#I really... need to use the bookmark feature in AO3 more...

[starcurtain]

Hi! I love your analysis posts, you always manage to make them fun educational, well-written and made with earnest love of both the source material and the fans interacting with it.

I hope this ask isn't too much of a bother, but could you please post some haikaveh fic recs too? I just finished binging all your ratiOrine recs. Thank you very much. I am sorry to disturb you if this is something you have already done/have no interest in doing.

Thank you!

Ahhhhhhhhh, I really can't make fanfic rec lists; I am not smart enough to remember to save the fics that make the biggest impressions on me as I go along, and my memory is so poor that I can almost never remember the titles or authors of fics even in the rare cases where I can remember the plots...

So instead of an actual rec list, I'll just give you a sampling of my AO3 history for Alhaitham/Kaveh. Hopefully there will be something new that you like in this!

The House, The Home, You and Me by sonotfine

click to apply by kylohkay, Queronea

fantastical, but true by heartslogos

A tree is known by its fruit (a man by its deeds) by moonleif

The Dragon Rises in Wartime by SkySpider

An Emergency Decision by iridescentmirrorshkvh

Wondrous Times by fungus_with_empathy

That Which Did Us 'Part, Revisited also by sonotfine

Symbiosis by heradia

Machine Learning by thvndaga (honestly, I think anything by this author is probably a safe bet!)

Out of the reallyyyy popular Alhaitham/Kaveh fics, I think burn up, burn out by alcyonenight is my favorite, along with what are we by lionkeychain and truck, barter, and trade by Seungshi03.

I hope this meets the request!

[illusionremember]

I'm going through old fic from fanfictionnet and LiveJournal to put together some fic rec lists for a niche fandom whose heyday was pre-Tumblr and pre-Ao3, which is really fun, but also has me thinking again about the people that apparently filter on Ao3 according to hits, kudos, and comments because like... you guys realize that's completely inaccurate read on how good or well-loved a fic is, right?

Ao3's numbers & stats are not actually comprehensive for the individual fic or writer, and only reflects the attention they got on Ao3 according to when that fic landed there, which is not the same thing as its publication date.

For example, I found a fic on Ao3 that I remember reading on LJ more than a decade ago. I also tracked it down again on LJ (og posted 2007!) and it has 83 comments. It was written by a well-respected and beloved writer in the community. Meanwhile, they only recently this year crossposted this fic to Ao3, where it had literally 0 hits before I found it today.

Or like, for a more personal example, in April I cleared out my own fanfictionnet account. I'm still working on crossposting my work to preserve it, but because I backdate them to their OG date of publication, they also appear to be old fic with zero hits, kudos, bookmarks, or comments. Meanwhile on fanfictionnet I had roughly 90,000 hits and 500 comments spread across all my fic, altogether, across all the time that I posted there. None of that stats shows up on Ao3.

Hits/kudos/comment metrics are not an accurate measure of the quality of a piece of work. The backdating feature on Ao3 is valuable for accurate archiving, but if you're someone that pays attention to how much attention other people give a work, it can drastically skew your perception of those numbers. Backdating can also give the false notion that a work has been abandoned, when it's entirely likely that the author is actively thinking about or even working on their fic, but only recently crossposted it because when they wrote it they weren't on Ao3. And i see so many people saying they won't comment because they think it was made so long ago surely the author has forgotten it existed. I guarantee you that's not the case. Ao3 is still relatively recent in the grand scheme of fandom platforms. We may love it dearly for the security it has granted us, and the excellent tagging and filtering system, but It has never been the be-all, end-all of fandom. There's so much amazing work still out there on other websites. If you're in a niche fandom and not having any luck on Tumblr or Ao3, then maybe you need to look on fanfictionnet, or LiveJournal, or dreamwidth.

And stop obsessing over Ao3 stats.

TL;DR On Ao3 you should be determining the fic you want to read based on the summary & tags, not on kudos/hits/comment numbers. Those numbers are for the authors and mean literally nothing for readers.

[pinkpastels113]

what are some of your favorite bechloe fics

hm hm i highly recommend you (all) to check out my bookmarks on ao3 (here's the rec only version) but my top favs and the ones that make me foam at the mouth are:

you're two steps forward (i'm one step back) by @becasbelt

ANGST where beca and chloe JUST missed each other sigh bc they are idiots

hold me tight (or don't) also by @becasbelt

relatable bc like beca i am also touch starved

This is Not a Kia Commercial (But It Sure Feels Like It) by wherehopelies

this one was funny sdfgfkfh (for the older bechloe fans: REMEMBER THE HAMSTER FIC LMAO)

she used to meet me on the east side and baby, i know places we won't be found by @cheapthrillsbeca

i remember the chaos when it was being live updated lmao. first one is a roommates kinda situation where beca has to go through chloe's room to get to hers (railroad apartment) and the second one is where they are famous!! celebrities & acting and spiciness ensue!!

show me your teeth same author again!!

this one needs to be separate bc i am a mess over vampire chloe i fear and beca has some Feelings when chloe drinks her blood

this is a beautiful start (to a lifelong love letter) by thelastpoisonapple

hogwarts au featuring ravenclaw beca and actually liking magic after falling in love with chloe

blues and purple pink skies by @pulledpurplecurtains

this fic is why i'm kind of a softie for childhood friends au fics now i fear BC HELP THEY ARE EACH OTHER'S COMFORT SINCE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL and a person really can change a lot as they grow up with a certain character!!! i feel like chloe has become more snarky due to having beca as a childhood best friend :>>

Winter Dreams (Beca's Song) by @lets-talk-appella

christmas fic that actually felt magical <33

My My How Could I Resist Ya? by @ridiculously-over-obsessed

mama mia au!! i actually read this before even watching the movie lol but it is so good!

i also recommend @someone--stupid and @suituuup 's fics!!

there are DEFINITELY a lot that i have missed esp since my marked for later page is 30 pages long SDJHSGFKF and since it's been a while since i've actively searched to read bechloe fics... (i've mostly just been reading works from mutuals and kind of deviating into other fandoms) but i do hope you (and anyone else who's curious) enjoy them!! lemme know what you think

[koi-illust]

Back to Sith Luke/Din fanfic after indulging myself in BobaDin for a long while!

I definitely love light side Luke just as much, but for some reason Sith Luke or nearly-cross-the-line Luke/Din really excites me… Probably because I love putting my favorite character through some whump? Dark Luke feels like the executioner on my behalf, hehe😈❤️‍🔥

(And Luke for sure is an expert at hiding his demon side behind his angelic face. I also love this contrast!)

—

One thing about me has changed since I became obsessed with M/M stories featuring Din Djarin.

I used to hate reading unfinished fanfics, so I usually applied the “complete works only” filter on AO3 or bookmarked stories that caught my interest, reading them only after they were finished.

When there are plenty of complete stories, this habit doesn't affect me much. But if there aren't many—like Top Luke/Bottom Din—it really leaves me starving if I insist on not reading unfinished stories…

So, it’s time to change, and surprisingly, it hasn’t hurt as much as I thought when reading an unfinished work. “The process is more important than the results”, I guess? I need to cherish and be grateful for what I have. 🥹

[thousandstories]

hey do u hv fic recs ?

i do! disclaimer that these are only a few of many amazing fics in this fandom. (also check individual works for content warnings.) i went pretty much exclusively from my bookmarks on ao3 as that's just where i save my favourites- i've tagged the authors if i know their tumblrs but otherwise check out their ao3 profiles <3

Heaven Is Not Fit by bloodofkingsonmytrousers / @you-know-i-get-itt (Jean/Renee / Jean & Renee, Time Loop AU)

honestly everything gia writes is incredible but this is one of my favourites. jeanee timeloop au with incredible twists & turns and an insane amount of emotion. i'd say more but if any fic deserves a spoiler-free reading experience it's this one. 100/10 ruined me for a month and counting.

