in New York) by gyzym (19k, t, creator chose not to use archive warnings)

Arthur's a corporate lawyer, Eames owns the coffee shop across the street, and all good love stories start with a quadruple shot latte.

my commentary: an ode to struggling out of sunk cost fallacy, finding people who love you, and slowly, slowly building a better life. also the cafe food all sound so so good i would love to eat there.

Atonement by acedott (9k, t, no warnings)

I know how lonely you must be. All by yourself in that room. Morgana’s words stuck with Gwen long after the enchantment was broken. She recognized the veiled vulnerability in her tone from years as her servant. She hadn’t sounded like that in so long; she’d trusted Gwen with her every thought since they had both come of age. But when she first arrived in Camelot, when they were brought together as mistress and servant, Morgana had not known how much to trust her. Gwen, in turn, had not known how much to trust her new mistress.

my commentary: written by the fabulous lovely wonderful @owengrose, this fic makes me feel So Many Emotions. it's written with such care and purpose, and made me cry when i first read it. read it!!!

On the Risks and Rewards of Being Seen by acedott (8k, g, no warnings)

The year is 1815. Karla Gottlieb, the lady of the Gottlieb estate, rekindles an old friendship with Vanessa Haile, the groundskeeper’s daughter.

my commentary: yes i am putting another one of my friend's fics on here, but listen: risks and rewards is just so, so good. i can't even give further commentary beyond "it's so good" because it's just that good. it's historical, it's carefully-crafted, it's lesbians! what more could you want? go forth and comment.

Of Madness and Mammals by Briarwitched (series, four works, 619k, t-m, no warnings)

this series doesn't have a summary, but more or less: alex, suffering from horrific hallucinations and trauma, is discarded by mi6 and tossed into prison—where he meets yassen once more, and, once again, yassen tries to look out for hunter's son.

my commentary: this is, in my opinion, the best set of works i've read in the alex rider fandom. it's one of the best series i've read period. it is so well-crafted, well-plotted, and well-executed. it's a shame that the fandom isn't larger, because the series deserves more attention.

Beginning Where You Are by TF Grognon (gloss) (15k, t, no warnings)

"There's no such thing as magic," Dove-Gray said. Min snorted and flexed her fingers. "Tell that to the magic bloodthirsty soulsucking sword that lives in my hand."

A disgraced scholar and well-meaning mercenary forge an unlikely partnership.

my commentary: i found this while trawling the sci-fi tag, and honestly, i'm so glad i did, because it's just so good. the worldbuilding and lore and character dynamics and every other bit of it is just. god. so good. also, one of them literally has a bloodthirsty soul-sucking sword in her hand.

You're Dead (and Outta This World) by TheOceanIsMyInkwell (10k, t, no warnings)

“Holy shit!” shouts the EMT at his side. His partner on the other side of the gurney--the other side of the body bag--follows up with a well-deserved holy fuck and stumbles backward over her boots to sag against the back of the open ambulance. “I’m fine, I’m fine, oh God, I’m sorry,” Guillermo babbles. His knees are trembling. He wriggles out of the body bag and hops to his feet, feeling like his legs are a cross between jello and underbaked macaroons, and he repeats his litany of apologies as he bounces from one foot to another to restore circulation. Pain shoots through his joints from the roots of his toes. He ignores it, instead pivoting his head from side to side wildly seeking the detritus of his phone and groceries. “Sir! Sir! You were--sir, please get back here! You were dead!” “Not today, sorry!” -- Or: 3 times Guillermo came back from the dead, and 1 time Nandor was there to see it.

my commentary: this fic preserves the horror-comedy of the show so well, and you can see poor guillermo having a longform breakdown across the fic. it's so fun.

and yet we still bloom by gdgdbaby (110k, e, graphic depictions of violence)

When the Crown Princess of Xian Le, Her Highness Xie Lian, saved a tiny street urchin from falling to her death during the nation's biggest parade, she could never have predicted that same street urchin would eventually become her greatest spymaster. Xie Lian hadn't anticipated the heavens-upending events that followed the drought either, but sometimes these things just happen. OR: Xie Lian and Hua Cheng save their country and save the world.

my commentary: i would say this is easily one of the best tgcf fics, and it fulfils so many of my desires: lesbians, fix its, slow burn, and woldbuilding/lore! i cannot recommend this enough.

rare as the glimmer by Euphorion (24k, e, no warnings)

“Do you—” Quan Yizhen started, and then on the other side of the room Pei Ming started up his jackhammer, so he waited, bouncing on the balls of his feet, and then said all in a rush, “doyouknowHuaCheng?” Xie Lian blinked. “You know—him?” she asked, in case 'San Lang' was some kind of private name, a secret code just for her. She liked the thought of that. Quan Yizhen shook his head vigorously, his curls bouncing. “No!” he said. “But Yin-ge said you were with him at Home Depot and you left together!” Xie Lian stared at him. One of the employees that had helped her a few weeks ago had been called Yin something, she was pretty sure, but that’s about as far as she could follow what was happening here. “Yizhen, if you don’t know Hua Cheng, why is this… notable?” “He’s famous. Or like. The bad one. Infamous. I thought—” His eyes gleamed. “I thought maybe you fought him.”  + Retired (read: disgraced) famous boxer Xie Lian meets a helpful stranger while at Home Depot attempting to fix her collapsing roof.

commentary: lesbians! modern aus! butch!xie lian! everything about this fic is just *chef's kiss* it makes me lose it every time. the dynamics and writing feels so true to canon, and reading it is just. so so good. i'm trying to come up with more comments and i can't, it's just. so good.

