#it also has one of my favourite fanfic tropes (or just trope in general) meeting again after years being apart

[emily-mooon]

Nothing to see here, just a 1960s Jancy sketch.

[hephaestiions]

for the ask game, C, K, N!

thank you so much for the ask, this was SUCH fun to do!

C: a ship you've never liked and probably never will.

my main ship is harry/draco, so i'm always very very picky with ships featuring either of them with someone else. i have (very occasionally) read fics featuring other ships with these characters (thinking of some delicious harry/charlie, even some harry/ginny and draco/astoria & have been a HUGE fan of some harry/draco/teddy and the recent dronarry fest) but i don't think i've read anything that isn't endgame drarry in some form, and i don't think i ever will. the only ship i can think of that actively squicks me and i don't think i'll read in any version ever is draco/hermione— it just doesn't do it for me at all!

K: which character has your favourite development arc/the best development arc?

in hp canon, i personally think harry himself? he was one of my favourite protagonists to follow in any book series, and i think seeing him getting much angrier, much wearier post-gof, much more aware of the expectations upon him and how he was being used as a tool in vaster games was both heartbreaking and really compelling.

in hp fanon, i mostly LOVE what my favourite authors & fics do with the slytherins, mostly draco, but also pansy. some of the most brilliant and interesting reckonings with their role and complicity and guilt in the war are rendered in fanfic and it never gets old! i LOVE watching the slytherins grow up into more complex, interesting, (deeply traumatised) people, it's such a revelation to encounter them/live in their heads!

N: three things i wish i saw more of in fandom.

i think the drarry fandom is such a vast and nuanced fandom that it's very hard to have things you don't see much of, whether in terms of tropes, canon exploration, meta-commentary or general fan behaviour. i do wish, sometimes, that more fics engaged with politics & social commentary and the ways magic interacts with them. there's a treasure trove of fics that do this, and they're my favourite genre of fics, but i'll never say no to more and to new and interesting ways of exploring this. i also ADORE casefics and wish there were more in the drarry fandom— full of magical theory, quintessential red herrings and the difficulties of falling in love while trying to hunt down murderers and dark artefacts. again, there's an array of fics that do this and they're some of my favourites, i'm just always hungry for more! and i just can't think of a third thing, i think fandom does a brilliant job of meeting my specific needs and i love this space so much in that regard!

send me some fandom asks!

[thestrangeillusion]

S (or just one of them), X? :D

S. link your favourite author.

Oh god, this is such a difficult question! For the sake of not going down a complete rabbit hole, I’m gonna limit myself to only Kinnporsche fanfics for this question. And because I cannot possibly just choose one author for this, I’m gonna link the three fic authors in this fandom that I feel have probably altered my brain chemistry the most with their fics:

@the-cookie-of-doom: I am currently very, very obsessed with their fic “Pas de Deux” because bratty Kim and exasperated but-still-so-kind Chay have me in a chokehold. And then their trans Kim and glory hole fic live rent free in my mind and are really inspire some of my own head canons of Kim cause the characterisations are just sooo on point! Which reminds me that I really need to re-read those as soon as I find the time.

@bisexualbard-writes: Her “benefits to open and honest communication” series were some of the earliest fics I read in this fandom and it definitely contributed very strongly to how obsessed I ended up becoming with KimChay as a ship and with KimChay fanfic. I adored camboy Chay, but even more than that I adored Kim sitting across from Chay week after week in that coffee shop, Kim reading therapy books and Chay installing a mod that makes all of Kim’s online game chicken look angry and Kim being frustrated as hell by that. Simply amazing! And then all the incredibly angsty and incredibly hot sex was just so delicious to read. Another thing I loved was reading the same story from both Chay’s and Kim’s POV and all the ways they sometimes completely misunderstood each other and misinterpreted each other’s actions. Oh yeah, and then she completely blew my mind once again with one of her newest fic in which Chay holds a very willing Kim hostage in the hottest and most hilarious way possible. (Also, she let me in on the secret of how to super easily convert my fics into html format ready for posting to AO3, which I will forever be grateful for.)

@kimkhimhant: Their fics were also some of the first I ever read in this fandom (I went back to check and their “to love and be loved” series was actually my first ever bookmark in this fandom) and have also permanently formed and inspired my head canons for Kim and Chay and KimChay together. And I’m always reading their fics with my heart in my throat because of all the angst and hurt that they describe so viscerally, but at the same time I’ve always thought that their fics are really cathartic and feel healing as well. And at the moment I’m reading “this tender violence” which is so hard to read sometimes (and it must be so, so hard to write!) because of all the horrible things Kim is going through in it, but is just written so beautifully and with so much empathy that it definitely has a top spot in my list of favourite ongoing fics (and favourite fics in general).

X. give a summary of your current project!

While I have a ton of half-thought-out fic ideas sitting in my notes app that may or may not ever get written, the only project I’m currently actively working on is my WIP “i’m glad I didn’t die before I met you”. Basically, it’s a found family AU where Kim meets Porsche before Kinn ever does and triggers all of Porsche’s big brother instincts by being way too young to find himself in the mess he’s in (i.e. Korn trying to have him killed). I’ve been having a lot of fun exploring the KimPorsche friendship and messily blurring the lines between a big brother-little brother relationship and some underlying sexual (but NOT romantic) tension between them.  And then, because I’m a KimChay girl when it comes down to it, Chay is somehow finding himself in the middle of this, falling head over heels for Kim, all the while being sooo sure that Kim and Porsche have been fucking from day one (spoiler, they have not been) and might even be in love. Yeah, somehow I’ve found myself writing the misunderstandings trope, even though that’s not even a trope I usually particularly like, but I hope I’m doing it somewhat well… Anyway, this is not so much a summary as it is me rambling on about my WIP, but there you go.

Thank you so much for the ask! I obviously went way overboard answering this, as I always do 🙈 but it has been a lot of fun to answer 😊

[rodolfoparras]

No you're too sweet I can't handle it 🥺🥺 both for the little poem and encouragement!

My friends (and teachers and people in general) have been telling me for so long that I really need to publish my stories and books because I have so many good ideas and so much written (even if I have been writing less for the past year or two). But I have always been so insecure and so painfully shy about it. Even publishing my fanfics is something I'm hesitant about let alone full blown books 😭

Also yes my main oc is constantly suffering ™ and I know he'd be everyone's favourite pathetic little meow meow. He has a lot of my traits cause he's one of coping mechanisms and I just dump all my trauma on him (as I do with all of my fandom ocs let's be honest). He's originally main character from what is supposed to be like four part fantasy/horror series but I like creating different AUs and stories with characters from that series. They're essentially fanfics I'm writing for my stories. And since some of them are really interesting, I wanna to write fandom fanfics based on them.

(werewolf!Price taking in newly turned werewolf reader and helping him navigate lycanthropy idea...you will be freed from notes app limbo one day)

-🔮

I 100% get you!! Before I started writing here I was on ao3 and I’d post every few months bc I’d be like “oh this isn’t good enough” “this could be better” and so on and so forth and then I started writing here and I was like ok if I’m gonna do this I want to post frequently i think my first two fics are a month apart and then after that it’s 2-3 weeks apart and now it’s like 3 days and what helped me is 1. If I enjoyed writing something and if I enjoyed the plot then it was good enough grammar etc wasn’t so important 2, we in the mlm reader community have such few fics it would be a shame to keep all the ideas in my head sure my fics aren’t 100% squeaky clean but at least Igave life to a trope or plot that didn’t exist before in the m reader community and that’s enough for me

Pls give this man someone who loves and appreciates him I can’t have him be this sad 😔 but also the guy he’s in love with…is he single ? asking for a friend (I will turn myself into pixels to meet him)

Also I love that idea 🧎🏻‍♂️ but also what about price who’s dreamt all his life of meeting his mate only to see it’s practically a snobby kid who doesn’t know shit about lycanthropy

[introvertunderthebed]

About Me

I've had this blog for about two years and only just realized I never like actually introduced myself.

So hi! I go by Issy or Iutb and use any/all pronouns!

I've been posting fanfiction to Ao3 for over four years, though I like to think I'm a better writer now than I was back in high school. I draw on occasion, and I've been trying lately to get into oil painting and watercolor. I like to listen to music (folk, rock, and classical) and play minecraft (I've logged 60+hours just in the last two weeks).

(my fandoms and ships under the Read More)

My Fandoms:

Avatar: The Last Airbender - This is the show that got me into writing, but I'm not as active in it anymore. Zuko is both my sweet baby girl and also my favorite punching bag.

Harry Potter - !!Obligatory Disclaimer!! I do not support JKR or any of the things she says! When I write these characters, they are all some flavor of Queer!

Special Mention: The Marauders fandom

My Hero Academia - To be honest, I got so deep into this fandom that my versions of the characters are no longer connected to canon like at all.

Supernatural - I don't write for spn, but this show has held me in a chokehold for years at this point, so it deserves a place in this list.

Marvel - I do not like any of the recent Marvel movies but I am a big fan of Spider-man and Iron Man, so I've written several things about them (but not posted bc they're just snippets).