anytime, always by kevjean (Kevin/Jean, Canon Compliant- Post-Canon)

post-canon, professional exy players kevin/jean where kevin's still trying to work through the trauma of his earlier years and jean seems to have made a lot more progress in healing (spoiler alert, they've both got stuff to work through). featuring biker jean, minor breaking-and-entering, and some lovely OCs. absolutely adore this fic.

we carry our own weight by wyverning / @wyverningx (Jeremy/Jean, Canon Divergence)

insanely well-done text-fic where jeremy messages the wrong number and finds himself regularly texting jean. it follows canon so well, the amount of research that goes into depicting the events is amazing. i don't want to give spoilers but the author really uses the medium to their advantage & everyone is so in-character (seriously, the jeremy dialogue especially feels like something straight from tsc). it's part of a series & it's excellent.

take yourself home by moonix (Neil/Andrew, No Exy AU)

amazing no-exy au where aaron only finds out andrew exists when tilda dies from non-car-murder-related causes. what follows is a mad race among his friends (the foxes) to track his twin down. i haven't really summarised the plot because spoilers, but it's excellent: the andrew POV is so well-written & his interactions with the various characters are perfect.

eyes wide open by jaylocked (Jeremy/Jean, No Exy AU)

love this one. despite being written several years pre-tsc, the characterisations are still absolutely amazing (not that them being different would be a deal-breaker, but it's still so impressive how the author took the hints of their personalities from the original aftg books and reached such a similar destination.) also jean has a service dog called napoleon & he's perfect (and jeremy's a high school english teacher!)

Lavender for Luck by Mercey / @merceyca (Kevin/Neil/Andrew, Witch AU)

please everyone read this, i need someone to talk about it with. practical magic/witch au where kevin escapes from the raven coven with jean and ends up being found by andrew and neil. kandreil shenanigans ensue. featuring neil having heartwrenchingly-fitting powers, andrew being insanely powerful, and riko getting a deserved fate. also jean is a cat and it works so well. (and while i was getting the link for this fic i saw the author's made it part of a wider series (though it's the only work at the moment) so that's my day made.)

[steddieunderdogfics]

This week’s writer spotlight feature is:  katdeerly! @katdeerly has 3 fics posted to AO3 in the Stranger Things fandom and all of them are in the Steddie tag!

Our anonymous nominator recommends the following works by katdeerly:

Here For A Reason

you remind me of someone (it's probably you)

if you were a melody (i used only the good notes)

"Each of katdeerlys fics are like putting on a comfort movie, sitting back and enjoying. Each story is visual and dynamic and I've gone back to read them as comfort fics over and over. The ensemble casts, the characterizations, the ensemble cast. It's all so good and I return to them like a warm cup of soup and blanket around my shoulders." -- Anonymous

Below the cut, katdeerly answered some questions about their writing process and some of their recommended work!

Why do you write Steddie?

I write Steddie because it was the first pairing in a really long time that affected me enough to get back into writing and fanfic and fandom in general! I was dealing with a lot of big personal life changes when S4 came out and I somehow fell into Steddie fic, so it wasn’t long after reading that the itch to write finally hit. I love the duality of Steve & Eddie’s dynamic - on the surface, they are the stereotypical “opposites attract” but when you examine who they really are as characters, there is so much they share: caring, self-sacrificing, passionate, thoughtful. Even from their few interactions in canon, there was so much to build on and so much unexplored potential.

What’s your favorite trope to READ?

I love angst, so really any trope that inspires that, like a good miscommunication or misunderstanding. And I believe all the best relationships are rooted in friendship, so I love a friends to lovers or a second chances fic. And always need a happy ending!

What’s your favorite trope to WRITE?

Doing this exercise really made me take a big picture look at my stories so far – so apparently, my favorite tropes to write are slow burn, found family, romcom AU, with a little forced proximity, slice of life, character study.

What’s your favorite Steddie fic?

I literally have too many to count, I have an obscene number of private bookmarks on AO3. The ones I’ve reread the most are probably “Exactly What It Looks Like” by Bilbosmom, “You Taste Just Like New York” by IrisLanding, “Dog Days of Summer” by WabiSabiPapi, “Buy Local: Steve Harrington’s Guide to Modern Sexuality” by loudsnapdragon, “swing for the fences” by occassional_loverboy, “Tuesday’s Gone With the Wind” by thisapplepielife, among many others…

Is there a trope you’re excited to explore in a future work but haven’t yet?

I’d really love to do a future fic. I’ve written a lot about first falling in love (and for good reason!), but I like the idea of showing something more lived in, a well-worn but well-loved relationship or something about the passage of time and grappling with the “what could have been”s and roads not taken.

What is your writing process like?

SLOW. Not actually but currently? Yes, it’s slow. I find myself needing to really immerse myself into the story to write and edit from the mindless scribbles that my outlines start out as and sometimes that takes more time and energy than I find myself with, especially during the week. I write mostly in sprints where I set aside a few hours to get out a big chunk in one sitting. So I guess my writing process is: sporadic and finicky. Oops.

Do you have any writing quirks?

Not so much a quirk but a lot of my initial outlining happens in the middle of the night while I’m half-asleep. I set the brightness on my computer on low, close my eyes, and “stream of consciousness” write without looking. Which means my first outlines are usually riddled with misspellings and logical leaps that make no sense in the light of day.

Do you prefer posting when you’ve finished writing or on a schedule?

I post as I go. I usually have everything vaguely outlined but (as noted above), sometimes revisiting my middle-of-the-night draft weeks or months later means I’ve backed myself into a corner or what I’ve outlined doesn’t fit into what eventually made it onto the page in earlier chapters. So, in the spirit of “it’s good enough”, I post as things actually get written!

Which fic are you most proud of?

“if you were a melody”, if for the only reason that it’s the first fic I finished! It’s the first time I really got the rush of getting engaged readers as I was posting and I’ve received the most lovely comments on it. It was also definitely the most fully formed in my mind before I even started writing, which made it feel almost effortless from the beginning.

How did you get the idea for Here For A Reason?

When I first started reading Steddie, after S4, the pieces of the storytelling I connected with the most were about what came after - after the trauma, after the healing, after you start putting yourself back together. I loved the idea of starting from scratch, but not starting from a clean slate. You bring everything with you, for better or worse, so for me, the story really started from this place of having both Eddie and Steve recognize where they are, what they have to build on, and decide where they want to go next, together.

When writing Here For A Reason, what was something you didn’t expect?

what was something you didn’t expect? This story was the first thing I wrote in a really, really long time. Until I got back into fanfic via Steddie, I had a mental block on creative writing for years. I look back on the early chapters and I cringe! So I guess what was most surprising to me about this story was the fact that it allowed me to find my voice as a writer again. Reading back, I can see myself experimenting and finding my style, so just the sheer rediscovery of this passion of mine is something I never expected.

What inspired you remind me of someone (it's probably you)?

I came up with “if you were a melody” after a drunken movie marathon of The Holiday and White Christmas, sprinkled in with a little Stick Season by Noah Kahan, and after I finally finished it, I still had romcoms on the brain - and my favorite movie of all time is While You Were Sleeping. Looking back across all my fics, they all seem to stem from a character’s inherent loneliness and then tripping their way into love and community (oh boy, let’s not delve into that particular inherent trauma too deeply). And apparently, I was not done telling that type of story! Lucy in the movie is truly that lonely but loveable character archetype, and I found it translated so well to my favorite Steddie dynamic to write.

What was your favorite part to write from you remind me of someone (it's probably you)?

Honestly, delving into the character motivations! While “Steddie but make it romcom!” seems simple on the surface, I spent a lot of time trying to make the character motivations realistic. What inspires Steve to keep the lie going? Why would Wayne keep encouraging this absolutely insane scenario? What would ultimately get Eddie to forgive Steve in the end?

How do/did you feel writing if you were a melody (i used only the good notes)?

It was so fun! Yes, there’s angst and obstacles, but ultimately the time pressure of the set-up and the “love at first sight” nature of the Steddie dynamic made it so easy to write their relationship journey and really intertwine the fluff and the angst, the mistakes and the inevitable happy ending. I also just really loved Eddie in this one, confident and competent but still a chaotic goofball at heart.

