#chel fic recs

[themerlinlibrary]

Favourites Friday (Jan 2024) – Hero/Villain AU

TML Favourites Friday round-up! January 2024 round 2

What is Favourites Friday? – The Basics

a different theme is announced on Friday each week; FF recs must match the theme of the week

only one FF rec per person per week/theme

FF recs must be unique within that week/theme; no double-posting the same fic for one theme!

no self-recs during regular rounds

only self-recs during self-rec rounds (last Friday of each month)

Theme for week 2: Hero/Villain AU!

Evil Overlord, Inc by Footloose and Mushroomtale M, 138k, Merlin/Arthur  Modern with Magic

To Be a Hero by fancyh M, 78k, Merlin/Arthur Modern with Magic

My Hero in the Dark by chaosgenes E, 1.2k, Merlin/Arthur Modern with Magic

One Moment More by beccadearie T, 9k, Merlin/Arthur Modern AU

Your Friendly Neighbourhood Emrysman by Mischel T, 19k, Merlin/Arthur Canon Era

it goes to show you never can tell by eat_crow T, 5.6k, Merlin/Arthur Modern AU

A masterlist of these round-ups [2024 and onwards] can be found here. [A masterlist of the round-ups from 2022–2024 can be found here.]

If you want to make sure you never miss a FF rec, or would like to participate and share your own favourites; join us on the Discord TheMerlinLibrary! Happy reading!

About the FF round-up lists:

Recs are listed in the order they were posted on the Discord; the order does not imply any sort of ranking.

The pairing given in this list is the main pairing of each respective fic – please read the tags for any possible minor or side-pairings, as well as any potential warnings or triggers.

Pairings and Eras are given as tagged in each respective fic. (?) signifies that the tags were unclear and I do not know enough about the fic to fill the gaps.

Round-ups are compiled on the weekend of the week after the respective theme of the post (when the new theme has already been anounced), to avoid omitting potentially belated FF recs.

The weekly round-up is not a guarantee! I'm running this alone, so it can only be posted for weeks when I have enough time on my hands to compile a list. If you'd like to help out, feel free to contact me on Tumblr ( @zaharya ) or Discord. Thanks to @ravenwilds for helping me out with these round-ups, and to Chel for making a whole-ass bot to make it easier!

[itsnotgray]

NAVIGATION

my teams: dallas stars, new jersey devils, fc barcelona, chelsea fc

liveblogs: stars lb, njd lb, barca lb, chels lb, and more (way, way more)

my fic rec list | gray’s writing thoughts | my masterlist | my au’s | gray’s wip’s | my teams |

[johaerys-writes]

I finally have some more time to read fic and I want to make this a regular thing: reccing five fics every Friday, both fics I've read during the week but also older works that I love. So without further ado, here are some newer and older faves:

1. In Repair (Dorian Pavus/Trevelyan, DA, T) by breadbowl: Inky & co are exploring some ruins when Dorian is attacked by Venatori. What follows next is a spoiler lol so I won't say anything else, but this fic was so angsty but also funny in places, with lots of action and banter. It was like extra content from the game which is my favorite kind of DA fic.

2. Librarian To The Future (Dorian Pavus/Trevelyan, DA, T) by norwasmeanttobe: The Inquisition needs a book of magic which has been destroyed, so Dorian time travels to the Ostwick Circle of eight years before to find its last copy. There he meets a young Inquisitor Trevelyan, who was the Circle librarian at the time. A truly delightful fic, plus the author's Trevelyan is such a sweetie. Loved this.

3. Chintz (Achilles/Patroclus, Hades/TSOA, M) by @baejax-the-great: Achilles is trapped in a miserable marriage, and in order to escape it -and himself- he starts drinking heavily while also sleeping with his best friend (and long time crush, but no one's talking about that lmao). The pain!!! The misery!!! All the suppressed emotions!!! It hurts so good 😭 My heart broke for both of them and now I am ANXIOUSLY waiting for a reunion that will mend it (i.e. poking Bae with a stick while she writes 👀) 

4. as we circle the moon (Keith/Shiro, VLD, E) by @monstersinthecosmos: follows the events in the show after Shiro disappears post s2, and is then found-- but fem!Sheith 🥺 Kacy's written some of my all time fave sheith angst, and this is no exception: an in depth exploration of Keith's state of mind after losing Shiro and Shiro's own struggles towards recovery, just so soft and sad and poignant and true to character. I love these gorls <3

5. Calamitous Love (Tadashi/Ainosuke, Sk8 the Infinity, E) by @starryskeyes: I read this one a while back, but boy howdy has it left its mark on me. I am a slut and a weakling for childhood friends to lovers to exes back to lovers (no one knows them like they know each other!!!!! ;w;) and this hit the spot JUST RIGHT, Chel's prose and characterisations are divine and made me feel so many emotions. I just want to wrap Tadashi in blankets and keep him safe. 😭

That's it for this week!! See you again next Friday 💙

[adiduck]

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

FIVE fics, Chel? FIVE? 🤣

Okay okay okay I can do this. I'm gonna include cowritten fics, wips, and multiple fandoms to make it easier on myself, though. Also, these are all fics from various times in my life as a writer so I cannot currently say that I would REWRITE them the same way, but they are my favorites nevertheless:

1. edge of providence (Star Wars, M, cowritten with @keensers, wip, 241,962 words and counting, jangobi, arguably one of the best pieces of fiction I have ever had a part in creating)

“Are you going to kill me right here, Mand’alor?” Obi-Wan manages.

Fett freezes, his hold loosening, and shoves away from him as if burned, getting to his feet. Obi-Wan coughs, looks up to where the man is watching him with some strange mix of emotion. His shields are exceptionally strong, for a null.

“There is no Mand’alor,” Fett says finally, and walks right out of the room.

(Or: 15-year-old Jedi Padawan Anakin Skywalker crash-lands on Kamino on the one day a cycle when the seas are calm and the storms abate. At the time, he doesn’t think much of it. Later—much later—he will come to see it as an omen.)

2. the boat that would row you back (Star Wars, T, complete, 12,317 words, codywan, my first in-text codywan fic and still I think a really fun romp)

“He vanished into the Cosmic Force,” Vader intones, and Cody will never understand why people raised as Jedi don’t just say ‘dead’.

“Is there a reason,” Cody asks, voice shaking with grief over his General’s lightsaber and cloak for the very last time, eyes still burning and blurry with choked-off tears, “you needed to free me to tell me that?” Is there a reason Cody had needed to know at all? Why would Darth Vader--Anakin Skywalker--bother to track down General Kenobi’s former Commander, and make absolutely certain he’d feel the loss sharp and hot in his chest when he delivered the news. What purpose would it serve, now?

“You misunderstand, Commander,” Vader says, and Cody blinks. “He vanished. Wholly. He purposely did not block, I struck him down, and by the time the cloak had fallen, there was no body remaining.”

