#author: delimeful

[little-cat-press]

it really is a gorgeous little book, and I love the netting. It ties in especially well with the fact that much of the story revolves around merman Virgil being tangled in a fishing net!

I'll add some typeset pictures in a bit

This is the first of two books I bound for @renegadeguild's Tiny Books Bang.

The story is (don't) take this the wrong way by @delimeful and was typeset by @little-cat-press for the Tiny Books Bang. It's a mermaid AU of Sanders Sides (Web Series), which I had never actually heard of before. But when I saw that it was a merperson AU, this idea popped into my head and I knew I had to try it, especially after I read the story and really enjoyed it.

The inspiration is medieval girdle books, which are books whose covering material (typically leather) extended past the book to a knot that was both used as a handle when reading the book and could be tucked into the girdle when the book was not in use, thus the name.

Where my book is much smaller (it's a sextodecimo, about 2.25" by 2.75") it isn't designed to tuck into a belt/girdle, but rather is attached to a bracelet and dangles from the wrist when not in use.

When I think of mermaids, some things that come to mind are fish, treasure, and tridents, and I wanted to incorporate all three in the design. The book is covered in blue bookcloth, and then covered again in crocheted netting that was meant to bring to mind fishnets. I crocheted the netting from cotton-poly sewing thread doubled up. I incorporated a trident into the filet crochet, which is repeated on both the front and back covers. I blocked it on a piece of blotting...board? paper? It's soft and thick and meant to absorb moisture and came with my book press that started life as a flower press.

I then sewed the netting to the bookcloth covering the boards with teeny tiny stitches. It probably took twice as long to crochet the netting as it did to the rest of the binding combined, but I really like how it turned out.

The bracelet I picked to attach the netting to is gold-colored to invoke the idea of sunken treasure. Rather than attaching the netting from one end to the other, I folded both ends to the middle and attached it like that so when you have the book open it lays more nicely.

The design of the endpapers looks like looped thread, and also reminds me of netting. I secured the bookmark to the bottom of the text block and let it hang from the top, which works better when the book is hanging from the wrist and doesn't get caught in the netting. I also sewed a little starfish charm to the end of the bookmark.

Technical details:

Sewn-on endpapers

Rounded but not backed

No headbands (I think I intended to, but forgot and then decided it didn't matter enough to try to pull the cover back off)

Things I liked about this bind:

I really like the girdle-book-on-a-bracelet design, it came out almost exactly how I had envisioned it.

Things I'd like to change/improve for next time:

I wasn't 100% pleased with how trimming went on these. It wasn't terrible, but I probably need to come up with a different solution than just a utility knife and a straight edge.

Crocheting the netting really did take so long. I'm not even done with the netting that's going on my copy yet, which is why all the pics are from the typesetter's copy. Probably would not want to do netting for anything larger than this one was.

Overall feels: Loved it! I enjoyed the story, the design came out pretty much exactly how I envisioned it, overall I'm well pleased.

[ironwoman359]

I believe you’ve said you are no longer in the Sanders Sides Fandom anymore so feel free to ignore this. I have fallen back into the fandom and was wondering if you had any good fic recommendations? I know you’ve written some too. I’m not sure what types I want but I do enjoy whump, hurt/comfort, found family, and angst. Thanks in advance.

So, my entire Sanders Sides masterlist is here, but I can give you some specific recs of mine that fit that vibe!

A Fiendly Reunion is a canonverse multi-chapter whump/hurt-comfort fic in which the dark sides kidnap Virgil post SvS:Redux, and Thomas and the light sides venture into the dark side of the mindscape to rescue him.

We Blankly Stare is a 3-chapter whump fantasy story in which a naga Janus is kept as a pet who is rescued by the other sides. (and if whump is your thing, this whole list here is of responses to a Bad Things Happen Bingo prompt card)

Replicated is a whumpy science fiction story done through an interactive ask blog I run called @ts-replicated-au. In it, Thomas discovers that his DNA has been used to make test subjects in a massive facility that does all kinds of unethical experiments on human clones. The story is on indefinite hiatus right now but I've always wanted to return to it and at least complete the Escape Arc of the story.

Other authors I'd recommend (though several, like myself, ALSO don't write much for the fandom anymore):

@tulipscomeinallsortsofcolors, whose work ranges from the sweetest fluff to the sharpest angst and whom I adore with my whole heart (and who DOES still write for the fandom, just uploaded a massive chapter to a very angsty time loop story, Violet is incredible seriously)

@delimeful who tells wonderful fantasy and sci-fi stories, many of which make my h/c heart oh so happy

@asofterfan's punk au has some of the most heartfelt writing I've ever read, and also some incredible artwork (one of their pieces inspired me to write a whump fic that to this day is one of my most popular on both tumblr and AO3, Broken Wings )

@random-snippets, which is the writing blog of @randomslasher, a dear friend and excellent writer who from what I recall was the first fic author I ever read whump from who called it whump, thus giving me a great new term to put into this website's terrible search feature.

There are so many others who deserve a look, and so many now who I'm sure are making new and fresh Sanders Sides content that I'm not aware of, so anyone who's got any good recs for anon, drop them in the notes!