Percy Jackson - I have never read or watched pjo, but i somehow got sucked into the fandom. I do not know how this happened.

Danny Phantom - Again, I have never watched dp. I have become obsessed with through Tumblr and fanfic though.

DC - The Batfam and general Justice League chaos. End of sentence.

Aphmau - I say this regretfully, but my elementary school obsession has come back to haunt me. This is the fandom that got me into fanfiction at the ripe old age of 9. I prefer Minecraft Diaries to Mystreet, and my pension for dramatic, high magic worldbuilding will be the death of me trying to fill the plot holes in that Irene forsaken series.

My Favourite Tropes and Ships:

Time Travel Fix-it

Emotional Hurt/Comfort

Reconciliation

Found Family

Everyone lives/nobody dies

Reaction fics

HP - Harry has a million something titles, Slytherin Harry, focus on Wizengamot and politics, anything with the goblins, Harry raised by others, Draco/Harry, Theo/Harry, Blaise/Harry, Hermione/Harry, Neville/Hannah

Marauders - Canon Divergence (you will never catch me adhering to canon), one of them stealing Harry away from the Dursleys, Black brothers angst, Black sisters angst, James/Regulus/Lily, Remus/Sirius, Remus/Severus, Barty/Evan

MHA - Vigilante AU, Quirkless Izuku, unconventional friendships, Izuku/Kirishima, Todoroki/Bakugou, Todoroki/Sero, Sero/Iida, Izuku/Monoma, Izuku/Shinsou, Uraraka/Toga, Aizawa/Mic/Shirakumo, Dabi/Hawks, Shigaraki/Natsuo

SPN - Cas lives (non-negotiable), finale does not happen, witch Sam/doesn't lose demonic powers, Dean/Cas, Sam/Eileen, Sam/Rowena

ATLA - Zuko is the avatar, zuko joins the gaang early, gaang finds out about zuko's scar, early zuko redemption (can you find the common theme here), Zuko/Sokka, Aang/Katara, Katara/Yue, Ty Lee/Mai/Azula

DC - Justice leagues meets the batfamily, batfam angst, Titans Tower AU, crossover with Danny Phantom, Marvel, or White Collar, focus on Jason or Dick, Dick/Wally, Jason/Roy, Tim/Kon/Bernard, Cass/Steph, Bruce/Selina, Bruce/Clark

Marvel - Peter's field trip to SI, Irondad, functional avengers, Loki redemption, Team Iron Man, Tony/Pepper, Tony/Loki, Peter/MJ, Peter/Ned, Peter/Harley

Aphmau - MCD rewrites, religious trauma, Aphmau/Laurence/Garroth, Aphmau/Zoey, Dante/Nana/Nicole, Zane/Nana (MYS)

Blog Tags:

[tba]

[johannestevans]

Update 05/06/2022

Good evening!

Firstly, some bits of media I've very much enjoyed over the past 2 weeks:

Bloods (2021, cr. Nathan Byron & Samson Kayo) - Bloods is fucking excellent, it's a sitcom about paramedics starring Samson Kayo (Oluwande of OFMD) and Jane Horrocks, and it's so fucking funny. Really, really tightly written with so much good, strong character work, lots of commentary on paramedicine and also on NHS issues whilst being so fast-paced, excellent soundtrack, and just in general a real triumph. Also appearances from Nathan Foad (Lucius in OFMD) being painfully entitled and awkward as Jane Horrocks' son and every time he's on screen I cringe from my soul to my hole, he's horribly effective in it. ALSO SAMSON KAYO SINGS AND IT'S GORGEOUS, and every single person who watches this will undoubtedly fall in love with Daryl and Darrell. Fucking hype for S3 next year.

Truth Seekers (2020, cr. Nick Frost, Simon Pegg, James Serafinowicz & Nat Saunders) - This is also comedy but with horror - it was cancelled after one season, unfortunately, but it's still worth a watch! Also featuring Samson Kayo as a protag. Truth Seekers does some really cool stuff with subverting horror tropes as you'd expect from anything with Pegg & Frost at the forefront, but it's also just genuinely funny and quite heartfelt in places while really doing some layered, subtle work around perceptions of abuse + mental health issues. That latter isn't the core theme of the show but is continuous throughout, and while the show didn't grip me as other stuff has, I've really been enjoying that aspect.

Westworld (1973, dir. Michael Crichton) - I hadn't seen this before and watched this in preparation for starting the TV series, which I'm guessing will be more to my taste, but I thought it held up surprisingly well for being fifty years old at this point. So many 70s movies, especially sci-fi and adventure movies don't really push my buttons, but this one is quite character-centred and has some charming homoeroticism. It lacks a bit of urgency, and if you've seen Jurassic Park, you already know Michael Crichton's anxieties around nature's unpredictability vs tech malfunctions vs amusement parks, and like-- Westworld says nothing that isn't said better or more adeptly in JP, but I still thought it was good!

I've also been playing Rune Factory 5 on my Switch and loving it so far, and I really enjoyed this interview with Con O'Neill. I also watched S4 of Stranger Things this week, and if you made the decision to stop off watching it after they started doing the anti-Russian stuff and are like "hm, maybe it's doing better and I should get back into it", you absolutely should not. The writing is truly very bad in so many places, and while it's adequate as background viewing it's just... Yeesh. A lot of choices are made. Different choices would have been better.

I have few media recs this week so here are just a collection of my favourite SNL sketches:

Barbie Instagram

Meet Your Second Wife

Wells For Boys & My Little Step Children

Spelling Bee

What's That Name

Dylan McDermott or Dermot Mulroney

Coroner

New Works Published

Erotic Short: Little Vows

An exhausted father of two meets an old uni friend for sex.

Rated E, cis M/M, 3k. Neil drops his girls off for their piano lessons and goes across the road for his regular appointment — getting himself fucking railed. Infidelity, anal, dirty talk, DILF4DILF and bear appreciation, doggy, overstim, mentions of barebacking and creampies.

On Medium / / On Patreon

Erotic Short: Stuffed

A man is handfed almost to bursting by his husband.

Cis M/M, 1.1k, rated E. Stuffing, handfeeding, D/s, begging, overstimulation, mild sadomasochism (stomach cramps etc), teasing.

On Medium / / On Patreon

Our Flag Means Death S01 E03: A Gentleman Pirate

Examining OFMD E3: A Gentleman Pirate in close detail and liveblogging/analysing the text.

On Medium / / On Patreon / / On Tumblr / / On Ao3

Fanfic Updates: Repentance & Forgiveness

42k+. Frenchie-centric, Frenchie/Izzy, plot-focused, post-S1.

On the Queen Anne, Frenchie can't sleep.

Desperate to just get whatever he can away from Blackbeard's crew, he knocks on Izzy's door and invites himself in.

On Ao3

Erotic Short: Work Hours

A man enforces the boundaries of his boyfriend’s work-life separation.

M/cis M, rated E, 1.3k. Public blowjobs out of doors, mild D/s, teasing and banter. Light-hearted and breezy.

On Medium / / On Patreon

[bookofmirth]

It’s so painfully obvious that Elain and Lucien will share a book and be endgame, and I don’t even ship them that much. It’s just common sense to me.

One of the main plot points of her book I think will be Elain’s struggle to accept that she’s no longer human. And who lives in the human lands and constantly travels back and forth? Lucien.

I’m sure she’ll travel to the mortal lands with him, finally interact with the BOE (who won’t coddle her), and come to terms with her Fae identity. She’ll see that she no longer fits among humans and Lucien will be there to support and guide her.

Because let’s be honest, how does Elain’s insecurities in being Fae concern Azriel? What would he do about it? Probably tell her she’s beautiful and brush her concerns under the rug. Super endgame material, yup.

It’s not a coincidence that Lucien has the most connections to humans of all the Faes and Elain desires to go back to her human form. It’s also not a coincidence that Lucien was the only one to meet and interact with Papa Archeron (whose favourite daughter was Elain). Azriel doesn’t fit into any of this at all.

It really is a no-brainer. Sarah loves mates. All of her main ships are mates, and I wouldn't be surprised if Bryce and Hunt are mates in the future. That's... what she likes, and it's not my favorite trope, but at this point, if people can have read all of her books and not realized that she loves mates, then idk what they think they've read. I suppose they do realize though, that’s why the intense need to discredit Elain and Lucien being mates.

But it’s canon, elucien are mates. Neither of them are villains or even antagonists. She likes both characters. The end?

EDIT: And the whole mate thing is why I know it’s happening in canon. I am meh about the soulmate trope in general, and ship them for a dozen reasons that have nothing to do with them being mates.

People who haven't been in the fandom for long might not have experienced the time when elucien was just accepted as canon - it was going to happen, it wasn't controversial, it just existed. There was fan art and fanfic and edits and stuff and it was just nice! Personally, after acomaf came out, my ships were as follows, in favorite to least order: feysand, moriel, elucien, then nessian. They are mates, we had confirmation from sjm about why she paired them, we had continued discussion of elucien as a couple from her. We still have those things. People are just like, rewriting fandom history and the series while they are at it.