2.5. Adjacent to Theseus, Seeking (Star Wars, T, complete, 3334 words, codywan, semi-sequel to boat--same universe, mostly just have to be aware of boat's existence, one of my best attempts at creating a particular atmosphere as a main component of a fic, I am aware this is cheating shhhhh)

Cody is somewhere out there, and like this Obi-Wan can no longer feel him.

Cody is somewhere out there, and somehow, his presence in the Force is everywhere, blinding and untethered.

Or, a labyrinth, a monster, a search, and a mystery.

3. an ice-cream covered screaming hyperactive thought (Star Wars, G, complete, 9,863 words, codywan, I just love this one okay, it's so joyful, and I think I did what I came to do re: the underlying story of Cody's building himself a life After The War)

Cody is fairly certain he is not going to get his security deposit back.

There are three new stains on his carpet, and a patch by the door has been roughed up enough Cody’s pretty sure the weave’s come loose. The door itself has scratches in the paint all the way up to the door knob, and the curtains covering the windows on either side of the door are shredded, showing the metal grating over the transparisteel on the street side. The caf machine, the dish rack, and the soap dispenser are all in a collapsed and soapy heap on the floor. Cody’d managed through reflexes honed by war to save his favorite caf mug, but had sadly lost two of his plates and a bowl before he’d managed to wrap the perpetrator in three towels and shove the whole bundle up against a shoulder.

The towel bundle, very put out by this turn of events, is yelling.

4. I Did It All For Myself (Star Wars, G, complete, 6,824 words, pre-codywan, part of a larger wip series (No Choir) and I think not everyone's favorite in that series, but I really enjoyed exploring the tension of beginning to let yourself recover in this one, and I had a lot of fun playing with the timeline)

Obi-Wan Kenobi's hut is entirely bland, dusty white stone and plaster on the inside. Cody borrows four-year-old Luke Skywalker to help him correct this.

5. The General (Girl Genius, T, complete, 37,510 words, I think my first complete long piece of fiction, taught me a lot about voice and pacing and I think is just genuinely a fun ride)

It takes six months for Dimo to officially become acting general of the Jaegermonster army after Baron Klaus Wulfenbach locks Mechanicsburg, and himself and their Heterodyne with it. A lot can happen in six months.

[fourteenfifteen]

fic recs for you: https:// archiveofourown.org/works/11224815 <- mako fic i read recently that is so good makes me insane capitalizes on my favorite things in the tone of everything september

pickman backstory pre canon so no spoils!! i loveee how it fills in the last dance….. https://archiveofourown.org/ works/44644492

TY BESTIE CHELS i am so excited to read these

[asexy-phoenix]

Fic Recs Galore

We’re still going!

shake it, baby (you know it won’t last) by BannedBloodOranges

alright so this one isn’t a fic, it’s an AMV of Who Framed Roger Rabbit all about Jessica: how she sees herself and how others draw her. It’s great, and the music is perfect, timing too. The whole thing is awesome

Traffic Signs by Gazyrlezon

this one isn’t exactly fanfiction either...two for two here lol. It’s an original work about a post-apocalyptic teen and is SO good! Introspective, calming, eerie in some moments. I want to see this in a book so bad

also it was inspired by a tumblr prompt so we’re coming full circle on this one!

From Grace by silver_fish

features: hurt/comfort, Harry being Harry and refusing to talk about his problems, some actual good severitus, Harry getting help during Order of the Phoenix, and yet another reason why everyone else should be given the reins to Harry Potter 

Ghosts We Know by klmeri

classic Star Trek shenanigans, featuring McSpirk, friendship, humor, ghosts (maybe), and fluff! I love the original series and the fact that it inspires fic like this is one of the reasons why

Gordon Korman Never Wrote a Zombie Story (And Now We Know Why) by nightwalker

did you ever want to read a Macdonald Hall story but make it a zombie apocalypse? If yes, this story is for you. All the characters are aged up but still in-character and the end of the world being nigh doesn’t stop any of the hijinks

Event Horizon by eponymous_rose

this is a story where nothing important happens and yet it all feels right and happy, much like Corner Gas itself

this crazy game by kiwigirl

The Soulmate Goose of Enforcement, aka a goose that chases you around until you find your soulmate and kiss them. Featuring Steve Rogers and Darcy Lewis! A very fun story with the worst sort of goose

A Goose in the Study by KateKintail

possibly the most random story on my list, this is a John/Sherlock/Greg story with a soulmate goose. By turns funny, sweet, and soft, this concept has no right to be as good as this story makes it. If you like random hijinks, go read it

A Skein in Flight by SharpestScalpel

an intergalactic space goose soulmate AU featuring McSpirk and hurt/comfort. Surprisingly emotional for such a ridiculous concept, I highly recommend it

The Noice Place by thinlizzy2

what if the first time around, Michael got a squad of detectives in his Good Place? It’s exactly as much fun for him as it sounds: none. But plenty for the readers! It’s hilarious, made me laugh and the character voices are pitch perfect

Rules by mazabm

Summer and Morty coping together and making rules so they can be accountable and not follow the paths of their family. It’s tragic and haunting and hits way too close to home for anyone who grew up in a dysfunctional family. It’s also so good and you should read it

A Land So Wild and Savage by elanne

this one is interesting. It’s a character study of Charles and Caroline Wilder; the wanderlust that drove him and the need for stability she she understood deeper than he did. The prose in this one is lyrical and wonderful

Macdonald Hall is Fabulous by Nimori

Boots has a problem. Bruno is going to fix it. Along the way, there will be hijinks and shenanigans. This feels like a classic Macdonald Hall adventure and in some ways feels more like Gordon Korman’s works than Korman’s writing these days. Very good story, highly recommend

Poor Timing by Walutahanga

a what-if universe for a series almost no one has read! This is an alternate universe for the Wayfarer Redemption series and is a great exploration of the butterfly effect in that particular universe

Revelations For The Faithful by DesertScribe

a drabble about The Road to El Dorado where Chel was always a goddess. For being only 100 words long, this is gorgeous and moving and I like it a lot. If you have fond memories of this movie, go read this fic

Soft by Halja

“Hades worries entirely too much. Persephone might be soft and pretty, but she’s not made of glass” a story of Hades and Persephone with self-doubt and reassurance, love and beauty, and beautifully written

Apotheosis by Maria_and_Aguilars_Codex_1492

I have no idea what to say about this story other than it’s amazing. It features Rosalie from Twilight as she navigates her life, tries to understand who she is, and eventually realizes what her purpose is. The whole thing is shocking and awe-inspiring. Even if, maybe especially if, you hate Twilight go read it.