[haveyoureadthisfanfic]

Summary: Abducted by smugglers, Patton finds himself stuck in a cell with one of the most famous and bloodthirsty kind of deathworlders out there, a Human.

Author: @delimeful

[sasiaucompetition]

Round 3 Side B Poll 2

35. Pick A Side (i love you and everything is beautiful) - @/arealsword (ao3) vs. 10. You Can't Go Back - @/delimeful (ao3)

Propaganda:

Pick A Side (i love you and everything is beautiful)

Image ID: A screenshot that reads: okay so, i'm sure and i hope this author's amazing long fics are gonna be recommended to hell and back (hey, they wrote a fic about thomas going to hell, too!). but. BUT. I need to highlight the one shot collection. And one specific part of it in particular. Pick a Side has some amazing one shots, but there's an underrated three-parter in there that grabs you by the chin, looks deep into your eyes, and anakin-memes you while there's blood pouring from its mouth. you go "this is just a normal coffee shop au, right?" and the story winks at you with three eyes and goes "yeah. don't worry about." "don't worry about what?" you ask, while thomas spends the entire first chapter freaking out and the entire second chapter gaslighting himself into being a functional pawn of customer service while the universe unravels around him and he refuses to acknowledge it. it's also a queer coffee shop they all work at, and roman's and virgil's dynamic is particularly wholesome in this one. there's a super funny bit where they try to fix a coffee machine in which a nokia got stuck and virgil suggests finding out if it's actually indestructible. there's like, fifteen other items also jamming that machine. don't worry about it. okay, i'm just rambling, so in short: the prose is absolutely fucking excellent. it's a funny and creative take on a coffee shop au with underlying and not really subtle existential horror thrown in the mix, because the fluffiest coffee shop au in the world won't keep thomas sanders from having a mental health crisis in the middle of his living room. it's an amazing fic and i love it and everyone should read it.

End Image ID

You Can't Go Back:

Image ID: A screenshot that reads: My favorite sasi “humans are space orcs” au yet!!! Virgil gets to walk around with four menacingly long spider limbs and a bunch of venom at his disposal, Janus gets to defy the space government in the best way possible, Remus gets to be responsible for all of humanity’s credibility, Roman gets turned conspiracist and is proven right, Logan gets to draft the first research papers on alien life to his hearts content, Patton gets himself an alien bodyguard, and they all get to be dumb as shit the whole time!!!! very fun read

End Image ID

[kieraelieson]

So I get into moods where I adore a good whump fic. Make that character hurt, but then, importantly, make them feel better.

Unfortunately, I am too soft to write them myself. I cave way too easily and give them all the comfort and fluff almost immediately xD

I’ve read some really good sanders sides ones. I especially like delimeful’s, and I wish I could remember more authors I liked.

There was one fic I didn’t realize was hurt no comfort until too late, and I felt a bit cheated by it. But now I realize that an author can write whatever they want, and I really should’ve stopped reading when I realized I wasn’t enjoying it without the promise of something that would never happen.

Someday I wanna write my own though. I definitely explored some close vibes to it with Coffin, but I’d love to take it farther. In my experience, the more the hurt hurts, the better the comfort feels. And I just Love that satisfaction at the end.

[whenisitenoughtrees]

Do you have any fic recommendations? I really like how you write in this fandom so if you have any of your own favourite fics or authors I'd like to see them!

sorry this too me so long lol, i was hardcore procrastinating, and then i realized that i tend to forget to save a lot of the fics i like so i had to track some stuff down. i tried to narrow down the list, but it still ended up being pretty long, so i put favorite fics under the cut

all links go to ao3!

Favorite Authors:

teacupfulofbrains is definitely among my favorites, bc both her writing style and the way she writes the characters are just so, so good. personal faves include living in the real world (ain’t it fun), lovely, dark, and deep, and her avatar au, the crossroads of our destinies

patentpending is one of those writers who you would not be surprised to hear has something published because she is just that good. i think a lot of people in the fandom know Powerless, but my favorite of hers is her recent mociet divorce-and-remarry fic Bother Me a Little Bit Longer

RandomSlasher has got some really good stuff and their fluff and h/c is always completely on point; they’re probably one of my favorite authors for virgil overall. i particularly like Starved and Snow Day, and they’ve also got a bunch of really great oneshots

peachsneakers has written literally so much fic, mostly short and sweet ficlets, but they’re all so well-written and there really is something for everyone. i’m particularly fond of their series preservation of the self for that good good dark sides angst

delimeful writes a lots of aus, mostly fantasy and/or supernatural, and there’s a lot of cute g/t stuff if you enjoy that. his fic how easy you are to need was one of the first fics i bookmarked for this fandom, and i also especially like his alien au series sit back and watch the world go by

greenninjagal is fantastic, i don’t think there’s a single fic of hers that i’ve read and not enjoyed, and i am in love with the way she writes all the sides (particularly the dark sides, but i’m a bit biased). i particularly love Deja Vu and her recent space au Space and Everything In It

Favorite Fics:

A Game of Vice, in which remus locks roman up in a tower like a stereotypical damsel in distress and everyone else goes to rescue him. i love this fic because a) everyone gets a chance to shine and b) remus is very much the antagonist but he’s still sympathetic? which i love