Because let’s be honest, how does Elain’s insecurities in being Fae concern Azriel? What would he do about it? Probably tell her she’s beautiful and brush her concerns under the rug. Super endgame material, yup.

Fucking literally, in what way would Az support Elain ever!!!!! The one scenario that is guaranteed to make me despise a ship no matter what book, show, whatever it is (nice girl is the only one who can put up with needy, broody, emotionally demanding guy) is exactly why people like e*riel. I fucking hate that scenario/trope/whatever, for highly personal reasons and also I'm an adult who sees that BS for what it is. And yes, I can see why people would think that gwynriel might reflect that dynamic, except for the fact that Gwyn already gives Az shit and sees him as a challenge. In canon. That's also why I don't fully ship gwynriel, I just think it's going to happen and I trust sjm to deal accordingly. Gwynriel reminds me of elorcan in that Elide challenged Lorcan to do and be better, and he was like "oh shit yeah, I have fucked up". I didn't like Lorcan either, but in the end I got on board with it because I love Elide and she did actually bring out a better side of him. Elain cannot do that for Az, not because she can't do that, but because the way Az treats her now is convenient. He is nice and hot and doesn't challenge her at all. He just lets her be, unless she does something he doesn't like. That's... not what Elain needs.

[nymph-of-books]

a list of she-ra fanfics that i would recommend

these are gonna be little at first because i only want to be sharing the ones i truly deeply love; i will be editing this post as i go along. additionally these are like... basically all catradora as a general psa !!! i will be adding my own summary of the plot w/o spoilers (if i can help it), whether it's multi-chaptered or a one-shot & complete or ongoing, and my personal reaction to it !! if you didn't notice i adore au fics more than anything note: i'm posting this w/o having completed it because i just want to get it out rn, but i've read much more & these r definitely not the only ones i'd recommend !!! i just have to sort through my history to find the fics i actually read and adored and i don't have all the time to do that all the time rn :) before season 1 in-canon timing (season 1-5) the blood in your mouth written by artemiswords - alternative season five & beyond - written before season five was aired. catradora aren't automatically together - happy ending though! - multi-chaptered, complete - this was the first multi-chaptered fic i've read since like. fanfiction.net days & it got me into multi-chaptered fics because it's just so good. honestly the author's mind >>>> i keep sitting here waiting for something (but i know nothing will happen) written by nymphofbooks. - conversation between catra and adora after the events at the battle of bright moon. they talk about some things and reach a little bit of a mutual understanding - oneshot, complete - not actually one of my favs but self-promo ha. the first of my upcoming one-shots, mostly dialogue & i am a bit rusty on it. hiraeth written by erce3 - mara and angella find each other in the portal, and together they make the eternal loneliness a little less bad. - oneshot, complete - wasn't exactly sure where to put this because technically it's both before, during, and after canon... anyway this literally made me cry & it is very beautiful :( sad face bc it made me sad :( but it's beautiful! after season 5 alternate universe as long as we stay together (if we just stay together) written by herothehardway - astrophysicists in antarctica au. catra & adora are lab partners but aren't allowed to interact outside of the lab due to extenuating circumstances. they used to be roommates (and there's tons of flashbacks) and maybe they'll become something more than lab partners, despite the rules. also, hockey!catradora - multi-chaptered, complete - god, this fiction is incredible. it's clear the author knows a lot about the subject & spent a lot of time on it & it's just great. nsfw scenes though so read w discretion!! anyway this is one of my all-time favourites & i've loved herothehardway's writing ever since. seriously, the way they incorporate the show details... yes more grown up and a better daughter written by herothehardway - multi-chaptered regency catradora au. adora's family is on the brink of financial ruin, and she has to marry someone rich. she is presented to society & on the day of her coming out ball she meets catra, an old childhood friend who mysteriously disappeared without any notice. turns out catra is pretty rich... - multi-chaptered, ongoing - very neat, definitely recommend. again, herothehardway shows they're engaged in the situations of their characters & take a lot of time on accuracy which we stan (and i don't really do myself because i am lazy) the place where we fall written by herothehardway - oneshot wizard catradora au. adora and catra were apprentices to shadow weaver & shadow weaver cursed them before they died to make sure they dueled each other every year until one of them is dead. this is the fifth year - oneshot, complete - HELP IS IT OBVIOUS I ENJOY HEROTHEHARDWAY'S WRITING??? okay i swear this is the last one rn !!! i love it & the vibes & it's generally gorgeous 10/10 recommend :) baby, i'm a house on fire (and i wanna keep burning) written by wittchers. - arranged marriage au between catra and adora, set after the horde win over bright moon. slow burn & neither of them wants it. - oneshot,

complete - fluid & natural & amazing writing, and the original summary completely drew me in. would definitely recommend! i picture it soft & i ache written by erce3 - modern au wherein ceo!catra fucks up in wording & non-profit charity founder!adora defends her in an interview. she says that she knows catra and... you know the internet. everyone believes they're dating & they agree to start fake-dating in order to boost both their public figures - one-shot, complete - i'm normally not one for fake dating but i rly liked this fic !! i rly like how erce3 handled the trope. the writing is amazing! i made myself better to love you written by fairytaleslayer - feral children catradora au wherein catra & adora escape from the horde and find their home in the whispering woods. they are healthily co-dependent & eventually join the rebellion - multi-chaptered, complete - amazing au. i love this sm & it's so accurate to their characters. it's written beautifully & the relationships are absolutely gorgeous

[alkalinefrog]

LawLight headcanons on these settings: If L lived and was there when Kira was finally cornered, possibly collage roommates and they don't know who they really are to each other, or maybe if Light confessed to L about being Kira but L decided to hide this secret and helps him?

Omg so much to unpack, I’m stoked. General disclaimer now, I’m gonna give all of these a happy ending because that’s just how I roll. Putting it all under the cut because I don’t want to flood peoples’ feeds with a dissertation-length fluff fest.

If L had been there when Light was cornered

If you’re specifically asking about the warehouse scene, I actually read this great fanfic series by Shadow-of-Quill on AO3. It’s one of those fics that treats Light and Kira as two separate entities (favourite trope, leave me my naivety). While still being Kira, Light’s soul leads L out of Hades just like in Orpheus and Euridice. L then confronts Kira at the warehouse (and this gets a bit heavy, warning)------ he ends up executing him right then and there because he believes that there’s no traces of Light left in the man. It’s really tragic, but if you read the entire work it DOES have an incredibly joyful ending in the third part of the trilogy. (spoilers; they’re both fine in the end)

This is one of the scenarios that lives in my head rent free whenever I wanna make myself feel better about canon events. Any other headcanons would be highly circumstantial depending on how L survives.

Emotionally though, I think the more in love they are, the more L dreads the end. If L had survived he definitely would have solved the case. It’d be a train wreck in slow motion, as he watches himself barrel towards the end of his small world with Light. Even though he sees it coming, he would still feel a massive amount of betrayal because he couldn’t help hoping that he would be proven wrong against his better judgement.

College roommates

MY FAVOURITE AU ALONG WITH SOULMATES because I’m boring like that :’D

This one’s easy; L’s the worst roommate ever and Light hates it here. The computer clickity-clacks and glows all night, and L just HAS TO show Light when he solves some big equation or school project and whatnot. Every. Single. Time. Life happens though, and he finds himself seeking L and only L for comfort. Because L has absolutely no shame and no judgement, which Light desperately needs in his highly-performative life. They bond, Light being inspired to live authentically, and L being forced to sleep.

EDIT: Someone brought to my attention that L is very much autistic coded and is canonically a neat/clean freak. I’m sorry for having implied that he was ‘gross’ because of this, and sincerely apologize to anyone who might’ve been hurt by it. I’ll be more careful going forward from now on!

For a splash of hurt/comfort, one of them has nightmares they never want to address until they’re forced to sleep in the same room with another person. Later they push their twin beds together so that they can sleep in each other’s arms, and its the first time neither of them dream.

Fanfic-wise, I’ve heard great things about “Stories About Stars: Relight” by lawlietismyfavourite. It’s been on my to-read list for a while. I’m saving it for a special event; maybe if I finish a personal project I’ll reward myself with it.

Light confesses / L decides to keep his secret

The thing is that I have a hard time thinking up scenarios in which Light confesses that don’t involve some other external force. I like a lot of the soulmate fics where they’re fated for each other and that’s enough fulfilment/motivation for Light to give up being Kira. I also like a lot of AUs where Light meets L earlier on and doesn’t even become Kira in the first place.

I think my favourite storyline is just plain and simple; Light falls in love with L, Kira or not, and shows his hand to save L from dying by is own mechanisms. His love for L would outweigh his ambitions and after an internal war within himself, he throws it all away so that his love might live.

How L responds would, again, be highly circumstantial. I think, if he arrested him, he would do it in secret to avoid the death penalty. If at that point they were genuinely friends, I don’t think L would relish in parading Light around like a trophy as initially planned. It would be a waste of potential if he were to die, and I could see a timeline where he enlists Light to work with him and towards some form of redemption (in character anyway, since there’s no taking the thousands of lives back).

