#last chapter for tabula rasa!

[punchdrunkdoc]

I apologise in advance for what I’ve just done to my characters.

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Wednesday, July 31

WILLOW: Oh, hey, I have a name on my jacket. (takes off jacket to look) Harris. XANDER: Harris? That's my last name. Maybe I have a brother and you go out with him. (Willow looking uncertain) Or maybe you go out with me. WILLOW: Well, we did wake up all snuggly-wuggly. (walks closer to him) Maybe you're my boyfriend. XANDER: Either that, or I got one pissed-off brother out there somewhere. (both smile)

~~Tabula Rasa~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

BtVS Triple Drabble: Special Guest by badly_knitted (Angel, Drusilla, PG)

experiments (of varying degrees of success) by eagle_eyes (Angel/Cordelia, M)

The Secrets We Keep by BlueZeroZeroOne (Willow/Tara, Buffy/Tara, T)

Ain't No Rest for the Wicked by MadeInGold (Buffy/Maggie Walsh, E)

Endgame by MadeInGold (Buffy/Riley, G)

Tears of Faith by Willow25 (Buffy/Spike, E)

Milestone Birthday by Kittenwritings (Fred/Spike, G)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Sentence Meme - Tough Love [roleplay starter] by uptonogoodindiememes (unrated but worksafe)

The Secrets We Keep by BlueZeroZeroOne (Buffy, Willow, Tara, FR15)

[Chaptered Fiction]

Reflections of Reality - ch. 1 by KnightRanger (Willow, Xander, Buffy, Not Rated)

East of Nevada - ch. 8 by Blissymbolics (Buffy/Spike, R)

The Degradation of Duality [Series Part 2] - ch. 38 by Ragini (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Breaking Illusions - ch. 4 by RavenLove12 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Love Lives Here - ch. 91 by Passion4Spike (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Stab in the back - ch. 24 by MelG_2005 (Buffy/Spike, Adult Only)

Beer Bad, Spike Good - ch. 5 by Maxine Eden, ClowniestLivEver (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) COMPLETE!

Laid - ch. 5 by Holly (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) COMPLETE!

Wedding Belles - ch. 5 by buffy_loves_spike (Buffy/Spike, R) COMPLETE!

Itty Bitty Wiggy Piggy - ch. 5 by ClowniestLivEver (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) COMPLETE!

Buffy Summers and the Major Case of the Wiggins - ch. 5 by Soulburnt (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) COMPLETE!

I’ll Get You, My Pretty… - ch. 5 by CheekyKitten (Buffy/Spike, R) COMPLETE!

Embers and Ashes: The Fëanorians in a New World - ch. 1 by Luna (Dawn, LOTR xover, FR15)

The Stars to Hold Our Destiny - ch. 25 by Hermionetobe (Buffy, Star Trek xover, FR15)

Going Home (to a place we’ve never been before) - ch. 18 by curiouslywombat (Dawn, LOTR, FR15)

Where In The World Was Clint Barton? - ch. 40 by Beriaearwen (Buffy, Avengers xover, FR13)

The Buffybot Falls In Love - ch. 3 by Desicat (Buffy/Spike, PG)

Breaking Illusions - ch. 4 by RavenLove12 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Anarchy Tour - ch. 10 by Alyot (Buffy/Spike, R) COMPLETE!

Love Lives Here - ch. 91 by Passion4Spike (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Christina's new life. - ch. 1 by ILLYRIAN (Andrew, unrated)

[Images, Audio & Video]

Banner: 🔔 August Highlight — Two Spuffy Art Entries by veronyxk84 (Buffy/Spike, worksafe)

Artwork: Had to try my hand at sketching our girl by Areyoufilledwithair (Buffy, worksafe)

Moodboard: 365 characters; dawn summers... if you touch me, my sisters gonna kill you. by sylthrein (worksafe)

Artwork: "when he wakes up, tell him...I don't know - think of something cool. tell him I said it" - 1x12, 'prophecy girl' by mistyintherivers (Buffy, Scoobies, Angel, worksafe)

Lyrics: salma deera, letters from medea by dogmetaphors (Buffy/Spike, worksafe)

Manip / Wallpaper: I'm not wired that way by revello-drive-1630 (Buffy, ensemble, worksafe)

Gifset: [Oz and Angel] by starryeyesxx (Angel, Oz, worksafe)