Self Love is just, nine chapters of emotional catharsis and thomas getting to know his sides better, and i love everything about it. i think character!thomas is criminally underused in a lot of fics, and this fic in particular has one of the best characterizations of character!thomas that i’ve ever read

The Gold of Your Heart is a roceit classic, i think, but if you like roceit and haven’t read this one yet, i would absolutely recommend it because it’s so well written and it’s also really long, which i’ve found is kind of rare in this fandom. my only reservation is that there are parts that you could interpret as being u!patton and u!virgil, but everyone has a reason for acting like they do and everything gets resolved by the end, so i was still able to enjoy it a lot even though u!sides are typically a major turn off for me

chivalry is dead has some of the best roman angst i’ve ever read-- he literally splits into his own sides, and everyone else is trying to get him back together again, and it’s just literally so fantastic. also, the endgame pairing is dlamp, which i am always weak for

That’s Just How Siblings Are is literally 10k of roman and remus-centric whump and h/c, and i am weak for creativitwins anyway but this fic really hits all the right buttons. it also features an interesting take on light vs. dark sides relations, which i really liked

Remy Sanders and a Bunch of Idiots is one that i just read recently, and i’m putting it on here for the fact that it made me care about remy? which is not to say that i don’t like remy, because i do, but when i see him in fics i’m rarely all that invested in him as a character. but this fic, hoooo boy. it’s exactly what the title says, with the added angst of remy trying to take care of all the others while being completely convinced that they hate him, and it’s just so frickin good

Falling Together is everything that i look for in a lamp fic-- it takes that trope of patton and roman and logan being together and they all want virgil to join them and virgil also wants to join them but communication issues and virgil’s low self-worth get in the way, you know, that trope? and it plays it out to absolute perfection

Tyndall Effect is one of the cutest dukeceit fics i have read in my life, just, pure fluff. it’s an urban fantasy au, deceit is cursed, and remus falls in love instantly. i literally couldn’t stop grinning the entire time i was reading

the feelings in my headspace rearranged is a wip, if that’s a deal-breaker, but it is absolutely worth the wait for new chapters. it’s centered on the idea that virgil doesn’t intrinsically have a name, and as such, canon goes differently, starting with accepting anxiety. it’s so emotional and well-written, and i love it so much

like copper and gold is loginceit, or logiroceit, or whatever the ship name is for logan x roman x janus, and it is a 30k word rollercoaster. it’s also the only explicit fic i’m including, and it definitely earns that rating, so if you don’t want smut, skip this one. but i’m putting this one on here because usually, smut holds no appeal for me, and i tend to skip smutty content in fics i otherwise enjoy, but this fic is so well written that i read every word and enjoyed it. even though the smut is such a big part of the premise of the fic, it really feels like the smut isn’t the point so much as the emotions behind it, and overall i really can’t recommend this one enough

aaaaand that’s what i’ve got! i hope something in here appeals!!

[mallowbees]

Do you know any really good sander sides fanfics i could check out? or any great authors? I been out of stuff to read for a couple weeks so this would really help. thanks!

oO! Okay so!

--

Immediate fic recs off the top of my head that are on the longer side are:

A Game Of Vice by @coconut-cluster (An into the imagination fic! Antagonist Remus! Lots of ships and feels and action!)

Shatter by @rose-gold-roman (Turn dark side!logan, Deceit centric, Rage is a side and he’s a jerk, endgoal DAMP(dee,pat,virg,ro)!)

Objection by @oh-theatre (Logicality centric lawers au! There is a lot to unpack with this as it is a constant roller coaster! Theres also remile, prinxiety, and other stuff!)

chivalry is dead by UncrownedKing on archive of our own (ROMAN ANGST! ROMAN ANGST! AN INTO THE IMAGINATION FIC!!)

LAOFT (Love and other fairytales) by @tulipscomeinallsortsofcolors (You want some fae content and hella good long written stories? This!! Just!! This!!)

The gold of your heart by @thegoldofyourheart (it is ROCEIT and i would DIE for it! Deceit can turn into a snake theres lots of imagination content and it is very long but oh my gosh worth it)

--

One shot recs off the top of my head:

Logans birthday 2019 by screamingatstars on archive of our own ( Listen i know its super short but it made me very happy when i read it!! Its really sweet!)

Cracks in the ceiling by @coconut-cluster (Virgil!! And logan! And emotions! Not ship that i remember! Its like, aaaa good oh my gosh!)

The injured fairy by @hiddendreamer67 (Listen i know i’ve recammended his before but i liked it okay!! Fairy virgil!! Logans pov!)

Baby, its cold outside by thefoxoffiction on archive of our own (LISTEN I REALLY LIKE THE DECEIT BEING COLD ANGST, GIVE HIM A BLANKET FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING BUT ALSO LET HIM PASS OUT FIRST BASICALLY)

a shadow benign by @coconut-cluster​ (ROMAN AND DECEITTT)

Locked out (well in) by @coconut-cluster​ (pre prinxiety and imagination stuff!!!! aaa!)