What was the most difficult part of writing if you were a melody (i used only the good notes)?

I didn’t want the happy ending to seem too easy or inevitable! They were so clearly in love but with Steve really trying to be strong and not fall into old patterns, having him realize that pride at the expense of happiness isn’t worth it and that trusting in love again after heartbreak is one of the bravest, strongest things to do - again, really making sure his emotional journey made sense. And also, exploring Eddie’s POV in the epilogue was challenging just for the sheer logistics of how he would have done all the things he needed to do; I had a spreadsheet with different time zones for each character’s story beats.

Do you have a favorite scene and/or line from any of your fics?

Honestly, I have a terrible memory for specific lines, I’m sure I wrote some good ones? I remember scenes and emotions more so than specific lines – so the blue wall at the end of “if you were a melody”, the downtown Chicago rooftop at sunrise in “you remind me of someone”, Eddie & Steve at the tattoo parlor in “Here for a Reason”… all of those evoke the same feeling in me, of the two boys experiencing something intimate and magical, of finally giving in to that undeniable pull between them.

Do you have any upcoming projects or fics you’d like to share/promote?

Oh god, I don’t want to embarrass myself by promising or promoting anything in the future when I’m such a slow writer! It is my solemn vow that every fic of mine will be completed. Not to say I don’t have a few plot bunnies hopping around in my head, but in terms of anything specific, I guess I’ll know more after my next sleepless night…

Outside of these questions, Is there anything YOU would like to add?

It was truly such an honor to be asked to do this! Life has been rough and writing has been slow, so taking the time to look back and explore my own process and fics was such a lovely, much-needed reminder of why I love fanfic and this Steddie community. Thank you for thinking of me, and thank you to anyone who decides to read one of my stories because of this.

Thank you to our author, @Katdeerly, and our nominator! See more of katdeerly's works featured on our page throughout the day!

Writer’s Spotlight is every Wednesday! Want to nominate an author? You can nominate them here!

[doonarose]

12345 Writer Tag Game!

Rules: Give us the links to your fic with the most hits, second most kudos, third most comments, fourth most bookmarks, fifth most words, and fic with the least words (feel free to interpret however you would like; if not on AO3, can be on Tumblr or FFNET, etc)!

Thanks for the tag, @kneelbeforeyourdogbabylon!! I needed something to do during a boring teams meeting today!

(excluding collabs for reasons!)

MOST HITS

(E, 33k, canon-compliant, first time sex, slowburn series, Crowley has damage, top!Aziraphale is sexual as fuck, wet and messy, multiple orgasms, rough oral, also some buttsex - a smorgasbord) Pulled. Oh, my darling boy… this makes me so pleased. This is the entire reason I started writing fic for the first time in eight years, it was to get to here – them fucking sweet and dirty, for the first, epic time. Now, it predictably took me eight or nine other fics in a series to get them and all their damage (Crowley, I am looking at you) to an emotional state in which they could fully indulge, but it was so worth it for me and clearly for several of you lot! Crazy that it's got over 14,000 hits!!

SECOND MOST KUDOS

(E, 20k, canon-compliant, food and Aziraphale eating feature heavily, Crowley fantasizes so pretty much everything is obliquely on the table, mind the chapter tags) Okay, I’m gonna cheat here, because Pulled is actually my second most kudos’s fic… I’ll say that Esurient Designs, which is a chapter longer than Pulled and sits right before it in the Osculations series. That maybe indicates it’s a slightly better fic (and honestly it probably is more a well-crafted, artsy little thing)… It was meant to be a paragraph leading into the sexy times of Pulled, a quick description that Aziraphale and Crowley had shared a long lunch and it had been quite the (accidental?) seduction. When I first drafted that paragraph it was three pages of exposition on the restaurant and the courses and the fantasies it provoked for Crowley. And the way I remember it, my beta, @anything-thats-rock-and-roll said either kill it down to a couple of sentences or write it properly… So 20k of food and kinky fantasy later… et voila.

THIRD MOST COMMENTS

(WIP, E, 35k so far, human-AU) In Headlights. Ouch. Okay, point made. This is a half-written human-AU WIP which I never planned to stop writing but I managed eight chapters, 35k and then just… stopped. The story is still all there in my head, and some on the page, but I’ve just not managed any of it for months. Soon, I am hoping, to get back to it. And with 178 comments I really do kind of owe it to people!

FOURTH MOST BOOKMARKS

(E, 8k, canon-compliant, fight over the final fifteen, love confessions, fuck, frottage, mutual masturbation, desk sex) This one is a classic. Precarious, But Worth It. That’s even a good title! In my journey writing the Osculations series (which was basically escalating kisses until some mind-blowing sex) it occurred to me I had not written sex for almost a decade and it was also taking me a very long time to get to it. So this was written in between fics in that series, as a oneshot, to cut the corners, just get down to business type thing. I now have several similar oneshots but this was my first and it is a fun little romp with some feelings and bickering over the final fifteen and then an appropriate level of sweetness. As a oneshot it’s amazing to see it is bookmarked 224 times!

FIFTH MOST WORDS

(E, 18k, first-time sex in a Roman bathhouse, top!Crowley, cockwarming, slight exhibitionism/voyeurism) Ignoring a few collabs, this one is A Bathhouse Pretense which is kind of hilarious because this was totally meant to be a wam bam thank you mam sexy times oneshot and instead it ended up 18k over two chapters that took like… three months to complete. And it was a gift exchange fic so I was in a total hole freaking out about the delay. And I panicked at some of the tropes being outside my wheelhouse. It’s actually a pretty sexy little number, looking back at it.

LEAST WORDS

(G, 405 words, a very innocuous kiss) I totally thought this would be something else. Forgot that this was so very, very short! Entr'acte was the fourth story in the Osculation series and I think the first jump forward... like the first three were that actual first three kisses in a row, this was after they'd kissed dozens of times. But then this was the first kiss where they weren't both thinking about it. Which is kind of delicious and also so innocuous I really didn't need many words. Also, totally a G rating, it's so particularly soft and innocent. Also, short enough that the fabulous @nosferatini podficced it which was lovely!

This was fun!! I'm guessing a lot of you have already done it but feel free to join in! Names off the top of my head would be: @sixbynine-da, @anything-thats-rock-and-roll, @eybefioro, @lemon-tart-221, @gaiaseyes451

[unculturedmamoswine]

Fiddauthor Recs

Ya want a Fiddauthor rec list??? You got it. This is just some fiddauthor I have in my bookmarks, in no particular order. I’m not adding warnings, so pay attention to the tags and such. If a fic is a WIP, I’ll let you know. And please DO add your own recs in comments or reblogs, especially if you know of fics that aren’t on AO3!

 If you read these fics, please consider leaving kudos and comments for the authors!

We’re Still Here by hellmandraws

Not fic, but a fan comic starting with college fiddauthor and going all the way through post-series. So great and really worth a read!

rumination: a guided tour by gesso (1.9k words)

Author’s summary: For all the words, expressions, languages he knows; for all the intelligence, experience -- sometimes it's just easier to show, rather than tell. And maybe that means using the mindscape to just pull up very specific memories in a certain order. Because Stanford Pines would much rather take the most convoluted route possible, especially if that means he can avoid plainly talking about his emotions (past and present). [Unlike the other drabbles in this series, this is not complete, and cuts off kind of abruptly at the end of the draft I have]

This fic is sooo worth a read. Technically a WIP, but don’t let that dissuade you.

Somnus Idigus by Abyssalzones (2k words)

Author’s summary: It's hard to sleep, still, nearly a full year after Bill's defeat. Ford manages to be coaxed to bed by kind words and gentle hands, and wonders just what he did to deserve this kind of understanding. (AKA: Ford has nightmares, keeps trying to put off sleep, Fiddleford manages to lovingly wrangle him to bed.)

Sooo sweet! The exact kind of post-canon snuggly Fiddauthor fic I need in this world!