We Stan Scrap Gege! by PaidSubscription (31k, m, no warnings)

“San Lang…are you sure about this? Life on the road, storage units…it’s not glamorous. There’s junk and there’s gross fluids and roaches and raccoons and meth labs, and one time I got lead poisoning and- oh! Another time I accidentally got locked inside a unit with five families and loaded on a truck and then I think technically we were human trafficked-?” “Gege. I’m in this, all the way.”

Scrap Collector’s cancellation is inevitable. Once, Xie Lian was the most popular face in reality TV. After the...incident, Xie Lian is banished to 2am cable, and turns to making a different kind of show: storage hunting. But in his final season, he suddenly acquires a new producer: a Youtube star named San Lang. And San Lang- along with his legion of fans- is determined to save the show. 📺🎥💕

my commentary: this concept is both utterly batshit, and weirdly sensible for the characters? i loved the interspersing of social media format between the prose, and the dynamics between all the characters, especially hualian, are so on-point!

Knowing Only This by CatMouse (dioscuridevotio) (31k, m, no warnings)

Bai Yutong is handling it. Ever since he was fifteen years old and realized that the horrible, sickening, aching feeling he got in his chest whenever he looked at his best friend wasn't a sign of early heart failure but instead a warning of something much worse, he's been handling it perfectly fine. With full maturity and dignity. He's the head of SCI. He's the best cop of his generation. He's the pinnacle of self-control and an expert at compartmentalization. But sometimes—Sometimes Zhan Yao doesn't make it easy. In fact, it's times like these he's convinced Zhan Yao is determined to make his life as difficult as humanly possible.

my commentary: a wild sci fic emerges! poor bai yutong is going through trials and tribulations of being in love, and it's so so fun to read. i laughed and gasped and was on the edge of my seat while reading (well, metaphorically; i was laying in bed). it's just very very good.

codify my wasted youth by lungache (6k, t, no warnings)

“We're way too caught up in the race with time It's getting hard to take it in We're tryin hard to be the first in line Just wanna be a kid again, a kid again”

An Origin Story “We should start a band!” “Holy shit, we should totally start a band!”

my commentary: the fabulous @lungache wrote a marvelous band!au, and i wish i could eat it like a fine dessert. why does it only have ten comments. it deserves so much more. read it. comment on it. now. that is not a suggestion.

The Tiniest Heipaoshi by tehfanglyfish (6k, t, no warnings)

Jiajia was already handling a good number of Professor Shen's lectures and labs, fielding office hour questions, and all of his online correspondence. Why not add a few more responsibilities into the mix? It wasn’t like she needed to sleep. OR The one where Jiajia impersonates the Envoy.

my commentary: i'll admit, i don't go here, so i can't give a fully accurate commentary, but i stumbled across this somehow (perhaps someone else's rec list? who knows) and the few chapters of the novel plus the episode or two of the show i watched gave me just enough knowledge to enjoy this fic. and, anyway, the concept of "exhausted TA pretends to be a terrifying non-human political entity" is, in my opinion, universally appreciable.

I Love You (I Want Us Both To Eat Well) by freakesque (6k, m, creator chose not to use archive warnings)

In which Xiao Xingchen and Song Lan take it upon themselves to make sure Xue Yang eats regularly, and Xue Yang finds out he’s actually not a twink.

my commentary: @xueyang's fanfic which i got to cheer them through writing and then read; it's so so good. it will make you Feel Things and Have Emotions. read it. now.

And the gentleness that comes, not from the absence of violence, but despite the abundance of it by lucientelrunya (39k, m, graphic depictions of violence)

It's him. It’s really him. For a moment Zhang Rishan looks up from his phone again, letting his gaze wander over the pool and then the shoreline behind it. There is still no trace of the merperson, but he had come to save Zhang Rishan. Again. He smiles to himself. So he is still here, still saving drowning people. That means Zhang Rishan can start step two of his plan. To the humans who hire him, Zhang Rishan is a proficient hunter, one of the best to hunt the rare magical creatures, the yaoren. To Ba Ye, Zhang Rishan is a stranger, a poor human he saves from drowning, not a hunter that has been tasked with catching him. Their meeting will change them both and alter the course of both of their lives drastically.

my commentary: am i using this rec list to recommend my friends' writing? perhaps. but also, this fic is just so good! the worldbuilding and dynamics.................so so fun. and it gave me the perfect excuse to dabble in conlangs again. also i regularly think about the mer lore, so. @lucientelrunya did a fabulous job here and i WILL make you hear about it.

Confidence Trick by duty_free (21k, e, creator chose not to use archive warnings)

"Your umma was going to die instead of you," Jae Ho said as one of his guys dragged Hyun Soo out of bed. Another guy stood waiting by the door, his back to them, looking down the corridor and smoking silently. "But it's smarter to kill you." He gestured at Hyun Soo. "So here we are."

my commentary: yes, i'll admit it, i watched the film and then immediately went looking for fics because the ending killed me. this one soothes those wounds at least partly; i like how it keeps the fucked up elements of their relationship while also still having them, well, fall in love trust. and it's such an interesting canon divergence concept, one that i think is executed excellently.

alright, that's everything, for now, anyway! i hope you can find something on this list you're interested in!