--

Average size(?) fics off the top of my head:

Patton the villian wrangler by fandomsandanythingelse on archive of our own (Moxiety!! superheros! Supervillians! Make a wish foundation basically! Readd!!)

The Rooms by @ronnirotten ( REMUS AND LOGAN MURDER MYSTERIES  AND MOMCEIT!! ALSO KIND OF VIRGIL ANGST)

If you have nightmares, we’ll dance on the bed by LeFay_Strent on archive of our own (FAE VIRGIL KIDDO CHARACTER THOMAS AND KINGDOMS LISTEN ITS REAL GOOD OKAY)

--

Authors wise!

@coconut-cluster ,if you couldnt tell, by the multiple times shes on here, lexi’s writing is just, so good

@delimeful g/t fics!! Fantasy fics!!

@hiddendreamer67 also g/t fics!!

@yalltookmyurlideas !! I didnt include any of mads fics which is a crime but theyre all so so good!! they do the good stuff!

@ironwoman359 !! Good stuff!!

@candied-peach !! lots of ship stuff! Really lovely!!

@sidespromptblog they have good fics on archive of our own!! My brain still struggles to connect them as the same person for some reason! but yeah!

--

So yeah!! There’s some of those!! Be sure to check the warning and tags on each of them before reading!!

I guarantee im going to remember someone of something i blanked on and bolt up suddenly later when it hits me, but at this very second heres these!!!

[nonbinary-octopus]

thanks!

Hi Lime, I have a wibar worldbuilding question. Do the alien boys have a particular sound or gesture that has the sort of meaning of "greeting to friend whom I am glad to see again"?

Especially Roman, probably, since he's got all that sign language.

Wondering for Reasons.

(... Reasons being that I was thinking again about a recursive fanfic that I want to write... which is a sequel to another recursive fanfic I want to write... )

recursiveception! how fun :D

logan would formally greet a friend by clasping both of their hands with his lower hands! like a double handshake :) 

patton would brush shoulders or cheeks with them, depending on the level of familiarity! he’d probably have some extra chirps bubbling up if he was particularly excited to see them!

roman’s body language for friendly greeting to a friend would be head dipped slightly, ears pricked attentively forwards, arms crossed and scales flat. 

[ts-storytime]

Posting schedule

On your posting date, you will post the art/story you’ve done wherever you want to! Be sure to put “TS Storytime 2020 Submission” in the tags and tag @ts-storytime and I’ll reblog it here. Please make your post a place we can find all of your work, fic or art, in one place!

And please feel free to add your work to the AO3 Collection.

If you miss your posting date and still intend to post, please inform me when you have posted. So long as you post by August 31st, your work will be reblogged. After that, this blog will go on hiatus.

Writers and Artists should link to each other’s posts. You can cross-post to any platform you wish, so long as there’s also a post in your tumblr linking to it and tagged.

If you are a writer who needs a pinch-hitter, or if you are an artist that needs a writer, please DM me!

Here’s the schedule:

August 1

@my-happy-little-bean || @lemonyellowlogic

August 2

@enbyamy || @birdsongisland

August 3

@snowdice || @snekky-boi

August 6

@ronnirotten || @callboxkat

August 7

@jimmoriartysworld || @authorized-trash

August 8

@sanders-sides-fics || @donttellthemangosiwashere

August 9

@codevassie || @blank-ace

August 10

@thebestworstidea || @logicallycorrected

August 11

@esperinkdraws || @easy-meta-knight

August 12

@katelynn-a-fan || @kieraelieson

August 13

@canadiantardis || @thebestworstidea

August 14

@horsecrazypal76 || @callboxkat

August 15

@kunnuglegur-tortimandi || @easy-meta-knight

August 16

@cattonsanders || @kosmicsides @candied-peach || @crazygreatgamerperson

August 17

@storytellerofuntoldlegends || @magical-octopus​ @kieraelieson || @sometimes-love-is-enough

August 18

@gaylotusthatexists || @sanderssidesfanfiction @the-princey-pie || @pigwithawig @ronnirotten || @lucifer-in-my-head

August 19

@takingsides || @vdkstar @fandomsandanythingelse || @magical-octopus @ananonsart || @prox-xima

August 20

@lemonyellowlogic || @vdkstar @destinys-dragon || @tssanderssidestrash, @rileylastname

August 21

@altruistic-skittles || @noisavalidmood @sanderssidesfanfiction || @scarletsartblog

August 22

@arcticfrostdoesthings || @jajathelivingmeme @fandomsandanythingelse || @storytellerofuntoldlegends @magicallygrimmwiccan || @kosmicsides

August 23

@kunnuglegur-tortimandi || @gigitheimposter @pattonkittysquad2 || @altruistic-skittles @icecoldflames || @anxiety---sunflower

August 24

@thisweirdicecuttingsongisabop || @pattons-cat-hoodie @yikesdodson || @easy-meta-knight @randomfactscentral || pinch hitter needed

August 25

@shadowling-guistical || @conversing-with-satan @purp-man || @jajathelivingmeme @thedarkstrangeson || @lemonyellowlogic

August 26

@sometimes-love-is-enough || @kakutaberry @davidthetraveler || @scarletsartblog, @cloudedskies29

August 27

@because-were-fam-ily || @birdsongisland @music-magic-mayhem || @pigwithawig

August 28

@delimeful || @the-feels-are-coming @confinesofpersonalknowledge || @kakutaberry

August 29

@authorized-trash || @omgsomeonesomewhereonearth @averykedavra || @phantomofthesanderssides

August 30

@teacupfulofstarshine || @altruistic-skittles @citrusmoonlight || @gr3ml1n-loser

August 31

@radioactivehelena || @sanders-sides-love-ask-blog @magicallygrimmwiccan || @pattons-cat-hoodie

[stillebesat]

First Line Tag Game

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, then tag 10 of your favorite authors!

