#watford bakery

[emargoo]

Missed Connections ~ Snowbaz

Pairing: Simon Snow/Baz Pitch

Warnings: | Mentions of alchohol | Baz being a bitch |

Author's Note: Modern-ish AU, Watford School/magic non-existent, This was just a quick thing so nothing special. Enjoy :)

"Fuck," Simon swore angrily. He stood dejectedly at the train platform, clutching his ragged briefcase and watching as his only hope to reach Lancashire in good time slipped away. Steam and smoke blew in his face almost like an insult as the train rushed away from him, chugging down the tracks blissfully unaware that the locomotive's departure had just ruined his day.

He hadn't meant to be late, of course. But he'd reached the station early--due to Penny's nagging--and thought he would have plenty of time to wander the large building. Simon had stumbled across a vendor selling cherry scones, so of course he had to try one. And then try everything else the bakery sold. When it was time to find his platform, he needed to use the loo, which regretably took longer than he had planned. And as Simon was not one particularly blessed with directional capabilities, he had immense trouble when looking for his connection.

Not only had he boarded the wrong train entirely, SImon had needed to jump out of the moving train upon realising he had screwed up. Which leads him here, cursing and disheveled as he watches what would have most certainly been a comfortable ride to his home town chug away.

Simon sighed audibly, running a hand through his messy hair, making it all stand up. He plopped down on the bench behind him, letting his case fall heavily onto the tiled floor. He would need to find out when the next train to Lancashire left, which could very well be the next day. Simon turned his head slightly and almost jumped out of his seat when he caught a glimpse of a man sitting at the other end of the bench.

He was draped languidly across the metal, one long trousered leg sprawled out to his left, the other resting against the bench. He was dressed smartly, brown dress pants and a multicoloured sweater vest unbuttoned over a half-open collared shirt. His outfit felt almost scandalous. The man sported dark black sunglasses over his eyes and an almost ridiculous pink checkered scarf was tied around his head, casting his pale skin in shadow. If Simon had to wager a guess, he would say the man was some sort of exotic dancer or outlandish model.

He certainly had the face of one, thought Simon. Inwardly praising the man's high cheekbones and greecian nose. He was lengthy and elegant, and somehow managed to pull off his odd wardrobe choices. Simon's eyes traveled to the man's shoes, and had to stiffle a laugh. The man wore green spats over chunky black boots, a style that had long gone out of fashion. Not that Simon was particularly well-versed in the fashion world. But in his entire 20 years, he had never seen a man--or anyone, as a matter of fact--with spats.

"It's rude to stare, you know."

Simon's head snapped up. The man's dark eyes glared at him over his sunglasses, his eyebrows arched.

"Sorry." Simon shook his hair out of his eyes. He had forgotten himself after such a frustrating day. "It's been a weird day." His cheeks flushed in embarassment. God, he must sound so stupid to this elegant stranger. He extended a rough callused hand, "Er, the name's Simon. Simon Snow."

The man meerly continued to peer at him, his eyes travelling to Simon's outsretched hand. Simon repressed a shiver, feeling almost judged by this odd man.

"I'm Baz." Said the man shortly, briefly shaking Simon's hand. His hand was soft, but blisteringly cold.

Simon looked awkwardly down at the black-and-white tiled floor, feeling insanely uncomfortable. He had never been one for friendly conversations. Or making friends, for that matter. Most of the time people just befriended him, like Penny.

"I just, uhm, missed my train," said Simon, nodding stupidly. "The one that just left."

Baz didn't look at him. "I saw," he said. After a long silence, in which Simon moved restlessly, tapping his feet and playing with the buttons on his coat, Baz gestured towards Simon's jacket. "That coat, it's Ralph Lauren."

"Huh?" Simon looked down at his coat, not knowing what the man was talking about.

Baz sighed, "It's a brand. You have good taste."

Did he just roll his eyes at me? Simon wondered. "Uhm, I guess. It's my dad's."

"And your dad doesn't mind you borrowing it?" Baz eyed him skeptically, "That design is worth over 600 dollars."

"My dad's dead."

Baz's face softened slightly. His sunglasses drooped on the bridge of his nose, and Simon caught a glimpse of his gray-ish eyes, staring at him. "Oh," he said. "Sorry."

"It's alright, never knew 'em." Simon's voice felt gruff and forced.

"My dad couldn't give a shit about me." Said Baz suddenly. "I know its not the same but-" He stopped himself shaking his head. "Fuck, why am I telling this to a random? Sorry."

"All good, mate." Said Simon, scratching his neck. Truthfully, he did not know what to say to this man. All he needed right now was a train schedule and preferably another cherry scone.

"Would you know when the next train leaves?" Simon asked, looking over at Baz.

Baz stared at him blankly, "To where..?"

Simon cursed inwardly. "Lancashire."

"One moment." Baz pulled a dark purple leather bag from the floor and rumaging around in it. He pulled out a small silver flask, setting it tenderly next to him on the metal bench. Then he took out a crumpled paper, a train schedule, it seemed. "The next one leaves at 8:30 AM, tomorrow."

Simon slumped in his seat, rubbing him forehead lightly. "Fuck me."

Baz held out the silver flask to him, "You know, you shouldn't say that to a stranger. They might take you up on it."

Simon's neck grew hot, taking the open flask from Baz. He sniffed the contents of the vile slightly. It smelled strong. He felt Baz's gaze on him and lifted the flask to his lips, feeling the sharp liquid enter his mouth.

"Your ears are red." Said Baz cooly.

Simon choked on his drink. He handed the flask back to Baz quickly, his nose burning. Baz made a sound that sounded almost like a laugh.

"Jesus. I could have died." Simon said, wipping the drink from his chin.

"Don't be dramatic." Said Baz, "You're ballzy though, taking a drink from someone you just met."

Simon considered this, "Didn't even think of that, to be honest."

"Checks out." Baz regarded him over his hooked nose.

It was Simon's turn to roll his eyes, "At least I don't dress like a swinger."

Baz made a noise that sounded like a mix between a cough and a choke. Simon realised that must be his version of a laugh. "Do you even know what that means, Snow?"

"Well, no." Admitted Simon, "But I feel like you would be one."

Baz shook his head, eyeing Simon's ragged briefcase, his ripped pants, and messy hair. "Okay then. I'll take it as a compliment from you."

Simon felt his neck grow hot, "Go ahead." He looked up at the tall arched ceiling. Anywhere but at the confusing man he was sitting next to.

He heard the train before he saw it. And as if from a distance, he watched it push forward to make a stop at his platform. Baz stood up, clutching his leather bag in one hand. He walked towards the train and then stopped, turning towards Simon.

"I hope we meet again, maybe I can fix that floppy hair of yours."

Simon gaped at him, "Oh yeah, c'ya."

And then he was gone.

[scone-lover]

Brown Butter Chai Scones

Presenting by popular request, Brown Butter Chai Scones. Recipe by Simon Snow of Watford Bakery 😉❤️

These scones are HEAVENLY. I think I could die just from eating them. I gave myself a stomachache this morning. The brown butter gives them a warm, complex flavour, and combined with the chai spices, it’s just divine.

 Actually, I think Baz said it best in Chapter 18 of Holding Out For a Hero:

I try to maintain my scowl, but Simon literally feeds me a piece of scone, and I’m reduced to a pile of mush. This is humiliating.

“What do you think?” he asks.

I never understood when people used the term foodgasm, but I do now—the flavours are all melding together in my mouth. This scone is pure ecstasy.

“What the fuck is in this, Snow? Drugs? Magic?”

Simon’s eyebrows knit together. “Brown butter and chai spices,” he says earnestly.

I could kiss him. I could kiss this scone.

“This,” I say, holding up the scone. “This is why I date you.”

They’re definitely magic.

I completely imagined these up for the chapter, but then I started getting requests for the recipe -- which didn’t exist! 😂 Luckily these turned out fantastic, so this recipe is a winner.

The brown butter flavour requires some planning ahead and a time commitment, but it’s WORTH IT. If you’ve never had brown butter, just imagine butter, except it’s made of toffee and happiness. That’s it, that’s the whole thing.

I’ve included some weight measurements in the recipe this time for exactness!