Kissing Destiny Full on the Lips by GwenTheTribble

soulmates are a special kind of magic in the wizarding world. Here’s the story of ten of them. 

there is a story of Sirius and Bellatrix being soulmates in here, it’s not the healthiest relationship so maybe skip that one if it squicks you out

The White String of Fate by Anonymous

an aromantic Luna Lovegood finds a soulmate, just not in the way she expects. I just love soulmate AUs that make room for aro and ace people and this is one of them!

sentiment is a chemical defect by Sanna_Black_Slytherin

Sherlock is asexual, John doesn’t realize. There’s an argument, a love confession, a kiss, and a happily ever after.

quid pro quo by Sanna_Black_Slytherin

two asexual secret agents trying to seduce each other and being increasingly confused by amatonormativity, but maybe actually falling for each other along the way?? Thomas Jefferson and James Madison are great at this, y’all

Middle Watch by Verecunda

did you ever want more romantic pining by middle-aged men in your historical novel? Good news! This story about Treasure Island is for you!

Home is the Sailor by Verecunda

Treasure Island now with more gay domesticity than ever before! Livesey/Trelawney has given me a whole new ship for a centuries-old story, it’s fine

How a Husband Should Be by Anonymous

Hector and Imelda have been rebuilding their relationship and now they’re ready to move onto the next step. Except...Hector isn’t sure he can keep lying to Imelda anymore. This story is lovely and soft with angst and comfort in all the right places, plus it comes with illustrations!

The Besotted Breathe Deeply by Chancy_Lurking

Another fic of Sherlock returning after Reichenbach with so much more love and emotion put into it than the BBC showrunners could ever dream of. It’s soft and lovely and I read it every time I want a good reunion fic for John and Sherlock

Tunnel by Silverlace_Vine

There’s a tunnel collapse and Steve has to struggle to escape even though he knows the others are dead. This story is good and you should read it - I can’t tell you any more than that

The Diary of Rachel Whitsett by vaspider

In the Newsflesh series, any mammal over a certain weight can spontaneously turn into a zombie. What does that mean for dog breeders? This is a down-to-earth story that is all the more eerie for its matter-of-fact-descriptions of events and people. I love it a lot and it makes me cry

warning for animal death

everything is alright (yes, i feel just fine) by MoreHeartLessAttack

Jake Peralta has ADHD and hasn’t told anyone, but ends up accidentally telling everyone. This story is very real for anyone who is scared of how people will perceive them once they’re open about their diagnosis. It’s real and raw and I like it a lot

The Eye Color Soulmate AU Fiasco by Pfeldspar

what happens when the two dumbest people in the universe completely miss their universe-assigned meet-cute? This fic, I guess. Cavendish and Dakota somehow miss the fact that they’re soulmates and it’s great. This story is hilarious and funny and I love it so much

[elwenyere]

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

Thank you Chel and @adiduck for the asks!!! I am going to do this in the order that I wrote the fics, because my secret favorite children often earned that status for very different reasons (some of them by being little pests, honestly XD).

Three Little Words (MCU, Stony, M, 11.k)

“First of all,” Tony said, “and I need everyone to hear this on multiple levels: how dare you?”

-------

In the branching timeline, Thor has to restart Tony's heart, and Steve hears that Bucky is alive. Some things go differently, and some things stay the same. For starters, Steve and Tony are still terrible at saying those three little words.

This was a very early fic for me, and the first one I wrote where I really felt like I could hear the characters - like they were starting to boss me around. It also has one of my favorites of my many melodramatic finishes.

Longing (MCU, Sambucky, M, 11.8k)

"Hours later, when everything was well and truly fucked, Bucky would recognize the exact moment when he should have benched himself. It had happened in the dazed split-second between Sam flashing him a smile as he swan-dived out of the plane and Bucky almost leaping right after him, his parachute lying forgotten on the floor."

-------

Or, when Sam gets caught in a memory machine, Bucky goes in after him.

This fic ate my soul. I don't think I have eve gotten quite so deeply consumed in the process of writing a fic, and I feel happy to have gotten pretty close to the very hard thing I wanted to try to achieve.

Citation Needed (MCU, Stony, M, 30.5k) cowritten with @festiveferret

Historian Tony Stark has one year to get his book about WWII weapons technology under contract before he goes up for Full Professor at Stanley College. There's only one chapter left to finish, which is supposed to explain Peggy Carter's involvement with something called "Project Rebirth," but there are two problems: his trail of evidence goes cold every time he encounters references to an enigmatic soldier named Steven Rogers, and his stress levels shoot through the roof every time he runs into the endlessly frustrating new hire in Fine Arts, Dr. Grant.

This is the most extensively world-buildy AU I've ever written (including hilarious lines from Ferret and jokes from me that are punishingly niche...), and I also just had an absolute blast co-writing it: maybe the most fun I've had writing.

Good Soldiers (Star Wars, Codywan, M, 7.2k)

“Have I ever commended you on the vast array of sentiments you manage to convey with your ‘sirs’?” Obi-Wan asked wryly. “Someday I will persuade you to drop the appearance of formality - at least when you’re telling me I’m full of shit.”

“You’re welcome to keep believing that, sir,” Cody allowed. “Everyone needs something to look forward to.”

The rest of Obi-Wan’s smile faded, his expression growing thoughtful.

“Yes,” he murmured, “I suppose they do.”

-----

Or, 5 Times Cody and Obi-Wan Followed Orders + 1 Time They Followed Each Other

My first Codywan fic and probably the fic that sits most wonderfully at the intersection of "I wrote this because its demon spirit possessed me" and "I had fun writing this." XD I started watching TCW, read some spectacular fic, and then speed-ran through this in fit of intense self-indulgence.

Recollection (Star Wars, Codywan, E, WIP 17.4k)

CC-2224 had been compromised.

That had been the assessment delivered by Lieutenant Piett, the Imperial officer who met the returning Purge Troopers in the landing bay, and CC-2224 had accepted the new parameters and applied them to his current situation. He had been compromised in the field, and that was why his heart rate was tachycardic, his vision was blurred, and he was currently being dragged down the hall by the armpits, his wrists cuffed behind his back so that every step wrenched against his shoulders.

------

Or, Eternal Sunshine of the Reconditioned Mind

It's often the case that my current fic is one of my favorite fics, but I think this karker will likely stay on the list, both because I have been really grabbed (throttled, frankly) by the premise and because I am trying so many things that scare the shit out of me (including my first smut scene...those other "Ms" are totally unearned, y'all, and when I post the final chapter of this I may expire due the mortifying ordeal of being perceived).

Thank you again to Chel and Adi for the asks!!!

[neptune83]

I posted 974 times in 2022

That's 771 more posts than 2021!

68 posts created (7%)

906 posts reblogged (93%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@all-about-that-rec

@crowcoven

@stardragonslayer

@broosepayne

@xiaq

I tagged 64 of my posts in 2022

#fanfiction - 10 posts

#ao3 - 9 posts

#fanfic - 7 posts

#game of thrones - 6 posts

#fanfic recs - 5 posts

#got - 4 posts

#house of the dragon - 4 posts

#donna tartt - 4 posts

#jaime lannister - 4 posts

#fic recs - 4 posts

Longest Tag: 108 characters

#it also only took me 5 minutes to do all three and i heard back from one person in literally two minutes lol

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

me reading Carmilla weekly:

25 notes - Posted September 25, 2022

#4

OTPs are great but poly ships are where it’s at. Here are some of my favourites. Feel free to add more

If anyone wants fic recommendations, I have some for some ships. Also I would love recommendations for fics with any of these ships as well. Or any “real” books with poly relationships.