One of my favourite fics for this is “Is This the Way It Ends Now?” by Seastar98 on AO3. It’s a fic where the characters watch their own show during the Yotsuba arc, and Light and L witness the whole timeline from when Light picks up the death note to when he dies in the anime. It’s basically a confession, and they work together to ensure their future is better than the one they’re shown.

Thanks for sending me such a fun ask!

[she-who-the-river-could-not-hold]

fic writer interview

I was tagged by @easilydistractedbyfanfic - thank you!!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

I’m at 64 right now!! Which is both very cool and also depressing in its own way lol. Once I get through my prompts, I think I’ll be at 72. I have a few more ideas but wow, so many. 

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

Currently 675,425! which feels pretty crazy to think about.

3. How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

Total I think is six. Back in the day: Harry Potter, W.I.T.C.H., Young Dracula. More recently: The 100, Stranger Things, Six of Crows. 

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

1. Stardust, In You and In Me – Bellarke, college AU + soulmarks 2. I Heard You – Mileven, college AU + meet cute 3. Traces of You – Bellarke, royalty + arranged marriage 4. In the Gravity of You – Bellarke, fake dating + sci fi vibes 5. Prisoner's Dilemma – Bellarke, S5 canon compliant kiss (my first Bellarke fic!)

5. Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

Yes I do!! I try to at least, I don't get enough to feel fine leaving them be haha. I'm a bit behind at the moment but I do try to always make time to go and respond to them! It means a lot to me that people could have a response to something I write and I want to make sure that I acknowledge the extra step they take by commenting!

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

Easily the road gets tough – it’s a Harper x Monty, apocalypse AU and it deals with her S5 arc where she struggles to find a reason to keep going. She doesn’t die in the fic... but yeah. Secondary is Imitation which is an AU of the The Thing, written for Troped: Horror. It’s vaguely Memori but one of the tropes is Final Girl so it’s not a happy ending obviously.

7. Do you write crossovers? If so, what is the craziest one you’ve written?

Not anymore, but one of my first fics on ffn.net was a Harry Potter and Young Dracula crossover! Never went anyway but a delightful attempt by younger me.

8. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

I haven’t! I’ve had a few “this was interesting” comments that definitely feel off haha, but no outright hate. To be fair I don’t receive a lot of comments in general but definitely no hate! Which I’m very thankful for.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Occasionally. It’s not my favorite thing to write so it’s usually somewhat vague, kind of standard. I think I’ve written more sex dreams than actual smut! If anything I’d like to eventually explore more k!nk type smut since I think you can do cool character work with it. 

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I'm aware of!

11. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I don't know, not officially if anyone has at least! I'd be incredibly flattered.

12. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I haven’t! Though I have co-written a story that looking back was essentially fanfic. In sixth grade one of my friends and I wrote a book together and it was pretty much our take on the Peter and the Starcatcher books. But in fanfic specifically I haven’t and I’m not sure it’s something I’d be inclined to do! 

13. What’s your all-time favourite ship?

I can’t choose!! To write, probably Bellarke. But Mulder x Scully is a top tier one that I just don’t think I’ll ever write. Kanej now has me by the throat but I’m weirdly anxious about writing them. 

14. What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

I had an X-Files, Stranger Things AU that I’m sad I abandoned. I’m worried about at least half of my WIPs tbh haha. But we’ll see. One of them is going to involve a lot of work and it didn’t get any sort of response from people, which obviously doesn’t mean everything, but that’s definitely one that I’m nervous about having the motivation which makes me sad. It’s one of my faves. 

15. What are your writing strengths?

To be a complete broken record, I’m mainly just good at world building. To me I write to create movies in a written format. I think also since my inspiration tends to come from movies, I like to think I have creative ideas for stories. Since I don’t really seek out standard tropes anymore, I don’t really relay them too much in my fics which I think is a nice change of pace if someone is looking for it! 

16. What are your writing weaknesses?

I really feel like my dialogue is clunky. I just don’t think I have a good ear for it and I struggle with making characters sound like themselves in AUs. It might not be as noticeable as it feels but I always dread it. I also think I often have ideas that are too big for what I’m capable of pulling off and I’m always worried that the “big” moments won’t come across.

17. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

For me so far, the only other language that comes up is the "Grounder" language and I avoid it at all costs. I think otherwise just try your best to make it feel authentic! I’ve never tried or considered it so I’m not sure I have many other thoughts.

18. What was the first fandom you wrote for?

I believe it was Harry Potter! Back on mugglenet I think was where I first shared them. I don’t even remember what I wrote tbh, I just remember the terrifying approval process.

19. What’s your favourite fic you’ve written?

Probably my Bellarke, Midsommar fic though if I had to choose. It’s come so naturally to me and it’s the most confident I’ve been writing something. I really enjoy the themes and plot points I’ve been able to explore. It’s just a bonus that people like it, it’s really become a special fic for me since I first came up with it.

----

Tagging: @kindclaws, @thelittlefanpire, @hopskipaway, @burninghoneyatdusk, @kinetic-elaboration, and anyone else who wants to join in! 

[jubberry]

oohkay let's go tua with those ship asks: fiveya, horrance and alluther.

thanks el i love you

Send me a ship and I'll answer three questions based on if I ship it or not.

fiveya obvs i ship this since this is 90% of my tua drawings lol

1. ill wait ill wait (to be the one) by georgiestauffenberg made me ship it cause holy fuck dude. I dont know if i ship them romantically when i saw them onscreen cause first of all, age difference is kinda weird lmao. Second, they dont rlly interact much outside literally the first couple of eps. But he was so soft for her, and i felt like they had so much unexplored history.

so i looked at fanfics cause i was wondering if ppl still ship it, then i liked the description of this one so i gave it a go.

Basically the premise is that vanya dates a much older man who seems to know a lot about her. And it was amazingly in character and just provided their characters some depth that u wouldnt find outside of a romantic relationship between them. (The implication of five pining while she doesnt know who he is, their missed chances when he time travelled, fives missed chances of living and having a 'normal' life bec of his own hubris, vanyas insecurity and being able to open up bec shes with someone whos known her since childhood). Its so sweet and thats how i was like, oh yep i can do so much more with these two, and what has kept me interested in drawing them etc.

2. My favourite things are the shippers cause i made some friends in the fandom who are super cool and supportive! I dont get super involved in fandoms and usually just watch from afar so finding people to talk to and muck around with in this tiny fandom is super cool 😭

Though thats not to say I havent come across some bad apples in this fandom and things that I dont like. I think thats the importance of carving out a place for yourself and ur friends in fandom tho.

Another thing I like about the ship itself, i just like the grumpy person whos soft for one person trope. Its so cute. I like all the little clues in canon on how their relationship as kids is quite warm, which is interesting cause five is basically the star student and he can be quite cold vs vanya who is the black sheep of the family.

I also like how five likes her powers even when she caused the apocalypse he spent the majority of his life in lol. Like its a popular hc that five is just a wife guy and i love that.

I see vanya as the type who has a lot of love to give, and she sometimes has unrealistic expectations of what her partner can give. Betrayal and lies really angers her, but also when her partner cannot meet her expectations of love she gets very upset bec its also an indication of how shes not good enough, or not loveable enough to be able to have this in the relationship (her insecurity means every failing always comes back to her, even if its out of her control).

I feel like five would be a level-headed person enough in the relationship to not be afraid to say 'vanya ur being stupid' (ie. the s2 confrontation lmao). Also, five's personality means she will never have to doubt his actions bec she knows hes the type who will not give u the moment of the day if hes not interested.

Not to mention they also have the whole apocalypse vs. saviour, hero/villain thing. Theres just a lot to explore!

3. I probably have several. But mostly I dont mind five being a dick to vanya bec first, even if the appeal is hes soft to her hes already kind of a dick in canon lmao. Also, vanya isnt a child. Shes grown and she can handle petty af things like five telling her shes not good at cooking lol. I also dont mind it cause I feel like people are getting too afraid to write... conflict for fear or portraying an abusive relationship or smth. Like, chill. Conflict is fine, resolving it is how u get a story. However in saying that, nobody should be obligated to write any way unless you want to! Fanfic is for comfort so if what your doing is making u happy then its good enough!

horrance which i also ship but i love the platonic and romantic relationship equally:

1. I came in tua in general not shipping anything so Im honestly not sure. I do remember someone doing a meta before s2 came out that was basically how ben acted weird when klaus summoned dave in s1 that made me go 👀 Otherwise, tua s2 rlly made me like them cause tua FED horrance shippers. Like..... the fact that klaus didnt want ben to leave him, and ben knows thats why he stayed 😢 or the fact that klaus was all over him for some reason???? Somebody also mentioned gay ben once and I resonate with that deeply. Like i get that jill exists but i resonate with gay ben deeply.