RECIPE

BROWN BUTTER CHAI SCONES

Makes: 6 scones

**Requires some planning ahead: about 12 hours in advance!**

Ingredients:

1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour - 180g

¼ cup sugar - 40g

¼ teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 chai tea bag, or approx 1 tablespoon chai spices

4 tablespoons brown butter, COLD -- must make in advance!

⅓ cup heavy cream, plus extra for brushing - 80g + extra

1 large egg yolk

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Several hours before you want to make the scones, make brown butter. Take about 8 tablespoons of butter, or one stick, and melt it over low heat in a pot. Continue melting, stirring occasionally, until the butter turns brown and fragrant. The volume should reduce by about ⅓. Remove from heat and mix well so that the butter and milk solids are combined. Line a container with parchment paper and spoon in four tablespoons of the brown butter, then place it in the fridge until fully solid. If you have extra brown butter, you can use it for other desserts. Click here for a full brown butter tutorial.

Preheat the oven to 400ºF (205ºC).

In a bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, salt, chai, baking soda, and baking powder.

Cut the brown butter into squares and add it to the flour mixture. Work the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter, forks or knives, or your hands. It should be evenly distributed in pieces the size of peas.

Whisk together the egg yolk, vanilla, and heavy cream in a separate bowl. Pour it into the dry ingredients and incorporate using a spatula. The dough should be shaggy but not too dry.

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and shape it into a circle about an inch thick. Cut six triangles.

Place the scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the top of each piece with heavy cream.

Bake for 13-15 minutes, until the scones are golden brown on the edges and a toothpick comes out clean. Enjoy!

STEP BY STEP - CLICK BELOW

Making brown butter

Melt the butter on low heat. Be patient and keep at it until it turns brown!

Lining the container with parchment makes it easy to get the butter out once it’s solidified.

The next morning, or whenever you want scones: get your ingredients!

Mix together all the dry ingredients. If you’re using a teabag, just cut it open and pour it in. I wouldn’t recommend using loose leaf tea, since the leaves tend to be a bit larger.

Cut your butter. Since the water content in this butter has been cooked off, it was harder to incorporate. I still used my hands but you can definitely use a pastry cutter or some other tool if you wish!

Add the wet ingredients and mix it up. The texture shown below is slightly dry and I had to add another teaspoon or so of cream to make the dough come together.

Pour it out onto the counter and push it all together with your hands.

Cut it into six pieces and arrange them on the baking sheet.

Brush the tops with heavy cream. Don’t skip this - it’s heavenly and makes the texture *chefs kiss* perfect.

Slide them into the oven for 13-15 minutes!

Bon appetit. Simon Snow would be proud of you.

[sailorblossoms-snowbaz]

I woke up this morning with this fic in mind: a non-explicit yet angsty look at how bad Simon and Agatha's first time was for both of them, from her POV. I don't ever want to explore this from Simon's POV tbh (too much!) and Agatha's voice comes easier to me (as someone who remembers being a depressed, emotionally-detached teenage jerk too lol). I want to share it here because it's short, and I don't super like the idea of this being my only published fic in ao3 for this fandom.

I do have a snowbaz AU fic "in the works" (very loosely based on the princess bride, with Baz as princess buttercup, Lamb as the Evil King who wants to marry him while planning a little murder, Simon as the hero, Agatha as a shapeshifting leopard, Penny has a crystal ball, and Shepard is just very excited to be here). I'm not planning this to be particularly long, but I'm also not sure I'll finish it, to be honest. The first paragraph is practically the same as the introduction in the movie, and it deviates more strongly from there.

Baz was raised by a wealthy family in the strangely gothic Pitch Manor. His favorite pastimes were reading and tormenting the golden boy who worked in the local bakery. His name was Simon, but he never called him that. Nothing gave Baz as much pleasure as ordering Simon around, purposely stalling–he often changed his mind just when Simon was about to charge him. Most of all, he enjoyed watching his ordinary blue eyes flash while his annoyance colored his lovely, freckled cheeks.

Anyway, fic under the cut

My thighs are burning. I choose to focus on that, instead of everything else. It’s the most familiar discomfort right now–years of horse riding has made me no stranger to soreness in my legs, in my lower back, in my hips. It’s normal for the body to hurt, when you put it through something it’s completely unused to. I’ve heard that with guitar players, their fingers really hurt when they just get started. But they push through the pain, they keep practicing until it doesn't hurt anymore. Until the skin in their fingertips hardens, until playing becomes so much easier. I think they might have that in common with violin players, or to anyone who plays a string instrument. It hurts, but when they play, the sound is so beautiful. I’ve hear that sound in Watford, a sad sound, but soul stirring. Feeling pain is much better than feeling nothing at all, I think. I picture myself riding my horse, pushing through the pain while I get better and better. Until it becomes freer–the wind, the height, the speed making me feel like I’m on top of the world. I love that feeling. It’s a thrill unlike anything else.  

I push through now, through the pain. It’ll get better and better, I say to myself. I keep hoping for that thrill that never comes. I push through, and then I’m wincing, a particularly sharp pain–like being stabbed with a needle–makes me stop for a second. Just a second. I think about moving again, but something is wrong. It’s too silent. How long has it been silent? Is it only silent now? Or has it been silent for a while, my head so far away that I didn’t notice?  

I open my eyes. I look down, and my blood turns cold. He’s pale. He’s very, very pale. His eyes are glassy, the shades of blue like ice. Suddenly I’m reminded of a much younger Simon, scrawny and shaky, coming back from a mission with his body covered in blood. So much blood. I remember fighting really hard against the urge to puke, while my mind keep screaming what the hell?! whose blood is that?! He had a look in his eyes then, one that made me wonder if he’s really here, if he really came back. It took hours for him to look normal again, for him to give us that boyish grin–as if nothing was fucking wrong. He has that look in his eyes again. Like he’s not here at all. I have stopped moving. I get off him, trying to ignore the coldness. He’s not reacting.

“Simon?” I try. I touch his arm, I try to shake him, but he’s not fucking reacting at all. 

Fuck. I really don’t want to touch him again. I thought he was just nervous, who wouldn’t be? I thought I was ready. He said yes when I asked him, but he’s always saying yes, isn’t he? If I asked him to jump through the window, he would fucking jump. I thought I had this. I’ve done my research. It’s all Mindy would take about lately, I thought I had enough tips. I thought I could calm him down, rubbing his arms and kissing his chest. He didn’t really touch me much, but that was fine. I didn’t really want to touch him much either. It was all so mechanical, figuring out how to get it done, but I thought that was fine too. That it was something you tolerate before you can get on to the main event–when you’re supposed to feel all the sparks, when you’re supposed to see the stars or something. 

My eyes are burning. Shit.

I squeeze one of his hands, hard. I’m louder this time, and my voice sounds firm. “Simon” 

Finally, he looks at me. He looks disoriented. It takes a couple of seconds for him to say anything. “Did you– did we–”

“It was fine” I cut him off. I’m not holding his hand anymore. “It’s fine” 

It’s not fucking fine. But I don’t want to tell him that. I don’t want him to feel bad. I don’t want him to shut down again. 

“It was fine” he repeats, unsure. 

“Yeah. It’s ok, first times are like this” Like hell. 

I can’t be here anymore. Suddenly, I need to get as far away from him as humanly possible. I can’t bear to look at him. I explain that I need to pee and take a shower. He understands. As I walk away from him (I have to force myself not to run) I tell him to get some sleep. I don’t look back. 

When I’m in the bathroom, I take off my bra, feeling ridiculous. I’m not sure why I didn’t want to take it off before, why it felt wrong. It’s fine if my boyfriend can see my pussy, but I draw the line at having him look at my bouncing tits? I scoff. Except he wasn’t really looking, wasn’t he. I step under the shower, hoping the scalding water can chase away the coldness in my chest, the pit in my stomach. Suddenly, I’m angry at him. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Doesn’t he like me? Doesn’t he think I’m beautiful? 

He’s always told me that, how pretty I am. Like I’m the queen and he’s my own portable fucking magical mirror, always ready to tell me I’m the fairest in the land. Goddamn it, why am I picturing myself as an evil queen now? This isn’t my fault. I didn’t mean to hurt him. Shit. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Aren’t boys supposed to want this? Isn’t this supposed to be the one thing they all want the most? The thing they can’t stop thinking about, the thing that renders them all stupid? Mindy’s boyfriend was so enthusiastic, she said. She didn’t even had to do much, he took care of her. He made her see stars and all that crap. 

