#tropey amnesia fic

[abeautifulblog]

fuck it, I’m splitting the chapter. -_-

lol, I know, I know, literally everyone but me knew that's what was going to happen, but I was trying SO HARD to get to a particular plot milestone before the next chapter break. 

Because I feel weird calling something a chapter when it doesn’t advance the story in some way? or accomplish some mini-goal? o_O It is entrenched in my head that chapters aren’t just arbitrary word breaks, they’re a meaningful block of the narrative, and there’s a reason they’re divided the way they are. That they’re part of the larger story, but they also have their own self-contained thing going on.

So I’ve been trying to get to plot milestone X in this chapter, and gnashing my teeth all like, WHY IS THIS TAKING SO LONG?? and it’s like, well, because SOSH is a story about Geralt’s very complicated interiority and you just keep giving him more of it. 

Anyway. I am in the process of reconciling myself to this new, truncated thing (...which is nonetheless 13k words and counting) being its own chapter. It certainly makes what I have left to do on it more manageable, which means you might see a new chapter of SOSH before 2024. 🙃

[andrea-lyn]

this roy/jamie is prob gonna end up a multi-chapter both because it's getting lengthy and my patience is just basically super low

[lunar-years]

Ohhhh what’s up with the Keeley amnesia fic? Very intrigued! 👀

and tagging @huntforachievements who asked about this fic as well.

so this is just an incredibly vague plot so far stemming from me wanting have more Keeley-centric tropey over-the-top fanfics lol. Basically the idea is Keeley gets amnesia shortly after her and Roy broke up between seasons 2 & 3 (idk how. probably a car accident or something. however these things usually happen in fanfiction lol). Roy is still her emergency contact. When she wakes up all "who tf are you?" Roy says "your boyfriend" immediately without thinking, even though he's not anymore is he (his own damn fault!) :( But it's just instinctual! Then before he can correct himself Keeley says, "No, Jamie's my boyfriend. Where is he?" This Keeley thinks she's still dating Jamie but is being told by everyone trying to help her that she's currently dating Roy (none of their friends knew about the breakup yet, it had literally just happened). Neither one of those things are actually true. Cue chaos.

Basically, Roy has to go to Jamie and explain the situation because Keeley is demanding to see him. this is complicated because Jamie and roy haven't started their canon friendship arc yet, and jamie isn't really talking to Keeley. But they come together to help their girl <3 There's also a side plot where we dive a bit into Keeley's work-related anxieties/imposter syndrome, as she still thinks she's modeling and like, REALLY can't believe she suddenly runs a PR firm and is incredibly stressed out and overwhelmed. The boys have to hype her up etc.

Then the ending is bittersweet maybe because just when things are going very well in terms of establishing a new normal and Keeley accepting she may never get her memories back, and things are heading in a very ot3 direction...Keeley's memories DO come back and she remembers that Roy just dumped her! drama drama. (but they get their HEA eventually because it's me. duh.)

[avengersnewb]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this (or when you feel up to it!), reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love!

aww thank you sabre for the ask, you know how much I love self recs :uwu:

alright so at first I thought it would be hard to pick only my fave five but it was surprisingly easy? :))) I think I picked the ones that I still look back at and think wow, how did I come up with all of that?

Seeking Companionship is a 616 epistolary fic which I really hoped more people would read because it's just pure joy to read if I say so myself, it's funny and engaging and I really like how I've managed to get their tones in writing letters in 1980s, and there is some innuendo and some raw insecurities and self-worth issues and of course a happy ending, all told in letters. oh and ID porn of course! (Rated T, 4.2k words)

Restless Gravity is my first RBB, a sci-fi omegaverse arranged marriage fic with omega Tony and warlord Steve in space, an AU of X-Factor 231, where Steve is a scary humanoid who is known for hating humans. I just have no idea how I came up with many of those ideas and images, and I really love the part of the fic where Tony transitions from 'I have to live with this thing' to him deciding that 'he seems to be very decent and I think I'm falling for him'. I just love that universe, I always think if I ever turn any of my fics into an original this would be the perfect candidate :) oh it also has ID porn, and amnesia. super tropey :) (Rated M, 10k)

Love of Inconvenience is an MCU arranged marriage, omegaverse, historical AU from 1920 happening near where I live in Australia, in a place called Fort Nepean which was the place where the first shot fired by the British Empire in World War I. It has a quarantine station and a beach and as soon I set foot in it, I was like yes, a small immigrant Steve fic with gun installer Tony. I just love the world of this fic, and the way they're so breathtakingly gone for each other but each think there is no way the other wants them for real. I actually made the mutual pining so real that I was unable to actually fix it for like a year before I finally managed to write the ending to this little thing :) (Rated T, 4.8 k)

Unintended Side Effects an MCU medkink fic, with bottom Steve and young Dr. Stark, with and ID twist that left all the commenters in awe (I'm not making this up, you can go check the comments :)) ), written for your birthday. to this day, I can't really figure out how I put so many words together about a...well... about the thing that happened in the fic. but I did, and I'm so glad that it exists because it's a rather niche kink and by the steady stream of readers that check it out 3 years later, I guess our people are also happy that it exists. (Rated E, 9k)

Quarantined Together an MCU canon adjacent AU about Steve and Tony hooking up one night and being forced to quarantine together for 14 days, with lots and lots of porn and lots and lots of fluff, which was intended to be a soft escape from the terrible times it was being written in. I'm really proud of it, both because I wrote and finished a long fic, and also because of the crazy concepts I put into it and I think they mostly worked in context, like the way I love yous were said, or the double ID porn roleplay. (Rated E, 40k)

well looks like I really love all of my ID porn fics :D

[lordisitmine]

📚 fic ask :) 📕📘📗

Hi, I am SO sorry it took me so long to answer this- I'm in a play and today was my birthday and I've been busy but I'm so excited to do this! Since you sent me three I'm gonna give you three! They're gonna be from all across the universe of ships, some I've written for before and some I haven't, but I hope you enjoy!