I saw this on @angelicsentinel’s blog and thought it would be fun to do. 

Tagging: @kieraelieson @teacupfulofstarshine @stormcrawler75 @i-will-physically-fight-you @ilovereadingandilovebreathing @nekoabi @ironwoman359 @delimeful and anyone else who wants to join! :D

My last 20 fics and their first lines below the cut.  

20. Christmas Eve -It was one thing to know that parents -not his by any means- but other parents loved to give their kids pets for Christmas. 

19. Hello Darkness (My Old ... Friend?) -He shouldn’t be awake. 

18. Beneath The Moon - “A werewolf.”

17. Catch Me (If You Can) -He tried to push open a pull door. 

16. Meeting Virgil (5x1) -The baby girl stirred in Remy’s arms just as the bright lights of good old NYC came into view.

15. First Contact - Logan looked at Roman, eyes dark.

14. Demon Comfort -It wasn’t the most glorious of jobs. 

13. Dog Days -If he was being truthful with himself, Kaito hadn’t expected to ever get caught by the police, let alone placed in a cell that he couldn’t get out of.

12. A Detective’s Beginning -Ran slumped in the worn swivel chair in her father’s office, the chair squeaking softly with each back and forth pass she made with it.

11. The (K)nightmare -Fire spewed from Roman’s mouth, coating the surrounding trees in red and orange magma that dripped from the smoldering branches like melted cheese. 

10. The Broken Key -Ai glanced around the evening garden party as she paused in the shade of one of the potted trees, ensuring no one was watching her before she raised a hand to feel her forehead. 

9. A Mini’s Pep Talk -It was no use. 

8. Fractured Trust -Roman pulled up short, laughter dying in his throat at the dark hole confronting him, the shadows within the opening seeming to grow ever more malevolent as he stared inside.

7. Among the Branches - BZZZZZZZ BZZZZZZ BZZZZZZ

6. The Key Is Confidence - Confidence. 

5. Nitemear -Roman gasped for breath, his arm pressed tightly against his side as he staggered through the rocky outcrops along the cliffside, searching for a small hollow he could use to defend himself in.

4. On the Run - Run.

3. The Chaos Twins -BANG.

2. The Path: A Promise Kept -The back door squeaks as you pull it open, the noise echoing eerily throughout the darkened kitchen of your home.

1. Lemon Drops -There was no answer.

I think my favorite first line from these would be from my most recent story Christmas Eve. Pattern wise...it looks like I either go really short or rather descriptive for my first line. ^^;; 

Definitely interesting to see just how I start my stories. ^^;; 

[ironwoman359]

question b4: Who is your current favourite author? What is their best story?

B4: Who is your current favourite author? What is their best story?

I think my favorite author is too hard to pin down, let alone a single story from a single author, so I’m just gonna list a few of my favorites and try to name only one story from them. 

@random-snippets, fav is always changing but today I’m reccing A Christmas Wish because I don’t rec that one enough and OH GOSH it makes me so soft. 

@stormcrawler75, one of the favs is Heart’s Heros 

@today-only-happens-once, Pitch Black is the newest but man does it hit all my favorite spots 

@delimeful, definitely the favorite is Watch it Burn and Rust, though all of it is great stuff.

Ask a reader meme

[babysizedfics]

20 + 2 who's one of your favourite authors and do you have anything in your reading queue?

(IDK if you want the q instead of just a number so I'll just to be careful)

2. What’s next on your ‘to-read’ list? (Fan fiction or otherwise)

I'm planning to read this analogical fic because I read another one by the author that was so so good!

I've also been meaning to read the sequel to my favorite slow burn analogical fic: a storm in your eyes (lightning and dark skies)

20. Do you have a favorite fanfic or author? If so, tag them/post a link and share the love!

ohhhh gosh oh gosh along with the fics i linked up there there are a few more! get ready for a ton of recs

@/teacupfulofstarshine 's 'lovely dark and deep' is honestly one of the best stories i have EVER read and thats including novels, it's merman logan and marine biologist virgil analogical and its just.. i could never ever do it justice by summarising it, please check it out its beautiful

@olliedollie1204 liv has recently started a kidfic 'everything fits' with patton as kid virgils dad and logan as kid roman and remus' dad who has recently divorced from janus. she's only got two chapters up yet but SERIOUSLY oh man the character dynamics are atrociously good!! logan and janus' relationship is already just.. so cathartic? its so soft despite their breakup? and both patton with virge and logan with the twins are just the best dads ever omg pls read it!! i trust liv's understandings of character and plot so much that i know its gonna be more amazing the more she writes

also @/snowdice 's 'labelled' series is so wholesome and fun and drama too!! it's superhero au, suoerpowered virgil being adopted by superpowered logan and patton!! and they have a dog!!!!