I never looked at Simon and thought that I wanted more. When we kissed, it never felt like it could lead to something else. It never felt like much, really. Pulling away was always so quick, so easy. He has never tried anything with me. Never pushed for me. His touch has never wandered. It has never lingered. All that was fine with me, but he’s still a boy, isn’t he? I’ve gotten tired of the nothingness. I just wanted to see stars. I wanted to feel something, for once.   

Damn it. My pussy hurts. Sex is so overrated–all those movies can suck it. I don’t think I can do this again…    

The next morning, when Simon sees me, he smiles. Like nothing is fucking wrong. I don’t know how he always does it, how he can just go along like absolutely nothing happened, but I don’t want to feel like this anymore. This unwanted. This embarrassed. Like I did something wrong. I was wrong. Feeling nothing is better than this. So I decide to follow his example. I bury these feelings, I push the memory out of my mind. I smile back.

[facewithoutheart]

Thanks for the tags, @palimpsessed, @takitalks, @moodandmist, & @creepyspice! Getting this done earlier rather than later while I have some free time.

I’m writing a zimbits Bakery AU because @martsonmars (consider this your tag & hug) asked nicely (if sending me a tumblr post with an all caps GIMME is nice) (spoiler alert it is) so here’s a small section (which is accidentally six sentences, damn I’m good):

“See, I played hockey in college.” Bitty pauses, like he’s expecting a specific reaction to that statement. Jack’s not sure what that might be so for lack of a better option he just eats more pie. The way Bitty smiles, Jack knows it’s the right choice. (The way Bitty smiles, Jack would eat an entire pie… three pies, even, for a shot at seeing it again. Nutrition plan be damned.)

Ok ok I’ll also give y’all these two, tiny Crack Fest previews:

Speaking of bites. Baz pooped again before breakfast. Four days in a row! And Penny said this was a crazy idea. I’ll show her.

bitemebaz: I FOUND FANFIC BAZ WROTE ABOUT ME BACK AT WATFORD

Tags & virtual hugs to:

@sillyunicorn @mostlymaudlin @urban-sith @you-remind-me-of-the-babe @fatalfangirl @whatevertheweather @shemakesmeforget @stardustasincocaine @captain-aralias @forabeatofadrum @aristocratic-otter @johnwgrey @jbrrring @excalisbury @otherpeoplesheartachept-2 @confused-bi-queer @tea-brigade @cutestkilla @ivelovedhimthroughworse @bookish-bogwitch @mrskrementz @bazzybelle @gekkoinapeartree @dragoneggo

[fatalfangirl]

Thank you everyone who has tagged me for Six Sentence Sunday, you are lovely people with lovely words. Since I do not have anything shareable today, I decided to take a page out of @captain-aralias's book and share six fic recs instead. Below we have a mix of new, not-so-new, and new-to-me:

In A Bind - NSFW - by @im-gettingby

I read this ages ago, but I recently thought of it again and realized I never recommended it. @im-gettingby writes some of my favorite smut. Their characterization is always so good and it plays into the sex of this bondage fic perfectly. The way Simon takes control is incredible hot, as is the way Baz's walls come down. Very them, extremely sexy, and worth multiple reads.

A Pint's a Pound - NSFW - by @stillmadaboutpetra

I love @stillmadaboutpetra's brain. It is a work of art. Every single fic I've read from them is 100000 out of 10, and this raunchy bakery AU is no exception. Here we have deranged pastry chef Baz, stressed baker Simon, and a downtown Watford that isn't (is) big enough for the both of them. Every chapter is like you favorite sweet covered in crack. You will hoover this shit up. Hilarious in a way that makes you say "WOW" and hot to boot. So good.

5 Days, 5 Nights, All-Inclusive - SFW - by RooBadley

What a treat, Roo is. This fic is kick-your-legs-as-you-roll-in-bed-and-squeal levels of enjoyment. Featuring the infamous singles tour of Magickal Britain, this get-together later in life fic takes us to a haunted Tesco (excuse me, Tesco Extra), crystal caves, castle ruins, and a hotel room featuring a statement bathtub. Roo's banter is so goddamn good and the development of Simon and Baz's relationship is sweet and savory. It goes down easy, so eat up.

Out Of This World - SFW - by @mostlymaudlin

I 👏 love 👏 this 👏 fic! Baz works retail and Simon is a weird (but hot) customer in this sci-fi short story that has heart and laughs and a very memorable scene involving cutting spaghetti with a butter knife. As someone who worked retail, this fic hit me with unexpected nostalgia and I pictured the entire thing taking place at the Club Monaco in my local mall. It's amazing how much story there is in only 2.5k. Quirky, cute, and perfectly titled.

How to Avoid a Scandal - SFW - by @you-remind-me-of-the-babe

Fake-dating friends-to-lovers with a side of hollywood! Baz and Simon are the stars of the hit series The World of Mages who end up in a fake relationship in order to counter the threat of a different relationship scandal. The way the fic plays with canon elements in both the main storyline and the CW-esque show is really clever, and I LOVE the celebrity element. It's fun, it's cute, it's smart, and it has the best fake ship name for snowbaz.

(Also if fake relationships are your jam - check out Unintended from @captain-aralias. Includes engagement rings, a cool family magic plot point, kisses that come with convenient excuses, and Shepard-the-wise.)

What's Left - NSFW - by @cutestkilla

This fic lives in my bones. It is one with my marrow. I don't know what I'm going to do with myself when it's over. This now the third time I've included this in my recs, but I people are sleeping on it, so I'm going to continue to scream about it in hopes more folks will bite. The plot revolves around the In(Sid)ious Humdrum and Baz teaming up to hunt down the Mage after he killed Simon at the White Chapel, and it takes us through an emotional and extremely well crafted journey that explores grief, love, guilt, and forgiveness - all served up with a side of choice pop culture nods. It is top tier. One of the best fics I've read.

And there we have it!

See you, space cowboy.

[ihavea-natural-curiosity]

Wip Wednesday

i’m working on 2 aus at the moment, here’s my watford snowbaz au, the one where Lucy is alive and Baz is raised by Fiona

“Spit it out, Snow, i’m trying to sleep.”

“Your mum came back” it comes out too fast

Baz sits up quickly, then winces “What??”

I slowly sit up, messing with my hair “She couldn’t find you.”

He groans and lays back down “Fuck.”

“Uh, here” i hand him the notebook where i wrote down what his mum said, and he grabs his reading glasses.

The make me want to punch him. Attack him, throw him down the stairs like he did to me. They’re silver wire-framed ovals that sit on his nose perfectly. It makes me so damn mad, and i’m not sure why.

“Ugh you write like you shoved the Biro up your arse. What does this say??”

and this next au is violinist!baz with arthritis bc i wanna, and mordelia lives with him and is plotting

“I thought this was your favorite place?”

“It is?”

“Then why did you have to drag me around the entire city for five hours?”

They frown, and they look scarily similar to me for all of 5 seconds before walking into the shoppe, very much looking like a child who has places to be. “I’ve never walked here from your flat!” they yell over their shoulder

It takes me an embarrassing 30 seconds to reach my 14 year old sibling, i’m leaning hard on my cane, my wrists are going to hate me later.

“You’re the one who wanted to walk” they grumble, pulling the door open, there’s an older man blocking my view of the cashier, but the bakery smells amazing.

“Better for the environment is it not?”

They scoff, they’re like a mini-me and I feel horrid for any and every adult that had to interact with me when I was a teenager.

“You're an idiot, Basil.”

I raise an eyebrow (they can only raise both, take that.) “You do want a scone, correct?”

They sigh “Fine.”

We step up to the counter, and I feel like i’m about to fall over. I’m assaulted with the sight of boring blue eyes and amber skin.

It’s Simon bloody Snow.