(and for the rest of you- send me book emojis and I'll tell you about a fic I've daydreamed of but never written)

One: WORKING TITLE - and the gentleness that comes (fullmetal alchemist brotherhood, roy/ed)

I've actually been sitting on a complete outline since 2019 and I've written about 15 percent of it, so it's more than a daydream, but I'm gonna talk about it anyway because I want to finish it but I don't know if I ever will lmao.

It's set ten years after the promised day: Ed is 26 and a new professor teaching theoretical alchemy at central university. Roy is a full general and serves directly under Fuhrer Grummand, who is very old and in poor health. Amestris is a semi-democracy now, with an elected senate that in turn elects the Fuhrer every five years.

Roy and Ed meet by chance at a bar, having not seen each other for a decade, and strike up some sort of... friendship??? Anyway, Grummand dies soon after, and Roy is quickly put on the short list to be the next leader of Amestris. Roy and Ed keep running into each other.

But pretty soon, a conspiracy develops that could threaten the entire nation as well as Roy and Ed's lives, and it doesn't help that they're... falling for each other? Even though Roy is still a bastard and Ed was so annoying when he was a kid. They can't possibly be in love, right?

I really do wanna write this some day

Two: Keeper of the Mountain's Heart (the hobbit, thorin/bilbo)

Hobbit fix-it fic. I also have this whole thing outlined and have written the first chapter and several other scenes. This one has been in the works since spring of 2022. I also plan to write it for realsies.

Thorin, Fili and Kili survive the battle of the five armies. Thorin is badly wounded, but makes a slow recovery. Kili is mostly fine, and Fili's injuries leave him paralyzed from the waist down (I am co excited to write wheelchair stuff for this fic). Bilbo decides to stay in Erebor, just until the spring, when it's safer to travel, and besides, Thorin says he needs him to stay.

The big conceit of the fic is that Bilbo confessed his love for Thorin on Ravenhill, when Thorin had been wounded and lost consciousness. Thorin doesn't remember anything Bilbo said. Also, Dain and the Ironhill dwarrows are invoking an old law that would see Bilbo be executed for stealing the Arkenstone. Thinking quickly, Thorin proclaims that no, Bilbo didn't steal it, he gave it to Bilbo as a betrothal gift. Because they're totally engaged. They've been in love this whole time! And since he doesn't want to die, Bilbo has to go along with it. Shenanigans ensue.

So, fake-dating, mutual pining (because Thorin is also in love with Bilbo, secretly), and amnesia, along with a huge helping of cultural differences, courting rituals and sexual tension. Tropey and wonderful and I like to just think about it when I'm falling asleep at night. And I will write it some day I swear.

Three: Scars You Left (DC cinematic universe, bruce/clark)

I ALSO have this one completely outlined and partially written. It's a soul mate AU where you get the scars of your soul mate's injuries, and if they die, you feel it happen and get a mark that corresponds with that event.

Bruce just never had marks ever, so he always assumed he never had a soul mate. It happens sometimes. No big deal. He never wanted that kind of thing anyway. Love just means you have something to lose- he knows that all too well.

Clark never got any marks- obviously. He wasn't born on Earth, and he's impervious to damage, so he never gets injured- why would he feel someone else's wounds? It's difficult to watch his parents, soul mates through and through- but that doesn't mean he'll be alone forever.

Then, the events of Batman V Superman happen, and when Clark dies, Bruce feels it. he has a starburst scar on his chest, where the kryptonite spear went through Clark. It makes no sense, because Clark wasn't even from Earth. But it's undeniable. And it's the worst truth he's ever had to come to terms with.

And then, one night, months later, Clark digs his way out of his grave, throws himself across country and through Bruce's living room window. And maybe there is such a thing as a second chance.

The main plot follows the 2007 animated movie Superman: Doomsday, wherein Lex Luthor creates an evil slave clone of Superman and wreaks havoc on the world about it. Also lots of mutual pining and angst. I really love to pack in the angst before the happy ending.

These were really more WIPs than daydreams, but that's how I daydream- I write an outline and a couple of scenes to get it out of my system so I can focus on my actual real projects, the ones I'm supposed to be working on. Speaking of work, I have to get back at it, bye!