Harry Potter/Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley

Inej Ghafa/Jesper Fahey/Kaz Brekker

Jason Grace/Piper McLean/Reyna Ramirez-Arellano

Genya Safin/Zoya Nazyalensky/Alina Starkov

Lily Evans/James Potter/Regulus Black

Honestly all the crows together is great

Lily/James/Sirius/Remus

Dean Thomas/Seamus Finnegan/Ginny Weasley

Neville Longbottom/Luna Lovegood/Ginny Weasley

Suki/Sokka/Zuko

Ty Lee/Mai/Azula

Geralt/Jaskier/Yennefer

Poe/Finn/Rey

Peter Parker/Ned Leeds/Michelle Jones

Lyanna Mormont/Rickon Stark/Shireen Baratheon

Chel/Tulio/Miguel

You know I could ship most of the avengers together (fanon of course)

Harry/Ginny/Luna has potential

Hermione/Ginny/Fleur (I’ve read a few good fics with them)

25 notes - Posted February 4, 2022

#3

Yooooooo I just finished The Heroine’s Journey by Gail Carriger and it was so good!!! I don’t read a ton of non-fiction, especially not about writing, but  I picked this book up because I love Gail Carriger’s writing (I’ve read most of her Parasolverse and I’m planning on reading her other series eventually) and it was definitely worth it! Would highly recommend to “writers, readers, and fans of pop culture” as it says on the cover. 

34 notes - Posted July 7, 2022

#2

Can’t believe Mary Shelley used the words “dark orbs” to describe Henry’s eyes in Frankenstein :(((

59 notes - Posted May 23, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

found family is obviously a very popular trope and it’s in literally so much popular media

here are the ones I’ve read/watched but feel free to add your own

ATLA

Legend of korra

Six of Crows

Avengers

Guardians of the Galaxy

Most marvel stuff really

Harry Potter

Throne of glass

ACOTAR

Crescent city too i guess

She-ra and the princesses of power

Does umbrella academy count? It’s more like they chose to be a real family I guess

The Witcher

Like all Star Wars content ever

Shadow and bone

Probably all of Leigh bardugo‘s stuff but I haven’t read it all

Brooklyn nine nine

Batfam

Pirates of the Caribbean??

Ranger’s Apprentice (how popular is this??)

Raya and the last dragon

All Rick Riordan stuff ever too

The old guard!!!! Can’t believe I almost forgot

Lilo and stitch

I haven’t read too much of it yet but the raven cycle definitely seems like it fits

Lore Olympus

Anything by Eva Ibbotson (is this popular? Idk)

See the full post

92 notes - Posted January 27, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[shemakesmeforget]

2021 snowbaz smut fic rec (part 1)

ive been teasing about this fic rec for so long so please lets just all click under the cut (MIND THE TAGS), okay, lets go!!

Ask by starwarned (@snowybank)

[1k/canonverse/fluff]

That's right, that's my boy.

A rework of the most heartbreaking line.

• the concept of taking lines out of context and making something different out of them, it's very cool. This captures canon feels and more. Very soft too!!

no hairtie? no problem! by anonfic6

[1k/canonverse/light s/d]

Simon's here to pull your hair back for you! Offer extended only to Baz Pitch.

---

More smut, ft. Simon with a hair-pulling kink.

• sweet, tender, kinky and fun, the whole package.

Thrill Me, Chill Me, Fulfill Me by annabellelux (@annabellelux)

[7k/canonverse/light s/d]

Simon wants to take his relationship with Baz to the next level: so he asks Baz to thrall him in bed.

• as always, annabellelux delights with amazing smut. Hot and intimate and kinky, GOOD STUFF

The Privatisation of Water by LakeWitch (@eelwinks)

[12k/college au/texting]

To get Baz off his back about their class presentation, Simon texts back saying he's busy.

When Baz presses him further, Simon says he's wanking.

Neither Simon nor Baz expects Baz to text "Prove it."

So, Simon proves it.

• this fic has all the stuff I like condensed in beautiful writing, author!!! your mind!!!

Burn Me Alive, Simon Snow by crumbsinmycleavage

[2k/canonverse/pwp - dubcon]

My hand flies to my throat and then to the cuts on my chin. My cross. I took it off weeks ago.

I hurry over to my bed and dig it out, but I don’t put it on. Instead I walk around Baz and stand in his space until he has to look at me. He does. His teeth are clenched, and his head is tipped back and to the side, like he’s just waiting for me to make the first move.

Way too much sexual tension goes to waste in this original chapter of Carry On so I’m here to fix that

• very clever to give this scene smut, I love it, it fits so well

Unmaking, Undoing by Anonymous

[6k/canonverse/pwp]

There are four steps to getting an uptight Baz Pitch to admit he wants sex. Simon knows all of them.

Banter and monster-parts, for the monster-part enthusiast. As much shit-talking and tenderness as there is smut and gratuitous use of the tail.

• ah yes is monster fucking time but if I'm being honest I think about this fic at least once a week. It's amazing, written so well and it portraits intimacy and fucking unhinged kinky smut

On Love's Light Wings by Anonymous

[3k/canonverse/pwp]

The wings have some untapped potential. Simon wants them spelled away for the night, Baz asks politely that they remain out. Then he makes good use of them. The best use of them. Well, he uses them for sure.

• another monster fucking fic I can't stop thinking about! established relationship fic where they're actually comfortable with each other to explore stuff they like!!!!! YES!

What Happens in Vegas by gettingby (@im-gettingby )

[4k/canonverse/threesome]

Simon and Baz take a trip to Las Vegas for their fifth wedding anniversary. They run into a fit, blue-eyed stranger who gives them more than they bargained for.

• its threesome time. Okay, I used to hate Lamb thought he was dumb af UNTIL I read this fic and now i only like him for horny reasons. Healthy dynamic for once omg bless!! also very sexy and in character.

No Holding Back by aralias (@captain-aralias)

[5k/canonverse/dubcon]

"I went to sleep covered in blood. When I wake up, someone is licking it off me."

A magic amulet makes Baz act on his repressed instincts.

• the token dark fic of the list. The visual is too much for my little brain to handle. And so angsty! ahhh delicious angsty smut.

[themerlinlibrary]

Favourites Friday (Feb 2024) – Self-Rec Round: Pining

TML Favourites Friday round-up! February 2024 round 4 (SRR)

What is Favourites Friday? – The Basics

a different theme is announced on Friday each week; FF recs must match the theme of the week

only one FF rec per person per week/theme

FF recs must be unique within that week/theme; no double-posting the same fic for one theme!

no self-recs during regular rounds

only self-recs during self-rec rounds (last Friday of each month)

Theme for this self-rec round: Pining!