Intricate Rituals by HazelnutofFortune (1.5k words)

Author’s summary: “Fiddleford,” Ford says. He hates asking for help. 

“Mmm?” Fiddleford asks, looking up, scalpel still raised. 

“ Um, could you show me how to get at that big clump next to the Aorta?” How humiliating. Why did he even ask. Except-

“Well, sure,” Fiddleford sets down the heart and takes Ford’s a little gingerly. My heart is in his hands, Ford thinks. Fuck. 

Extremely cute! A WIP! College Fiddauthor and Ford is soooo smitten.

Jersey Boy by Fordtato (110k words)

Author’s summary: Ford does not want to be at Backupsmore University. He should be in California, at West Coast Tech, showing the world that he's more than a freakish waste of space from Jersey; showing the world that he's more than the scrawny, brainy half of a dynamic duo. He's angry, sure, and he's sure-as-fuck tired of being just one-of-two-Stans.

But who isn't angry right now? The world is in turmoil, they're sending our boys to Vietnam and if it wasn't for this stupid school, Ford would have probably been sucked into the draft himself.

But then he meets Fiddleford Hadron McGucket, and everything is different now.

A slowburny fic that really digs into the historical side of college Fiddauthor. It doesn’t shrink away from the tougher, uglier stuff that being a poor, gay, Jewish college student in the seventies would mean for someone. Features an angry, confused Ford who is having a Hard Time. Also has a whole host of interesting OCs! Also a WIP. This fic takes a turn or two that I really didn’t expect and I’m very excited to see where it goes, as the author is on record saying that they WILL finish it.

if you love me, come clean by Athgalla (105k words)

Author’s summary: This is pretty much just a collection of various moments and possible events throughout Fiddleford and Stanford's relationship that I felt like exploring, starting with their first proper meeting in college on to post-Weirdmageddon events.

Without further ado, on to the tragically star-crossed nerds!

iylmcc spans Ford and Fidds’s first meeting through post-series. It’s so interesting, and so sweet, and has so many wonderful details! Just a great take on their relationship that you deserve to read, dear reader. Treat yourself!

Maybe It’s Not Too Late by GinAndShatteredDreams (main fic is 82k words, whole series is 110k)

Author’s summary of the main fic: Overall: A post-weirdmageddon asexual Fiddauthor fic in which revelations occur, a confession goes awry, some unfinished business reemerges in the form of a raging pterodactyl, and chaos ensues. (vaguely romantic - hugs/hand holding/cuddling/comfort, no kisses - just adding that so I don't disappoint anyone who's hoping for it - or maybe for the sake of people (like me) who sometimes like to read something without ;))

(Edit - No romantic kisses. There's a forehead kiss between family members at one point.)

*It would probably be good to mention that most of this was written before the journal came out and even after, I tried to keep true to the ideas formed before reading it with one exception that is noted later.

So as you can tell, I linked you the whole series. A both super angsty and very sweet fic with wonderful asexual post-series Fiddauthor! I’ve never read anything quite like it, totally check it out.

Romance is Overrated and Living Confusing by 3HobbitsInATrenchcoat (25k words)

Author’s summary: Stanford and Fiddleford started out as college roommates and over the years grew into something more than friends but just to the side of what others would consider a "normal relationship." But honestly, is it really anyone's business what they are as long as they care deeply for each other?

Scenes from Stanford's life as he tries to figure out where he fits in a world built for romance and traditional family dynamics.

This fic is restricted– you need an AO3 account to read it. Also, it’s part of a series, but the other fic is Stan-centric so it’s not a part of this rec list. Aaaand also it’s a WIP. Okay, with that out of the way, this is another Ace!Fiddauthor fic, which you know I’m all about! This fic is more about college and research-aged Fiddauthor, and it’s as delightfully fraught as you could hope. The author also does a cool thing regarding Fiddleford’s time in Oregon, while still keeping it canon-compliant. My hat is off to them.

To Struggle For Dreams And To Hunger For More by Voidfish (8k words)

Author’s summary: “Am I gay?” Ford reads the quiz out loud, before clicking to begin. To his frustration, most of the questions are simply asking him if he has had sex with men (he hasn’t), if he wants to (he isn’t quite sure), or if he ever will (the jury is still out). Nothing defines attraction, no one clarifies if the burn in his stomach is love or gastrointestinal issues, and nothing leaves him feeling any better on the subject.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stanford Pines has never loved a woman but, he realizes with a painful jolt, he can’t say with certainty he’s never loved a man.

Aaaaaa I love this fic. I love it sooo much. Post-series and Ford is trying to figure out his sexuality and his feelings for Fidds. Plus a scene where he comes out to Stan! Just a delight.

And Shifty Makes Three by Sarelle (13k words)

Author’s summary: Ford Pines and Fiddleford McGucket deal with the ups and downs of relationships and parenthood in 1970s Oregon. A task not much aided by the fact they have to keep secret the true identity of their shapeshifting alien grub son, from friends, family and the Feds.

Based on WDW's Shiftyverse, can be read as a standalone.

I fucking LOVE this fic!! Aaaaa the little details about Ford and Fidds and their relationship! Their alien son!! This fic is so up my alley it’s bonkers.

queer clan in the middle of the woods by toosolidcuuj (series is 23k words)

Author’s summary of the series: *to the tune of "our house" by madness* queer clan in the middle of the woods, queer clan in the middle of the

Canon-divergent AU in which Stan and Ford make up, adopt an alien, and gradually amass an extended queer family.

This is ALSO a Shifty-adopting fic! With Fiddauthor! This one also has Stan, and focuses a lot on Stan and Ford fixing up their fraternal relationship in addition to the Fiddauthory bits. I haven’t reread it in a hot second but I remember it being very fun but also taking Shifty’s trauma quite seriously, which I thought was interesting and cool to read.

(There's a) Half moon rising in southeastern skies by orphan_account (17k words)

Author’s summary: A series of memories, all compiled in convenient cinema-reel format. It’s all here, folks, the good, the bad, the sexy, the emotionally distressing. Next to nothing left out.

Sad that this fic was orphaned– I love it. It’s in second person, and I’m all about that! Fiddleford looking back at his fractured memories post-series and also reconnecting with Ford. Absolutely wonderful characterization. Author, if you’re out there, I love this fic!! I hope you are happy with it in your heart!!

Syncing Phases by toosolidcuuj (5k words)

Author’s summary: Stan has gone his whole life never imagining he had a twin, let alone an android twin who can shoot cannons out his hands, makes money appear out of thin air, and has a close relationship with a werewolf named Fiddleford McGucket. Even more surprisingly, FORD needs Stan's help erasing a world-ending computer virus. But BILL has allies in many places, leaving the Stans uncertain who they can trust.

WIP. This fic is SUCH a fun and interesting concept!! Only child!Stan, Werewolf!Fidds, Robot!Ford??? Yes, please! A totally unique fic that is so fun to read!

[studiorat]

Studiorat. I am so sorry. Honestly, I'd go as far to say I am devastated. I never meant to come across as anything even *resembling* mocking, and I despise myself a bit that my carelessness could potentially have negatively impacted your writing or muse in any way.

To clarify, I was recently tagged in a post with a screenshot of one of my bookmarks that mentioned you and some of your fics on ao3, and it was brought to my attention that it had been a foolish thing for me to do.

Honestly, - and I know this is a failing of mine and that I should know better by now - I just don't tend to think of myself as noteworthy enough to have such an effect, and as a result, I'm not as careful as I should be; especially so when I am drawn up in my emotions about something. I *should* be mindful that anything I post online might be seen by anyone, and easily be taken the wrong way, and I *will* endeavor to be more careful going forward.

Again, I am so sorry about this. I could go on and explain why I wrote that, and indeed, I had typed it all out, but really it doesn't matter.

What matters is that I'm sorry that something I said would cause hurt to some of the people that I would *least* want to hurt. I am so incredibly sorry, and I deeply apologize.