[snorlaxlovesme]

HI HELLO MAY I ASK MORE

38. What is your most self-indulgent posted story?

55. Have you noticed any patterns in your fics?  Words/expressions that appear a lot, themes, common settings, etc?

72. What’s your favorite writing compliment you’ve gotten?

79. Do you have any writing advice you want to share?

i'm greedy

38. What is your most self-indulgent posted story?

i'm glad it clarified "posted" story (i literally have a unpublished wip titled "self-indulgent wes and soul BS" because it's a sequel to ANOTHER wip, also not finished. that fic is my personal playground). ANYWAY. ignoring the fact that ALL my fics are self indulgent, More Confused Than Usual [x] is probably the best example of one. for starters, it's Pokemon, a fandom i rarely write for. it's also contestshipping (May x Drew), a couple i have only absorbed through fanon because I never actually...watched Advanced Generation? i've seen clips but i've watched maybe ONE episode feature May and Drew from start to finish. and thirdly it's tropey as hell. who doesn't love a good amnesia shenanigans fic? the writer i mentioned in your previous ask, Bittersweet Romanticide? she'd write something like this. THAT's probably why i love it.

55. Have you noticed any patterns in your fic?

the last two fics i've posted both have the tag "food as a metaphor for love" which i found very funny in hindsight. is this my niche? i also love writing that gray area of love where 2 characters would die for each other but also have never come close to confessing their feelings or even admitting they HAVE feelings. my aroasexuality loves putting a lid on ANY concrete evidence of romance in my fics. YES these characters share a love that's strong enough to move mountains, to traverse oceans, to wage wars. no, they probably won't kiss.

72. What's your favorite writing compliment you've gotten?

any time someone tells me that my writing has like, existed somehow outside of their phone or laptop i lose my mind a little. like my baseline assumption is that people read my writing, then solemnly nod their head, think "hm.", and click the kudos button. so when someone tells me that my writing made them cry??? made them laugh out loud in class?? that they talked about my story with another human person? idk, it makes it feel more real. a real human person read something i wrote and somehow it caused a physical reaction out there in the world somewhere. isn't that weird?

79. Do you have any writing advice you'd like to share?

i think my favorite piece of writing advice is that "write what you know" is terrible advice. or terribly reductive advice. whenever professors at my college would trot around that piece of advice with no follow-up i'd get so mad. like you want me to write what i know?? my day-job is Maid and my night-job is Couch Potato. i clean toilets and go home and watch TV. what the hell do i know? and who'd want to read that? it felt like i wasn't allowed to go beyond that in my writing because i didn't have experience with it. then i took those Stief courses and got BETTER writing advice. when writing what you know, you should be writing the EMOTIONAL TRUTHS you know. you don't need every character or situation to be 1 to 1 comparable to your life, but if you want what you write to believable then try to find the emotional truths within that situation that are. ex: an original concept i've toyed with is a story where the world fast-forwards a whole year in the blink of an eye. as in, the entire world FORGOT what happened in the past year, and now is struggling to pick up the pieces of their new lives. people have moved, gotten new jobs, broken up, had children etc. and have to grapple with these changes they have no context for. the main character? a woman who works at the penguin emporium at the zoo. she puts on a scuba suit and sucks up fish guts and penguin shit from the bottom of the tank. she teaches little kids about penguin gestation periods. the conflict? all of her co-workers and loved ones have dramatic Leap Year conflicts except for her, because her life doesn't appear to have changed at all. i have never experienced long or short term amnesia. i have not and never will work as a penguin shit vacuumer at a zoo. this is very outside the realm of my expertise and has required a lot of youtube video research about penguin care. it SHOULD fall outside of my WWYK bubble, but that doesn't matter! the emotional truth is something that resonates with me deeply, as a late 20s woman who had felt stagnant in her life while other people were changing rapidly around her. are the readers going to get caught up in the penguin details, or are they going to relate that the book shelf they've been planning to build for months is STILL sitting in its box a year later, while their neighbor just got engaged AND promoted? that they STILL leave their clean laundry on the chair in their room instead of folding it, but their favorite co-worker doesn't actually work with them anymore because they transferred to the department they've always wanted to work in? i could have my character be space alien. a deepwater fish. a Vegas showgirl. that stuff is all window dressing if i can still get THAT emotional truth across. THAT'S writing what you know. and i can know all of that from my night job sitting on my couch.

[itsjustdg]

New Hudson & Rex fic… Charlie whump with a whole giant dash of tropey goodness because it's what I desperately want

When an accident leaves Charlie temporarily blinded, he's left grappling with both the injury and its impact on his life... But was it really an accident? Or is something more sinister afoot in St. John's?

--

A while back, I was watching an older show and there was an episode where the MC gets temporarily blinded. It immediately gave me the idea of a temporarily blind Charlie Hudson because HE ALREADY HAS A DOG WHO WOULD ABSOLUTELY JUMP RIGHT INTO HELPING HIM. *ahem*

I mentioned it to @disappearinginq, who was alllll about it, because we had also been commiserating about the fact that no shows really do the tropey whump plotlines like they used to (amnesia, blindness, etc). (Also, out of that convo, she started an amnesia fic you should all check out if you haven't yet! "Oh The Weather Outside is Frightful")

Anyway, so here we are, and this is definitely one of the most extreme cases I've ever had of writing the thing I want to read. But also I would pay actual money to see this on an episode of the show.