2. I love their bickering, theyre so cute together. I just like ben being angry bec hes self aware that hes got both shit and amazing taste. Shit bec he cant believes he likes Klaus (and also amazing also bec Klaus). I think the idea of them being kind of underdogs, theyre not rlly leader types and dont want to be, helps them bond together even in platonic horrance. They're both down to earth, and even tho they can annoy each other, they also know if they want a space to feel comfortable its with each other. Theyre not pressured by rivalry over leadership, or any sort of competition.

I love the idea that even tho ben is like klaus's ''conscience'', hes also down for chaos and bitchy. I feel like klaus rlly enabled that side of him, its not exactly a good thing but its p funny lol

3. I know some people think their dynamic is unhealthy but i dont care lol

alluther. So id say i dont ship this, mostly due to the fact that im not invested? Just like all tua ships so far I rlly came out not wanting anything but platonic relationships cause I feel tua doesnt do romance very well. With alluther, theyre so cute but im not super invested in either of their chars so they havent stuck for me. I appreciate seeing them and talking about them tho, and I'm def open to exploring them further.

1. I think tua canon romances are just so lackluster 😔 Idk who writes the romances but I was just like 'nice' but afterwards I dont really think about them. I love their dance scene and the message behind it! Otherwise, theyre sweet like most of the tua romances but im not super invested, same with all the non canon ships.

2. I really feel like tua needs to decide on what their relationship is. Like, just say its incest or not and stick with it 👀 Or if you wanna support it or not, just make up ur mind. I think I would've liked it better if I found the characters more interesting. Allison especially I feel like suffers from the fact that tua just doesn't want to make her ''mean''. They want to make her supportive and are less interested in making her flawed (ie. she should've had a conflict with Vanya in s2, but the writers didnt want to write the girls fighting which is stupid imo and not what that conflict is about).

In regards to Alluther, the scene where Allison gets annoyed at Luther for sleeping with someone else felt out of line. Like, how are you marrying other people and moving on but Luther isn't allowed to? But honestly, I don't mind if they actually just acknowledge it and make it a deliberate part of Allison's trait that Allison can expect a certain loyalty automatically from other people (which can tie in to her childhood being a star, and the rumour).

Luther is a big simp for Allison, which is sweet, but at the same time it would be nice to have him explore himself for a bit, and who he is outside of the academy. Then maybe they can rekindle their relationship again as new people and see where they go from there.

3. I don't hate them, but they're ok. I'm not super invested in them, just like all the tua canon romance. But I wouldn't mind making content for them if I were a bit more invested in their characters. I love their dance scene in s1 and I feel like its super a underrated portrayal of what their relationship is meant to be. I know no one talks about it but it's just such a great scene, and I'm pretty sure the choreographer was into interpretive dance? The scene had a lot of meaning that I don't see people dig around with.

Essentially I'm pretty sure the fairy lights are obviously a throwback to their childhood together, spending time outside of Reggie. So the dance scene kind of symbolized that pocket of space they made for each other in their life (even if theyre far away, or with other people, they will always have that space for each other).

The way they danced was more like playfighting than dancing, which means their relationship isn't sensual. It's more ''pure'', and romantic. Its basically two kids rekindling their love as adults. I also think this is a response to the incest, cause in s1 tua klaus literally said that 'thank god Regg is not their real father' right before Allison and Luther meet lmao. So its kinda like saying Allison x Luther isnt supposed to be 'ohh step sibling hot' but two people who experienced the same trauma as kids and finding comfort with each other (and rekindling that love after many years).

[todaydreambelieversfic]

Author Spotlight: Justgleekout Day 1

Author Spotlight: @justgleekout​ 

How did you get into Glee and Glee fandom?

I remember seeing commercials for it on tv when season 1 was about to come out in the Netherlands. It really looked like something I would love as I already loved musicals like HSM and Hairspray and all that stuff. Though the first episode I actually remember watching was Mattress. (Will finding out his wife was fake pregnant was a very intense and memorable scene for a 12yo!) I absolutely LOVED the show and watched it religiously. When I found out the US was about a season ahead I started watching online. When I was caught up, I started setting my alarm an hour early the day after the episode aired in the US so I could watch it before school started. It was a ride. A friend introduced me to tumblr and I made my glee/klaine blog in February 2012 and I am still here.

In general, what drew you into writing (and/or creating)?

I am more of an artist rather than an author. I've been drawing and making fanart for as long as I can remember. Even before I really knew fanart was a thing I was already making it. because I love my favourite characters and I love drawing them <3 Writing fic took a little longer because english is not my first language and I'm dyslexic. I always loved stories and I always just wanted more!! I started reading fic in 2011 and it looked like something I would be into. I still have a little notebook from when I was 13/14 ish which has a very long story about Sebastian kissing Blaine at a warblers party and Kurt freaking out about it in the worst possible English imaginable..... that story will never see the light of day oml.. 

I hadn't actually published a story until this year. Glad to be here now though!! Never too late <333

What was it about Glee that made you decide to write fanfic for it?

Kurt and Blaine. God their love is just so beautiful and inspiring. I could fantasize about them for days. It was about time to get the daydreams on paper! (or laptop screen in my case)

Have you been a part of other fandoms before? Have you written fanfiction pre-glee?

I have been in a lot of other fandoms, but none of which I felt as strongly about as glee. When I was younger I was obsessed with the original dutch version of "House of Anubis". I'm still high-key invested in the Avatar: the Last Airbender fandom. also also Shadowhunters and Harry Potter hold big places in my heart. I have however never written about these fandoms because, when it comes to it, nothing brings me as much joy as glee/klaine!

Is there a trope you’ve yet to try your hand at, but really want to?

Oh so, so many!! But the two ideas that I've been playing with a lot recently (in my head I might add) are a Hogwarts AU and a mid-evil soulmate AU!

Is there a trope you wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole?

There are some wild kinks I tend to stay far away from. But the two things I really cannot ever deal with are rape/noncon and abuse.

How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Care to share one of them?

How many???? oof I have 28 saved in my notes app. Most are just one shots/ideas, but still. I really want to make a one-shot series of all the klaine kisses that should have been but never were. 

But I'll give you a tease for the medieval soulmate AU I'm working on:

People are born with the name of their soulmate on their backs. But everyone who has the name of someone from the same gender has to get their mark magically removed/burned off when they are born. Kurt and Blaine are princes from different kingdoms, who never knew the true names of their soulmates because all there was to see on their backs was a small burn scar. When they meet however, they inevitably fall in love and seek a way to find out what their mark originally says.

***

Check out Justgleekout’s Fics

Grease Monkey -  Blaine goes to visit Kurt at 'Hummel Tires And Lube' but he is not prepared for the sight that awaits him.

Welcome Home -  After not having seen each other in months, Kurt goes to pick up Blaine from the airport.

[maxbegone]

AND WE ARE BACK! 

Part two of the Schitt’s Creek Community Fic Rec is here! This time, we focused on celebrating our favorite AU’s! Once again, this is dedicated with love to the the authors of this community! Every participant chose one AU (which was a little hard to do for some) to share and why they enjoyed it.

Thank you to everyone who submitted!

@bestwisheswarmestregards​ // @brighter-than-sunshine​ // @danieljradcliffe​ // @devilstelephone​ // @fishyspots​ // @imargaery​ // @justwaiting23​ // @patrickbrewsky​ // @rockinhamburger​ // @roguebabyinyourstore​ // @rosebuddsmotel​ // @stuck-on-your-heart​ // @the-13th-wheel​ // @thedidipickles​ // @thisbuildinghasfeelings​ // @yourbuttervoicedbeau​

And a very special thank you to anyone who has ever written anything in this community! 

Everything is posted below the cut, and you can check out part one here! 

**As always, if I missed an author’s tumblr handle, please let me know! 

@bestwisheswarmestregards​

Odd Man Rush by @samwhambam​

It’s David and Patrick and Hockey! Three of my favorite things! Also the ending is one of my favorite endings. It’s so sweet! It’s part of the series score and all of the stories are so cute but this one is my favorite!

@brighter-than-sunshine​

Thanks For Choosing Bagged! by dinnfameron

I love this one because the dialogue is so adorable, and true to David and Patrick! I can totally see the characters getting involved in something like this, like a different version of a rom-com.

@danieljradcliffe​

Going Down by concannonfodder

This is one of the best stories of NYC!David and recently out Patrick while they're both trying to find themselves. It's beautifully written and my favourite part is that each chapter switches between David and Patrick's POV. It does a great job of highlighting the aspects of their personalities that we know and love but shows them to us in a new light.

@devilstelephone​

sustineo by @rockinhamburger​

The contemporary art discussions between Patrick and David are interesting and important to the story. Patrick still cares for and emotionally connects with David In a world that is so different than Schitt’s Creek. I liked that Sebastian Raine was the evil force without being included as a character.

@fishyspots​

Welcome to Cabaret by @vivianblakesunrisebay​

It's lovely from start to finish! In this 'verse, Christmas World didn't pull out, so David didn't get the lease for the general store. Instead, he gets roped into helping Moira with Cabaret, and meets Patrick (kind of) through that. I love the way this author writes. The dialogue is in-character, and the plot is wonderful and pulls out moments from canon and reimagines them in some truly inspired ways. I'm such a fan of all of this author's works; this was the first one I read, and it remains my favorite.