I’m going to be honest here: I was devastated to see that bookmark. I had treasured your comments on both the Branches and Fate and Nothing Emboldens Sin So Much as Mercy series which I have been working on for ten years of my life through tragedies both personal and public. I write fic and original stories because I must, my spirit requires it. I post fic because I want to share and talk about it with others, and I hope in some small way these little gothic tales can give light and catharsis and hope where they’re needed.

Had you ever asked a question that could be answered I would have done my damndest to answer it. As a writer, it’s my job to make sure every choice and feeling and growth arc and misunderstanding that I ascribe to the cast is supported and given proper context on page.

That said.

I am well aware the things I make are complex and nuanced. I tag it accordingly. Just like I can’t draw cartoon styles, I don’t write YA, and never will. I have every respect for those genres, they simply aren’t me. I will use big words, I will use metaphors and allusions, and crumbs left in chapter 3 will matter in chapter 30, and 300. Nothing - not one detail on the page - is ever there “just” for flavor.

My work is not written to be skimmed. It is written to be read, and it is written to give the reader even more if it is read again. When you flip past the quiet moments, you will not have the context to understand the Big Flashy Actions.

Many, many readers struggle with the ending scenes of the first five pieces of Branches and Fate — you are not alone in this. Nor is it a flaw in any reader. The pulling back of the camera, denying gritty details in those moments so the emotions (and everything leading to that moment) takes center stage is a feature of the style.

I don’t give a good goddamn who is behind any username or how many people they think they do or don’t influence. Each and every person who takes time to look at my work and let me know I somehow managed something of good with this disaster is a treasure. I keep on my studio wall a private comment I received on Demons when the last page went up in August of 2015 and I wasn’t sure I was going to even make it to the end of the year. That person has never said anything else directly to me, but they don’t need to. Their words have become part of the tether keeping me on this earth all the same.

Discovering that instead of the enjoyment claimed in comments that have helped me to continue working on the manuscripts through some of the hardest years of my adult life in search of enough consecutive prose to resume regular posts for free for other fans you found only pain and tedium? And wished you had instead only read the work of someone who crafted a highly readable fast-paced adventure tale while actively hating the ship?

It was and is devastating.

I fear always that my work is not good enough to share, that there is no audience for the kinds of worlds I weave, that no one will ever love my cast or my worlds but me. I have come to terms with the fact my work will never be popular. I ask only that others do me the courtesy of following don’t like don’t read and crit requires consent.

To be clear: I’m not demanding anyone love the work or praise me for it. Just… don’t lie. And don’t tell me I ought to be someone I’m not.

And don’t use me as your cautionary tale to praise someone else.

[gallavich-annise]

March Fanfic Roundup!

My reading has been a little messed up this month. Between being busy, being insomniac, and being sick (again, but this time in a way that makes reading less pleasant--hooray for sinus headaches) I haven't read too much except for updates on WIPs.

I think I'm starting to get my mojo back a little, and I'm currently halfway through a longfic that will probably make next month's list. 

That said, when I tallied everything up, I still read about 480k words, from 27 fics this month, which is more than I thought. And lots of them were excellent, so here are my bookmarks from this month, most recent to oldest.

Research Purposes by crossmydna

An amazing and fun NSFW fic to round off my month's reading, where Mickey asks Ian to fuck him to help him write fanfic smut. I ran when I saw this, basically, and it didn't disappoint... Love a metafic, love friends to lovers, love crossmydna's writing. Couldn't go wrong.

iron bars by em_harlsnow

This just stepped out of WIP status, so it's a good time to list it here. I have loved this prison boyfriends story, with the boys sitting down and having conversations they have desperately needed (but not communicating well enough that they seem ooc). The last chapter brings things up to season 10 canon. 

Lightning Crashes by Runningempty

Mickey gets hit by lightning and gets psychic and telekinetic powers. Only that undersells it, because the superpowers are used in an interesting low-key way and the story of Ian--the EMT who saved him--and Mickey missing connections to meet again is lovely and sweet. 

Everything But You by Runningempty

Gallavich do The Apartment. Featuring the slimiest skeeziest Ned imaginable, and some beautiful pining. This one gets a special mention because the daily updates were most of what I was reading for a few days this month and I appreciated them heartily 💜. 

Dark Matter by devovitsuasartes 

Sequel to Maintenance. Sci-fi Gallavich my beloved I wish there was more of you (yes I have seen Calli's survey 😝). This is a delightful jaunt in the midst of their journey (between the resolution and epilogue of Maintenance). Loved it.

The Prison Chick by wehangout

As I've been in a bit of a reading slump I have been seeking out the reliable hits from my favourites, and this did the job very nicely. A lovely account of Mickey and a prison nurse to fill-in from that throwaway line in 7x11. 

like sunrise on a summer's day by energie_vie

Vampire Ian you will always be famous. This is a particularly delightful version, with Mickey a painter employed to give Ian the first view of his face in a century. I loved it. It made my heart very happy.

Whispers from the Wrong Side of Town by nozenfordaddy

I haven't read all of the Big Bang fics, but of the ones I have read this was a definite stand-out for me. The "major character death" warning probably puts some people off, but I thought it was really well and very powerfully done. I don't wanna spoil it, so it's hard to say more... But I would encourage you to give it a try if you can stand some darkness.

Also it came with a playlist which I've been listening to for a couple of weeks now. 

the trees have branches again by sam_writes_fics

On the other end of the scale, some delightful fluff where Mickey gets glasses, from the ever reliably-excellent Sam.

A Salute Before We Sink by Suzy_Queue

Another reliable favourite. Ian and Mickey meet at the end of the world... Deena has no right to be able make me feel so many things in so few words. 

As AO3 emails have been kind of keeping me going this month, certainly as pertains to reading, I'm also gonna mention a couple of unfinished works that I bookmarked this month:

Little Serious Tone by echotrees

This is such a fucking delight... This is the most frustrating Ian I've ever read, but in a way that is so incredibly entertaining. It's super hot and hilarious (a powerful combo). 

you were meant to be near me by Pillow_Bee

Hopefully I'll get my head properly back in the game next month and get back to the important things in life (reading about the boys falling/being in love in a thousand different ways).

Ian and Mickey both accidentally invoke Cupid and share a strange connection. I thought this was going to be a lot fluffier than it is to start, so fair warning... It's pretty tense for the first couple of chapters, but it's really good. I'm looking forward to finding out how things go now [redacted] have [redacted].

Finally, I just re-read:

Flyboy and the Gearhead by the_rat_wins

So I'm gonna mention it here for anyone who hasn't already read it. I cannot recommend it highly enough... 7k words of mechanic Mickey and space fighter pilot Ian... I could probably gush about this one for more words than the fic contains. It's so so so good.

---

[mason-ajar]

hiii mason - this is transmasckagami :) do you have favorite fics for kagamido? I’d love to read some. Also, I love your art! Your style is so fun and you capture every character’s personality so well ❤️ thank u for sharing it with us!

HAII this is soso sweet and it means a lot 2 me, thank u so much !!! *(^o^)*

i could say the same for u :3 ur art is so fantastical and scrumptious and it’s always a delight to see u post !!!

in comparison to some other ships, there’s definitely a lot less content to dig through (see kagamido’s 128 fics to aokaga’s 2,890, what a ratio !), so heres my faves, in no particular order ^_^

message recieved - half_sleeping : rated T

wordcount: 7k

“You're the one who mailed me.”

lest i spoil too much, i gotta say i just LOVE how midorima is characterized in this one. just a fretting teenage boy. and, despite their limited appearances, the takamido friendship on the side is just so funny and iconic !

food is a love language - zelan : rated G

wordcount: 1k

“Midorima tries and fails to cook. Kagami turns things around.”

exactly what it says on the tin, and perfectly so ! adorable

not a surprise party - zelan : rated T

wordcount: 200

"Midorima Shintaro hates surprises."

short and sweet texting fic by the same author of the last fic, love the ending kekekeke ^3^

to my heartbeat’s sound - voices_in_my_head : rated G

wordcount: 800

"It isn’t long before one of his uproarious laughs has made its way out of his throat, Shintarou giving a slight smile in response. He doesn’t care if they go for that walk or not, if he ends up with cupcakes or something else, he’s just happy to be here, enjoying his time with Taiga."

simple and plain kagamido domesticity fluff ^v^ need u ask for more ?

to live for one's self - justlikeswitchblades : rated T

wordcount: 1k

"There are two unshakeable constants in Midorima’s life—his hands, and his pride.