Gifset: [Angel or star?] by ptieuca (Buffy/Angel, Joyce, worksafe)

Gifset: [is it casual now?] by nownow-noneofthat (Buffy/Spike, NSFW)

Gifset: He sort of admits himself that his motives are... spurious. by ladyverdance (Buffy/Spike, Buffy/Faith, worksafe)

Gifset: BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER | S05E18: "Intervention" // THE VAMPIRE DIARIES by dogmetaphors (Buffy, Spike, worksafe)

Gifset: Anya Jenkins + Outfits (Season 5) by clarkgriffon (Anya, Xander, worksafe)

Gifset: BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER (1997 - 2003) ⏤ 5.09, "Listening to Fear" ⏤ 5.22, "The Gift" by andremichaux (Buffy, Joyce, Dawn, Scoobies, Spike, worksafe)

[Reviews & Recaps]

I don't know why I waited so long [first time ATS watcher almost done] by withywoodwitch

Would love to hear your general thoughts on Buffy! [ask answered] by umgirldog

End of season summary! [S2] by agirlinsearchof

PODCAST: Episode 67: Pangs by Gym Was Cancelled: A Buffy Podcast

[Recs & In Search Of]

Recs: 💡 Spuffy Fic Recs — July by veronyxk84

Recs: Spuffy Fic Recs [list of 5 fanfics with reviews] — July by veronyxk84

Recs: [2 Spike x reader fanfic recs] by courtneyraeblogs1221

ISO: Rules and Q&A [for your BTVS head canon requests] by urheadcanongirl

ISO: umgirldog seeks what CD willow was holding in Hush (4x10) when Giles was explaining what the gentlemen were in the lecture hall

[Fandom Discussions]

angel was forced to be good... by williamprattz

Buffy... could've absolutely charged for doing odd jobs in the supernatural...[headcanon] by therulerofallpotatos

Welcome to the Hellmouth Fashion Part Two by theoverlookedoneedits1997

The Harvest Fashion Part One by theoverlookedoneedits1997

[Faith in 3x15 consequences] by redhatmeg

It’s weird to me how confidently and definitively people will say that Tara and Willow weren’t paying Buffy rent. by nicnacsnonsense

What your favorite BtVS character says about you... by housedyke

POLL: Could Xander Harris Survive Danganronpa? by couldtheysurvivedanganronpa

POLL: Vampire Media Guys Round 22: Spike or Elijah Mikaelson? (TVD) by vampirewrestlinglover

What unsettles you still about BTVS? by silvermoon and November

What If: Xander was shot? [in S6] by nightshade and others

Buffy and Faith are still unique slayers [post Chosen] by LightBlueSky55

Which 12 characters would you choose to complete the 12 tasks of Asterix? by MonsterTournament

Don’t you just hate turning invisible because your teacher passed you over in class? [and Clea praise] by nowlan101

What are your favorite or least favorite Giles moments? by AxelNoir

Layout of upstairs of Buffy's house by Tuxedo_Mark

Buffy game Xbox [tips for playing video games on hardware] by Dynalynk

Why James Spader? by Robosl0b

[what are your podcast recommendations? with discussion in the comments] by Working_Original_200

Buffy Content [what formats do you like for podcasts?] by Working_Original_200

Opinions on After The Fall? [Angel comic book series] by Hungry_Walrus7562

Do the writers forget about Angel's curse? [in ATS S3] by foreseethefuture

[Angel's curse made zero sense] by audjenkins41

[Articles, Interviews, and Other News]

[Links to Juliet Landau new podcast Slayin' It!] via dontkillspike

Amber Benson is set to attend Fanboy Expo Convention in Orlando This September. [Sept 6-8 in FL, USA] via amberbenson.tv

Submit a link to be included in the newsletter!