[belovedrival]

My mom’s oldest sister, my aunt D, died early Monday morning. I feel weird about it because she’d been in poor health for so long and she’d been living in assisted living, before being put on hospice a week ago so on the one hand it’s a relief. But on the other, I’m feeling guilty for not going to see her. She lived about an hour and a half away. It wasn’t that I *didn’t* want to see her; life just kept getting in the way. And now…🥺💔

She was the oldest child on my mom’s side. When my grandfather died suddenly in 1963, my grandmother was in shock. D did all the driving for the family for a couple months. She was only 16 then, and Grandpa had taught her how to drive a few months before. She was always a very independent woman. She graduated from college in 1969, and worked in education for a while, for the state. She lost her hearing as an adult, and worked in deaf services for years. She never really learned ASL; we could talk to her face to face so she could lip read. Both her sons, my cousins, are really good guys. They loved her dearly. This is going to be extra hard for them.

Mom and her remaining siblings (it’s so weird to say that) will, I think, be okay. But it’s going to be a massive adjustment. My aunt K, the second oldest, is taking it harder than the others. She’s only 18 months younger than D and the 3 youngest kids (my mom sandwiched in between her brothers) are 7+ years younger. K grew up with D; they were the “oldest”, and after losing their dad young they really helped Grandma cope. Later this week is the anniversary of Grandma’s passing. K’s birthday is next week. I just feel so badly for her, and all of them.

Feeling meh. My sinuses kicked up last week, so I’m in month three of dealing with snot, a runny nose, and carrying around a box of tissues. And while going to aunt D’s visitation and funeral was always going to happen, I told Mister that I’ve already gone to one funeral this year (my bestie’s, in January), and now here’s another. It’s just a lot. I know it’s a tall order, but can the rest of 2024 PLEASE not totally suck? I expect some level of suckage, but gimme a break.

Good things: Jonas keeps growing. And since we’re in official Fake Spring here in the Midwest, he can play outside a lot. Sunshine is good. I didn’t mind the snowstorm on Friday (practically all of it’s gone now, ha), because we needed the moisture. His birthday is coming in a couple weeks and because we’re crazy we’re having a little party for him outside. Under a pavilion at the local farm, which he LOVES. Hopefully it won’t be pouring buckets of rain that Saturday. Winter! You never know what happens here! ❄️🌱🌞🌧️

Oh, and I officially registered Jonas for preschool this autumn so he’ll need to be potty trained by August. Send help 😄

One of these days, I want to update my dormant fics. But it’s not because I’ve lost interest that they’re dormant…I can barely find time to get normal stuff done.

I want to end on a good note. Hmmmm, Downton Abbey is coming back!? Well, I’ll take it 😊

Love you all. Drink water, hug your loved ones, and get out in the sunshine when you can.

[mimirose113]

Okay, I feel like it is time I actually wrote a little introduction about myself, now I have been lurking on here for a few weeks.

I'm Mimi and I live in little ol' England.

As you can probably tell from the link, I write fanfics on AO3.

Currently I only have The Outsiders fics posted, usually fluff or sickfic, but I do experiment with other genres sometimes and I have also written some mild slash.

I jump between fandoms a lot, but one of my pretty constant ones is definitely The Outsiders. I first read the book when I was about 14 for school. I am now in my 30s and still love it. I need to see the musical so bad! 😭

Darry is definitely my favourite character, and I really like Two-Bit and Steve too.

A few other fandoms that I love and often revisit:

- Stargate (SG1, Atlantis and Universe)

- Firefly

- Vampire Diaries

Trust me, there are so many more fandoms I enjoy on an on-off basis that this post would be wayyy too long!

Well, I guess I could just list them anyway and put it under this helpful 'Keep Reading' button for those of you who are really interested. 🙂

Downton Abbey

Bones

Chuck

Big Bang Theory

Friends

A Town Called Eureka

Farscape

Grimm

Leverage

Lost In Space (2018)

Sense8

The Witcher

Shadowhunters

The Rain

Harry Potter

Anyone who is really interested, you can also find my older fics over on FF.net (same username). Not just The Outsiders, but Harry Potter and Vampire Diaries as well.

And for those for you who read this far, a random fact for you! I am slightly addicted to penguins. There is a mass of penguin-themed items in my bedroom. I'm not kidding... Figurines, blankets, plushies, pjs... You can request photos as evidence if you so wish. 🐧

[thenobleprincex]

fanfic roundup ✨

I haven't done one of these in such a long time and I've actually posted quite a lot since then! So here is a brief description of all my fanfics by fandom. If you're a rareshipper like me, you'll probably find something to read? Anyway, I hope you enjoy it <3

Black Sails

💮 a great comfort in you - Slice of life, very domestic Miranda/James feels. If you don't know me, I'm Miranda's no 1 fan and I love writing her and this is just a (bitter)sweet meditation on her and James' relationship. (I got so many amazing comments on this one when I first published it which I absolutely did not expect and still makes me very soft when I think back)

💮 a house you can build - mostly canon compliant, Miranda lives, fix-it fic. This pretty much sums up my feelings about Miranda/Flint/Thomas (I love them!!!) and was the first longish fic I wrote which I'll forever be proud of.