@imargaery​

David.; or, a Tale of Misapplied Sense by Siria

A Jane Austen D&P AU and it is BRILLIANT. If you're an Austen fan, you will be able to immediately pick up on how well this author adapted Austen's style, wit, character descriptions, and ability to whack you over the head with romance when you're not even ready for it yet. Siria is a very experienced fanfic writer, but writes for many fandoms, so I think that's maybe why it doesn't have that many hits? I'm so glad I clicked on it. I want to wrap myself up in this story. I want to make a podfic out of it. I want to put it on a t-shirt and wear it every day. Also, it's in a regency AU where homophobia isn't a thing, so you don't even have to worry about that. I want to tell you more, but that would spoil it. Just read the damn thing and thank me later.

@justwaiting23​

You Were the Ocean, I Was Just a Stone by @al-ex-an-d-er-hamiltons​ 

The image of a curly haired fisherman Patrick is enough but this whole fic is such a sweet concept. Their interactions in this are so reminiscent of the show but also so different because they already know each other vaguely, and I come back to this fic over and over just because it's the perfect mix of angsty miscommunication and fluff.

@maxbegone​

Known and Be Known by ahurston

As someone who tends to lean toward canon/canon-divergent stories, this was a refreshing take on an AU. Beautifully written and wonderfully raw, ahurston conveyed the vulnerabilities between both David and Patrick so wonderfully. “The mortifying ordeal of being known,” personified in fanfiction format. With humor and some wonderfully hot scenes peppered throughout, this fic was just brilliant from start to finish. I love when authors explore Patrick's insecurities and vulnerabilities - they aren't written about as often as David's are. I implore you to read this, if you're able.

@patrickbrewsky​

Bound by Symmetry by barelypink

They say write what you know. I instead read what I know. David is the accidentally fantastic teacher we all wished we'd had in high school, and some of us wish/hope we are or might be one day. This fic is a great exploration of combining everything David knows he is (creative, bright, v.knowledgeable about art) and all the things he thinks he's not (empathetic, a role model, great with kids, selfless, kind, & big hearted) The selling point quote: "And it feels good, David realizes, to have a job that means something, a purpose beyond himself. A place where he feels like he belongs, just like his students." (David Rose proves he is both a good and nice person).

@rockinhamburger​

Blackbird, Fly by distractivate 

This is a post-apocalyptic story about love, connection, and hope, with a central theme of growth from destruction. I could not put this one down; I read it feverishly in one sitting, desperate to soak up every word. I love this fic because it is what I like to think of as an exemplar for transformative works (one of ao3’s top values). I love the way the fic stretches toward the light in the dark. It makes me think: about the quintessential elements of these characters, what remains the same despite changed circumstance, and what inevitably shifts when these characters we know and love are faced with a situation far outside their experience or comfort. This story likely hits differently in 2020, when post-apocalyptic narratives feel much less distant than they might have just a year ago. And yet, all the more reason to read an incredible work about hope and resilience and transformation.

@roguebabyinyourstore​

Fifteen Hundred Miles by MoreHuman

Where do I even begin with this fic? I was at first skeptical about what reason David Rose would have to willingly subject himself to a trek through the wilderness out of his own volition. Well I’m so glad I ignored that admittedly stupid part of me because this is one of the mostly beautifully crafted stories I have ever read. Patrick and David are individually on their own journeys of self-discovery, but the way they help each other find what they sought... It’s breathtaking. Their feelings for each other bloom so organically over their time together that despite the circumstances laid out before them, the miles that they stumble and walk and run bring them miles closer to each other. Closer to the love that they both didn’t know they needed. The characters come alive and are identical to their canon selves. The dialogue and banter are spot on David and Patrick. The writing itself is superb. The tropes are incredible, the pining and *oh no there’s only one tent.* The slow burn is tantalizing but in a way that feels true to a genuine love story. The way the setting somehow breathes in tune with the characters, the way they leave messages behind in the trail register—conveying more than they can utter aloud— and the way their families communicate with them throughout their time on the trail through letters. All of the elements of this story ground it in universal truth, in feelings that are not only relatable, believable but demand to be felt. I can wax poetic until I am blue in the face, but really... Read this story. And then reread it a million times.

@rosebuddsmotel​

I Carry These Heart-Shapes Only to You by @ladyflowdi​ and @ships-to-sail​

There are over 180,000 words in this WWII AU, but not one of those words is wasted. It is gorgeous in its prose, and incredibly romantic without romanticizing the very real pain and tragedies of the era in which it exists. It's not an easy read by any means, but it's the kind of cathartic emotional journey that is more than worth it in the end.

@stuck-on-your-heart​ 

kiss from a rose by mihaly ( @davidroseshusband​ )

What can I say about this very special fic that would do it justice? In this story, Alexis stars in a Bachelorette-style dating show and it’s every bit as brilliant as it sounds. On top of the incredible characterization, there are little surprises at every turn, there’s pining, and of course, there’s love. Secret love, even. This fic is truly addicting – I promise you won’t be able to stop once you start reading, and it will leave you feeling so satisfied (and if you’re like me, a little misty)!!!

@the-13th-wheel​

Hold Me Like You’ll Never Let Me Go by @mooodlighting​

It is a wonderful short AU where Patrick and David where they meet at an airport after they get snowed in. It is cute, there is longing and pining that just make it a wonderful read!

@thedidipickles​

Beneath the Winter Snow by Distractivate

The writing is so utterly gorgeous all the way throughout that I frequently needed to take breaks to breathe. The author *perfectly* builds an Olympic world that I can totally see my favorite characters inhabiting, and the resolution is gorgeous. All of Distractivate's AUs are amazing, but this one still stands out.

@thisbuildinghasfeelings​

How Do We Get Back by @unfolded73​

This one deals with a literal alternate universe, which is the first thing I loved about it because I had never read a fic quite like it before. It's a beautifully written 60,000+ word masterpiece that definitely makes me feel ALL the feelings. In addition, it is absolutely riveting. I could not stop reading until I got to the end.

@yourbuttervoicedbeau​

Make It To Me by figmentof ( @rosesdavid )

Epistolatory fic is SO hard to pull off and the author does such an incredible job with the way the characters shine through even though we only see them interact via text message. This fic is my comfort food and I reread it regularly <3

Anonymous Recs:

Just Breathe by olivebranchesandredwine

I love this one because it's got Patrick as a yoga teacher (hot!) and shows David being proactive about anxiety and it's just such a lovely story.

Shall I Stay? by alladaydream ( @maybewecandreamalittle​​ )

This is so worth the 100k wordcount. 18-year-old David and Patrick sweetly leaning into first love, a lot of angst and pining in the middle that allow them both to heal and grow, and a heartfelt reconciliation. Plus, two bonus cherries on top with artist!David and a beautiful epilogue in which they (spoiler) live happily ever after. The tone and pacing of this fic is so good, and I always go back to it when I want to read something comforting.

Your Heart is Keeping Time with Me by @yourbuttervoicedbeau​

I haven't seen 50 First Dates, but this fic is better than the movie could ever be. The author's writing is so beautiful and her David who has amnesia and her Patrick who wants to help him are just PERFECT. I want more and more and more of this.

Once again, thank you to everyone who participated and thank you to every single person who has written something in this community! It would be wonderful to do a part three, but for now, enjoy some alternate universe fics! 

[silentauroriamthereal]

2020 fic year in review

I was tagged by my lovely @khorazir! Thanks, you! 

Total number of completed stories: Three, but two of them were fairly long? I wrote: 

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: John/Sherlock, 50,689 words, explicit, John POV. Set in New York, because I was itching to go there and couldn’t, and setting a fic somewhere is the next best thing. Probably my most political fic to date, this one was a deliberate reversal of the fake-couple-for-a-case trope, aka I wanted to create a setting wherein John and Sherlock become a couple during a case but need to keep it a secret for the sake of the case. So I set it at a massive, anti-gay conference in the US. Naturally. :P 

Sine Nomine: John/Sherlock, 45,626 words, explicit, mostly John POV with sections of Mycroft and Sherlock POV as well. In fact, though the sections aren’t equal in length, it’s symmetrical: it goes Mycroft POV/John POV/Sherlock POV/John POV/Mycroft POV. This story has a dark premise and a particularly dark setting for one section. It’s based on the concept of Mycroft rewatching the footage of John beating Sherlock in the morgue for the hundredth time or so and revisiting the question of whether John had been the making of his brother, or made him worse than ever. He’s definitely come to the latter conclusion, but decides to give John one final chance in the form of a test. John, for his own reasons, makes what Mycroft deems the incorrect choice, and Mycroft basically sends him into a death trap. The setting of this place is officially set in Serbia with indirect hints at events similar to the Srebrenica Genocide in Bosnia, but the actual setting is Syria, which I’ve just spent the past year studying intensely. Putting a slice of that into the dark core of this story, albeit disguised as another place, was strangely cathartic for me. The title, which is Latin for “no name”, is a double reference to the village here, which Sherlock and Mycroft never name, ominously referring to it only as “the village”, both to each other and to John, as well as John’s never-named or owned feelings for Sherlock. This one is close to my heart for a lot of reasons, but most of all because of Syria. Also, the vast majority of the time in my writing, I choose a singular POV and stick to it very closely for the entire story. Choosing to rotate between these three men essentially allowed me to show how they’re all justified in their own decisions here, and to examine the relationships between all three of them. It’s a story about reckonings and eventual, hard-won reconciliations. 