[so-caffeinated]

I’m really looking forward to talking more about this Ameliam amnesia fic, because there’s a definite point to it. Like, sure it started out as tropey fun. It still is! But also there are some themes I really wanted to hit on and lessons I wanted them to learn. Hell there are conversations I wanted them to have that they never had in Providence. Anyhow, I’m just really enjoying playing in their sandbox again. I love these two soooooooo much. One chapter left! It’ll be up Monday by the latest. 

[ao3feed-spirk]

The Tropiest of Tropes

read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/49244815 by spirkme Jim whirls to face the flowchart. “It’s the first time in” - he jabs his finger at the screen, counting - “eight potentially romantic scenarios that Spock has responded in a way that shows even a modicum of interest. These are eight tried-and-true romantic tropes we’re talking about here. And clothes sharing? You can’t get more tropey than that. What does it mean that he hasn’t given it back, Nyota? What does it mean?” Words: 4772, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies), Star Trek Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: M/M Characters: James T. Kirk, Spock (Star Trek), Nyota Uhura Relationships: James T. Kirk/Spock Additional Tags: Tropes, as in all the tropes, Sharing Clothes, Enemies to Lovers, Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Resolved Sexual Tension, Pining, Oblivious, Miscommunication, little spoon, one bed, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Realization, Mutual Sacrifice, accidental hand holding, Accidental Cuddling, Caught in the Rain, Forced Proximity, Temporary Amnesia, Kidnapping, Space Pirates, Language of Flowers, Cliche, Inconvenient Feelings, Forbidden Love, Secret Bad Boy, First Kiss, Love Confessions, Vulcan Bond (Star Trek), Happily Ever After, Fade to Black, The Bridge Crew is So Done, as usual, kind of ooc, But in a Crack Fic Way, Fluff and Crack, Fluff, No Angst, No Beta, We die like redshirts read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/49244815

[tm-trx]

currents.15 [2024]

selections from my week in media [7-13 april 2024]

[anticipating]

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters got renewed for a second season!

Onew is signed with a new company and already has appearances/performances scheduled. And on top of that, he's back with SHINee for the anniversary concerts in May. So glad to see him happy and healthy again.

[listening]

"Cure" / Yoo Young Jin & Taeyong

"LATATATA (Japanese version)" / (G)I-DLE

"Pretty Boy (feat Kai)" / Taemin

"Tempo" / EXO

[reading]

The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang {3 stars} - Unfortunately, I didn't think it was the 'epic love story' touted by some reviewers, so that was disappointing. Putting that aside, I liked the writing and the plot was interesting enough to finish. And then that ending. Bold. This is a new release by a debut author and I really hope he keeps writing because I'd love to read more of his work.

Leave the Light On (I'll Be Coming Home) by HMSLusitania - 9-1-1 amnesia fic - I'm a sucker for a good tropey amnesia fic. This was a reread and I still love it.

Twisted Paths, Twisted Souls by meyari - MDZS canon divergent AU with a pairing I've never read before and wouldn't normally pick. But I love this author's AU ideas so I read it. After finishing, I still don't buy the pairing completely, but the story is great and I enjoyed it quite a bit.

previous Currents posts

[abeautifulblog]

I have actually been making good progress on the next chapter of SOSH (I’ve added about 3k words in this past week), but christ alive, this chapter is long. And I really don’t want to split it, because it forms a coherent narrative block, but I’ll be lucky if it comes out under 25k. o_o

Anyway, have another snippet of Geralt interacting with a Small Child:

“Hi,” she announces.

“Hello,” Geralt says, holding himself carefully still.

“I’m not supposed to talk to you.” She sounds terribly pleased with herself for disregarding that injunction.

He snorts. “Yes, I know.”

He’s about to ask, where are your parents?, before he casts his senses over the boat and finds her father at the back, fussing with one of the mules and trying to get it to accept a feed bag, and her mother inside the shed nursing the babe. The girl had timed her ambush well.

[swimthroughthefires]

Yuletide Letter Placeholder

Yuletide requests + favorite tropes below

Werewolf By Night

Elsa x Jack

Werewolf x Werewolf hunter is a criminally underused trope IMHO.

I loved how much tropey deliciousness we got in just 60 minutes with werewolf by night - trapped together while the werewolf transformed, recognizing your love interest while transformed… A++

I'd love a post-movie fic with more of those vibes.

(And this is very optional but… I won't say no to some knotting…)

Wheel of Time (TV)

Lan Mandragoran x Nynaeve al'Meara

I found their relationship a lot of fun. I liked that Nyneave is clearly very smart and has a lot of experience… except with feelings (especially her own).

Also it was not lost on me that if Lan was ever restored… and married Nynaeve…. she would be a princess. Which I think Nynaeve would scoff at and then be really good at.

Normally I am not interested in kid!fic but after what Nynaeve went through in the arches I would love to see her and Lan have a daughter and live happily ever after.

Charlie's Angels (2019)

Jane, Sabina, Elena

I ship Sabina/Jane but wanted to add Elena in case you, Dear Author, are interested in writing a mission fic and/or something gen.

I really love Sabina/Jane. I think they have a very classic by-the-book serious person/much more creative, bohemian person (and it's super sexy when it's two lady spies).

Jane and Sabina getting together, them as an established couple going on missions, a lazy day off I'm interested in it all – whatever you like.

That said? Sabina smacking her own ass with that crop? Made me REALLY want a Jane/Sabina fic where Jane spanks/uses a crop on Sabina.