💮 Rarepair Week - This is actually four fics but I'll just sum it up like this. I wrote four fics for BS rarepair week earlier this year, all set in the same modern au. They're very queer and I adore them all. Pairings include Abigail/Idelle (which I continue to be obsessed with), Miranda/Madi, Madi/Flint/Silver, among others

Downton Abbey

💮 something gave you the nerve (to touch my hand) - Tom-centric, canon compliant (series + DA1). Chetwode/Branson/Lucy with lots of Tom feels and Tom (finally!!) breaking free from the Abbey.

💮 it's a love story - I'll forever be in awe that I actually wrote this. It's over 200k, and follows DA's seasons 2 and 3 - Edward lives. Extreme wishful thinking in the best way. Lots of polyam and queerness all around.

💮 thank you for the music (for giving them to me) - Mamma Mia time!!! Basically, DA but to the plot of Mamma Mia 1 (I even made a poster lol). Thomas-centric, Thomas feels, Thomas gets all the love. Polyam. Perfect summer reading

Gilmore Girls

Both of my GG fics are Jess/Rory/Logan, which is as rare as a rareship gets, but I fucking love them. These fics are so near and dear to me 🩷

💮 but i knew you'd linger - Technically canon compliant (including AYITL). Jess-centric. Non-linear timeline.

💮 i can see us (lost in the memory) - Canon divergent: Jess never goes to Stars Hollows. Very summer themed. Probably my only fic with a bittersweet ending (I said at the time that I inteded to write a sequel and I DO but that hasn't happened yet sooooo.... No promises but you can still hold out hope)

Others

💮 Hollywood (TV): when i kissed - I always forget I wrote this fic for some reason lol, but I love this show so much and wanted to create a little something out of it. Jack-centric, baby queer feels.

💮 F.R.I.E.N.D.S: denial is my greatest skill - Chandler-centric. Canon compliant. Future fic. I wrote most of this during my first year of college when I was extremely depressed and it kinda shows haha I love it a lot though. Also, I think the title is so on point, I fucking love it

💮 Babel: tough, tried, and true blue - I read Babel at the beginning of the year and was throughly destroyed by it, but at least I wrote this. Canon compliant, stolen moment kind of fic. Robin pov, Griffin/Anthony

💮Merrily We Roll Along: there is nothing important (that does not include you) - my most recent fic, which I am currently writing! I love it so so much and can't wait to continue it. Canon compliant, all the soft, nostalgic feels, redemption arc, etc. Lots of Frank/Charley/Mary love. I love it

[sweetcarrotsandroses97]

Kingdom Of Truths | KTH | Moodboard + Summay

Pairing: Lord! Kim Taehyung x disabled! Lady! reader (ft. Ot6)

~non idol! an, strangers to lovers! au, downton abbey! au, edwardian era! au

Warnings: fluff, angst, character death, strangers to lovers, depression, unrequited love, oc is in a wheelchair, period typical classism and misogyny, talks of marriage, MISCOMMUNICATION, (more will be added in the future)

Summary: You were Lady (y/n), beautifully caged to a life in a wheelchair since you were a child. It appeared that fate had it against you as tragedies filled your life since the moment you had been born. After inheriting two large fortunes after a horrible accident that left you completely alone in a world full of luxury, you lost all hope at any chance of happiness. It wasn't until a handsome young man entered your life and despite the distance you wish you put between the both of you, he seemed determined to fight for your love and live in a kingdom of truths by your side. Once is fortuity. Twice is coincidence. And three times is fate. "There is nothing more than I want in this life but you, it is you who gives me this will to live, this passion in my soul, this burning in my skin. You have bewitched me with your charms, you have claimed my heart as yours. You are the sun and I am the moon because I am nothing without you while you are everything without me."

A/N Hello everyone! I'm currently on +8k of this fic but there's so much I want to write that I fear it will take me a bit longer to publish. it fully. This is highly inspired on "Downton Abbey" if you haven't seen the series, I highly recommend it!

I just love the Edwardian Era, I'm an old soul and as you might have already noticed, this is a Tae fic also inspired by his portfolio photoshoot. I just love how he looks like a prince or -in this case- a Lord of high society.

I will publish a snippet of the fic a day or two before publishing the whole story, I hope you will like it as I am working so hard on this. If you had gotten up till this part, you are darling. Take care and thanks for reading my rambling!

~Masterlist

[roughdrafthero]

Hello RDHero, I have a fic rec. Spare the Rod by dementian on ao3 is a very well written, epic saga of a fic if you like a/b/o that explores the social dystopia that happens when secondary genders and patriarchal systems get out of control. Despite the length and darker parts, it’s not purely depressing and keeps your interest throughout. It reminded me of tsgdt in that there is a defiant omega/guide challenging a flawed system, but beyond that they are two very different stories with different themes. But both stories are grounded and plot heavy for their genre, which is why I wanted to tell you about this fic. I also saw that you watched downton abbey back in the day, and this is a downton abbey fic centered around Thomas, a working class omega. The scenario it sets up where a/b/o meets the Edwardian class system is a double whammy. Don’t let the Robert/Thomas tag put you off, it’s a precautionary tag. There’s a main love interest that I won’t spoil, but his presence is an interesting incorporation of a real “historical” figure into an a/b/o fic universe.