Curling. For Camelot! by ravenwilds T, 6.8k, Merlin/Arthur Modern AU, Winter Olympics AU

Carefully Planned Coincidences by elirwen E, 1.1k, Merlin/Arthur Modern AU, Sharing a Bed

You’ll Find the Real Thing Instead by SubmissivelyWritten E, 30k, Multiple pairings Modern AU, Wedding Planning, RomCom

Separate Harmonies from Chords by thesongistheriver E, 12k, Merlin/Arthur Modern AU, College/Uni AU

All Things Loved and Lovesick by horsecrazy E, 90k, Merlin/Arthur Modern AU, Vets AU

Win Me (Over) by lavender_spice M, 10k, Merlin/Arthur Modern AU, Bachelor Auction

Forgetting to Remember (You) by Excited_Insomniac T, 11k, Merlin/Arthur Canon Divergence, Memory loss

Pinned Down by kiraniafterdark (kirani) E, 313, Merlin/Arthur Hook-up

Arthur, Sincerely by MerlinLikeTheBird M, 48k, Merlin/Arthur Canon Divergence, Didn’t know they were dating

and you held me tightly ('til the morning) by Imagined M, 16k, Merlin/Arthur Canon Era, Arranged Marriage

[Fic & Podfic] So Close to Reaching that Famous Happy End by robinfaipods (Robin_Fai), TrebleMaker07 G, 5.4k, Merlin/Arthur Modern AU, Co-workers

An Accidental Union by acciomerlin T, 8.3k, Merlin/Arthur Canon Era, Domestic fluff

everywhere and at all times by fabledfrog G, 549, Gen; Merlin & Arthur Canon Era

Lavender & Ink by sleepygecko T, 5.2k, Gwen/Lancelot Modern AU, Bookstore

A masterlist of all round-ups can be found here.

If you want to make sure you never miss a FF rec, or would like to participate and share your own favourites; join us on the Discord TheMerlinLibrary! Happy reading!

About the FF round-up lists:

Recs are listed in the order they were posted on the Discord; the order does not imply any sort of ranking.

The pairing given in this list is the main pairing of each respective fic – please read the tags for any possible minor or side-pairings, as well as any potential warnings or triggers.

Pairings and Eras are given as tagged in each respective fic. (?) signifies that the tags were unclear and I do not know enough about the fic to fill the gaps.

Round-ups are compiled on the weekend of the week after the respective theme of the post (when the new theme has already been anounced), to avoid omitting potentially belated FF recs.

The weekly round-up is not a guarantee! I'm running this alone, so it can only be posted for weeks when I have enough time on my hands to compile a list. If you'd like to help out, feel free to contact me on Tumblr ( @zaharya ) or Discord. Thank you to @ravenwilds for helping me out with this round-up, and to Chel for writing a whole-ass bot to make it easier!

[m4rkshouse]

i’ve been reading so many markhyuck fics lately for some reason bc i randomly stumbled across the tag on ao3 and,,, im highkey obsessed w it they’re such cute pals irl and it translates well to fics ((nd especially bffs to lovers fics if you’re a fan of that trope))

[kataracy]

Just dropping in to say that I fucking love your fanfics and headcanons 💞

how bout my AUs tho cuz listen …an AU… Where… Aang and Katara… work for the Bei Fong’s… as a butler and maid… I’m going somewhere with this hold on I’m literally thinking aloud with this one… Aang and Katara work for the Bei Fong’s and… Aang’s secretly rich and Katara hates rich people (but like her character flaw is being hypocritical cuz she likes the Bei Fong’s but literally no one else so she’s like ‘Not ALL rich people’ about it) but Aang is in love with her so he tells her he was living on the streets before the Bei Fong’s took him in when really he wanted to try working for a living instead of just inheriting his Grandpa Gyatso’s fortune and that’s it the thought left

[withyouandthemoon]

Klaroline Fic Rec List for Ennie

A while ago when we were doing the fic rec ask game, @enniec123 asked me to make a rec list of KC fics from FF.net, because let’s face it, AO3 is much more user-friendly and the main haunt these days. That being said, there are some hidden treasures on FF.net, and I remember scouring through there when I first entered the fandom. So here the list is, but a few things first:

- The list is, obviously, purely subjective. About half of these I read so early on I don’t even remember what they are about, other than the little mark of star I left in the document title to suggest that I enjoyed them when I was curating my fic database lol.

- Some of these you might also find on AO3. I honestly didn’t check.

- I’m mostly putting things that I think Ennie might have not read on this. So some of the classics, like Two Lost Souls which I absolutely adored and worshipped back in the days, are not here. The authors and works I’ve mentioned in the previous fic rec asks are also not included here. However, some authors I just have to highlight - AddrianaDestiny, Scarletborn, theonetruebear, xxredwineandambience, bellamywinchester, off the top of my head. If you haven’t read their amazing works, please please do.

Okay, disclaimer done. Now let’s go!

Over the Love by allmylovesallmysecrets. WIP, no humanity Klaus, Elijah recruits Caroline to help, beautifully written, so much angst. Chained to Me by the same author also looked really promising, it’s a mafia AU with arranged marriage or something like that. But - I remember skipping through to the end first and spoiling myself and I did not like that (nothing to do with the artistic choice of the fic), so I didn’t end up reading this one.

Demeter’s Daughter by AmericanWordsmith. WIP, no humanity Caroline goes to NOLA and wreaks havoc. This one is so good, with an almost evil Caroline. And the humanity back on scene is !@##$#$%.

Inferno by AmericanWordsmith. WIP, post apocalypse, KC meets again after years. Hope is there but can be ignored. This one’s also great! (For those of you who like smut, check out The Mikaelsons by the same author. Caroline accidently turns into a succubus, with all the Mikaelson siblings having sex with her this and that.) 

Lead Us into Temptation by Anastasia Dreams. Actually, everything by this author. I don’t even remember much about the plot in this one, but I still remember the awe I was in while reading. Historical silk dresses whispering in the long corridors - somehow I remember this appearing in one of the scenes, and it became my impression of the author too.

Ripples by AutumnDream26. All human, dark, crime, mystery. This is not usually my type, so it must be really good.

The Wide and Open Road by Biana Delacroix. Post S4, KC road trip across America. I don’t think this one needs to be recced, since it really belongs to the fandom classics pile. But I loved it so much - every time I think of it I still see the sunlight in Grand Canyon while Klaus and Caroline take a selfie.

Renegade Knights by Biana Delacroix. Set in NOLA, with Kolroline (?) friendship and so many shenanigans. I don’t want to spoil anything other than it’s amazing. The characterization of Kol is hands down one of the best I’ve seen.

All the Magic We Cannot See & The Magic that Binds Us by Biana Delacroix. HP AU two-shots with soulmate KC. Enough said.

Anything by Chel 90210. This is an author that just gets to me. The subtleties of emotions are to die for. Not all of them are smutty, but a lot are.