Scholomance - Naomi Novik

El, Orion, Gwen

I would love to see El and Orion post series hunting Maw-Mouths across the world together - I really enjoyed the stable but "the adventure continues" ending of the series.

I'd also be interested in an AU where they both make it out at graduation and Orion goes off to Wales to find El. When El and Orion were at the end of The Last Graduate I was really hoping for "Orion shows up at the commune, Gwen has to deal with the golden boy of New York City Enclave who is in love with her would-make-a-great-dark-sorcerous daughter."

Also please no pregnancy/kids.

Some of my favorite tropes in general if you're looking for additional inspiration:

drunk kissing they both enjoyed but neither admits because they don't think the other feels the same way"

the “this is your house I’m not making you sleep on the couch” “yeah but you’re the guest you take the bed” conversation between ur otp right before they share the bed reblog if u agree

Enemies to lovers

Praise kink

Clothes sharing

Helping someone dress or undress

Friends to Lovers

Enemies to Friends to Lovers

Fake Dating/Fake Marriage Accidentally Turns Into Feelings

Soulmate Identifying Marks (Tattoo, Red Thread of Fate, etc)

Seemingly Unrequited Pining

‘Falling For A Coworker/Teammate Is A Bad Idea’ Except This Is Fiction So It Works Out

And They Were Roommates!

Hurt/Comfort

Amnesia Fic

Accidentally Fell In Love With The Mission Target

Snowed-In Cabin/Isolated Together For Extended Period of Time

Found Families

Bed sharing

fuck to get over my (our?) feelings

PWP

Date to a wedding

Secret romance/sneaking around

shower/bath sex

naked cuddling for warmth

Sexy sparring

Greencard marriage

when a character gets wounded and they go to their love interest for help and while they’re getting their injuries cleaned and patched up they flinch from the sting of the antiseptic and their love interest says “hold still” in an exasperated but touchingly concerned tone of voice and then they accidentally make eye contact or brush hands and just freeze in that position until the tension in the room is nearly unberable before both looking away and pretending the unspoken thing that just passed between them never happened

Undercover as couple

Sex sparring

i just saw a thing on fb like ‘does somebody wanna be fake engaged to me for like 2 hours to try free wedding cake samples�� and im just…………………imagine ur otp 

Sex pollen

Trapped in an elevator/snowed in/mineshaft

witch/werewolf au

hurt/comfort

favorite mini trope is “oh no danger is coming we must press ourselves against each other in this confined space” followed by “the danger has passed yet we’re still like this (awkward silence)”

[abeautifulblog]

working on the amnesia fic, lads. and that’s the mood.

me, managing to write one (1) coherent sentence:

[cactusspatz]

August recs

August was too hot to live and weirdly stressful, so I've only got a handful of new stories plus a whole lot of my favorite tropes (so much amnesia!) and fic from fandoms I'm technically not in.

NEW STUFF

I Got My Head Checked by @frostbitebakery​ (Star Wars, Cody/Obi-Wan)

Below the observation deck, the Marshal Commander of the Third Systems Army is being divested of his armor and weapons, shackles heavy on his wrists. He doesn’t struggle, only a mulish stubborn twist to his jaw showing his displeasure at the situation.

Obi-Wan opens his eyes, steps back from the observation window. “I need a week.”

OR: In which Cody wasn’t trained for a Sith sliding into a moral dilemma because of him.

So apparently I AM weak for a Sith!AU when it's an amazing enemies-to-lovers with a redemption arc? Awesome story with beautiful art by the author. It's written in an unusual vignette format that might not be for everyone, but I thought it let the author cover a wide ensemble and scope of story and tonal shifts very effectively.

To the Letter by glimmerglanger (Star Wars, Cody/Obi-Wan)

“How you feeling, sir?” he asked, eyeing his General. They’d, at least, managed to all evac back to the shuttles without losing anyone, leaving the noxious-smelling laboratory where they’d found a pack of Seppy scientists working on new biological weapons behind.

“I’ll be fine, Commander,” Obi-Wan said, without opening his eyes, his voice thick and hoarse. “But comm ahead, would you, and make sure the medics are ready for me.”

OR, the one were Obi-Wan gets dosed with an especially nasty toxin, and Cody helps him survive the following hours.

The first chapter of this story was originally a standalone that I remember thinking was incredibly hot but emotionally unresolved, but glimmerglanger just posted a second chapter where Cody gets into a mirrored situation and it really balances out the whole piece.

Hear a song this deeply by so_shhy (The Untamed, Wangxian)

Lan Zhan’s new liaison at the Caiyi Municipal Cultivation Department is an enigma – ridiculously talented, yet somehow content with mopping up spiritual pests for barely above minimum wage. Wei Ying is slapdash and irresponsible, and Lan Zhan doesn’t like him at all… but then he meets A-Yuan, who loves music and longs for a piano his father can’t afford.

Forced into cautious friendship by a four-year-old's music lessons, Lan Zhan soon realises Wei Ying is more than he seems. The single father is a man of many secrets – including, perhaps, the key to Lan Zhan's life's work. And in the meantime, the background resentment in Caiyi Town is rising to dangerous levels…

I've already recced this by reblogging the fic notice, but it's so great! Plot and romance and feels all well-balanced and creative, with adorable kid content, plus I loved Lan Zhan's research into reconstructing musical cultivation, the modern cultivation worldbuilding generally, and the Lan brothers dynamic.