Join the editor team :)

[raving-raven-writing]

2,3,6 and 13💜

Thanks for the ask @roxynmae I noticed you changed your profile picture, it's cool, I like it! 2. Do you read/reread your own fics? I do indeed read and reread my own stories. Sometimes for fun or if I can't find anything that is new or updated with a certain tag/vibe I want to read. Other times I will reread a work if someone leaves a comment and comments on something that I don't remember where I'm like "Gotta go refresh my brain." Other times I do it out of boredom, and just to see my own work in a less critical eye. Because as I am reading fics, I sometimes forget the name of the author, and I've done that before with my own stuff, where I will read it, go and look at the author name and I'm like "Oh, that's me. Well, that was a pretty good story." 3. What’s your favorite fic that you’ve written? I don't know if I have an all time favorite story that I've written. I have a handful of stories that I would label a favorite. One that certainly seems to be a favorite among other readers if I look at my statistics is There For You for The Umbrella Academy fandom, which is pretty good if you ask me. I also like most of the Newsies stories I've written. My Snowpiercer content is also good too imo--I have a one shot that is over 10,000 words which is my longest ever! In regards to Avatar fandom, I like A Sleepwalking Spider probably the best at the moment--puts a smile to my face everytime. 6. Are there any fics from others you reread all the time? Hmm, yes, there are. Reread and or read when it's updated. I particularly like your "Sins of the Father" and also "Stolen Laughs"; those are both good rereads! Also waiting on you to update Live and Let Die Also, @lanzzo story "Frakrr Say", there's one chapter I keep rereading for a guilty pleasure. @naavispider stories Caught and Cat's In the Cradle. @stupidlytiredstudent story "You'll Be in My Heart"--freaking love how they write! @fictionramblings "Left For Dead"--like the Japez action they're throwing in there. And also their All You Have is Your Soul. @imeanwhynotbruv The Blood of Children"--make me cry why don't you and"Brother Mine". And idk if this person has Tumblr, but on ao3 CheeseSnack's "I Wish I Could Let You Go". And then also @dumbass-tumbler-cryptid "Mama's Boy" and "Cabin in the Woods"-love that they're making this a choose your own ending type thing! @mayfriend "Tabula Rasa" and @futureslaps "The Captive". And I am not sure if these people have Tumblr either, but on ao3 GobiBSide's "Custody" and Quickbow's "Radiator" Sorry, that's a long ass list! But they're all great reads! I am sure there are more I could list but thee ones that are complete are ones that come to mind now and again. The ones that are in progress also come to mind quite often as well.

12. Do you have a playlist for your current WIP(s)? Share it! I don't have Spotify and I'm not one for making playlists normally. Sometimes, one or two songs will pop into my head for something I am writing. Right now, with the smutty WIP I got, "Mommy Issues" by Cloudy June is probably at the top of the very small list.

Thanks again for the asks. And, sorry to anyone that I @ if you didn't want to be.

EDIT: I realize I was looking at the wrong damn number for the last one. Oops. But whatever, I'll answer 12 too. So to answer 13. How much planning do you do before writing? I do a little bit of planning. I will normally have a general outline, and if not, I will know how the story begins and have an idea when/how the story will end.

[captainskyson]

Fic Writer

Wanted to do ficwip's year in review questions for my own sort of journaling :-) I answered a couple of these over on Twitter/X, but wanted to track for myself all 30 questions. So, I've put my answers below a cut to keep everyone's feed a little more tidy:

1. What’s something new that you tried in a fic this year? How did it turn out and would you do it again? Explored writing a true narcissist and not redeeming him or the relationship with the main character by the end of the fic. I would do it again - and in fact am, though this 2nd one may never be public. It was/is very cathartic though.

2. How many fics did you work on this year? (They don’t have to be finished or published!) I'm only counting what was published in 2023, because I've dabbled on probably 50 others. I added 6 or so chapters (~90.000 words) to my longfic (Guesstimation judging from emails...I should start keeping better stats of that process, maybe), of which I only include the word count because there were only 4 other fics, 1 drabble, & 1 drabble set. For me, that's a big drop as far as amount of completely separate fics, compared to past years.

3. What’s something you learned about yourself as a writer? Alongside question #2 - When I can't post as often on my longfic, I put more time into posting longer chapters. Too long. And I need to stop that. (One of my biggest chapters last year was over 25.000 words. I'm so sorry to my readers, especially those using phones.😶‍🌫️)

4. What piece of media inspired you the most? Music in general. Also notable Buffy's perpetually wandering eyes, and Giles' ruggedly handsome face and his hearteyes.

5. What fandom(s) did you write for this year? Mostly Buffy, and I've only posted Buffy (and one Ted Lasso fic), but I did feel nostalgic at times and opened up a few of my old Daisy x Mace Agents of SHIELD fics and dabbled a little bit.