anything by @/random-snippets (randomslasher on ao3) like LITERALLY anything by them i absolutely adore, they really go for the soft virgil and i love it - the touchstarved virgil fic is pretty intense but i have read it a couple times and its cute!! and sad tho lol

@'delimeful 's 'the shapes in silence' where virgil is a mini dragon is cute but beware pre-aa style angst !! but its so wel written and such a cool idea

AND 'bother me a little bit longer' is such a fascinating and funny and .. spicy (the sfw kind of spice dw) moceit fic where they keep getting married and divorced!! its so cool and singlehandedly sold me on the ship! also logan being exasperated by the constant paperwork is funny

[hiddendreamer67]

What about 25 and 27?

25.  a fic you read this year you would recommend everyone read?

Ooooh there’s a couple that have stuck with me this year. Two in particular stand out, but I have to go with “The Low Light” by a_forgotten_note over on AO3. The most basic synopsis is it’s an analogical vampire fic, but ooooooh boy that does not do it justice. I got so immersed in that world, the storytelling was so powerful and there are so many moments that I think back to often in that fic. Also everyone has amazing backstories and that’s the first fic with an OC in it where I actually cared about the OC’s backstory as well because they were so well-written, though they aren’t the focus either. Wonderful story, 10/10, I’ll talk about this story with anyone. <3

27.  favorite fanfic author of the year?

@delimeful, it’s been great watching you emerge and grow and you’re a super talented writer. :D Love swapping story ideas with you! It’s awesome to see how successful you are, as well. I’m here for ya!

fanfic end of the year asks, I’d love some more! 

[remusownsmyuwus]

In Your Arms (In Your Wings)

This fic was inspired by @delimeful 's au

Taglist: @blanketflakes @iwantafroyo @aleiimm @xbrad-pitifulx

Genre: Fluff, very mild, resolved angst

Warnings: Swearing, crying, self-deprecation, probably some that I missed I'm sorry

Words: 1,970

Author's note: You know it, I know it. @xbrad-pitifulx knows it. My mutuals know it. I'm their writing slave. Please let me out of the cell I wrote another story and this is for them! :) I also used *these* to mark where italics would go, so I might have missed some.

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Virgil crawled toward Patton’s room, wings tucked neatly against his back. He felt a little guilty, lying to the Moral side this way, but it was worth it. Patton had spilled his guts to Virgil, although he didn’t know it was Virgil, for several weeks now. Virgil, transformed into the small, cat-sized dragon he became when particularly overwhelmed or stressed. He used a claw to scratch at the back of an ear before getting to Patton’s door and nudging his head through the catflap Patton had installed after Virgil’s second visit. 

“Oh! If it isn’t little Silvie!” Patton squealed, swinging his legs off of his bed and sitting up. Virgil took a few steps into the room, letting the catflap close behind him. Patton stood up off the bed and crouched down in front of the little dragon, whose tail was moving slowly from side to side.

"Sivie, you're looking so very extra cute today! Want to hear about my day?" Patton's voice was happy with only a tinge of sadness, and he hadn't been crying when Virgil came in, so at least there was that. Virgil scurried forward, bumping his scaly forehead against Patton's leg in a way he hoped seemed oblivious.

"Well, this morning I was fixing breakfast for everyone, and I noticed yesterday that Logan was really bothered about something, I can never tell what. He's so much smarter than me." Virgil gently closed his mouth around Patton's finger to remind him that he was smart, smarter than Logan in a lot of ways, in a lot of ways that mattered, too. Patton chuckled.

"Anyway, I decided to make crêpes because he likes them, he just fills them with Crofter's. Isn't that funny, Slivie?" Patton had pulled Virgil into his lap, gently stroking along the scales of Virgil's back. "So I was just finishing the batter and grabbing the Crofter's from the cabinet so he wouldn't have to grab it himself, when he walked down the stairs." Patton paused for a moment, seeming to shuffle his thoughts and compose himself, absent-mindedly stroking Virgil's scales.

"He walks into the kitchen, and he looks at me, and he says, "I'm looking for Virgil. Have you seen him?" and I say "Sorry, Logan, I haven't seen him today.' and Logan seems to be looking right through me, right through me, you know? And he says, "I haven't seen him since the day before yesterday," so I say "okay, if you find him, tell him to come down for breakfast," and he just…" Patton trailed off, moving a hand under Virgil's chin, scratching lightly. "Turns to go. To leave! So I say, "Take care of yourself," and he turns around and he says to me, "Patton, I need your help."" Patton stopped scratching, letting his head fall back and bump against the frame of his bed.

"He never asks me for help. Ever. So now I know something's really wrong." Virgil felt uncomfort stew in his gut, felt like he was hearing a conversation he wasn't supposed to hear, if second-hand. "--So I said, "Sure, Logan! I'd love to help you!" And he looks at me with those big, brown eyes of his, and there's this far-away look to them, Silvie, like broken windows getting rained on." Patton moves his hand again, petting Virgil's wings, and Virgil leaned into the touch, because he knew Paton needed someone (or something) to be there for him.