More tropey recs under the cut!

AMNESIA

Exile by Marchling (Shadowhunters, Magnus/Alec)

Imogen Herondale hated Alec Lightwood.

Everyone from Jia Penhallow all the way through Jace himself knew of her animosity towards the person that she felt held her grandson back from the all that the Herondale name deserved. Despite this, Alec never thought she would actually move against him because to hurt him was to hurt Jace.

He had been wrong.

Now, Alec had no runes. His memories were gone. He had no idea who he was, why there was a ragged wound inside of him that he couldn't see or how he had gotten to this abandoned apartment in San Francisco.

All he knew was that monsters were tracking him and staying alive might take more strength than he had.

Technically all that I know about this fandom I got from a four-hour compilation of Malec clips I watched on YouTube, but this fic combined three of my very favorite tropes (amnesia, homelessness, framed/falsely accused) in one glorious h/c epic that just fucking came for my id. Loved it!

Body of Memory by glorious_spoon (Shadowhunters, Magnus/Alec)

After a patrol gone very wrong, Alec Lightwood comes to in the infirmary with no memory of the past three years, and that turns out to be just the beginning of his problems. There's an ominous plot afoot, a possible traitor at the Institute, and he's pretty sure that he ought to remember the handsome warlock who was waiting beside his bed when he woke up...

This is a great pairing for amnesia, because they had to work SO hard to get together, and their world changed so much in the process - so it's fun to temporarily reset one of them to zero and watch them fall in love all over again, hah. Fun casefile as well!

And you yourself shall keep the key of it by RubyCaspar (Miss Fisher, Jack/Phryne)

Jack is all set to follow Phryne until a bad accident in a raid leaves him with a serious head injury. When he wakes up, he can't remember anything of the last seventeen months, and as far as he's concerned, Miss Fisher is just that rather exasperating, eccentric lady who's interfered with two of his murder investigations.

Gorgeously cozy and soft h/c fic with a hefty dose of pining, just the way I like it.

OTHER

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot by laiqualaurelote (Miss Fisher, Jack/Phryne)

Across a harrowing three days, Jack talked Agent Foxtrot through an increasingly improbable series of escapades and was disobeyed by her a grand total of 117 times. Eventually they managed to fob off nuclear war without destroying any Unesco heritage sites, and then Jack went home and slept for fifteen hours and returned to his office feeling marginally closer to human, only to see perched on his desk an extraordinarily beautiful woman in a frock the colour of fresh blood, spinning the chamber of a shiny golden pistol.

The AU in which Phryne is a secret agent and Jack is her long-suffering handler.

I'm quite wary of modern AUs in this fandom, since Phryne is so much a product of her time and history, but this fic nailed it AND had spy shenanigans and that dynamic I love about this pairing where they've got trust and intimacy and friendship, and yet keep shying away from a relationship because of their issues (but they get there eventually).

Nor Any Drop by @philomytha​ (Biggles series, gen)

Blowing up the reservoir has more consequences than Biggles expected.

So I still have not read any of these books (yet), but this is a GREAT horror-thriller story set in WWI. Just sit back and enjoy these two being exceedingly honorable slashy undercover enemies (juggling five identities between them!) while trying to survive a terrifying supernatural threat.

What's In A Name? by flawedamythyst (Our Flag Means Death, Ed/Stede)

Captains Grey and Edwards, retired merchant sailors, moved to town a couple of years ago. Tom, the local pub landlord, has spent most of the time since trying to ignore the many, many things they do that directly contradict who they're claiming to be. Still, it's all worth it to have the protection of two legendary pirates for the town.

Sorry, not legendary pirates. Merchant captains. Who are just best friends and definitely nothing else.

Exceptionally cute look at a hypothetical retirement for them, from a charming outsider POV.

Finding Your Bliss by AirgiodSLV (Shadowhunters, Magnus/Alec)

On the pathway to Alexander Lightwood's advanced sexual enlightenment, Magnus starts simple. Or rather, he backpedals to simple, because Alec takes one look at the bedroom Magnus has transformed into a BDSM dream dungeon, turns around and walks right back out again.

My favorite kind of misunderstanding fic - i.e. they're communicating healthily but just coming from such different points that it takes them a while to work things out. Sexy, funny, great characterization.

[swissmissficrecs]

Favorite Sherlock Holmes fics from 2020

Usually I put a bunch of explanations and disclaimers on these lists but you know what, it was a weird year and I’m not going to try to justify or apologize for what I read or didn’t read so here are my favorites that were completed last year, in descending order of length:

and your very flesh shall be a great poem by CaitlinFairchild (151K, E, Johnlock) After a tragic confrontation with terrible consequences, Sherlock and John follow Mary as she flees to America.

Drawn to Stars by Silvergirl (107K, E, Johnlock, Sherlock/OMC) After the Culverton Smith case Sherlock is clean, working, and looking for a romantic partner—since John has told him that’s what he needs. Shame John didn’t mention he was interested in that role himself, before Sherlock went off to Rome with a gorgeous Italian copper to try to fall in love and become a complete human being. (This one is very slightly cheating because it was finished on 30 Dec 2019, but it didn't make it onto my 2019 list because I didn't read it until after I'd made the list. And it deserves to be on a Best Of list, so here it is.)