I’m reccing an a/b/o fic first because you’ve written in that genre before and I rather hoped it would catch your interest. But in case you’re looking for something less dark and “out there”, Dementian’s other downton fics are very good. They have an almost original fiction quality to them, where the plot stands on it’s own with twists and resolutions, while at the same time being intrinsically connected to core characterizations and well researched canon historical settings.

Bad Harvest, in particular, might be up your alley. It’s an m/m/m crime thriller with hints of dom/sub. (There’re ropes and DP if that’s up your alley.) Beyond being hot and plotty, it also has a super well written female character whose steely strength and kindness is a joy to read, and villains that are three dimensional and human. If you enjoy Thomas barrow and co. that’s a bonus, but you could honestly read it as an original fic. Both fics are around 500k, a word of warning for those who are looking for short and sweet. But as someone who has never read anything over 100k, these flew by. I felt rather spoiled by the author, as if I were reading a series of published novels (albeit less marketable novels that had graphic m/m smut and grey moral decision making.) As someone who usually prefers original work, I was able to get lost in these two fics and hope you might find some enjoyment out of them as well.

Wow, thank you, i'm definitely going to check this out. "Can be read as original" is like music to my ears. Now that I'm thinking about it, I feel like I was reading a Downton Abbey omegaverse wip back in the day ... maybe this is the same one!

[lorirwritesfanfic]

Do you have any fics in the works? Tell us about them!Looking forward to any other writer's upcoming fics? Tell us about them too!

My wip folder is never empty, darling. I don't know if it's a good or a bad thing to say it, given the number of unfinished works I have there, but oh well...

I haven't had much time to write. You know... real life, bills, family, more bills... 😵 and of course I procrastinate a lot (I blame Netflix Brasil for getting Downton Abbey and all the Turkish diziler I find online 🤦🏻‍♀️). But I write sometimes. Not every day. Not most days of the week as I used to do before. But I'm still writing.

The one wip I'm actually half way through is a Hamid x MC xmas fic. I know you're thinking "but it's almost February! And Prince Hamid is Muslim!" and you're right. But Daphne is Christian, very fond of Christmas, Hamid loves a nice social gathering and finding any reason to tease his favorite girl and we do not follow the real life calendars in here, so why not?

Among the series I write, earlier this month I was working on Meant To Be (Desire & Decorum modern day AU) chapter... 27? (I lost count... 🙈) Anyway, I think the next two chapters will finally explain why I label it as a Soulmates AU. There's a Sinclaire and Daphne awkward scene here, a little Sinclaire x Alisha moment there... But nothing too dramatic for now.

There's also Jade and Liam's For The World to Know. Tbh I have no idea what chapter I am (I'm getting super lazy on this because Tumblr and AO3 count the chapters automatically for me 😅). They're just a couple of weeks away from the wedding, they're getting joint a bachelor and bachelorette party, there's some heart to heart talk with Hana (these girls need it), Leo is joining them in Vegas (and we all know he often brings drama) and there's Drake situation to be solved. I'm close to reaching the end of FTWTK and I wish I could really start Happily Ever After (instead of just posting a few one shots of them married) because I've been daydreaming about the plot for years (the story will be soooooo good, ugh!), but I don't know... If I managed to finish FTWTK (or just The Fives Stages since there's only two more chapters left), I'll take it as a win.

Last year, I also remembered I never finished my Bloodbound series. A while ago, I got a comment on AO3 from someone who wanted me to extend the series and I thought about doing it, but at this point I wouldn't know how to do it. I'd probably have to create a new plot since the one I started back then is nearly solved. But that would demand time to replay Bloodbound to find inspiration and, unluckily, that's something I don't have lately. I started planning a chapter with Adrian x OC (any Adrian stans still out there?), then I'll write one more chapter to wrap it up.

There are other Desire & Decorum AUs and a TRR AU, but I haven't touched those wips in months... I rather not make any promises regarding any of those stories for now.

Other than that, there are a few one shots planned:

A Thomas Mendez x Ayla (+ Stephanie and Luz) inspired by one of my favorite Brazilian memes and a scene of a 2010 romcom. I can't explain why I'm doing this... The muse wants what the muse wants 😂

A few ficlets (or short stories, depending on how inspired I am when I actually sit down to write) to answer some OTP asks for Hamid x Daphne and Nate x Stella (TWC). I was debating if I'd include Liam x Jade, but I might give away the plot of Happily Ever After in one of the questions, so nope 😅

When it comes to other people's stuff, I don't know... I'm not super active on Choices (or any fandom, for that matter) and I'm not familiar with most of the fandom and what people have been writing lately. I do have my faves (@missameliep @lilyoffandoms @storyofmychoices @princess-geek @noesapphic ) and they still write from time to time, but I'm not going to pester them for new fics. They have their own lives and write whenever they can. As a fan of their work, I respect their writing pace and I'm simply glad they're still here.

Thanks for the ask, anon!

[leseigneurdufeu]

Winston Churchill (Real Life):

Born 1874, died 1965

Fought in the Boer War

Mother was american-born.