Fuck my scheaming sibling.

so yeah, enjoy

[carry-on-big-bang]

The Courage of Stars

Author: @Caitybuglove23

Artist: @banjjakbanjjak

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Rating: Teen and Up

Tags: Tyrannus Basilton "Baz" Pitch/Simon Snow, Penelope Bunce & Simon Snow, Penelope Bunce/Shepard, Tyrannus Basilton "Baz" Pitch & Agatha Wellbelove, Tyrannus Basilton "Baz" Pitch, Simon Snow, The Mage (Simon Snow), Penelope Bunce, Shepard (Simon Snow), Agatha Wellbelove, Ebeneza "Ebb" Petty, Fiona Pitch, Mordelia Grimm, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Past Lives, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Angst, magic but also no magic, Alternate Universe - College/University, Getting Together, Character Death, but those are the past this is the now, Curses, Curse Breaking, True Love's Kiss, (kinda?), First Kiss, First Dates, meet ugly, Party, Drinking, graphic depictions of simon being hungry, Simon works at a bakery, POV Simon Snow, magic sharing, Rituals

Summary: 

Simon’s a student at Watford University. His main goal is to pass his classes, make it through school fairly unscathed, and to find a job after he graduates. 

His world changes, however, when he crashes into Baz, who he hates at first—but soon finds himself inexplicably drawn to.  

Unfortunately for him, the world moves in mysterious ways, and while Simon is falling (quickly), a strange man with a moustache has other plans.

With constant run-ins with Baz, a random man appearing everywhere, and strange dreams of past lives with Baz—Simon begins to wonder how coincidental all of this is. 

But they have to be. 

Because past lives are fake, magic isn’t real, and this strange man popping up everywhere can’t be for a reason. 

(Right?)

Word count: Currently: 8086 Projected wc: ~40k

Check out the fic playlist here!

[newt-and-salamander]

Memories, time travel and the prophecy

I really wonder if the scenes taking place in the past - Jacob and Queenie in the bakery, probably Dumbledore walking in the streets of Manhattan - could be memories? Memory seems to be a reoccurring theme, also with Grindelwald obliviating Yusuf or at least doing something to/with his memories.

So maybe Dumbledore is in (Jacob's?) memories when he is in NY? But it can't be the exact same day when Jacob met Queenie again, because it seemed like a sunny, snowless day. But as @occamyeggshells (and others too, probably) pointed out, Jacob rather seems to be the present time Jacob - so maybe he's entered his own memory? But shouldn't there be a second Jacob then, the one from the past? And he couldn't interact with memory-Queenie, right? So is this no memory at all, or did they use some kind of... advanced Pensieve?

Could it have something to do with the Mirror of Erised?

Or have they actually travelled to the past??

(Now I know! They accidentally changed the timeline, so Tina didn't go to Paris, so she and Newt didn't meet again, so that's why she is absent! ...no, this would be to major a change to the timeline. Newt might not have gone to Paris at all if it was't for Tina, and Queenie wouldn't have gone there to, so she wouldn't have met Grindelwald... hm, this makes no sense.)

The pool Grindekwald is in also could be some kind of fancy Pensieve. Could... could he and Dumbledore (e.g.) meet up in the past/memory, if they both visit the same memory? Dumbledore and Harry can visit the same memory, but at that time, they're using the same Pensive and the exakt same memory.

Also, why did he take Kama's memories? Did this have something to do with Paris, with Leta or Tina maybe? (Yes, I'm trying to bring Tina in all of the time because I believe there must be a crucial point to her absence!) It was mentioned again that Kama is the "descendant of a very old family", so maybe his family history and him being related to the real Corvus will have some importance. Is this tied to the prophecy? Will Leta be important again? It just doesn't make much sense that she was in the last film if he won't be mentioned again at all.

And... the phoenix symbol made out of water. This has to be important. "Wings from the water" and all that. We see Grindelwald ascend from the pool (but no wings), Credence is shown with the phoenix again... Eddie Redmayne said a year ago or so that he had some night shoots in Watford and that he was swimming, and we see Newt dangeling from that flying creature... On the other hand, the phoenix is so closely tied to the Dumbledores...

Or… could Leta be the great avenger? She returned from the water, “wings” could point to her family emblem (that could also be the reason why it was mentioned many times in CoG)… I’m fairly sure she’s still dead, but maybe her death was already some kind of… avenge? (Don’t think so, looked more like atonement to me… but you never know.)

I also have a dim memory of Dan Fogler (jokingly) saying something about time travel (a lonnnng time ago, I thing it’s been over a year) – can somebody remember the details?

And… do you have some more ideas about about water, memories, prophecy and time travel?

[angelsfalling16]

I rlly like how you've written a few nonbinary Baz fics! If you're still taking prompts, maybe a fic where Baz comes out as nb to Simon while they're dating? <3

Sorry for the delay with this one, Nonnie. I actually wrote it when I first received your prompt, but I forgot to post it. I hope you like it! <3

*

Baz

Simon is rambling on about his day - an assignment he’s struggling with and some drama he overheard at the bakery - but I’m struggling to pay attention.

He’s a lot happier and enthusiastic than he was for the first couple of years after we left Watford, and I’m happy for him. He has really come into his unknown and found happiness despite all the shit life has thrown at him. I’m proud of him.

Right now, though, all I can think about is something I’ve been wanting to tell him for a few months now. I’m nonbinary, and I don’t know how to tell him.

I’ve looked it up about a thousand times now - how to tell your loved ones you’re nonbinary - but none of it seemed all that useful to me. I tried writing down what I wanted to say to Simon, but the words wouldn’t come. And it’s not like I need to explain to him what it means to be non-binary — he learned that from Shep — but it’s one thing to accept others as non-binary; it’s a whole other thing to accept someone you’ve know most of your life as one thing as something completely different.

I’m afraid that he’ll look at me differently once I tell him, like I’m not the same person he fell in love with.

Simon is still talking, and I take in a deep shaky breath as I look down at my hands, at the pink nail polish that adorns my nails.

Simon has been nothing but complimentary about my nails or the way I occasionally throw on a top that isn’t normally perceived as masculine. But appearance isn’t the same thing as identity. Just because he likes the way I look, it doesn’t mean he’ll like who I am.

“Simon, I need to tell you something,” I blurt out in the middle of the story he was telling me.

“Is everything okay?” He asks, looking a little worried.

“Yes. I just...It’s pride month.”

“I know. We’ve been selling our pride pastries like crazy this month, and people seem to have suddenly begun to notice the gay flag that I have worn every day to work for the past year.”

I nod and take another deep breath, struggling to take in enough air. I feel tears burning at the backs of my eyes. They always come with this sense of panic, but I refuse to let them spill at this moment. I have to say this.

“Simon.” I pause, clenching my hands into fists to keep them from shaking. “I’m non-binary.”

I can barely breathe as I wait for his response even though it comes a moment later.

“Oh,” his tone is neutral, and I think I might combust into flames right here if he doesn’t say something soon. He reaches out to squeeze my hand, and I draw my eyes up to meet his. The look on his face is so soft that it takes my breath away. “I’m glad you told me.”

“You don’t seem surprised. It doesn’t bother you?”

He shrugs, ever the one for words. “You’re still you. You’re still the person I fell in love. Now I just know a little more about who you are.” He pauses briefly before adding, “I’m glad you felt comfortable enough to tell me.”

The tears do start to fall then.

Simon is saying the most perfect things, and it’s then that I realize I’m going to marry this guy one day. I could never find someone else as caring and stubborn and perfect as him. He’s it for me. He’s my person, and I’ll never feel this way about anyone else.

I can feel a stupid smile growing on my face, and I lean forward to kiss Simon

I won’t ask him to marry me today, but someday. Perhaps one day soon.

“I love you,” I say, pulling out of the kiss.

“I love you, too.” I’m still relieved to hear him say that, even though he has already said that he accepts me for who I am. It lifts all of my worries off of me. It’s a relief to know that I can be my true self with him.

[scone-lover]

Cherries & Kafka 🍒:

new chapter of Moments from Watford Bakery!

Summary:

Penelope: “You don’t understand. He would stab someone for these scones. That’s actually not an exaggeration.”