A third element, threatening the latter of the two, consists of the tears burning in his eyes."

angst, internalized homophobia, emotional hurt/comfort: truly a danger trio of tags !! (x_x) a short but impactful and memorable fic that i really enjoyed, i just like how their relationship is portrayed

with me, with you - hilaryfaye : rated G

wordcount: 2.9k

“I know that your concept of ‘fun’ is warped, but unlike one of us I like being able to take regular hot showers and eating food that isn’t under a layer of grease.” Shintarou picked over his salad, frowning at it as if the vegetables were to blame for Taiga’s insistence on a “road trip.”

kagami and midorima go on a roadtrip, and end up talking about things that have remained unspoken about. a good few years into the future; another domestic one that i really enjoyed *v*

eyes on the prize - hips_of_steel : not rated

wordcount: 800

"Kagami drags Midorima to a basketball game at an American high school, which happens to have a raffle going on at the same time…with a KitchenAid mixer being the item Kagami has his eyes on."

kagami wants that kitchenaid mixer BAD, and midorima is a little shit :3 very funny and in character !

aren't you - tsuukai : rated T

wordcount: 1.5k

"Where it starts off as Midorima directing the recipe, but it's actually Kagami doing the work, though it really wasn’t about food this time around anyway."

more kagamido cooking shenanigans ! they cook and kiss, talk about their feelings and have unfortunate experiences at the grocery store. just a fun slice of life !!

sorry this took a bit; despite having an ao3 account for a good few years i haven't been utilizing the bookmarks feature until recently and have just been saving them in a google bookmarks folder. so without any way to filter or know what ship each link is... i bet you can imagine why it took so long...

thank you for this ask again, it was nice to reread about my faves ! happy reading :D

[adriancatrin]

Best Zukka fic recs and/or Azula centric fics (bonus points for both!) I'm desperate for more content.

(digging thru my bookmarks) hoo boy ok let's see

i'm gonna put a cut because this might be long!! idk what all of the zukka 'classics' you've read so i just included 'em if they're my faves. list is in no particular order, pls heed warnings/tags on AO3 as some include potentially triggering content ~

like the sun inside of you by ofherlionheart: Zuko is sixteen years old when he’s handed a crown, a throne, and a hundred-year ancestral legacy of colonial imperialism. He’s not scared of the work; he’s scared of being consumed by the responsibilities and burdens he’s claimed. What Zuko doesn’t quite realize, yet, is that he’s not alone in this. Still in progress, one chapter left to go. Very slow-burn Zukka, and some great Azula stuff

To Cleave These Roots We've Made by Erisenyo: Sokka and Zuko have been roommates and best friends through college and graduation, through first jobs and new jobs and promotions, through friends getting married and sisters being pregnant and everything in between. But that all ends in four days. Four days to pack up an apartment. Four days before Zuko goes to law school and Sokka stays behind. Four days to untangle two lives that Sokka and Zuko have spent ten years weaving together. Can you call it a divorce, if you were never actually together in the first place? I don't remember Azula's involvement in this, but gosh darn it's a good one

i won't stumble as i follow down this path (cause words that are spoken are just other things to have) by jublis: It takes Zuko one year to visit his sister again. Featuring birthday weeks, struggling with your own goodness, and a future. Pretty sure this is a Zukki, ft. Azula very heavily

Destiny in the details by salytierra: Sokka heard that story before. Of course he did, the turning point of Zuko's destiny, the single bravest and most noble (or stupid) thing he's ever done. He retold the thoughts that went through his head back then, the repercussions... but he left out a single detail. And it's that detail that changes everything.  I need to see his soulmark. Sokka thinks, heart hammering in his chest. Fantastic post-canon soulmate AU. Azula's not in it, though

Divine Intervention by AggressiveStress: Sokka has had a lot of dates but they never stick around and he doesn’t know why. Literally everyone else knows why. Honestly I don't remember much about this one I just know I really liked it hahaha

Maybe I Don't Want Heaven by inkfingers_mcgee: Zuko does not realize that he wants to break up with Mai until she says, “We need to talk about us,” with an unmistakable finality, and the candles around his meditation mat don’t even flicker. // Five years after ascending the throne, Zuko reaches yet another crossroads of self. Sokka helps him through it. Mai incites national legislative reform. Azula is listed as a character in this one but I don't remember her role. The fic is great though. slow burn in case u haven't caught onto the trend of my fave fics yet haha

Of Tea and Turtle Ducks (and the Turtle Duck Guy) by Erisenyo: Sokka is nothing if not enthusiastic about his interests--Learning. Campus traditions. The campus turtle ducks. The guy who's watching the ducks so intently this year.  Zuko is nothing if not intense about duck watching. (It's not really about the ducks.) (Is it ever?) No Azula again but gosh darn it this fic is so cute. (expect more erisenyo on this list whoops)

this ultraviolet morning light by GallifreyanFairytale: sokka and zuko break up, make up, go undercover, thwart a rebellion, watch the sunrise, and change the course of fire nation history. not necessarily in that order. I don't remember the level of Azula's involvement in this fic, but I do remember she's in recovery and Zuko thinks about her a fair amount.

Empty Bodies, Empty Smiles by attackfish: Zuko sorts through the wreckage of his childhood and comes across a doll given to his sister. Not a shipping fic, just a character study of sorts of Azula as a child. It's... very sad, but incredibly nuanced in its understanding of her as a very unhappy and unfortunately disturbed child

Will We Last the Night by CSHfic/VSfic: Chief Arnook never assigns Sokka to protect Princess Yue, so he goes to fight the Fire Nation with the other men. When the moon dies, and the ocean spirit takes its revenge, Sokka is caught standing on the deck of a Fire Nation ship. Sokka should have drowned… and he would have drowned, if not for a certain Fire Nation raft fleeing the North Pole. An enemies-to-lovers season 2 rewrite, where Sokka is separated from the gaang during the Siege of the North, and travels the Earth Kingdom with Zuko instead Azula is just S2 Azula w/o redemption I believe, but my goodness the Zukka is just so. SO sweet

Burning Bright by Erisenyo: On a particularly hopeless night, Zuko sends out a messenger hawk to nowhere. He didn’t realize that his messenger hawk is deeply committed to completing the job. And that Sokka happens to be traveling straight through nowhere, at the time. I'm currently rereading this series for the umpteenth time, it's amazing, highly recommend, Azula is hyper intriguing in it too w/ a very complicated relationship with Zuko

All's Fair by Lovely_Elbow_Leech: Book one ends with two major diffrences: 1. Sokka went on the mission with Hahn (it did not go well) 2. Zhao survives the North Pole and that proves unfortunate for everybody (except Zhao, obviously)  Imprisoned on Zhao’s war ship, Sokka and Zuko have to work together to survive. They are not very enthusiastic about this prospect.  And they argue. A lot. Another of my top faves. Book 2 is in progress

Real Slow by surveycorpsjean: “I see.” Zuko closes the scroll. “Is the Water Tribe sending a replacement?" “Uh yeah,” Sokka gestures to himself dramatically. “You’re looking at him.” No Azula I believe but heckin' slow burn

this is a gift (it comes with a price) by WitchofEndor: There is a ghost on the Wani. But the crew have grown used to - even fond of - Prince Zuko. And no matter how many times General Iroh tries to gently explain the boy’s predicament, tries to suggest that he might attempt to move on, Prince Zuko can always be found watching the sea. There is a prisoner in the palace. Not Zukka, but the relationships in it are fantastic, including Azula and Zuko.