Had a daughter named Mary, and another named Marigold (who died very young, in 1921)

Robert Crawley (Downton Abbey):

Born 1865

Fought in the Boer War

Wife is american-born

Had a daughter named Mary, and a granddaughter named Marigold who was born in 1922.

I'm making Winston Churchill Edith's godfather in my DA fic and no one can stop me. Robert and he served together and were friends, Winston's mother Jenny introduced Cora to the court, and he got to know her at the Churchill's london house.

Robert even asked Winston, though only 18 at the time, to be Edith's godfather (Dickie Merton got to be Mary's because Churchill and Robert were good friends, but not best friends forever, and Churchill was too young to be godfather or wasn't in England at the time).

Relationships soured between Robert and Churchill sometime during the 1900's, probably because at that time he was an elected conservative but sided more often with the liberals and even crossed the room at some point to go sit with the liberals, and by the time the series start, he isn't invited anymore, contributing to Edith's sense of alienation in her own family.

When she's always in London, with Gregson, Edith rekindles with her godfather, and when Rosamund and Edith go to Switzerland, Churchill is told the truth about the pregnancy, because he wouldn't judge (take a look at his parents' lives and you'll know he can't exactly afford to judge) and because Rosamund doesn't want to be alone against Robert and Cora if Edith dies in labour and the secret comes out posthumously, not after Sybil's death. He's also the only one to know because he's not in their social circles anymore so he won't blunder in front of them because he's never in front of them.

Because her godfather just lost his daughter Marigold, Edith names her own daughter Marigold.

In 1938 when my fic starts, Churchill is yelling at who will listen (and even those who won't) that Hitler won't stop at just the Sudetenland and Austria and they should arm against him, and Robert hates that, but Atticus Aldridge (now Lord Sinderby, cause I killed his father off), who's a prominent figure of the jewish community in GB, hears that he might have an ally in him and asks him to meet to discuss the situation, Churchill says he's fine with that. They organize a secret meeting, well, half secret, and how do they do so? By having Churchill invited by his goddaughter's family for Christmas, just when the Sinderbys happen to be there because Rose is a cousin of them too.

(Robert HATES that he woke up to find Churchill in his dining room with no context after he left him in London a week prior, he feels like he's having a nightmare or something. omg he hates Churchill's guts, like 90% of his contemporary politicians. it's going to be so funny)

I can also imagine that in the past year, when newspapers were reticent or outright refusing to publish Churchill's articles about how war was anavoidable and apeasement wouldn't work, Edith made her connections in the London newspapers world work so the Daily Telegraph would publish when the Evening Standard dropped the ball.

Anyway that's how I'm weaving Churchill into the story.

[andallthatmishigas]

Get to know me(me)

Tagged by @callhimnowmarisamylove Tag 9 people to get to know them better.

- three ships: the current three are: Jennifer and Jonathan Hart (Hart to Hart) obviously; Robert and Cora (Downton Abbey); Joyce and Hopper (Stranger Things); and honorable mention to Ellie and Alan (Jurassic series)

- first ever ship: first ship I ever read and wrote fic for was MMAD and no I will not elaborate iykyk

- last song: You’ve Lost that Lovin’ Feeling by the Unrighteous Brothers -- it’s a country cover by Orville Peck and and Paul Cauthen

- last movie: I am in the midst of watching Two Harts in 3/4 Time and it’s a delight as everything is with the Harts

- currently reading: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon and Immortally Yours by Lynsay Sands.  Hoping to finish both in the next couple days.

- currently consuming: I’m doing a Hart to Hart rewatch and a Nailed It rewatch and I’m making my way through the 90 Day Fiancé franchise and constantly consuming Trixie Mattel content on YouTube.

- currently craving: cheese.  Might make cheese toast later.

Tagging: @doctoraliceharvey @blossom--of--snow @featherpluckn @margotgrissom @yesmadamepresident @whatsabriard @rae-gar-targaryen @ohtobealady

[free-for-all-fics]

Writing Prompts and Random Thoughts Masterlist

Hi! Welcome to my multifandom prompts and ideas! While these may have originally been written with specific characters or fandoms in mind, feel free to swap out characters or change the fandom if you like plot ideas but want to use a different character than who I originally wrote it for. Anyone may use my ask box either to chat or to ask questions. Or if anyone wants to submit fic ideas that they want writers to potentially see but are too shy, I’ll post them here as well. If you’re inspired by a prompt, you may use it and change it up however you want. There are NO rules. I just humbly ask that you please tag me if you use any of these prompts because I’d love to read it!Happy writing/reading! ✍️💜

Black Panther 2

How old are Attuma and Namora?

Namor Prompts (Mostly familial ideas, with reader as Namor’s daughter)

Namor Prompts #2

Attuma Prompts

Namor & Attuma Prompts

Namor & Attuma Prompts #2 (Silly, stupid ideas just for laughs)

Namor and Pirate! Reader Prompt

Reader showing Namor snow for the first time Prompt

Namor idea submitted by Anon

Eros and Psyche AU Dream with Namor

Namor & Attuma Prompts #3 (Beach/Swimming Pool centric)

What if Namor, Namora, and Attuma all got snapped?