"And then, right then, he says "I think I'm in love with someone."" Patton's eyes open from where they had drifted closed and he looks down at Virgil. Virgil stared up at him, surprised. He knew Logan felt, knew that just like the rest of them he felt sad and frustrated and happy, but… Virgil had always assumed that being so Logical, love, or at least the romantic kind, wouldn't be something he felt, one of the main reasons Virgil had squished his crush on Logan down so much.

""Congratulations!" I tell him, but he looks so worried. He looks like he's afraid his whole life is gonna crash down around him. So I take him by the shoulder and sit him down on the counter, and in the smallest whisper, he says to me, "I'm afraid. I'm afraid that he'll say no. Because I don't want to ruin the unsteady friendship we've developed. Because I couldn't live without him in my life." I'm so shaken, Silvie. I don't know what to do with myself. I say, "I'm sure he'd understand if he doesn't feel the same way," and he says, under his breath, like I'm not supposed to hear it, "But Virgil always blames himself, and I don't want him to blame himself for my… illogical behavior."" Patton stopped his stoking to look at the now very agitated dragon on his lap.

Virgil scampered around Patton's stomach, brain a mile a minute. Logan liked him romantically? And he cared about my feelings? Patton's hand gently stopped Virgil halfway through his third circle around himself.

"And then he looks up! And he sees that I heard him. And he got up, and he left. I wanted to give him time to cool down, but after Roman and I had finished cleaning up from breakfast, I went up to his room and I knocked on his door, and," Patton's voice was a tiny whisper. "I heard him crying, through the door. Full-on sobbing. So I knock, just loud enough to get his attention, and-" Patton was cut off by Virgil running off of his lap and darting through the catflap.

Logan needs me. He's crying, and he's alone, and he needs me was all that was running through Virgil's head as he took the stairs two at a time, his wings flapping when he jumped to give him an extra boost. He was already at Logan's door and had scrabbled at it for a good five seconds before he realized he was a) not human and b) very small compared to Logan. He hoped Logan didn't want to experiment on him or anything. But, it was too late.

"Hello? Come in?" Said a soft, hoarse voice from inside. Virgil, being unable to come in but hearing the brokenness is Logan's voice, rammed his head against the door a few times. "Fine, I'm coming," Said the voice, and gentle footfalls neared. 

The door swung open, and there was Logan, eyes red and puffy. “Hello?” Logan’s voice cracked, and a tear slipped out of his left eye. “Is anybody there?”

Virgil flapped a wing against Logan’s shoe, hoping to get his attention without being kicked or stepped on.

“Oh!” Logan said, crouching down to look at Virgil better. Up close, he looked wrecked. His hair was falling over his eyes, which were bloodshot, and his skin was blotchy with red patches and there were dark circles under his sunken eyes. He pushed lopsided glasses up his nose to stare at Virgil. “Would you like to come in?”

Virgil took a few steps forward, stopping with his face a few centimeters from Logan’s. He flicked out his tongue, licking a tear off of Logan’s cheek. Logan laughed and opened his arms for Virgil, who crawled into them.

Logan stood, looking from side to side before shuffling back into his room and closing the door with his foot, a tiny dragon held in his arms. He dragged his feet to the bed and sat down, making sure not to jostle Virgil. “Aren’t you a curious creature? I’ve never seen a dragon like you in the Imagination…” He lay back on the bed, Virgil resting on his stomach. Virgil settled his head against his claws, looking at Logan, whose chest was rising and falling evenly underneath him. 

“You want to know why I’m crying? Why I’ve been crying for hours?” Logan said to the air above him. Virgil tilted his head as if to invite Logan to continue. “I’m in love with… with a close friend. And he’s so wonderful, so smart and sarcastic and beautiful. And-” Logan’s voice died in his throat and he swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing. “-And he could never love me. He could never love me back, because I’m stupid, and I don’t understand humor, and I’m ugly.” Logan brought a hand up to his face, rubbing at his eyes and pushing his glasses onto his forehead. 

Distressed, Virgil launched himself at Logan’s face, licking the tears off of his cheeks, trying to comfort him any way he could. Logan was brilliant, he was funny in that dry, professor-y way of his, and anyone with eyes could see that he was gorgeous.

Logan laughed wetly, tickled by Virgil’s tongue. “Stop, stop, I’m fine. I’m fine!” Logan moved a hand to playfully bat the dragon away. “I just wish Virgil would love me back.”

That stopped Virgil in his tracks, because yeah, Patton had told him, but to hear that- that Logan loved him? To have Logan tell him that he loved Virgil? It was too much to bear. He sat on Logan’s chest, dumbfounded.

“You okay?” came the voice of the logical side through Virgil’s reeling thoughts. Virgil looked at Logan, who looked worried, his eyes searching the dragon’s small form. Virgil crawled up to where one of Logan’s hands was resting against his chest, nuzzling against it, loving feeling the warmth of Logan’s skin against his scales. He couldn’t tell Logan that he did love him back in this state, but maybe Virgil could at least offer his (hopefully) future boyfriend some comfort. Well, if he still wanted Virgil after he would inevitably find out that Virgil was the dragon he had confessed to.