AKA: how Simon got Pritchard’s sour cherry scone recipe. 🍒🍒🍒

My scone recipe

[im-gettingby]

Thirsty Thursday

extreme dehydration edition

Not sure if anyone’s started this yet, but I actually drafted this post in advance this time so I’m gonna post it 😂

All fics above the cut are G or T

Things To Remember When Loving Simon Snow by @problematic-mind

You’ve probably seen the associated art for this, which is just as lovely as the fic. It’s in second person which is very, very cool. Just exceptionally soft and thoughtful.

All’s fair in love and war by @vampire-named-gampire​

We all love a Watford-era magic-gone-wrong fic. Especially if it involves Baz getting exposed. This is a very good and fun fic, with cool magic!

Under the Mistletoe by @seducing-a-vampire​

AU where Simon is a mall elf and Baz is his nemesis from uni. It’s so funny. Literally every other line had me ROLLING. An excellent Mordelia, as well.

Dark Clouds Roll by @snowybank​

ugh look it’s a struggle not to rec at least ten of their fics every time I do a thirsty thursday, but I’m TRYING to keep it short so that you actually read one (and then go read all the others because you’re obsessed.) Baz & Simon are trapped in a room. Baz needs blood. Wherever shall he get it?

Detectorists by shushu_yaoi_lj (I can’t figure out your new URL, sorry!)

Simon is one of those metal detector guys. He tries to detect on Baz’s property. It’s funny.

I’m going to tag everyone tagged in this rec list, and everyone who actually bothered to read such a long and rambling post!

M & E under the cut.

**the last fic under the cut is a trans headcanon rated G, but it’s under there so as not to trigger anyone :)**

Rated M

Knock, Knock by shushu_yaoi_lj

this fic said simpard rights and I’m so here for it. Basically, Baz walks in on a lot of compromising situations involving his boyfriend and his boyfriend’s best bro. Of course, it’s all a big misunderstanding ;) Go read it!

The Anniversary Effect by star4545

This is a really unique, weird, dark fic. It’s so good and interesting - go read it! (tw for character death and sexual assault)

Sword of Mages Tattoo by RooBadley (incomplete)

It’s funny, it’s sexy. There’s character development and tattoos. Each chapter is punchy and makes you want more! The fic is updated frequently and completely written, so don’t be afraid of reading it as a WIP.

Rated E

A Pint’s A Pound by @stillmadaboutpetra​

um. I don’t know what to say about this. It’s just -- the work of a crazed genius. Poetry in fanfiction form. Together, the characterization, writing style, and content create the most incredible and hilarious reading experience you will ever have.

Also it’s a rival bakeries AU involving detailed baking knowledge, puns, and Simon as an ex-GBBOer.

Goodbye, Norma Jean by @captain-aralias​

magickal mishap turned fuck or die (kind of). Super interesting use of magic sharing. It’s smart, it’s funny, it’s porn.

crawl into this space inside your mind by @knitbelove​

Speaking of smart & interesting. (Speaking of writing style that contributes to the overall experience.) Wow, the utter brilliance of this thrall fic is a lot to take in.

Mr. and Mr. Snow by @wolfywordweaver​ (incomplete)

Have you ever thought, I want to read a fanfic that is funny, sexy, heartwarming and angsty, all at the same time? Do you just want to see Baz and Simon getting into hijinks as sexy assassins? Then this fic is for you. Fully written and updates regularly. Seriously, this is a masterpiece!

Everything with you by @nevergonnacallmedarling​

this fic said fuckboy rights and I love it. Look, in canon Simon and Baz are virgins w/ a lot of intimacy issues, which is great, but let’s not forget that sleeping around is great too, if that’s your thing. And it makes for a fun and excellent story. Basically, they’re flatmates and friends with benefits who also have a lot of other friends with benefits, because they just can’t get it together. The whole gang is part of this sexually hyperactive incestuous friend group. I’m not sure this will be as funny to people that didn’t know friend groups like this in college, but it was very funny to me.

this last one’s rated G but is a trans headcanon, so it’s under the cut!

boyfriends, boxes and bad coffee (the one where baz and agatha are trans) by catrastiel

A good Baz & Agatha friendship fic with trans Agatha, whom I always love, and Baz figuring out that they might be nonbinary, and it’s just like, awkward and sweet and I love it.

[bloodiedpixie]

First Line Meme

Thank you @palimpsessed and @trenchcoat-moth for tagging me!!

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have less than 20, just list them all!). See if there are any patterns. Choose your favorite opening line.

Right I only have 11 posted fics but I have a lot of wips so I'll include those too! There's some mcd in there so beware of that stuff.

1: The Angel on The Top of The Tree

"This movie is shit. I love it."

2: One Bullet Too Far (MCD Baz)

" "I’m so sorry Simon, nothings working," Penny sputters out, pouring magic onto Baz’s limp, unmoving body."

3: Best Stanley Cup Ever

"I’m watching the final game of the Stanley Cup when Baz saunters into the sitting room carrying two bags of crisps. The games have been taking up my attention for the past week and Baz insisted to watch."

4: Of All The Wildflowers

"I can’t see anything; it’s sunset and the bright orange light is shining through my windshield and pretty much blinding me as I park my van."

5: This Will End In Flames (MCD Simon)

" "Simon?" I whisper, shaking his shoulders. He doesn’t respond, his body doesn’t move except for when I touch it."

6: Domesticity

"Simon is working a double tonight at the bakery, again, which means I’m left in our flat to my own devices."

7: The 5 Reasons

"It’s Thursday night at Eleftheria; I’m sat at the bar waiting for Percy to finish practice with The 5 Reasons Tonight; they’ve played a total of 18 songs, some repeating because of a chord mess up or lyric forgotten."

8: GIVE ME THE DAMN SHIRT!

"I get up from bed and stretch while Percy goes to rummaging through his mess of a closet."

9: SPF 100

"It’s a blisteringly hot summer's day in California. The Gallagher’s all wanted a vacation somewhere warm so California it is."

10: The Watford Mages

" "Cross-checking, Face Wash, Go to The Penalty Box, Scrum, Roughing, High Stick, and Suck it up Buttercup , are some the reasons we are implementing two hockey teams, one male and one female, into the Watford curriculum," The Mage booms across the White Chapel."

11: How to Simon Proof a Flat

"Simon and I are having a night to ourselves, finally. Penny and Shepard are out of town so Friday night, that we usually spend at their flat, is free."

WIPS!

12: Southern Au

"I’m sitting with Dev and Niall on one of the many open big ol wooden paths on at HISSSM. Our legs are dangling over the bayou water as we talk."

13: Sometimes They Don't Give it Back (MCD Shepard)

"The cold metal is pressed against the side of my head and I realize this is probably the end of the road."

14: Would They Even Notice? (MCD Agatha)

"I'm lead to a dark room with a surgery table in the center surrounded by "people" I thought were egotistical Californians. I was very wrong."

15: Keep Talking I Dare You (MCD Penny)

"I don't think I've ever seen Simon so angry, so full of rage."

16: Great Gatsby AU

" "Snow? No has ever met Snow," A party guest says to me taking a sip of his drink."

17: Bedhead

"I wake up to Simon's laugh and my heart practically melts."

18: Sleep is For The Weak (Parent au)

" "Your turn," Baz sleepily mumbles as cries fill the room."

19: The Musical Education of Simon Snow

"Pardon? You've never listened to Queen?" I exclaim at Simon who just randomly slipped into conversation that he has been musically deprived."

20: Constellations Of The Mind

"And that one is Andromeda," Simon says moving away from the telescope to let me see the stars."

Hope that was somewhat interesting! If you want to know more about any of the wips just send me an ask!! 💙

I'm tagging @caitybuglove23 @xivz @waywardfangirl @snowybank and @wetheformidables

no pressure just love seeing all your works!! 💙

[facewithoutheart]

2021 Fics in Review

Stole this from @captain-aralias and it nearly killed me...