Cowboy!/Outlaw! AU Namor and Tenoch Prompts

Cowboy! AU Namor Prompt (Inspired by Amnesia Rebirth)

Vampire! AU Namor and Tenoch Prompts

Vampire! AU Namor and Tenoch Prompts #2

Sweet and Stupid Namor and Tenoch Prompts

Bridgerton

What if future Bridgertons took the mantle of Lady Whistledown? 

Dark Deception

Gold Watchers Prompts

Downton Abbey

Tom Branson Prompts

Interview with the Vampire

Interview with the Vampire Prompts

Queen of the Damned/The Vampire Lestat and The Lost Boys Crossover Prompt

Queen of the Damned/The Vampire Lestat and Near Dark Crossover Prompt

Kdramas

Squid Game Prompts

Labyrinth

Jareth Prompts

Marvel

What if Zemo had a daughter who survived the Battle of Sokovia?

Selkie!Zemo AU 

Marvel Prompts feat. Bucky, Zemo, and Loki

Suitkovia AU Zemo Prompts feat. Bucky

Marvel Prompts #2 feat. Bucky and Zemo

Miscellaneous

Anthony Stewart Head Character Prompts (Nathan Wallace and Rupert Giles)

Charlie Hunnam Character Prompts (Alan McMichael, King Arthur, Raymond Smith, and Will “Ironhead” Miller)

Ken Prompts (Barbie 2023)

Roberto “Beto” Prompts (Madres 2021)

Mozart in the Jungle

Manuel “Manu”/Tenoch AU Prompts 

Manuel “Manu”/Tenoch AU Prompts #2

Night at the Museum 

Al Capone/Lancelot Prompts (Mostly Lancelot)

Pedro Pascal and Characters

Pedro Pascal Character Prompts (Agent Jack “Whiskey” Daniels, Javi Gutierrez, Max Lord, Din Djarin, and Max Phillips)

Pedro Pascal Character Prompts #2 (Din Djarin, Marcus Moreno, and Dieter Bravo)

Din Djarin Eros and Psyche AU Prompt

Max Phillips and Dimitrescu Daughter Prompt

Detective Tim Rockford and The Thief Crossover AU Prompt

Clue/Murder Mystery AU Prompt feat. Detective Tim Rockford, Max Phillips, and The Thief

Pedro Pascal Character Prompts #3 (Detective Tim Rockford, The Thief, and Max Phillips. Mostly Crossover AUs)

Ezra (Prospect) Prompts (feat. Max Phillips)

Predator

How does a Yautja deal with their human mate’s mortality?

What if reader found a Yautja pup in a space pod?

Pushing Daisies

Pushing Daisies Prompts

Real Person Fanfiction

Tenoch Huerta as Gomez Addams Prompt

Historical/Fairytale AU Prompts for Tenoch Huerta 

Historical/Fairytale AU Prompts for Tenoch Huerta #2 

Bridgerton AU Prompt feat. Tenoch Huerta as a doctor/surgeon

Tenoch Huerta and Pedro Pascal as Vampires AU Prompt

Tenoch Huerta and Pedro Pascal as Vampires AU Prompt #2

Santa Clause

All I want for Christmas is Older Bernard content

Bernard & Chubby! Reader ask

Slashers and Horror

Thirst for older! Billy Loomis after seeing Scream 2022

What do you think Chromeskull’s phone password is?

Imagining Art the Clown as a dad after seeing Terrifier 2

Art the Clown, Sam, and The Jester as a Halloween slasher family 

Various Slashers Prompts (Brahms Heelshire, Ghostface, Thomas Hewitt, Jason Voorhees, Asa Emory, Jesse Chromeans, Severen Van Sickle and Bo Sinclair)

Bo Sinclair Fucks Around and Finds Out Rusty Nail is your dad Prompt (Joy Ride 2-3 and House of Wax crossover)

The Craft and The Lost Boys Crossover Prompt (Michael Emerson x reader, Platonic Lost Boys and reader. Sort of Rockstar AU)

Dominic Craven and John Crossover Prompts (He’s Out There/The Dare)

Van Helsing 2004 

Vladislaus Dracula and his Brides Prompts 

[tortoisesshells]

Could I please request 11, 16, 69, and 75 for the writing asks? Thank you!

11. Do you write scenes in order, or do you jump around?

Skip around, absolutely! It really feels like the equivalent of tracing the outline of something and then coloring within that line, if that makes sense. There's always one or two scenes I want to write, and then there's ... all the setup and scaffolding I need to write to get there.

16. Do you write by hand, on your phone, or on your laptop?

Yes. I'd say the bulk of my writing is on my laptop, but I write on my phone and occasionally on my friend's typewriter when she lets me. The click-clack is so satisfying.

69. What are your favorite fics at the moment?

These are all oldies - or at least, older fics - that I keep coming back to: The Ever-Fixed Mark -verse (Pride and Prejudice choose-your-own-ending soulmark AU); Lost Time (massive build-out of Tom and Sybil's individual character arcs and relationship on Downton Abbey, which actually takes them seriously and not. uh. caricatures of non-Tory politics.); Between Wind And Water (the kind of fascinating welding of PotC canon into historical fiction that I always aspire to).

75. Is there a particular fic that readers gravitated towards that you didn’t expect?

Yeah! This five sentence ficlet got the most engagement I've ever gotten on ... anything, really. I guess we all need more ghosts in our lives.