 While Mighty Oaks Do Fall by WitchofEndor: The newly-crowned Fire Lord Ozai offers his firstborn son to service in the temple. This turns out to be a catastrophic mistake. Wacky crazy fic. There's something funky fresh happening with Azula, but it's an in-progress fic so. who knows where it'll go

I probably don't need to include The Art of Burning but it's in my fave bookmarks so. Same for Blue

Also in retrospect I have a lot of issues with this fic, but here's my post-canon Zukka w/ Azula redemption fic: New Heights

[kebriones]

I am here once again hello

I am so terribly hyperficated in Alcibiades I have not stopped thinking about him

I just really don't know how/what I can read or consume that in some way involves him and you're my best bet, please enlighten me on your knowledge you seem to possess

HELLO HELLO

alright well, I will include some reading links, as many as I can, even the basic ones, since I don't know what you've already read or not:

The symposium (alcibiades arrives at page 28/35 of the pdf) sorry for the bad quality, if you have trouble reading it I can send a different one, this is simply a translation I personally rather like

his biography by plutarch mega important reading

(not linked but if you're feeling really hungry, get a copy of thucydides and go looking for all the alcibiades mentions in there. best of luck. Thucydides is probably the single most accurate account we have of alcibiades)

The first Alcibiades (it's a proper platonic dialogue between socrates and alcibiades.)

This whole book about him which I believe you know about because i see you have liked my previous post about it but I am linking it just in case.

The speech of Alcibiades by martha nussbaum, I personally find this extremely enjoyable to read, i recommend having read his bit from the symposium to understand what's going on.

okay from here on out these are just from my bookmarks and I don't remember which are good and which are not, feel free to dig through them as you please (the jstor stuff require you to make a free acount to read them) (I also recommend having read the symposium and plutarch at least to understand most of what these are talking about) apologies in advance for any that may not actually be available without uni access.

Article on JSTOR about his relationship to some ancient plays

This article it starts talking about alcibiades on page 6/13 of the pdf

this short text which i thought had some interesting ideas (but the website is bright yellow so maybe you can use some settings to turn it to balck and white because at least to me this feels horrible on the eyes)

pretty big article about eros and tyranny which discusses alcibiades and plato, i don't remember much of it

short text about his military/political career

jstor thingy about him and socrates in the symposium

yet another pdf about alcibiades and socrates

alcibiades and the failure of socratic rationalism or smth i don't remember again

this isn't a text, it's pictures of his daughter's grave. thought i'd include it

french film of the first alcibiades doesn't have subtitles and it's wierdly shot but hey if you're deep in obsession maybe it doesn't matter

more about erotic tyranny and alcibiades uwu

yet another jstor article about him I don't remember

alcibiades and aristophanes' birds if the other article about him being related to plays wasn't unhinged enough for you

a study in violets cool title, it's about alcibiades

the loves of alcibiades, one more jstor article

other random article about alcibiades

the socratic turn to alcibiades I believe you need an academia.edu account (free i think) to read this

then there's two novels which I think aren't too bad to read, "the last of the wine" which isn't focused on alcibiades but has a few scenes with him and is overall very well written and features a really good set of protagonists imo

the second novel is "the flowers of adonis" and while it's not as great overall as a book as the last of the wine is, this one is actually focused on alcibiades. Only problem is that he isn't as bisexual as he should be in this but you can treat it as fanfiction and somewhat ignore that maybe? idk, it has some nice bits in my opinion.

speaking fo fanfiction there's a couple very good ones on ao3 (not talking about my own, there's one in particular that's a single chapter about him and aristophanes that is just UGH SO GOOD)

there's also this short sci-fi-esque story about alcibiades which is quite nice: https://web.archive.org/web/20141225183208/http://www.asimovs.com/Nebulas03/gods.shtml

and last but not least if you've made it this far, I have the only podcast thingy that I remember not having as huge inaccuracies and BS as most other ones i've heard. I still recommend having already read plutarch's life of alcibiades beforehand but if anyone reading this post doesn't wanna do reading and prefers to listen to something for starters, this is a good start, as far as I remember. you can listen to it HERE I will also give it a listen as i'm working and will edit this post if I find any issues with it.

HAVE FUN :D

[birlwrites]

do you have any recommendations for fics or other writers/artists that make Regulus-centric stuff that isn't jegulus?

I DO YES - i don't really know anything in the realm of fanart but if anyone does feel free to hop on!

first of all, some good places to look are in the ao3 collections for regulus black fest (it's a different collection every year). you can find a lot of info on the tumblr blog which i am not going to tag because i feel like their notifications are probably hellish but it's https://regulusblackfest.tumblr.com/ - the url is just regulusblackfest

and they also have artwork! so that's a good source for that as well if you haven't already looked

of course, there will undoubtedly be jegulus in there, but it won't ONLY be jegulus

as for my personal recommendations:

rosewater:

if you're looking for regulus/evan, i have a bookmark collection on ao3 of my favorites. it's a bit on the small side, and they're all one-shots right now, but i do check the tag pretty religiously (we're talking 5+ times per day) so i will add more new favorites as i find them!

and here is a link to xslytherclawx's works on ao3 (@xslytherclawx-writes on tumblr), already filtered down to just the works featuring regulus, of which there are QUITE a few

no romance:

these are some of my ABSOLUTE FAVES for regulus-centric fics! here goes:

leave no stone unturned (a series of standalones) by thedivinecomedian has a lot of great stuff - i haven't read the whole series, but i love blackpool, styx, and sabotage! please do mind the content warnings on all of those. (as the title of the series suggests, they're all standalone fics)

bindings, bindings by quietlemonhush isn't SOLELY regulus-centric - it focuses on regulus, sirius, remus, james, and lily - but regulus is one of the main characters, he has a pov, and i just love the fic in general agslhgjskdf. once again mind the warnings but it's less intense than, like, blackpool

through a glass, blackly by wheresmejumper is one that i just read fairly recently and became an INSTANT fave. it's just so well done GAHHHHHH my jaw was on the fLOOR when i got to the end, highly highly recommend, yet again do mind the warnings

some more no romance fics i found in my older bookmarks:

birthright and brotherhood - one-shot, regulus pov of sirius running away

to blow a gasket - one-shot, regulus using notable muggle inventions like duct tape and explosives to steal the horcrux

miscellaneous pairings:

smoke slow: a spy!regulus au - regulus/remus series, regulus is The Spy who ends up with the hogwarts teaching job. he's a runes professor, one of my favorite takes on the 'regulus was dumbledore's spy' premise, and regulus himself is just *chefs kiss* he's punched dumbledore in the face multiple times and i live in the hope of him getting another one in. the dialogue is EXCELLENT

midnight hues - bartylus one-shot, emotional hurt/comfort i guess? it's soft (it's in a series, but the series is more a collection of regulus fics than anything requiring continuity)

kindness blooms - regulus/petunia series, which is a WILD pairing but the author totally sold me on it - 'good petunia dursley' is a prominent tag in the series, it becomes more harry-centric as the series progresses but there's still a lot of regulus!

AND FINALLY........

technically this fic should go in the no romance section but it's just so glorious that i felt the need to give it its own section

regulus black and the way things changed: a not!fic - another take on regulus becoming a hogwarts professor, told in humorous bullet point style, and it's just delightfully unhinged the whole way through. regulus competes with gilderoy lockhart re: who is the most fabulous dresser at hogwarts. snuffles gets HEAVILY involved. it's absolutely wild. also they kill voldemort and whatnot

okay that's what i've got right now - if anyone else wants to add on more, including art, go for it!!

[thestalwartheart]

20 questions for fic writers

Thank you for the tag, @aniron48 ❤️ This was such a nice way to wrap up this year, and to remember what I'd written!

Tagging @cicerfics @dixkens @dassandre-00qpidsarrow @boffin1710 @samanthahirr and whoever else wants to play along!

Answers under the cut!

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 82! I feel like I blacked out and blinked and woke up with a horrifying number of fics!

2. What’s your total A03 word count? 385,997 😨

3. What fandoms do you write for? James Bond mostly. Also Glass Onion/Knives Out. I don't write for The Witcher anymore, but I have in the past. On my laptop is a lot of unfinished Star Trek fic - mainly Kirk/Spock - and a crack at some Arthur/Eames (from Inception).