Also feel free to take the questions and answer them yourself. Tag me if you do <3

my fics from 2021

A Christmas Pitch, SnowBaz, Mature, 66k

5 Times Baz Avoids Conflict (& The 1 Time Simon Catches On), SnowBaz, Mature, 5k

A Crack In The Wall, Drarry/Jily/Wolfstar, Teen, 39k

Left Hands and Lotion, SnowBaz, Mature, 5k

What Am I Now?, Drarry, Teen, 600

Have Your Cake and Eat It Too, SnowBaz, Teen, 3.3k

Here Comes The Boy, SnowBaz, Mature, 3k

Two Weddings, No Vows, Drarry, Mature, 3k

Not The Droids You're Looking For, SnowBaz, Teen, 9k

The Wrong Sider, Drarry, Mature, 65k

5 Times Simon Tried To Use Baz's Fangs Like A Swiss Army Knife + 1 Time He Didn't, SnowBaz, Teen, 4.5k

When I Feel Alive, SnowBaz, Explicit, 3k

Fucking Ruthless, SnowBaz, Explicit, 2.6k

vroom vroom, SnowBaz, Explicit, 900

The Mirror Pair, SnowBaz/Drarry, Mature, 38k

Based On A Fake Story, SnowBaz, Teen, 2.5k

How Baz Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Rick Roll, SnowBaz, Teen, 2.6k

vroom vroom 2: Watford Drift, SnowBaz, Explicit, 1.3k

2 fast 2 vroom: the vroomening, SnowBaz, Explicit, 4k

Forever Isn't Long Enough, SnowBaz, Teen, 1.2k

We Used To Be Friends (AKA Mean-O-Ween), SnowBaz, Teen, 7k

The Chain (Tell Me What You Want), MalMage, Mature, 2.3k

Power In Hope // Drain Me, SnowBaz, Mature, 700

The Last Time, MalMage, Mature, 2.6k

Green Is The Color, SnowBaz, Explicit, 2.7k

The Real Tragedy (Is How Many Years I've Lived Without You In Them), SnowBaz, Explicit, 53k

Eight Months (forever), SnowBaz, Explicit, 11.6k

The Last Leaf, SnowBaz, General, 650

What I Leave Behind (Icarus Remix), SnowBaz, Teen, 155

A Body., SnowBaz, Mature, 1.2k

Care For Me, SnowBaz, Teen, 2.2k

Thirst Trapped, SnowBaz, Explicit, 14k

Make It Real, SnowBaz, Teen, 1.2k

Sleeping // Not Sleeping, MalMage, Teen, 871

Hate is a Poison, SnowBaz, Explicit, 611

Any Way The Wind Blows, SnowBaz, General, 333

A Little More Hope, SnowBaz, Teen, 898

Any Way The Tissue Blows, SnowBaz, Teen, 1148

All You Need Are Scones, SnowBaz, Teen, 1079

In Whose Body I Inhabit, SnowBaz, Teen, 1435

Trick of the Lens, SnowBaz, Teen, 1694

Who Holds The Power, SnowBaz, Explicit, 2.7k

Some Tears We Keep, SnowBaz, Teen, 680

The Brownie Paradox, SnowBaz, General, 260

Turn Around (Don't), Lamb/Gerald, Teen, 450

An Unscheduled Stop, SnowBaz, Teen, 1.7k

Think Happy Thoughts, SnowBaz, Teen, 3.4k

White Christmas, SnowBaz, Explicit, 1.2k

Trouble Comes, SnowBaz, Teen, 900

A New Song, SnowBaz, General, Teen, 400

Promises, Promises, SnowBaz, Explicit, 3.5k

Santa Baby, SnowBaz, Teen, 5.7k (unfinished)

Trouble Goes, SnowBaz, Teen, 1.8k

Disturbed, Depraved (Delightful), SnowBaz, Explicit, 2.2k

the side bar, Brobelove, Teen, 750

A Pedicure For Loneliness, SnowBaz, Teen, 2.2k

Always is a Promise, SnowBaz, General, 960

A Whole Goddamn Buffet, Shittle, Explicit, 34k

Who Holds My Grief?, SnowBaz, Teen, 280

Rats Away!, SnowBaz, Teen, 930

Love is a Balm, SnowBaz, Explicit, 380

The Chosen One Bakery, SnowBaz, Teen, 2.4k

Out Of The Cold, SnowBaz, Teen, 1.8k

Trouble Always Finds Me, SnowBaz, Explicit, 2.5k

On a Scale of One to Ten, How Much Do You Want to Date Me Right Now?, SnowBaz, Teen, 10.5k

65 fics, 418k in total (though I'm sort of cheating, since I started at least three of my longfics in 2020)

Jesus Christ it hurt to make that list. Did I really write all of that??

more questions and answers below the cut 👇

Best/worst title?

For best, I really love Thirst Trapped; it just so perfectly embodies the fic, and helped set the plot when I got lost halfway through writing. (Although, for humor, does it get better than 5 Times Simon Tried To Use Baz's Fangs Like A Swiss Army Knife + 1 Time He Didn't?) I'm also pretty partial to The Real Tragedy (Is How Many Years I've Lived Without You In Them) even though I think it's a bit pretentious.

For worst, probably When I Feel Alive (I just have a love/hate relationship with this fic lol) because I always forget what it's about. The title just really doesn't do it for me.

Best/worst summary?

I'm pretty blah about summaries; I don't have the patience for them, generally like to leave bits of my story to be discovered rather than forewarned. So mine tend to be fairly short, except for longfics.

For best, I just really love the description for 5 Times Simon Tried To Use Baz's Fangs Like A Swiss Army Knife + 1 Time He Didn't which is simply: "Does what it says on the tin." Classic Christina-sarcasm. If I'm not going with a joke answer, I do also love my summary for The Real Tragedy even though I changed it about a million times while posting:

What if the Watford Tragedy never happened? The arrival of Davy Cadwalladar’s body on Pitch Manor’s doorstep sets in motion a chain of events that leave Basilton Grimm-Pitch wondering just how far he’ll go to prove, once and for all, that Simon Snow is real. All Simon Snow wants to do is tend bar and forget he was ever part of a vigilante group of Mages called ‘Davy’s Men.’ That his childhood love is gone forever, and everything he knew about himself is a lie. Until a mysterious vampire walks into his bar, his life. And his heart.

(Although part of me wishes I could have stopped with just that first line.)

For worst, probably my Love is a Balm fic because it's just "The companion piece to 'Hate is a Poison'" but how else do you describe a 380 word piece?

Best/worst first line?

I pride myself on good first lines...

But if I had to pick worst, it's actually probably from my piece A Christmas Pitch, because I copied The Christmas Prince:

“Chris. Chris!” I shout, chasing Watford Magazine’s head writer down the hallway.

It doesn't really set the tone of how this piece turned out, and does nothing to introduce the central drama.

As for BEST first line, I do have two that immediately come to mind, both from COC because I did work really hard on those opening lines (with a short piece, every sentence needs to punch):

From Out Of The Cold: "Winter adorns his curly hair with perfect snowflakes and I’m so in love it hurts."

From Love is a Balm: "I shatter myself into pieces on the stained mattress of my unfurnished flat."

Although, for humor, I really love “I can’t believe you bought us a race car bed, Snow.” from vroom vroom 2: Watford Drift.

Best/worst last line?

Oh man. A couple of candidates for best:

From vroom vroom 2: Watford Drift: "But we don’t invite Shepard in (not yet.) Instead, I pull Simon tight against me, snug in our bed (2017, ruby red. Perfect.)"

From The Real Tragedy: "Because now I know Tyrannus Basilton Grimm-Pitch is the love of my life.

And I’m going to find him.

Or my name isn’t Simon Snow." (I still get chills every time.)

But most of my best last lines are only good when paired with my first lines (I try to make them match whenever possible).

For my worst end line, ok and it's maybe not "the worst" worst but I really wish Turn Around (Don't) had a better ending: "I smile at the promise. And wait." It's no where near as punchy as I wanted it to be, but eh.

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

Um obviously more hahaha. I wrote 4 fics in 2020 and... 65 fics in 2021.

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

I mean, obviously my Shitty/Bittle story for the Check Please fandom, because a) I hadn't even read Check Please last year and b) it's a total rare pair. But I'm really please with how it turned out, even though it's never going to get the readership it deserves.

And smut as the genre because I thought I'd never do it, and here we are with 12 Explicit fics!

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

The Wrong Sider is always my answer to this, because it honestly reads like an actual novel to me, and I love all of the elements I wove into it. I think I could read it over, and over, and over again.

Okay, NOW your most popular story.