Thermocline by J_Baillier (83K, M, Johnlock) John "Five Oceans" Watson — technical dive instructor, dive accident analyst and weapon of mass seduction — meets recluse professor of maritime archaeology Holmes. As they head out to a remote archipelago off the coast of Guatemala to study and film its shipwrecks for a documentary, will sparks fly or fizzle out?

Do No Harm by Calais_Reno (79K, T, Johnlock) In 1923, Dr John Watson is on trial for the murder of his lover, Mary Morstan, a writer of popular mysteries. If convicted, he will hang. Sherlock Holmes sets out to prove his innocence, but finds himself more and more infatuated with the handsome doctor, and deeper and deeper inside the bohemian world of London's painters, playwrights, and poets. Will he uncover the evidence needed to acquit him in time?

To Be Human by ohlooktheresabee (78K, NR, Johnlock) There is a serial killer on the loose with a penchant for collecting the brains of his victims. Sherlock, John and Scotland Yard are on the case, but something about the chosen victims has Sherlock on edge. While they piece together the clues that will lead to the killer, John begins to realize that the way his best friend thinks may sometimes be more a hindrance than a help….

immediate and inglorious by simplyclockwork (72K, E, Johnlock) Bodies are showing up in back alleys, with no sign of a struggle, no trace of drugs. If not for the strangulation bruises on their necks and the scythe carved into their left shoulders, they could have died peacefully, in their sleep. With New Scotland Yard dumbfounded by the Grim Reaper Killer case, Sherlock is called in to consult. The more he investigates, the deeper Sherlock finds himself drawn into the work of London's newest serial killer. As his views of good and bad begin to blur, he risks losing himself to a darkness he never imagined. And, even more pressing: where does John Watson, grieving ex-boyfriend of the Grim Reaper's latest victim, fit into all of this?

Curtain Rising by tiger_in_the_flightdeck (61K, E, Johnlock) A disgraced television star is the target of a series of death threats just after a theatre production’s adaptation of The Sound of Music is announced with her as the lead. The suspect list is a mile long and growing, Rosie Watson is in the spotlight, and Sherlock might be getting too fond of his time on stage to focus on the case. With opening night approaching, can he and John figure out who wants their client dead before her final curtain rises?

The Fire Finds a Home by fearfully_beautifully_made (61K, E, Johnlock) After Sherlock and John decide to give having a relationship a go, this is how their relationship starts to develop. There a little bit of plot, if you squint, but it was mostly an excuse to write John and Sherlock having sex in a lot of different ways and learning to love each other.

Borrowed Ghosts by DiscordantWords (57K, M, Johnlock) In the aftermath of the Culverton Smith case, John spent one painfully stilted afternoon hanging out with Sherlock. He counted the minutes, finished his tea, and left for home without ever clearing the air between them. And once he'd left, he found it very hard to go back.

You Might Just as Well Be Blind by ArwaMachine (56K, E, Johnlock) When a serial killer starts targeting couples, Sherlock and John must do what they have to do in order to get to the bottom of things. Unfortunately, John already has a girlfriend. Surely pretending to be in a relationship with Sherlock won't pose any problems with his relationship, will it?

The Broken Tether by J_Baillier (54K, M, Johnlock) Maybe he thinks that you only enjoy his company because of the Work, because of the way his dazzling intellect shines when he's in his element, but the truth is this: it is when he is at his most human, most bare, that you feel closest to him.

how the light gets in by subtext-is-my-division (Quill_A)  (54K, E, Johnlock) Red wine always makes him tipsier than usual and he finds himself saying, the words slurring a bit. “You know, I’ve got to ask. Do you always shoot cabbies for people you barely you know?” John meets his gaze over the rim of his glass, and there’s something there that Sherlock can’t pin down. “Not for everyone,” he says, meaningfully, pointedly, his smile all teeth.

Erosion by saintscully (53K, E, Johnlock) Sherlock’s father falls ill, leaving the surviving family members broken and rudderless. James Sholto shows up in London unexpectedly, his intentions unclear. John has to navigate the consequences of crime, illness and death and their impact on his frayed relationship with Sherlock.

Hold You Like a Weapon by MissDavis (52K, E, Johnlock) Eurus shows up at 221B Baker Street in labour. Things go downhill from there.

Chances Are by Berty (51K, M, Johnlock) Sherlock is spending some time in his mind palace - so far, so normal. But why is John there, why do things keep changing and why are there only two exits from the sitting room at 221B, neither of which seem to go anywhere useful? It's a case like no other for Sherlock Holmes and John Watson.

Sine Nomine by SilentAuror (45K, E, Johnlock) As Mycroft reviews the footage from Culverton Smith's morgue, he revisits his original question: whether John Watson would be the making of his brother, or make him worse than ever. He's come to a conclusion, but decides to give John one last chance. So he gives him a choice.