The Secret of Hazel Grange. Sherlock/John, 18,181 words, explicit, Sherlock POV. I’m going to claim that the reason I only managed to swing three fics this entire year is partly that I put another project on hold in order to write this one, lol. This is the third Christmas fic I’ve written and I’m happy with how it came out. It’s also the only story I’ve written that’s explicitly set during this pandemic, and during the second London lockdown, which is eerily similar to the code red lockdown my own city is in, so it just felt right. It’s been a somewhat miserable holiday season for me (so many reasons, including unhappiness at work and an illegally high rent increase that my apartment building is putting through, on top of the pandemic and all of that isolation and all of those cancellations), so writing some happy endings for someone else was pure escapism for me. Hopeful for others, too! 

Total word count: 114,496 words of posted fic. 130,796 if we’re counting my work-in-progress that got interrupted for the Christmas fic. :)

Fandoms written in: BBC Sherlock.

Looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you’d expected? I wrote about what I thought I expected to be able to write. Right now, I have a full-time job, a part-time job, and then freelance work, all to attempt to make ends meet, so I have very little spare time to write in, unfortunately. So getting over 100k words in is actually somewhat miraculous to me. It feels like not very much when it’s just three stories, but I guess it still amounts to a fair number of words? 

What’s  your own favourite story of the year? Picking favourites is always tough, but for the Syria connection, I’d have to go with Sine Nomine. 

Did you take any writing risks this year? I suppose that going so hard on the whole Republican anti-gay groups thing could be considered “risky” in some circles, but not really hereabouts! LGBTQ+ rights is one of my areas of advocacy (in fact, I’m a founding member of the Rainbow Equity Council at my workplace and spent a crap ton of time this month drafting governance documentation for it), but genocides are the issue that are really closer to my heart, so the Syria connection, even if it wasn’t named outright, could also be seen as a “dangerously” political stance, I suppose. But compared to other writing choices (like Scars, which features actual rape, or any of my Freebatch stuff, or any of the stories where Mary is an overt terrorist (rather than “just” a freelance assassin, lol)), I don’t really think I was terribly risky this year. 

Do you have any fanfic or profic goals for the new year? The first item on the agenda is to get back to work on Nocturne, my WIP. After that, we’ll see. That said, I STILL would like to get back to searching for an agent for my novel, which is strongly based on Against the Rest of the World. I would also like to write that Johnlock cookbook I keep vaguely promising (it would feature recipes from my fics), and in a quirky “other” sort of project, I also wrote a heap of haikus about Republicans this fall that I’d like to see about getting published. Want a taste? Sure you do. I give you: 

Brett Kavanaugh

Brett has a face like

a snarly little hedgehog.

He likes beer, okay?!

Mitch McConnell

Moscow Mitch is a

corrupt turtle who keeps his

balls in his neck pouch

Most popular story of the year? Well, the longer a story is posted, the more time it has to collect hits, kudos, bookmarks, and comments, obviously, so that makes The Four Horsemen the clear winner here. 

Story of mine most under-appreciated by the universe, in my opinion: From this year or in general? :P I often find that my plottiest, most detailed, most researched stories that I personally think contain some of my most thoughtful writing are the ones that get the least attention. For instance, after series 3 aired, I wrote three back-to-back intensely-detailed series 3 fix-it fics (which all, to their credit, do get plenty of attention, though none so much as Vena Cava, the third of the three). Then I wrote a light-hearted, almost-crack porn fic, more as mental relaxation than any sort of literary genius, and that fic - Best of Three - remains my most wildly-popular story of anything I’ve ever written. It used to frustrate me, but now I’m just grateful to have anyone read anything of mine. But along that theme, yeah: the most complex of this year’s stories (Sine Nomine) is probably the one I feel is the least appreciated, but that’s also fine. No complaints here - I’m very lucky to have the readership I have!! 

Most fun story to write: Sine Nomine, for all the reasons I talked about above, though I’d also call this the most emotionally-invested story of mine from this past year. That said, setting any story in Manhattan is always going to be fun, and I loved researching approximately 500 holiday rental properties in various parts of England in order to finally just create my own, aka Hazel Grange, lol. 

Most unintentionally telling story: Ha, well, if you weren’t sure about my stance on gay rights, marriage equality, or Republicans in general, The Four Horsemen should clear that up pretty distinctly, lol! 

Biggest disappointment: Just that I haven’t had more time to write. 

Biggest surprise: Possibly that I felt so able to represent all three POVs in Sine Nomine as equally as I did. By that, I don’t mean being able to write in their perspectives, but rather in presenting their arguments with (I hope) equal persuasion: Mycroft thinks that John’s entire presence in Sherlock’s life has spelled nothing but disaster for Sherlock. He’s arguably not wrong. He decides that John is out of chances, and that he’s justified in being the one to make that call. Sherlock disagrees, hard, and he’s not wrong. John makes the choice he makes for his daughter, not for the choice Mycroft gives him between choosing either Mary or Sherlock once and for all, and he’s not wrong to have done that, or unjustified in wanting to go and demand some answers from Mary, who isn’t dead after all, here. But then I think that their various reasons for reconciliation are all equally justified, too. I hope! Usually when you stick to one perspective, the story naturally gears itself to persuade the reader to identify with that one character and to take their side. Here, I hope I manage to juggle the balance fairly equally. 

I don’t know who’s been tagged in this already, but I’ll tag: @totallysilvergirl, @blogstandbygo, @nade2308, @weneedtotalkaboutsherlock, @hubblegleeflower, and anyone else who writes. 

[mercelotweek]

Meet the Mods

Hello Mercelot Week Participants! We thought a little bit of “Meet the Mods” was in order, seeing how we have a new mod! Thanks so much to @little-ligi for joining the team! Now let’s hear from the mods!

@little-ligi Who are you? Well hello there! 😊 I’m Mod Ligi. Fanfic writer, reader and occasional artist. Extremely fond of Mercelot. Unapologetic Gemini. Tends to ramble a lot more than necessary (and thank God for auto correct because I can’t spell necessary) and use far too many brackets, exclamation marks and emojis!

Why are you a mod? Because I believe there is not enough Mercelot content in this world and I want to encourage more!! Also, call it fate, call it ✨destiny✨… but I had several things point to the fact I needed to get involved with this!

What is your favorite Merlin/Lancelot moment? Ooooooh how to choose?! (I mean, literally every single moment the two of them are on screen together is a favourite moment of mine!) But narrowing it down…  either from ep 1x05 when Merlin is persuading Lancelot to lie about his nobility, or from ep 4x02, the bit after Merlin has been healed by the Vilia and is spear fishing, the playful teasing is just… perfect! 😍😍 (Did I rewatch every Lancelot episode for the thousandth time in order to decide this point? Yes I did. Did I list every single moment before narrowing it down to just these two? Yes. Yes I did. 🙈)

Best Mercelot Trope(s)? Lancelot snapping instantly into Protective and Defensive Mode if anyone ever finds out about Merlin’s magic.

Funny Mercelot Headcanon you have? Lancelot tells the best (and often dirtiest 😉) jokes, which always leave Merlin almost wetting himself laughing!

Why do I need to know who the mods are? So you can come and chat to us! We’re very friendly and enjoy screaming about Mercelot!

@rainbowvamp Who are you? Hi, Mod RainbowVamp here! I write things sometimes, and I’m generally incorrigible about Mercelot. I’m a Scorpio and a Slytherin, and I don’t apologize for either of those things.

Why are you a mod? My entire goal is convincing other people it is fun to create Mercelot content. And it’s working. 

What is your favorite Merlin/Lancelot moment? Laying on the cots during the Dorocha attack in 4.02. It’s the closest thing we get to canon proof they sleep together. (That isn’t immediately made sad by Guards coming in to take Lancelot away. iykyk)

Best Mercelot Trope(s)? Is “Lancelot is the only knight who knows about the magic” a trope? Because that one.

Funny Mercelot Headcanon you have? Merlin and Lancelot secretly sabotage random little castle goings-on (usually related to Arthur) just to amuse each other. Because they’re dorks.

Why do I need to know who the mods are? Well, you see… knowledge is power. And you might need to get a hold of us.

Our ask boxes are open if you have any questions. Thanks for being great! 💗

[1dcraftawards]

November Author of the Month...

Drumroll please.... our November Author of the Month is none other than the incredibly talented...

@all-things-fic ! 

Congratulations to a wonderful author, Liz! You can check out our interview with her below!

1.Did you start writing fanfiction for One Direction, or was there another fandom that you wrote fanfiction for before this?