"I really love him. I just don't know how to tell him-" Logan began, but he was interrupted by the suddenly panicked dragon growing and glowing and scampering off his chest. Virgil realized what was happening, but it was already too late and he couldn't get out of Logan's room fast enough, so he settled for just getting off of Logan, ending up finishing his transformation lying next to a very shocked Logan.

"I can explain!" Said Virgil, although he really couldn't, but he could try.

"I admit, I'm a little shocked to see you here, Virgil. I'm-" Logan looked down at his hands, which were knotting around each other in his lap. "-Sorry, you had to hear that."

Virgil leaned forward quickly, grabbing one of Logan's hands. "Don't apologise! I- I-" Virgil's voice shrunk, mumbling into the hood of his hoodie. "I love you, too."

Logan's shoulders shook with a sob he swallowed. "That's so good to hear!" He squeezed Virgil's hand, his voice still hoarse from the crying. Virgil let his own tears fall, dripping off of his chin.

"I'm sorry for not… for just bursting in. I was just talking to Patton, and he said you were crying and I rushed here without thinking…" Virgil's breathing was ragged as he tried to explain, but he felt like his lame excuse fell short.

"You don't have to apologize for being here, Virgil. I feel much better, now that you're here."

"You do?"

"Of course I do, you're here." Virgil looked up at Logan when he said this, locking eyes with him.

"You know what would be even better than holding you hand?" Virgil said, rubbing his thumb across Logan's knuckles.

"I'm close to certain that this is perfection, but let's hear your idea."

Virgil kicked off his shoes and moved so he was lying on Logan's bed. He spread his arms, gesturing to Logan. "Come here, LoLo."

Logan breathed a laugh and crawled into Virgil's arms. "You know, you're right."

Virgil laughed and pulled Logan on top of him, wrapping his arms around the logical side's chest. "You doubted me?"

"Never."

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This was really fun to write! Thank you to @delimeful for the au idea, @xbrad-pitifulx for being my muse (as always), and to @sanders-stuffs and @blanketflakes for always supporting me!

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Postscriptum: Warning: this message from the author contains suicidal tendencies, intrusive thoughts, and depression + anxiety mentions.

Right now, I'm (the author) in a bad place. I'm depressed, my anxiety has been worse, and I feel useless and listless. Right now, the one thing I'm living for is this fandom. This blog, with it's followers in the single digits and the love I get from fellow fanders is what's keeping me alive, as well as my passion for writing. I'd just like to thank the people who continue to stand my existance on this website. You guys are amazing, and I'd like to thank all of you.

[popsicletheduck]

25 and 13 for the writing ask meme?

25. What authors and books have inspired you to write your work?

There are five Sanders Sides fics written by four authors that gave me the inspiration and motivation to write secrets written in our blood and I’m terrified as hell to tag them all, but here we go: Howl by @i-will-physically-fight-you, Our Own Villain by @ironwoman359 (and also her blog was so lovely and positive), Labeled by @snowdice, and how easy you are to need and watch it burn and rust by @delimeful. All fantastic stories, all lovely writing, and all so different from what I’d become convinced that all Sanders Sides fic was that they helped give me the courage to write the story I was certain no one but me would like.

13. Are there scenes that you cut already?

I answered this one already, but then I remembered I did kinda cut a scene already. It was less a case of getting rid of a scene I already wrote and more a case of ideas changing as I wrote them, but originally chapter 5, where Patton saves Logan from falling down a canyon, was supposed to be Patton actually falling down a canyon and surviving but being stuck at the bottom, leading to Logan and Roman having to find a way to reunite with him and possibly bonding while they worked together. I can’t remember exactly why I changed it now (it might’ve been that I thought I was focusing too much on Patton?) but I think what I did write turned out pretty good, even if it was far angstier than anticipated. Plus I got to drop some lore, which is always fun.

[queroze]

This is my top 5 Sander's sides fanfictions:

Number 5:

The shortest story on this list, it is one I have reread a number of times. While it tackles a premise that is typical of this fandom, it does so with such an emotional energy. Give it a read, but keep your favorite cuddler close.

Number 4:

Not your usual narrative work. This fic sees our favorite characters in a chat fic. The issues that are tackled, along with tone and the plot makes for a wonderful read.

Number 3:

So if you haven't read this, I'm not sure what your doing here. I would consider this required reading for any Sander's Sides fanfiction reader. A beautifully well crafted story with history, mystery, and love.

Number 2:

This series has a very unique premise for this fandom. The writing is well executed. It's sweet and angsty and in space. What more could you ask for?

My Number 1:

This is an amazing series. In depth, well written, fantastic premise, and a bit gut wrenching. The characterization is so breathtakingly real I feel like I have made some new friends in reading this. You won't help but feel what they are all going thru.

This story is the reason I got off my behind and made this list.

Warning: It is not for potentially sensitive readers. The author has taken great care to put warnings at the start of each chapter.

@thechildoflightning @randomslasher @greenninjagal-blog @tulipscomeinallsortsofcolors @delimeful