Witness Your Future by CitrusyGoddess. Time travel fic where apparently Klaus travels to the future? This is one of those I remember nothing beyond “it was good” because it’s been so long.

An Endless Ending by comeonbabyplaymesomething. One shot in which Caroline goes to help Rebekah(?) take care of baby Hope who is supposed to be in the hiding (so...TO S2?). Poetic, beautiful, so much angst that, to appropriate a saying in my own language, your liver hurts. But good.

Loneliness of a Long Distance Runner by comeonbabyplaymesomething. WIP, many years Post series, KC Reunion at a time of crisis. A lot of pent up frustration and angst, but Klaus is as smitten and protective as ever.

In the Same Ol’ Crescent City by D-chan. Post series, Caroline goes to NOLA, so... Hope. But I remember it being a good read.

The Contract by Desi44. Another one of those fandom legends. WIP, AH, marriage for green card, so sharp and witty. Fun fact: I learned about Ann Taylor from this because Klaus mocks Caroline about it. Yeah, that’s the detail I remembered.

Sweet Child of Mine by elisabethjj. I have mixed feelings about this because on one hand, what happens to Caroline in this is so unfair (basically what happens re preganancy in Canon, but in a more insulting way); on the other hand, the writing is impeccable. WIP, sometime during TO timeline, liver-ache level angst. Basically - read this if you want to hurt yourself. (For a fun time read Burns Holes in Your Skin by the same author, sex pollen trope in the form of Silas’s mind control. Some of the best smut I’ve ever seen.)

Wild Season by em.matheson. Caroline time travels before Klaus came to town, to when the Originals were human. Such a lovely piece, soft and quiet. I’m talking 11th century married Caroline washing Klaus’s clothes in the harsh winter cold, and Klaus washes it for her when Mikael’s not looking while Caroline warms her hands in the fur he hunted for her - that kind of soft.

Ubiquitous by G. M. Portraepic. Post 4x09, epic saga, such amazing plot and characterization. The only thing that kills me is that in the epilogue Caroline has to leave for some reason and the sequel is WIP.

With or Without You by Gottabeelove. One of the first I’ve read in the fandom, AU since some point in S4, beautifully written. Introduced the sunset seen from Piazzale Michelangelo to me, and I couldn’t get it (and a mesmerized Caroline) out of my mind when I visited.

The Canterville Ghost by ihobbitses. AH historical AU, based on the movie.

The Trouble with Spells by ilovetf. S4 AU, spell gone wrong, Caroline is stuck with Klaus. From what I can remember, really interesting plot and great chemistry - the pent up sexual tension is off the charts.

Through a Glass, Darkly by immortalpen. S4 AU, enemies and shenanigans, I remember Caroline having vivid nightmares nonstop and have to go find a solution together with Klaus. So... lots of angst. (I wanted to rec The Devil in Me by the same author, which is a Regency AU, but for some reason I can’t find it on the their page.)

To Sleep, Perchance to Dream by Kae A. Very interesting premise (if I remember correctly, Caroline in an AHAU dreams of their supernatural life), such spare and beautiful writing.

Just a Ghost, Running Scared Part 1 & Part 2 by kely-jo. Somewhere post S5, with BAMF Caroline, an OC as Klaus’s daughter, a giant scheme, and at least 2 do-overs (as in, very bad things happen and Caroline finds a way to turn back time).

Animal I have become by kely-jo. WIP, werewolf mates, Alpha Caroline.

Anything by liarfaker. Another author that simply leaves me in stunned silence and awe. I haven’t seen many who can do humor-humor-humor-stab-in-the-heart-humor-happiness-poignant-soft-mush so good.

I’ll Be Your Last by lok1sgurl. If you can look past the first person narrative, this is actually really well-written (trust me, I’m not usally a first-person fan either). WIP, S5 AU, Klaus takes Caroline to NOLA.

Missing by Lotr Addicted. WIP, S3 or S4 AU, KC kisnapped and trapped together somewhere for some reason and are forced to keep each other company.

When the Bleeding Stops & These Things that Heal by LoveIsATemple. Post S5(?), Caroline gets bitten by a werewolf and Klaus rushes to save her; Months later, Caroline goes to NOLA to return the favor. So, so, good. Honestly, probably everything by the author (though I haven’t read them all yet) cause it’s that good.

Loopholes by mscyanide. From what I remember, Caroline gets kidnapped (not by who you might think), and ends up in NOLA. Interesting world building, really intriguing plot.

The Devil in White by Reels. WIP, Post S3 AU, Caroline gets saved by Klaus and travels the world with him even though she’s not there yet. KC world travel fun and fluff, also lots of angst. The Klaus characterization is so on point in this - in love, but dark, volatile, maybe even more so because he’s in love. Yet he holds back his fangs at the last minute, so to speak.

Down in New Orleans by Sabby1. Post 4x20 AU, Caroline goes to NOLA. Honestly I especailly forget the plots when it comes to the “Caroline goes to NOLA” I don’t even know why, but I do remember the characterization being amazing in this - not only Klaus and Caroline, but Elijah and Rebekah as well.

If I Never See You Again by Sandrine C. Post 4x20 AU, KC stay in touch via phone. Lovely piece.

The Games We Play You Always Win by SophisticatedFangirling. WIP, post 4x01, KC stuck together and decide to play a dare or some kind of game with each other. Seriously good writing, with something I love so much with KC fanfic - mind games and power play. Caroline shines when she gets to show off her brilliant mind.

Variation on a Theme & Another Variation on a Theme & Yet Another Variation on a Theme by ssklarolinewrites. Post S4, after a one time thing (the first one, especially the first chapter, is pure smut), KC tries long distance relationship. Fluff, so much fluff, maybe the best fluff I’ve ever seen. One of my feel-good fics.

Words Are Weapons by ssklarolinewrites. No humanity Caroline goes to NOLA, a lot more fun than you might think, featuring a Caroline with no filter, and a very frustrated but indulging Klaus.

Beautiful War & Thistle and Weeds & Heartlines by Tears of Ebon-Grey. Caroline goes to NOLA post S4 but doesn’t stay (baby as foil, major angst ahead). Really beautiful writing, but if you don’t like the baby plotline or romantic Enzoline then this is not your thing.

Sweet Dreams by Tears of Ebon-Grey. Post 5x20, Mikael comes to Caroline’s dreams to exact revenge against his son.

Royal Decisions by these-dreams-go-on. Historical AHAU with Queen Caroline of England in need of a husband, and decides on Klaus. Such a brilliant piece that I play it in my mind from time to time before I go to sleep.

I Wrap My Hands around Your Neck with Love by UglyTruth. No humanity Caroline goes to NOLA. Caroline is ruthless in this (she kills Cami to send Klaus a warning) but the writing’s very well-done.