Hard to say? If we're going hits it's obviously The Wrong Sider but that's because the HP fandom is larger. In the SnowBaz world, it's obviously Thirst Trapped. I was overwhelmed with the response to that fic - like, I've never seen my inbox blow up like that before (and probably won't).

Story most underappreciated by the universe?

If we're going anticipated vs real, it's The Real Tragedy, even though it's honestly doing fine and people have been really receptive of it. I think I just expected more because of the amount of world-building I did for it.

If we're going straight up views/kudos, it's obviously my works that don't include big ship followings, like my MalMage fics, the OC/Lamb story I wrote, and my Agatha/Niamh piece. None of that really bothers me though.

There were a few COC pieces that I loved and felt sad when people weren't as interested in them, like Care For Me, Think Happy Thoughts and my Trouble series, but I really can't complain because I was churning out a lot of content at that time and it's understandable if pieces got lost.

Story that could have been better?

So many of my earlier smut works, Here Comes The Boy is one I think about a lot (I do love the premise, but I still feel like the beginning doesn't match the end and that bugs me).

Sexiest story?

Probably Disturbed, Depraved (Delightful) (which I wrote in one day because I couldn't find the energy to finish Santa Baby lol). I wanted it to reflect real sex, and not the storybook romance sex my fics normally portray.

Saddest story?

I've gotta go with Always is a Promise because it broke my heart to put Simon and Baz on opposite sides of the afterlife, yearning for one another. But also the Simon chapter in The Real Tragedy because him pretending to be tough and becoming increasingly disillusioned just really hurts.

Most fun?

Come on. It's my vroom vroom series obviously. Tell me they aren't a romp and a half. Like Baz, you hate that you like it.

Story with single sweetest moment?

I'm not sure? But I do love Simon taking care of Baz when Baz's mom doesn't Visit in Some Tears We Keep. Oh, and probably Harry using the Resurrection Stone so Baz and Simon can meet their moms in The Mirror Pair.

Hardest story to write?

Every story has its moments for the most part... but I did take a three month hiatus with A Christmas Pitch because I got so bored with it. Plus, it was my first longfic so there were definitely some painful moments.

Easiest/most fun story to write?

Hands down A Crack In The Wall. I think I wrote that fic over the course of a week because it possessed me and wouldn't let me stop. I spent half of Easter weekend at the beach writing it because the words wouldn't stop coming.

Did any stories shift your perceptions of the characters?

I mean, every story shifts my perceptions of the characters lol because in every story I bend them a bit to my own viewpoint. I will say in Fucking Ruthless the characters shifted MY perceptions because it refused to be written as I'd planned. I had to soften Baz to finish it.

Most overdue story?

Not sure what this means... I mean, I'm overdue for Santa Baby (but I think I left it at an OK stopping point, and I don't think it's a SUPER holiday fic despite the theme, so I'm ok finishing it in the new year.

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

I mean, writing 31 fics for COC, writing smut for the first time, writing my first textfic, writing for different fandoms and ships… I had a lot of writing firsts this year. I think one thing I’ve learned the most is how to start in the middle (honestly a problem because now I don’t want to write longfics anymore). I’ve also learned how to tell a story in a brief amount of time. And I’ve learned that while I’m never going to be a prolific smut writer I can pull it off when I want to (lol).

This year’s theme and the story that demonstrates it most:

You want me to analyze 65 fics and come up with a theme?!?! I mean, come on. The theme is always love, the different ways we find it, the different ways we express it, the different ways we deny it... in that case I think there are two stories that showcase my overall theme, the pairing of The Chain (Tell Me What You Want) and Who Holds The Power, which are meant to be parallel fics that show MalMage vs SnowBaz.

What are your fic writing goals for next year this year?

Is it weird that I don’t really have any? I did so much this past year I just want to… enjoy it. I know I’m getting closer to wanting to write my original fiction. I’d like to finish my Phantom piece, and maybe write another SnowBaz longfic, but other than that I'm kind of "whatever happens, happens" about the new year.

[caitybug]

16 - with love from flammable-grimm-pitch

16. Kissing Knuckles

 Thanks so much for the prompt @flammable-grimm-pitch!!!! This was also requested by another non, and by @bazzybelle <3

You can also read it on ao3 here :D

Baz

Simon Snow is always getting into trouble. Whether it’s with some magickal creature, me, or himself- it’s a constant norm.

The only time I get a respite from seeing him bruised and cut up is during the summer holidays. 

But when I walk into a bakery, picking an order up for Daphne, I am horrified.

Simon Snow is walking out, hair buzzed short, and a gash across his face, eye bruised.

It takes me a second to even recognize him. 

(I’d recognize him everywhere, however. I know how he smells, the sound of his heart, his blue eyes.)

He stops, hands opening the white paper bag that holds whatever baked good he’s bought. (Smells like a scone, I believe.) 

I raise my hand up in an awkward attempt at a wave. He frowns, but nods his head in response. 

He looks…. 

(Worn?)

(Ragged?)

Broken.

I picture, for a moment, as we both stand there staring at each other. Two lives that only exist together in one space, finding each other in a different place.

(I never considered this. That I’d see Snow outside of Watford.)

I picture myself reaching forward and grabbing his bag, and forcing him to come with me. 

I’d clean his face, find out why it happened. (What caused it… Who caused it.) 

I would kiss any tears off his cheeks, run my hands over his head, dreaming of his curls that come back in the fall. They’re as wild and lovely as he is. 

I’d take his hand and kiss each knuckle after wiping off the blood. (I’d not taste it. I wouldn’t ever.) I’d whisper promises with intent to keep him safe. 

Safe from whoever or whatever hurts him.

The humdrum.

The mage.

Me.

He clears his throat and I’m jostled from my daydream, staring ahead again at the boy (man, he’s a man now. I can see that. Someone who probably wasn’t allowed to be a boy, not for a long time.) in front of me. 

He opens his mouth and I wonder what he’ll say.

He closes it again, letting out a deep sigh.

Simon Snow, use your words.

(Please.)

He walks past me, shoulder bumping mine and causing me to lose my footing slightly. 

I close my eyes and try to take him in. The feel of his shoulder against mine, the scent he’s left behind. 

I open them back up and walk through the bakery doors, glancing down the sidewalk to see him.

But he’s already gone. It’s as if he was never there. 

I can’t help but wonder, however, where he’s going. What he’s doing. 

And on the off chance I can run into him again, I place another order for a few days from now.

[captain-aralias]

Thirsty Thursday recs - Happy Birthday, Wayward Son!

firstly - i rec @vkelleyart‘s episode of The One True Podcast which i really enjoyed. vanessa explains the ship really well, and there’s a lovely bit of thoughtful meta about love and magic just before the first break which is really smart and good. plus, it’s got lots of good recs, and vanessa’s voice is really easy to listen to. 

lots of the fics i’ve recced before have updated, so here’s a reminder to check out Not an Idiot (now complete!), Departures and Arrivals by @amywaterwings, Moments from Watford Bakery by @scone-lover, Arrival of the birds by @vampire-named-gampire

--

Wayward Son recs

since it’s the anniversary of ‘wayward son’ being released, i thought i’d theme my recs around that book. when thinking about what i wanted to rec, i discounted loads of fics i love that had shepard or lamb in them but weren’t about those characters, as well as fics that are canon-compliant, but not strongly about WS. 

pretty sure i’ve recced all these fics before - and they’re all pretty well known. but i’m gonna rec them anyway. here we go.

new characters

storm chaser by @basic-banshee - gen

shepard’s origin story. i think it’s unlike anything else in the fandom for the care it takes over this character and the way his story is completely his own. great characterisation. lots of fun.  

Pattern Recognition by @sourcherrymagiks​ - teen

there are other penny/shepard fics, but this is probably my favourite - again, because of how much it focuses on them and isn’t at all about my favs. lovely, awkward but awkward in a completely differen tway to snowbaz. 