6. What ship(s) captured your heart? Nothing new, but Buffy/Giles always. ❤️

7. What character(s) captured your heart? I was never a Dawn-hater, more indifferent really, but watching her scenes with a more thoughtful eye and writing her has caused her to grow on me quite a bit.

8. Did you write for a new fandom or ship this year? Yes, my fic mentioned in #1 was Rupert/Rebecca from Ted Lasso. Definitely a new type of fic for me in nearly every way, especially considering it's a "ship" I don't "ship" canonically at all.

9. What fic meant the most to you to write? Our Souls, They Blend. A hurt/comfort fic brainstormed with one of my best mates the last time I was in England, and I finally finished it satisfied for posting this year.

10. What fic made you feel the happiest to work on? Bad Idea; I've reached the point where I've diverted from canon timeline quite a bit, so it's always so satisfying when a canon quote or scene ends up weaving into my story really well.

11. What fic was the most satisfying to finish writing? The Trouble With Wanting; it was a wip for a couple of years due to just one or two scenes that wouldn't quite find themselves, and the song itself was in my "inspiration playlist" for even longer prior to that.

12. What fic was the most difficult to write? Did you finish it? Out of all my wip's I dabbled on, overall I'd pick Bad Idea. By the end of the year I started getting into my stride again, but it's been incredibly difficult working out the plot where I want it to go, and try to keep everything "logical" with as few holes as possible as I near the climax and end of the story.

13. What fic was the easiest to write? Wips: I'm surprised to say my Tabula Rasa rewrite (to be published soon 😉). I had a general idea but once I saw a specific image the fic just flowed. Published fics: my Kinktober drabble series, despite my normal struggle to keep anything short. I found myself able to knock out each drabble almost every morning before I even went into work.

14. What were your shortest and longest fics this year? Longest: additions to Bad Idea, previously mentioned. Shortest: a single drabble added into my "Laughter drabbles" series.

15. Rec a fic you wrote or posted in 2023 The only 2023 one I haven't mentioned yet, a collab with another dear friend! A fluffy, funny, first-dates exploration that ended up including a lot of real life inspiration.

16. What were you go-to writing songs? Too many to list, but some notables: The Devil You Know by Kovacs, The Trouble With Wanting by Joy Williams, Dirty Little Secret by Alex Who?, Can't Pretend by Tom Odell, and pretty much everything Dermot Kennedy does.

17. What were your go-to writing snacks? Snacks? I usually forget to eat at all.

18. What was the hardest fic to title? The collab mentioned in #15 Third Time's the Charm, which wasn't really that difficult but it was one of the few that wasn't inspired by music. 😂 I often make it too easy on myself for titling when I've got song lyrics to pick and choose from.

19. Share your favorite opening line Out of what I've posted, Bad Idea Chapter 41 (Blood Ties, All the Way): “Have you noticed that every time we talk about moving past the honeymoon phase, we end up finding ourselves in situations like this?” Buffy commented, slightly breathless.

20. Share your favorite ending line “There won’t be another test.” Giles assured her firmly. [iykyk hahaha]

21. Share your favorite piece of dialogue "Santa can bugger off and have the mince pie." [unashamedly stolen from a convo w/ my friend: thank you, dear, for that]

22. Share an excerpt from your favorite scene Classic American vs. Brit tea scene: “You don’t trust my tea-making skills!” Buffy exclaimed, even more indignant than he had been, and he gave her a look. “And what in our most recent history should make me assume otherwise?” “Don’t be snarky.” She huffed, and straightened. “I’ve been watching you make it for years. It’s not that complicated.” “Oh, God,” He mumbled in sure dismay, resting his arm across his eyes.

23. Share the final version of a sentence or paragraph you struggled with. What about it was challenging? Are you happy with how it turned out? Not so much a single paragraph as it was an idea - how to create and then solve Buffy's problems in Bad Idea's version of "Life Serial", as the Trio and their dumb curses don't exist in the fic. Luckily (and humorously, to me anyway) an ol' song came on the radio and gave me inspiration... sometimes the simplest solution works. And in this case, it was parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme.

24. What's something that surprised you while you were working on a fic? Did it change the story? Buffy's third "time test" in the Life Serial chapter being another run through the Cruciamentum. I didn't originally plan that and it sort of just happened organically. It didn't change the end outcome of the chapter, but it did provide me a little moment to do an almost AU of my AU, which was interesting.