Bloodlines (post 5x11, pregnant Caroline goes to NOLA), What if I Fall (wolf Caroline leaving home at a young age and builds a special bond with Klaus after chance meeting), Always and Forever (S1/S2 rewrite with Caroline meeting the Originals before her friends and deals with her trauma), and Cascading Effects (set in S2, Caroline is Klaus’s soulmate and the reincarnation of someone from the Originals’ human era) by Winged Lady Colette. All WIPs, but all with amazing plot and a Klaus that is basically trash for Caroline. So many soft moments in there I’d love to re-experience.

A Safer Tomorrow by WriteLover5. Post 3x21, I remember nothing beyond my fond feelings for this fic.

So... I think that’s all for now. Hope you enjoy!

[btsandvmin]

Vmin fic rec - Canon compliant

So I got an ask quite a while ago, and considering I am an avid lover of canon compliant Vmin fics myself, it took way too long for me to answer this.

Thank you so much! <3 Like you I love canon Vmin fics, and have a bunch of them bookmarked...Actually there are over 100 in my bookmarks and since I don’t know if you wanted quailty or quantity I added most of them here. I simply searched for canon fics amongst my own bookmarks. That also means I likely missed some as I just searched based on the one tag “canon compliant” and not everyone might have used that tag.

Mind you this is in no particular order in how much I like them but rather from when I bookmarked them, some I love and others I like. Also, I don’t know your taste and standard, so I’m sorry if some of these aren’t for you. Also, I would include a description, but I think it’s easier and takes less space (aka I can add more fics) if I just add the link and you can check them out one by one. 

There are definitely NSFW ones in here, and honestly I probably can’t remember all of them too well as I simply went through the whole list without stopping to see what fics I had in my list. 

I hope you will find something you like here as canon Vmin truly are to die for. <3 I mean, they sometimes outdo fiction don’t they?

Check under the cut for 100+ Canon Vmin fics.

a space we're in together by hammersandstrings

ships in the night by albinococonut23

I'm in love with you, My Honeymoon by SilverLions

glow in the dark by bwimincore

a bed made and ready by smashthatlikebutton

an incident of fate (and dumplings) by majestaekim

Blue & Grey by imhereforvmin

settle down by as7erRisk

under the midnight sun by mistilteinn

life makes love look hard by yoontros

"Friends" by imhereforvmin

Just Soulmate Things by bangtanmirage

like an ancient sun by vastlyunknown

honesty is beautiful (like you, darling) by IGotJams95

Cuddle Buddies by teamkimseokjin (closetfairy)

an excerpt of love by vmxns

made visible by yeongwonhanrain (pudgypanda)

The Beginning of Forever by adidasjungkook

fast track by latertater (vmincrumb)

Counting The Beat by TracksDifferent

basic instinct by taekmindown

the brightest part by latertater (vmincrumb)

my heart is pounding tonight by chlexcer

Like Vines by TracksDifferent

Mandu Incident by VMINSaranghae

Friends by smolkook

The Other Side by Serendipitous_VMin

The Greatest Declaration of Love by Serendipitous_VMin

5000 days, 5000 ways by mistilteinn

A Nameless Bird That Sings by afraidtocare

deep in our bones (i know you) by ninefives (vmxns)

rest your bones (with me) by firebreathe

stay (you are my soulmate) by starlit_tae

Helping Hands by fandomfab16

Friends? by sweetnight_vm

Friends by rabbitfur

Friends by justpromisemin

in the space between the words by jardin (huayuan)

love is no big truth by venusghost

bro shut up i'm trying to find your gspot by namginut

Friends by PeaceFanfics for pjm_prmise

stay by momjoon (NogitsuneStiles)

Friends by Love_yourself_12

Bad Habits by 1995soulmates_coms (orphan_account)

taehyung's leash incidents by Anonymous

Mikrokosmos by imhereforvmin

Then There Was Malta by TracksDifferent

irritated by minblush

We're a perfect match (perfect somehow) by tang_jin_jaem

Map of the Soul: vmin by imhereforvmin

Secret Love Song by whatareliefwehaveeachother

twenty-one minutes. by naturallyvante

the start of something new by cryptonomica

all i wanna do (is drive home to you) by glossedmouth

3, 2, 1 by Serendipitous_VMin

Tiptoeing Over The Edge by vminthough

As Sweet As Sea Salt by vminthough

You're hurting too 'cause you're mine by escribeloquequieras

Show Me Yours by eron_less

these stars in your eyes by vmxns

Pressure of Light by timesuck2000

95z by alittleharder

Taehyung's Non-proposal by apocryphalic

there's something between us, anyway by chlexcer

any stranger i choose by hyalinos

Stigma by Manek

base coat by jeonbenet for makesomelove

When you move (I move) by jwimin-ssi (abaegel)

Maybe I'm In Love With You by VantaeKimTaehyung

every drop counts because of you by IGotJams95

you got your name in lights by pettey

those goddamn pants by orphan_account

It’s my mouth Kim Taehyung, I’ll do with it what I want by happily_missy

dance with the one that brought you by brendonurie

what am i gonna do, say no? by naturallyvante

i just want to kiss the stars by IGotJams95

Asking For It by Peppermintprism

The Perils of Dating Park Jimin by softbangtanboys

wanna end up on you by vastlyunknown

Why are you crying (You and I are the only ones here) by kkyufms (halo_dean)

just like a tattoo (i'll always have you) by cypherkooks

More Than Yesterday by 1995soulmates

contact by loveismore

beautiful thing by loverslight

A List on You by blithevmin

what ifs and whens by billykaplan

let's get going by gangbang

Sticky Sweet by x______o (orphan_account)

Three Sixty Five by orphan_account

two weeks by buichim

Bossy by CheekyBrunette

Keeping Score by 1995soulmates

Act Natural by orphan_account

With You By My Side(s), My Love Won't Go To "Waist" by btsax (znks)

4 O'Clock by Awalk66

Lovesick by orphan_account

Eclipse by orphan_account

here comes the rush (before we touch) by knth

tonight, the world is blue by vmxns

summer days and daisy dukes (wow, look at you) by vmxns

Ask Me Anything by Trilluvium

Unbothered by sugarlizard

how to confess to your best friend on April Fools' (hint: you don't) by blurbluefrog (ForestFish)

friends help each other by minblush

kissing up on fences (and up on walls, i don't want to fall) by bonnia

Can I Have This Dance? by SevenSoulmates

Your love was handmade for somebody like me by tangowithsuga

crashing waves by autumnleavxs

A Fault In My Structure by Zee

till the ocean is folded and hung up to dry (i'll love you, dear) by orphan_account

trust that particular flavor by pettey for parksinbloom

At Last (my love has come along) by orphan_account

for him by mellzmallow

best of me by firejimin for for chels! i hope i didn’t disappoint ctfu

Intro: Going to Lose my Mind by VanishedElf 

you make me wonder sometimes (all the time) by minblush

we don’t believe what’s on tv by chahans

out of the woodwork by lvlyvmin

Through dozens of skies by mecchayabai (this is a personal favorite of mine, I love the concept mixed with canon Vmin)

I also got another ask about fics, and if you want more Vmin I made a Huge Vmin fic rec that you can check out. Hope you will find something you like. :)

If you want a rec with my favorites I could always do a much shorter one... Or you can check my previous rec post (above) for canon compliant ones as I was more picky when I made that list. 