Only Ever Kissed Before by bucketmouse - Baz/Lamb, explicit

baz/lamb. the only one of its kind. it’s really great. sexy, awful. 

they broke up, but then they didn’t

How Shall I Love Thee When You are Gone? by DefinitelyYou - explicit

this has a great plot based around shepard’s demon (and nice penny/shepard in the background) but it’s also here largely because after simon breaks up with him, baz learns about his vampirism from Lamb, which i really like. also - the ache of them not being together is so good. 

watch the sun rise  by @xivz​ - explicit

another really plotty fic that digs deep into the snippets of lore we get - shepard’s demon, fairies, vampirism (blood drinking - thank you), the third gate. so much amazing smart stuff going on here, as well as a lovely re-get together. 

i also like the mystery of love of course, but this one pips it with all the interesting magickal creature ideas. 

Once more, with feeling by @fox--diaz - teen

break-up now with more pandemic! everything is super awkward and well characterised. communication fail and then resolution

they didn’t break up, but had work to do

Three-Chord Progression by @krisrix - explicit

one of my absolute favourites of all time. so many little things about the characterisation are things that i want to take for myself, i love the slow unfolding of the getting better - and the ‘story’ ending. 

wayward son that wasn’t

There'll Be Peace When You Are Done by somekindofpath

unlike the others, this isn’t inspired by ‘wayward son’ at all. it was written first and before the plot was even announced, but feels like it belongs on this list. an alternate WS where penny and micah didn’t break up, and they did talk about their problems. i’ve recced this so many times - but it’s such a great fic. 

--

i also think my own ‘wayward son’ fics are ok! they are: 

Coming up for air - they didn’t break up, but had work to do

Greener Grass - bodyswap AU

so yes. happy birthday, wayward son! my feelings towards you remain conflicted.

[pipsqueakparker]

first line meme

i saw @annabellelux and a couple others tag me on this, so i’ll try to do this as well (if tumblr doesn’t destroy everything 😂) 

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have less than 20, just list them all!). See if there are any patterns. Choose your favourite opening line.

I’ll go ahead and put these under a cut, there’s gonna be a weird mix of smut and non-smut, so be warned (i don’t think any of the opening lines are too graphic, but fics are)

And I’ll tag @caitybuglove23, @thehoneyedhufflepuff, @krisrix, @sharkmartini, @scone-lover & anyone else that wants to do this!

breaking routine 

I don’t know what’s gotten into Baz lately, but whatever it is, it’s a blessing in disguise. Or whatever the saying is.

thank you steve jobs 

“I’ve got an idea.”

Those words frequently scare me when they come out of Snow’s mouth, but somehow even more so when we’re on separate sides of the city, connected only by the small screens of our phones. My screen is mostly dark, with a flash of light or color here and there as Snow walks through his flat. He’s living with Bunce and I’m still staying at Fiona’s—it’s just easier right now, to be this way.

the one with the frogs 

We’re meant to be putting up the Christmas decorations tonight, but Baz won’t let me off the sofa. Our Christmas tree is still boxed up somewhere in the flat, mixed up with some other boxes of decorations we’ve brought in recently. And Baz is nestled into my side, both arms wrapped tightly around my middle, his nose pressed into my cheek. We were going to watch a film while we decorated, but I think he’s gotten a bit distracted.

“Enjoying yourself?” I ask, my voice soft and low. I want to turn to look at him, but I feel the tip of his nose press deeper into my cheek and find myself laughing. He gets especially soft and silly around the holidays.

twinkle 

It’s dark, nothing lighting up the night except for the sliver of moon peeking out over us. Stars twinkle among the wisps of clouds, in and out of my field of vision.

The only thing clear about tonight is the swell in my chest when I watch Simon swoop down over the treetops, wings beating powerfully as he makes a sharp turn. Thank Crowley for my heightened sight; I can make out the individual bones in those mighty wings, the way his curls get tousled by the wind, and the grin split across his face.

Simon Snow is a vision.

love’s not a competition (but we’re winning) 

Baz is on top of me, pressing me into the mattress with his entire body.

reconnecting for christmas 

I’m not a grinch, or a scrooge.

I don’t hate Christmas; I just hate all of the ridiculous expectations that come along with it. The ugly jumpers, the secret Santas, the grown adults trampling each other and trading blows over toys.

The annual holiday parties held at my university that I’m always forced to attend because my cousin is a fucking horror.

chore negotiation 

It started as a joke.

Well, mostly a joke. I hate doing the washing up after dinner; the only thing worse than the Humdrum is a sink full of dirty dishes. Every moment I spent in front of the sink felt like a special kind of torture. (Maybe that’s an exaggeration.) (But not much of one.)

scary movie 

“Let’s watch a scary movie,” Simon suggests. At seven in the morning.

His face is just inches away from mine, eyes bright like it isn’t seven in the fucking morning.

I glare at him.

And then I turn my back to him and go back to sleep.

Because it’s seven in the fucking morning.

poorly timed christmas decorations 

Someone has taken it upon themselves to decorate Mummers for the holidays.

I’m actually fairly certain it was a group of someones, and I wouldn’t be surprised to discover that my ridiculous cousin and his roommate were at the helm of the poor decisions. Niall genuinely wants to start celebrating Christmas as early as possible, but Dev just wants to create chaos.

There are lights wrapped around the railings and hung over the walls, wreaths on every door, and poinsettias on each landing. If it weren’t the middle of October it might be nice. However, it is the middle of October.

carving pumpkins 

Baz is good at a lot of things. He’s smart, fit, athletic, flexible, charming, etc. He’s an expert at nearly everything, at least that’s what he’d have you believe. It’s what he’s had me believe for the longest time. It’s part of what made me hate him so much. (Suppose that wasn’t as much hate as I thought initially, though, was it?)

Anyway, Baz is good at shit, and it’s annoying.

spooky ghosts 

I don’t know what prompted me to open my mouth as I was leaving Watford.

I don’t know what possessed him to accept such an offer.

But somehow, by the grace of either Merlin or Crowley (potentially a little of both), Simon Snow is at my family home for the winter holidays.

black cats 

Sometimes Snow can be a mad genius.

And sometimes he’s just mad.

witch hats 

It’s our next to last day — well, my last day, I suppose — at Watford.

We’ve a whole ceremony to deal with, us eighth years. It’s strange to be preparing for this without Snow or Bunce.

new candles 

Coping mechanisms are something we’ve been talking about a lot in therapy. Healthy ones and unhealthy ones.

Apparently I had a lot of unhealthy ones for a long time. I didn’t even realize until my therapist pointed them out to me, but we’re trying to replace them with healthier ones.

cinnamon spice 

Simon’s working late tonight.

He got a new job at this little bakery on the other side of town. He positively loves it, I swear he came home after his first day already best friends with the entire staff. I don’t blame them, Simon’s a delight.

warm apple cider 

“We should get lunch,” Simon says, swinging our joined hands between us as we follow a dirt path toward a picnic area.

Bunce asked us if we could find our way out of the flat today, she and the Normal wanted some alone time. I was just going to take Simon back to my flat, but Fiona decided she would be coming back early from her trip, knocking that option out. (Not that I don’t love my aunt, but sometimes it’s just easier to keep her away from Simon. For my sanity’s sake.)

We were just going to drive around for a bit, maybe find somewhere to spend some time, try to have our own day to ourselves. Simon ended up looking up events happening around and found this little autumnal festival, which is where we ended up.

fuzzy socks & a book 

Snow always teases me when I wear these socks, but they’re soft, and warm, and nice. They run up well past my ankle, about mid-calf, and they’re sherpa-lined so they’re especially insulated and soft. They also have two little vampire teeth at the top, and two little leathery black wings that stick out from the ankles.

Mordelia picked them out when she was around six or seven, Daphne was just properly tickled by them and put them into my stocking that Christmas. Several years later I’m still wearing them.

They’re nice.

take two 

We’ve not talked about the clone incident since that day.

In fact, we’ve not talked much since that day. Full stop.

We kissed until our lips were sore, until we were both gasping for breath, until the sun went down and the shadows lay over us and we fell asleep.

The next morning I woke up in his bed. He was nowhere to be found. He didn’t show up to breakfast, or lunch, or dinner. He was absent from all of our classes. I didn’t see him again for nearly two full days.

baby animals 

Baz is letting me hunt with him.

Well, not hunt with him, really. But he’s letting me go out with him. Into the woods behind his family house.

I know how hard it is for him to let me in on this part of him, the whole vampire thing. He’s trying.

(basil the) scarecrow  

Simon Snow was well into middle age now, as he carried his two youngest to bed.