25. What did you use to write? (e.g. writing programs, paper & pen, etc.) Paper & felt-tip pen for notetaking, Google Docs for my meatier fics, Apple Pages for the rest.

26. If you had to choose one, what was THE most satisfying writing moment of your year? When I had Rebecca tell Rupert to his face: "I warned you that I was going to make you crawl."

27. Did you do anything special to celebrate finishing a fic? Started the next one.

28. How did you recharge between fics? I read fic, or I watch something completely non-Buffy related. (As it's most often only Buffy, these days.) Spend some time walking or kayaking. Go see a show. Something creatively filling, because I long ago learned the hard way about not being able to pour from an empty cup.

29. If this were an awards show, who would you thank? Tony Head's parents. 😄 Really though, my two sisters. ("What have you been reading?!" 😉) The orchestra would play me off the stage before I finished talking about all the ways I'm grateful for them.

30. What’s something that you want to write in 2024? I never ever thought the day would come, but I've actually got a couple of different ideas involving a little bit of that silly de-aged comic plot with Giles. (Both fix-its in their own ways, of course.) I've been having a lot of fun with both of them; one for the research, and the other for... the fun. Haha. x

[torilaa]

Here’s a preview for the beginning of the next chapter of Fragmented!

I might have this out today…since it is May the Fourth, but it needs some more editing and rearranging (and I need to work during my lunch…yay) so no promises ;) it may come out on revenge of the fifth which…would be more poignant honestly.

The blues of hyperspace enveloped the cockpit of the Tabula Rasa—shadows formed on my first mate’s face—blurring his features. Alen’s voice was smooth as he called the crew to attention.

“Coming out of hyperspace in five…four…”

I turned. Most of my crew were the same. Blurry faces mixed in blue light. I opened my mouth to comment on this oddity yet we’d exited hyperspace before I could form words. The green jewel that was Corellia dominated the cockpit window along with a Class II bulk freighter. The CEC manufactured ship was about as inelegant as I imagined. Brown, ugly, irregular, yet perfect camouflage for the Czerka traders that were making this deal with the Exchange.

I turned to Alen and smirked at his tight shoulders.

“Why so serious?” I bumped my elbow with his. “It’s a blaster run for the Exchange. We’ve made harder deals before.”

“I…want to make the deal this time, Captain.”

“You?” I snorted. “Alen, the last time you led a deal we lost out on credits. Too many. Oh, and Kel lost an arm.”

“Wes. Please.” He frowned at me after saying my name. “For once, just let me do this. Trust me.”

And I trusted him. Of course I did. I knew him for years and perhaps…I would have even considered him a friend.

But trusting him?

It was the biggest mistake of my career.

Alen left the ship, taking two other crew mates with him. I watched the bulk freighter outside the cockpit windows with a frown. Why was I worried? The deal was a snitch, Alen would have to mess up on purpose in order for it to go wrong. I glanced at the co-pilot controls, the one Alen had been sitting with this entire time, plugging in the hyperspace coordinates. Except…a red light blinked on and off in a pattern. A code.

My eyes widened.

No.

Before the transmission could end, I jumped into the pilot’s seat and twisted the ship around, breaking off of the bulk freighter. Out of nowhere, a troop of Republic fighters appeared near the aft.

Alen betrayed me.

No.

I sucked in a deep breath—the green planet drew closer and closer. Pain. Pain in my chest. Why? The faceless crew shouted at me yet I didn’t hear their words. How could he? Blood dripped past my lips and suddenly I was on the ground. Dying. Bones broken…everything broken. I couldn’t see anymore. Except the gray eyes. Couldn’t feel anymore. Her soft hand grabbed my face. Why would he? You know why. All I wanted was to die because of the pain, because—

You. Know. Why.