Fanfiction Writing Asks!

[vampyrismz]

15 questions and 15 tags!

tagged by @serskets !!

1. Are you named after anyone?

….Kinda! I stole the name of my own character and then changed his. Poor Atlas… lost his name to his creator much like you would to the fae. I’m Moon Now.

2. When was the last time you cried?

yesterday. i was watching downton abbey and they killed off a beloved character. watching ppl mourn her GOT ME. my last Serious cry… no clue but it was probably within the last week. i’m kinda weepy.

3. Do you have kids?

nope!

4. Do you use sarcasm a lot?

all the time. just about constantly, i think. i rarely even notice myself doing it.

5. What’s the first thing you notice about people?

hair and the general vibe of their outfit! so i guess their presentation/style. i have a difficult time learning ppl’s faces though.

6. What’s your eye color?

Brown!

7. Scary movies or happy endings?

happy endings…. i love some scary shit n angst but it’s gotta be worth it in the end.

8. Any special talents?

oh boy uhhh. i can solve a rubix cube in about a minute. i can also yo-yo and do a few tricks (walk to dog, rock the baby, around the world if i’ve been practicing)

9. Where were you born?

tennessee…. southern baby. i was also born in a hospital that keeps trying to kill my relatives. succeeded once. feels like a bad omen tbh.

10. What are your hobbies?

mainly drawing and writing i think. i keep trying to think of any other hobbies and drawing a blank… i game a lil. i’ve dabbled in some instruments.

11. Do you have any pets

YES!!! i have a cat named cheesecake. she’s silly looking. a lil smelly. head empty heart full.

i also live with family and they’ve got two cats and two dogs! so many animals.

12. Have you played/Do you play any sports?

ROLLER DERBY !!!! i played for about two years and i miss it Every Day. i often look at my roller skates and yearn for my times playing derby. did i injure my knee? yes! is it probably still fucked up? maybe! it’s worth it though idc. i got a black eye my first game and i may never have such a rush again. my captain burst into a room to stare at my face and then only said ‘gnarly.’ bitches were jealous of my injury.

13. How tall are you?

5’3… wittle

14. Favorite subject in school?

either art or math!

15. Dream job?

i don’t dream of work. i kinda wanna be able to write n make things like idk… games, shows, books, w/e. however? i cannot even finish a fic. who knows! my main dream jobs in the past have been tattoo artist or author and those Are still fun ideas.

tagging: @serendipitous-assembly @stormy-vale @ryodari @jonah2145 @nobinarynocrime

u are not 15 ppl and do not feel obliged but. tagged nonetheless.

[sorrel-scribbles]

Welcome to My Blog!

Hey, I'm Sorrel, and welcome to my multifandom mess of a blog!

I'm a crazy cat lady with a passion for books, history, and a whole lot of other stuff. I wish I could give you a set list of fandoms, but that isn't going to happen because I get into and lose interest in stuff all the time. I have tried to compile a rough list of the fandoms I have been in at some point below the break, but there's probably still a couple things missing. This blog is mostly fandom stuff & reblogs, I'm just here to have fun 😁.

I write fanfiction too, and you can find some of it on Wattpad under LittleSorreltail ( here, I'm pretty inactive atm but there's fics up) and some of it on AO3 under sorrelscribbles (here)

I only speak English fluently.

This is a safe space for everyone as long as your actions, words, beliefs, or being are morally/ethically correct and/or legal.

DNI: NSFW blogs, racists, sexists, anti-feminists, ableists, anti-LGBTQ+, science/history deniers, religious or political extremists, anyone who condones any sort of unhealthy/illegal relationship, anyone else who can't be respectful and keep an open mind.

(Purple text in parentheses represents the furthest I have gotten in a series, either because there's a lot of stuff I don't know yet or because I'm trying to avoid spoilers)

Books:

♥Warriors-Erin Hunter (Broken Code book 4)

♥Tortall Universe-Tamora Pierce

♥Percy Jackson-Rick Riordan

♥ Keeper of the Lost Cities-Shannon Messenger (Book 8.5/Unlocked)

♥ The Hunger Games-Suzanne Collins (Specifically Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes)

♥ Skyward-Brandon Sanderson (Cytonic)

♥ These Violent Delights-Chloe Gong (Original duology only)

♥ Assorted historical fiction

♥ Some of the classics

♥ A lot more (feel free to ask!)

TV Shows:

♥ Scooby Doo from years < 2007 (and the animated movies)

♥ Hogan's Heroes

♥ Lost in Space (1965)

♥ MacGyver (2016) (Season 4)

♥ Supernatural (Season 8)

♥ Criminal Minds

♥ The Walking Dead (Season 2)

♥Downton Abbey (Season 5)

♥Sucession (Season 1)

♥ Medici & the Borgias

♥ Ace Attorney (actually the games but I'm not making a separate section; AA4)

♥ Yuri!!! on Ice

♥ I've watched a bit of Heartland and Lucifer

Movies:

♥ The Sound of Music

♥ Little Women (2020)

♥ Enola Holmes

♥ Disney/Pixar

♥ Night at the Museum

♥ Christmas movies

Musicals:

♥ Hamilton

♥ Anastasia

♥ Six

Historical:

♥ American Revolution

♥ Earps and Co.