Cockaigne by HollyShadow88 (38K, E, Johnlock) When John’s contacted by an old uni friend about problems in his new art exhibition, he doesn’t think it will be worth Sherlock’s time. After a glance of the crime scene, however, they’re both pulled into the project in ways John didn’t expect. Will a week of erotic performance art finally be enough to bring them together in the way they both secretly hope? (Spoiler: it’s a tropey fic, of course it will)

Written in Ashes by 88thParallel (37K, M, Johnlock) Sherlock becomes the prime suspect in a homicide case, and recently unearthed memories of his childhood are complicating matters. It's up to John to track down answers — can he help Sherlock before it's too late?

A Desperate Indulgence by LollipopCop (34K, M, Johnlock) John thinks it's 2012 after waking up with amnesia, having no memory of Mary. Sherlock, exhausted from years of tension and hiding his love, pretends they got married instead.

Inhale With Ease by Vulpesmellifera (25K, E, Johnlock) In the years after Vivian Norbury's capture, life seems to work out just as John planned. He's got that respectable job at the surgery and goes home to his wife and child. He joins Sherlock on cases a couple times per week. It's a rhythm he can live with - just enough adrenaline highs to balance out the drudgery of a normal bloke's life. Until a pandemic, and Victor Trevor, arrive in London.

The House on Rue des Boulangers by Berty (24K, M, Johnlock) After being invalided out of the army and without any other prospects, John Watson has relocated to a small town in northern France. Now he has to decide what to do for the rest of his life. One morning there's a mad stranger in his garden chasing a swarm of bees, and it seems John's decision is made.

High Mountain Tea Leaves by disfictional (23K, E, Johnlock) A mountaintop robbery on a Japanese-occupation-era train where the only item stolen was a small case of mysterious tea leaves in a backpack? An ideal Christmas gift, two days late. Sherlock convinces John to travel for tea.

Detours by saintscully (22K, M, Johnlock, Sherlock/OMC) During the better part of the first year following Mary's death and the events at Sherrinford, Sherlock and John are slowly rebuilding their lives and their friendship. All seems (relatively) well and John takes comfort in once again being a father, a doctor and a friend. An unexplained shift in Sherlock's behaviour catches John by surprise, and he begins to worry about his place in his friend's life. John has to examine everything he thought he knew about Sherlock, himself and their relationship in order to win his rightful place yet again.

hands full of matter by simplyclockwork (21K, E, Johnlock) When Sherlock is captured in Serbia, Mycroft cannot afford to involve the British government in his rescue. Instead, he sends John. After two years spent thinking Sherlock was dead, John finds himself navigating not only Sherlock’s rescue but their fractured friendship as well.

The Victim Experience by J_Baillier (16K, T, Gen) A case takes Sherlock and John deep into the seedy underbelly of the haunted attractions industry. With audiences craving more and more intense experiences, is a real murder the next logical step?

On the Fence by BeautifulFiction (13K, T, Johnlock) The murder of the King's College fencing champion leads to revelations about Sherlock's past. Will it be the point that tips them from friends to lovers, or will they remain on the fence?

Plus bonus ACD era:

"Baker Street: The Sleep of Reason": A Memoir by John H. Watson, M.D. by Gaedhal (98K, M, Johnlock, Johniarty) This is a Victorian Era story in the "Sherlock Holmes" (2009) Ritchie-verse. The main characters are Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson and is from the doctor's memoirs. It was written before "A Game of Shadows" so there are differences in this story and film canon, mainly in the person and backstory of one particular character.

The Taste of Truth by sanguinity (25K, T, Johnlock) Two and a half years after Reichenbach, John Watson discovers the magical tree that caused Holmes to fake his death.

The Adventure of the Vatican Cameos by Garonne (18K, E, Johnlock) How should one behave when waking for the first time in the bed of one's dearest friend? Holmes and Watson solve a case in Catholic London while navigating the turbid waters of their new relationship.

Hot Water by wordybirdy (13K, E, Johnlock, Watson/Gregson) Dr. John Watson's libidinous affair with a respected Scotland Yard inspector abruptly judders to a halt when the former meets a certain Mr. Sherlock Holmes, Consulting Detective, for the very first time. The attraction between the two is strongly mutual, but misunderstandings only multiply and tensions abound, as all three men attempt to deal with the new situation.

[fort-cozy-mcblanket]

Every time I see a list of fanfic tropes now, all I think is, ‘I want all of this with Shamy.’

And it’s weird, because I came from a fandom that, fic-wise, was very small. There wasn’t much overall and even less ones that I was interested in. So moving over to TBBT and Shamy felt like an embarrassment of riches. And yet, I still feel like there’s a lot I don’t see. Like, is there a good werewolf au? Secret dating? Body swap? Snuggling to treat hypothermia? There are 2 characters canonically employed at a pharmaceutical company but I don’t think I’ve seen anyone try to work that into a sort of love potion situation? Amy works with brains, but there’s no mind control stories? I’d expect this from my previous fandom, but not here. 

Maybe I’m not looking hard enough?

On the one hand, I do want to be the change and write all the fic I want to read. On the other hand, I think I would have to quit my job to make that happen. (Seriously, where does the time go each day?) I mean, that is why I started writing the amnesia fic I’m currently working on, I couldn’t find a Shamy amnesia fic that played out how I wanted, but it is slow going. 

I guess I don’t really have a point here, this is just stuff I’ve been thinking about lately. If I’m wrong and just haven’t been looking in the right place, please god send me tropey Shamy fic recs.