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

being with you (is the best of all)

date, interrupted

the places you leave in the dust

a rank above

by any other name

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? I do try to, and I mostly succeed. I like to thank people for investing their time with my work, and I also like getting to know people in fandom. There's still 100+ comments I need to get back to, and some of them are very old. I will get to them though!!! I promise!

6. What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Anything involving the MCD tag. There was also a short called garden that was very sad for other reasons.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Either being with you (is the best of all) or dispatches from the division.

8. Do you get hate on fics? Not really, though I've had a few rude comments and bookmark notes. One person let me know across three chapters that they hated my characterisation of Bond so much they were tempted to rewrite the ending! But most people are lovely. The Bond fandom is small and most of us have our heads screwed on the right way.

9. Do you write smut? Frequently and without shame. There are 29 E-rated fics in my backlog for your reading pleasure.

10. Do you write crossovers? I have a Knives Out/James Bond crossover series where Bond and Blanc are detectives competing for Q's attention.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I'm aware of!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Yes and I am endlessly grateful for people who are more talented with languages than I am ❤️

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? Just a team poem for 007 Fest, though I have worked with beta readers.

14. What’s your all-time favourite ship? Kirk/Spock forever.

15. What’s the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? I had a multiverse fic I posted a chapter of that I don't think I have the energy for anymore. I was so undecided about the ending that I lost interest in writing it.

16. What are your writing strengths? I think I'm good with characters and details. My writing has been called immersive by a few people, and I do really pride myself on building atmosphere. I think I can turn a good phrase occasionally too!

17. What are your writing weaknesses? I need to get better at proofreading for typos. I'm quite lazy with plotting and planning as well. I definitely need to work on that for an original novel I'm writing!

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? I only do it if it's necessary, and I'm so glad AO3 now has a hover feature for immediate translation. One of my pet peeves at uni was how often scholars used random French and Latin words or phrases when they didn't need to!!!

19. First fandom you wrote for? HP, probably. Or Glee. Those fics have been purged from the internet now 😂

20. Favourite fic you’ve ever written? Either dispatches from the division or the WIP I'm in the process of posting now, called the age of change.

Shout out to everyone who has made it to the end! As a reward, please enjoy this picture of my cat flopped over in her cat tree ❤️

[steddieunderdogfics]

This week’s writer spotlight feature is: fivecenturiesverse! @fivecenturiesverse has 64 fics posted to AO3 in the Stranger Things fandom and 45 of them are in the Steddie tag!

@spicysix recommends the following works by @fivecenturiesverse:

i'm feeling devious (you're looking glamorous)

shape it up (get it straight)

chuck me a bouquet after the show, babe

just like a rainbow (you know you set me free)

drag him back to the meeting place

"Fives has a way with words that I don't think anyone else can compare to. More than one fic tagged as "faves" on my bookmarks are theirs. No matter what AU, what setting, whatever way they write a fic, the characterization will always be on fucking point. The way they always include Robin, and the party, and other characters (and also manages to make them so in character, too) always warms my heart. I feel like they truly understand the characters, and in the same way she views them, I view them too, and so Fives' works are always perfect for me. It's like that comfort food, no matter how many times I eat it it always makes me happy." -- @spicysix

Below the cut, @fivecenturiesverse answered some questions about their writing process and some of their recommended work!

Why do you write Steddie?

After watching s4 I was mildly annoyed that the show didn’t expand further on Steve and Eddie’s dynamic (not that I ever thought they would be canon) which I found to be really fun and different from a lot of what we see on the show. I also really wanted to explore Steve’s bisexuality and how it relates to his friendship with Robin and Eddie was a great vehicle for that (sorry Eddie lol)

What’s your favorite trope to READ?

There was only one bed… might be basic but it’s always been my favourite. Friends to lovers, fake dating, and forced proximity are also going to have me with my eyes glued to the screen.

What’s your favorite trope to WRITE?

Sharing a bed also is number one here, though it’s usually far more platonic than it is in stuff I read haha because non-sexual intimacy is like crack for me to write.

What’s your favorite Steddie fic?

Lovesick in Loch Nora by redoaktree for the perfect Eddie characterisation but also looking at my bookmarks I think I need to read more steddie and stalk this blog for some recs lmao

Is there a trope you’re excited to explore in a future work but haven’t yet?

Maybe a genderbending fic because I really enjoyed writing this trope for Star Wars but honestly I’d be excited to writing anything rn, writer’s block is smothering me

What is your writing process like?

I have an idea somewhere between midnight and 3am, then I sit down and write it until it’s finished. Almost every single fic on my account was written in under five hours, I think (outside of my few long fics and series) the fic that it took me the longest to write was “our house (in the middle of the street)” which took me about 10 hours right through the night.

Do you have any writing quirks?

I guess if I have any it’s that I write everything in order all at once and if I get stuck on a scene I cut it and try something else entirely. I also rarely listen to music but if I do it has to be something loud where the words aren’t too distracting.

Do you prefer posting when you’ve finished writing or on a schedule?

Alwaaaaayyyys after I’ve finished writing. I used to write on wattpad where I’d post as I wrote and all it meant was that nothing got finished. My problem is that I am fuelled off of interaction and if I’m getting interaction my brain doesn’t understand why I need to write any more. Like, we’re getting the dopamine hit so why bother giving them anything more. My brain is a silly goose, basically.

Which fic are you most proud of?

I’m not sure there’s any fic I’m most proud of. There’s definitely fics I’m less proud of, either because I know how little effort they took me and I think they’re kind of rubbish or because they just didn’t come out the way I wanted even though I put too much effort in. I guess the two series I’ve written for steddie— “of rags and silk (a costume)” and “your love is standing next to me” —are my favourites, I think they are my most imaginative and creative creations :)

How did you get the idea for shape it up (get it straight)?

Honestly a lot of what I wrote in 2023 and the thought process behind it is as much a mystery to me as it is to you but I think I just wanted to get into Mike’s head, dabble in Byler, and I love writing outsider POVs.

When writing i'm feeling devious (you're looking glamorous), what was something you didn’t expect?

That people would like it so much, to be honest. I was just having fun and writing something silly, I guess people do think I’m funny.

What inspired just like a rainbow (you know you set me free)?

I really wanted to add something to the Robin/Vickie tag but it was difficult because Vickie was so character-less in the show, so I focussed it mainly around Robin and Steve’s friendship which I have always loved and their single braincell fake dating plans (a trope I love for them, if anyone has recs… hmu)

What was your favorite part to write from chuck me a bouquet after the show, babe?

The goodbye scene and the reunion scene, I love angst.

How do/did you feel writing chuck me a bouquet after the show, babe?

I was deep in the trenches watching Succession, so I felt like Shiv Roy and I wanted to make Steve into Kendall.

What was the most difficult part of writing drag him back to the meeting place?

The song lyrics for this whole series was definitely the most difficult, fun, and rewarding experience, but for this fic in particular I think getting into the mindset of a 2014 tumblr user reversed any development of my frontal lobe.

Do you have a favorite scene and/or line from any of your fics?

“Carol climbs up, wrapped in a sheet, and yanks up the door to yell at whoever the fuck — But it’s Robin and she’s crying. It’s not even a thought, Carol just reels her into a hug. They’re not friends but it doesn’t matter. They’re something more. They’re Steve’s, they belong to him like luggage he’s left going round and round and round in an airport baggage claim.” – from “let’s make some music, make some money”, my favourite because I think it accidentally described the way I write all ST fanfic like the world is revolving solely around Steve, he’s my little guy I can’t help it.

Do you have any upcoming projects or fics you’d like to share/promote?

I wish! I can only say that I hope there’s more coming to an ao3 page near you soon! Thank you for reading B)

Thank you to our author, @fivecenturiesverse, and our nominator, @spicysix! See more of fivecenturiesverse's works featured on our page throughout the day!

Writer’s Spotlight is every Wednesday! Want to nominate an author? You can nominate them here!