Also here is a short little drabble that I wrote...  Do you write Vmin fics? Yes, and here is a small drabble. (Which reminds me I should also write on my own Canon Vmin fic I’ve been working on but neglecting in favor of writing analysis. T__T)

Again, thank you so much for this ask. And as another canon loving fic reader let’s hope our lovely Vmin writers keep providing us with new ones. :) <3

[shortkingvi]

Any fic recs for ships other than Bumbleby?

i do indeed have some to rec! keeping this rwby central bc that's what i figure y'all are here for lol,,,,,,,,, SO

SCHNEEWOOD FOREST:

weathering the storm - YMR9

winter has to spy on robyn,,,,,,, they fall in love,,,,,,, is there anything better?

moment of truth - patcho418

i have told chel MULTIPLE times that this fic literally makes me lose my mind at the very thought of it,,,,,, i love it and love her for writing it,,,,,,,, it's rated E and involves some excellent use of robyn's semblance, need i say more?

do you think about me when you're all alone? - theactualpufferfish

slow burn but,,,,,, this one is SO good and i really adore it and highly recommend u read it

but i would die for you (in secret) - patcho418

so much of this list is gonna be from @patchodraws so i'm just gonna tell u now to go read her fics,,,,,,,, singlehandedly keeping all the winter ships afloat and i thank her for it (also all her schneekos stuff is excellent too so read those),,,,,,, this is wound cleaning which is so so good

CROSSHARES:

last call in the desert - lightsaroundyourvanity

okay so this is TECHNICALLY bee-centric buttttttt crosshares has such a great dynamic in it and it's generally one of my all around favourite fics ever so i highly recommend it too

real isn't how you are made, it's something that happens to you - paranomastic

i love the idea of looking into crosshares in their first year at beacon so this fic speaks to my soul like nothin else,,,,,,,, just perfectly captures their dynamic in the exact way i want it to

with you to the end of the world - theliaraninetyarchive

post v3 musings and healings,,,,,,, so soft and so good

SCHNEEKOS:

so i see the turning tides are parting for you - nirav

they're spies, weiss is running from her past, pyrrha is hurt but sympathetic, weiss gets a haircut,,,,,,,, i LOVED this fic and the whole series

i am very picky abt schneekos for some reason so in the interest of keeping this list short and focused i'm just gonna throw the one in here

those are my big three so i just did recs for those, but there are definitely others that are excellent too! except rosebird, i need rosebird recs desperately because i love them but haven't read nearly enough

[starvels]

3, 6, and 9!

hi cassabee! thanks :')

from this fic-reader’s ask meme

3. one otp or mix-and-match?

mix and match! i love stevetony of course lol, but outside of s/t actually, most of my main ships have been poly ships and not single OTPs 😂 and i'm not married to only stevetony. i would love if more fics were about them being poly together! esp with like, jan or thor etc.

i think what i find compelling in pairing is actually the exploration of how characters fit together and are, as themselves.

in that vein, here's some nice historically-set assorted pairings for ya.

Blood trust by unknownlifeform

Alucard knows his traveling companions probably do not trust him fully. He is half vampire, and humans don't like to have creatures around them who could drink their blood. He isn't exactly enthusiastic of them, either. Except, it turns out he is fond of them. And they, for their part, do not mind having a dhampir around them. With everything that comes with it. Or: Alucard's developing feelings, narrated through blood and its effects on him. (Castlevania, Alucard/Sypha/Trevor)

Confidence Artists by Fahye

The grey light of Spain carries their history with it, and it's gleaming through the cracks. // Two long cons, in thirteen conversations. (Road to El Dorado, Chel/Miguel/Tulio)

counterflood by Saathi1013

Wherein Duncan Idaho is devoted to his Duke, Jessica schemes, and Leto is wary of abusing his power. Set pre-movie on Caladan, before Paul is born. (Dune, Duncan/Jessica/Leto)

and an og femslash knights for you, cass hehe

Beyond the Sea by thedevilchicken

At the ten-year tournament, Errian of Elentar is her homeland's champion. She has a reputation. There is no doubt she'll win.

There's just one problem: no one thought to tell her what winning would mean. Not for her and not for Kerra, the crown princess of Stellan.

6. favorite AU?

one of my faves is a sci fi au! i love it so much, especially when its speculative like doing a firefly au !! here's a classic stevetony that i never tire of for that, an underappreciated stevetony:

Catch a Falling Star by tsukinofaerii

When Tony was sixteen, he got to meet his hero, Captain Steve Rogers, the Empire's not-literally-golden boy from the Continuity Wars. When he was twenty-seven, the aforementioned Captain turned Pirate picked him up at the outer edges of space. It would have been a good time to appreciate the abundant nudity that came from spending too much time with space colonists, but Tony had bigger worries than even Rogers' amazing hip-to-shoulder ratio. Something was sending the star-encircling computers that power the galaxy into a tailspin, and it was going to take a lot more than luck and skill to clean the mess up.

A Timely Rescue by vorkosigan

"Sorry?" Steve said. "What did you say?"

Yes, Tony wanted to sleep with Steve. He also wanted to hold him in his arms all night, and to talk to him for hours, and to play with his hair. Love, he thought, makes you utterly ridiculous. And it hurts like a branding iron, to boot.

"Nothing at all, buddy," Tony said cheerfully. "Nothing at all."

*

Tony saves Steve's life, but if neither of them says anything about how they feel about each other, Steve will stay in Timely and Tony will fly away to gallivant among the stars, and they may never see each other again. A Firefly AU.

and an a:tla one, very found family

Big Damn Heroes by Damkianna

Katara pushes past the curtains that block off the bridge - they have got to get a new door fitted - and stops behind Toph's chair. "I take it we didn't drop out of hyperspace on purpose," she says. (Aka THE GAANG IN SPACE.)

9. rec an angst fic

here's two stevetony i enjoy for being interesting conceptually!

Your Face in Tomorrow by WhenasInSilks

You are lying on your back in a bed three thousand miles away from your home.

You are ruining your life.

What Lies Beneath by asktheravens

All Tony wants is to make amends after a thoughtless reaction leaves him in danger of losing Steve, but a mission intervenes. The Avengers travel to a laboratory in a remote part of Appalachia expecting a routine job, but an ancient evil slumbers within Old Crow Mountain that will test much more than their relationship.

(disclosure, i haven't finished this one but it's a compelling premise!)

a witcher one that deals out some good realism

Something You Somehow Haven't to Deserve by Dira Sudis (dsudis)

What good would a one-footed witcher be to anyone? (The Witcher Games, Eskel/Geralt)

thanks cass!!