I have one fic that I wrote for One Direction Fanfic Archive, that will never see the light of day. It was really awful, but everyone starts somewhere. I’ve shared it with two people on Tumblr and we just laughed about it.

I’ve also written a Niall Horan fic which has been flagged for how explicit it is, which is quite laughable as it’s tame in comparison to the Harry stuff (eek!)

2. How old were you when you started writing fanfiction?

I was a teenager when I first started writing fics. I don’t know if I would consider it “proper” fanfic though as it was riddled with cliches.

3. What’s been your favorite fic that you’ve written to work on so far?

For the longest time I was proud of the second part of Divorce Harry and specifically the second part. It just felt real to write. I can’t even explain what it is about that piece.

I think at the time it stemmed from an ask I received where I was asked if I was a parent - I’m not - but this someone said I portrayed aspects of a marriage and how children can tip the balance really well.

The sheer bitterness of two people in love and the juxtaposed feeling it brings was an interesting dynamic. Being bitter and in love? How? It happens. You love someone, but bloody hell don’t you hate at the same time.

And I think on the hand Quarantine Harry is the opposite side of the same coin. I love it because it’s so happy. When you’re smitten and basking. Your baby waking you up at 3am and meeting your husband on the landing with the freshly made bottle is a time to enjoy because you’re doing it together.

But soon enough the third child is sprawled out in your kingsize bed and their foot is pressed against your ribs and you're tired. This isn’t me saying the two stories are linked (I do get those theories quite a lot haha)

4. Do you prefer AU or OU?

Definitely more of an OU gal. I’m massively into writing things “realistically” because I think it’s so relatable and helps draw readers in more so. Especially if the writing uses and references visuals that readers are aware of.

5. What’s your favorite trope to write?

Would we call a long-term relationship / established relationship a trope? If so then this is my favourite. Writing characters who know how to push each other’s buttons, knowing what they can and can’t say to get the other going. Being able to write two people who can share as little as a glance and know what the other is feeling.

Sprinkle a bit of angst on the top for good measure.

That’s my kryptonite.

6. What’s your ideal space to write in?

I tend to write when I’m in bed quite a bit, usually really late at night and on my phone rather than my laptop. Often lying in the dark. Sometimes first thing in a morning.

7. How do you get motivation to write?

This one made me laugh considering I’m unable to finish a single piece of writing at the minute.

Pictures are quite inspiring. New images of Harry can usually start something in me. The images of him in the whacky joggers for example from set have inspired a scene in Quarantine Harry (who knows for which part just yet!).

8. Do you typically like to listen to music when you write? If so, what do you listen to?

Very rarely listen to anything when I write, I tend to like silence really. Sometimes this is so I can dictate into my phone.

9. Your dialogue is some of the best I’ve ever read on tumblr, how do you plan conversations in your fics?

Thank you for the compliment, it’s really nice to read that you think so highly of my dialogue. I don’t really plan them - conversations or my fics. I’m quite visual in how I write, so anything that you’ve read I’ve most likely had it play out in my mind and typed it as it’s moved. For dialogue I tend to speak out loud as I’m typing to try and get the pacing right for the conversation.

No, I don’t try to do a Manc accent… Just in case anyone is wondering haha!

10. What is your writing process like?

I write what I see and then hope it fits. Honestly it’s pretty chaotic. The only time I tend to plan is when I’ve got a lot of different scenes written and I need to know if they’re suitable for an update or what order to place them.

Then I read through them and think about the characters and how they would be a certain time and move the documents into another document. Then I close all the tabs and cry cause my motivation is nonexistent.

11. What’s been your favorite scene to write from Quarantine Harry?

One that hasn’t been shared haha! I’m joking (maybe).

From part one my favourite bit has to be the part where she makes up with him by taking him a cuppa and he gets a dig in about how she hasn’t brought any biscuits with her. Also the bit where he says “come an’ love me” meaning he wants to cuddle. I’m quite conscious I don’t really ever write soppy fics, so when I’m writing “fluffy” aspects they’re more so everyday affections. Like, you know someone is properly in love with you when they’re doing the washing up cause you’re busy, or they’re taking out the bins on bin day. That kinda thing.

From part two absolutely the entirety of the morning where she takes the pregnancy test. That was the part I had as clear as day and I worked backwards to the opening scene. I really loved the idea of Harry knowing his partner is pregnant before said partner knows. Him knowing his lovers body like the back of his hand so much so that he’s able to pick up on the smallest of things.  I knew I had to write it.

And how he casually suggested she took the test, by pressing a kiss into her back. His face finding that test and then being an insufferable sod and pleased with himself cause he’s in the know about the outcome before the MC.

12. Is there a schedule you follow in terms of when you write? Or are you more impulsive and just write where and when you can?

So impulsive it’s actually embarrassing. I cringe at myself. I know I’ve mentioned this loads but I really write what I see. So if I’m not seeing anything, I’m not writing. It’s quite frustrating.

13. What is one thing you wish you would’ve known before you started writing?

To not talk about your writing before you’ve finished it. I feel like I massively let people down when I post sneak peeks and then I can’t deliver because life gets on top of me!

14. What do you prefer writing, multi-chaptered fics or one shots?

One shots and then if they develop into something more that can be exciting!

15. What's your secret to portraying such a complex and interesting relationship between your main characters??

Personal trauma…… *tumbleweed at another one of my poorly thought out jokes*

I’m a bit stumped on how to answer this one. I think being well read(ish) helps you create complex characters and relationships, not saying that I am but I’ve read a fair few books. Life in general helps too, sometimes personal relationships. Just growing up. My fic when I was younger was nowhere near the type of things I’m writing now but I’ve got a couple (okay, more than a couple!) of years on myself since then.

I think just apply your own lived experiences and call upon emotions you may have felt through certain times that you’re writing should you have experience it.

Partly I also think so many of us are a little bit nosy. Sometimes we all kinda want to be the fly on the wall in the home of couples to see if everything is a rosy as it seems or as intimate. Or whether it is just raw passion with a couple of arguments thrown in for good measure.

16. What Harry era/mood/look/vibe/song/etc. do you get most inspired by?

What’s weird is my favourite era of Harry is 2014, but I wouldn’t want to write him like that. The current Harry is quite marvellous. I’ve never known anyone like him, he really is fine wine (the real album title…. ‘we’ll be a fine wine’)

If you’re asking what mood I like to see him in, it’s either when he's pensive and looks a touch pissed off with a crease to his brow or when you watch his joke his eyes before he’s even said it and he’s amused/pleased with himself.

His current look, mainly late 2019/2020 is quite something (hence the quarantine fics)

I tend not to get inspired by his songs but my two faves if I had to pick would be Woman and TBSL. I think they’re massive Scorpio energy and would make great premises for a one shot sometime!

I’m not sure if I even answered this how you wanted it answer but hopefully it was something haha!

17. Who or what inspired you to start writing?

I’ve always loved writing, I think it’s because I do a lot of it with my line of work. The person that gave me the push on this site was actually an account called @meetyourmouths. The lovely Iz is no longer on tumblr but she wrote a Harry piece that just made me think ‘fuck it’ and I posted Practicing. If you go to that piece the authors note makes mention to Iz.

I would also say @stylishmuser was one of the first people to reach out to me and be encouraging which has always stuck with me. Massive love for, P and still talk to her all these years on.

I’m now sat here thinking about listing all the lovely lovely people who have been so nice to me both in regards to writing and outside of it and I’m conscious I’m not mentioning them. The troubles of being a bit of a people pleaser. Hopefully those people know I love ‘em… You know?

18. Some readers are wary of leaving feedback because they're unsure how the writer will take it, how do you personally like to receive feedback? Do you want to be critiqued, or would you like to just know if they did or didn't enjoy what they've read?

First thing I’d say is please don’t ever think as readers you can’t be negative. Sure there is a way to present the feedback to the author cause writing can be quite personal, but everyone has room for growth.

Just come chat to me. Can be about anything and everything. A simple ‘loved the update’ to ‘this bit was rubbish’. I’m open to all feedback.

One thing to remember is there are a lot of writers out there so there is something for everybody. If a fic isn’t for you there are tons out there waiting for you to go and grab ‘em!

19. Is writing a hobby or do you have aspirations of writing professionally outside of fanfiction?

I used to think it was mainly more so a hobby, and I do still lean towards this. However, now I’m not so sure. My problem is I tend to have long spells of not being able to find balance in my ‘real life’ job and the extra-curricular stuff.

I’m dragging myself here but I don’t think my fics have much plot to them. I’m more so about writing the everyday life and I don’t think there is a market for that really (unless you have something explosive happen somewhere).

20. And finally, What's your purpose for writing? What do you hope to accomplish?

For a while I wanted to write Harry being insufferably British. I found it quite hard to find writings that I thought wrote him using Britsh-isms (is this even a thing?) and types of phrases that are common over this side of the pond. I wanted to put that out there for someone who may have once felt like me.

Mostly,  I just want to put pieces out that take people elsewhere, even if only for a couple of minutes. A lot of the world is a bleak place, if you find my little corner on tumblr and it makes you smile, that’s achieved something, hasn't it?