[ao3feed-ateez]

Dum Spiro Spero

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/SFvG3rY by Susimau Yunho now shared his brain with his parasitic demon roommate, but for how long could his peace last? He would need frequent guiding to keep the beast at bay while Tenebra searches for a cure. Luckily, Mingi already offered himself... While Yunho figured out the ache in his chest that didn't match those constant migraines, he caught the attention of some old acquaintances. Words: 2137, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Series: Part 2 of Tabula Rasa Fandoms: ATEEZ (Band) Rating: Explicit Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Categories: M/M Characters: Jeong Yunho (ATEEZ), Song Mingi (ATEEZ), Choi San (ATEEZ), Jung Wooyoung (ATEEZ), Kang Yeosang, Choi Jongho (ATEEZ), Kim Hongjoong, Park Seonghwa Relationships: Jeong Yunho/Song Mingi (ATEEZ), Choi San/Jung Wooyoung (ATEEZ), Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Alternate Universe - Sentinels & Guides, Alternate Universe - Demons, Esper Jeong Yunho, Guide Song Mingi, Esper Choi San, Guide Jung Wooyoung, Esper Kim Hongjoong, Guide Park Seonghwa, Guide Choi Jongho, Guide Kang Yeosang, Blood and Injury, Sharing a Brain, With a Parasite, Action/Adventure, Sexual Tension, Smut, Anal Sex, Making Out, All for the Sake of Guiding, Masturbation read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/SFvG3rY

[mayfriend]

You do not by any means have to answer all of these, but I love when people talk about their own writing, their writing process, and where they got started with fanfiction (especially since you're the writer of a banger like tabula rusa!) so; 4, 18, 23, 28, 33, 44, 48, 49!

I only just saw this I'm so sorry!! I wasn't ignoring you at all, I love it when people ask me about my writing <333

4) What is your favourite genre to write for?

I am an angsty bitch at heart, it has to be said. I see a character go through unspeakable trauma and suffering and go: 'huh. I think they need some more of that actually'.

18) Do you have any abandoned WIP’s? What made you abandon them?

So many. So, so many. I try to orphan works I'm 100% sure that I'm never coming back to, just to avoid giving people false hope, but there are definitely a lot of them floating out there on the interwebs -- and a lot of WIPs that have been waiting years for the motivation to write to return. Usually, I just lose interest, or I have a new idea that I like better, but sometimes I write myself into a corner (the pitfalls of hardly ever planning, alas) and it's just too hard to get myself out of. I'm not proud, but that's the truth.

23) Do you prefer listening to music when you’re writing or do you need silence?

Honestly I can write either way, but if I am listening to music it's very rarely anything that connects to the story. I know some writers have fic playlists and stuff but I've never had that kind of patience, I just write when I write, and sometimes that has a soundtrack and sometimes it doesn't.

28) What is something you wished you’d known before you started posting fanfiction?

You don't owe anyone your writing. Even if it's a popular story, even if it's been years, even if you left it on a cliffhanger -- this is something I and a lot of others do for the love of the source material and story telling. It's not a job. You can just stop if you don't like it anymore, and that's absolutely fine.

33) What’s the biggest compliment you’ve gotten?

I've always wanted to go into writing professionally one day, and I'm currently on a bit of a detour from that main goal, primarily due to my CFS. Back during lockdown, I was writing a few oneshots for Smallville which was one of the shows I binged over that whole period, and considering it's a 20 year old show I wasn't expecting to get a whole lot of engagement. Then I got the loveliest comment from someone asking if I was published, and if I wasn't why. It made me feel really good about my skill level and ability, because I have been writing fic for over ten years now and although sometimes I will feel like I'm plateauing, stuff like that reminds me that I've actually gotten pretty good at it.

44) What is the last line you wrote?

It is from tabula rasa, although I'm not sure if I'm going to keep it in, as this whole next chapter is being a bitch:

“You need to have a purpose beyond being his child,” she takes a breath, like she’s steeling herself for something, but just says: “and he would agree with me.”

48) What’s your favourite trope to write?

I know a lot of people don't like them, and have good reason for it, but I have always loved reading and writing genderbends. The first one I ever wrote I think was for Stiles from Teen Wolf, but I've since turned a lot of canon cis male characters into cis female characters just because I love looking at how socialisation differs, how differently they're viewed and treated, how they might be fundamentally the same and different etc. Pretty much every fandom I've ever really gotten fixated on has had me produce one of these: I did multiple fem!Jon Snows, a fem!Thor that never saw the light of day, fem!Cesare Borgia (but a fictionalised Cesare Borgia, if that makes it any better?), fem!Umbrella Academy, am currently doing a fem!Spider... hell, I'm probably forgetting some I did and then orphaned. I just love them, they're like crack to me.

49) Can you remember the first fic you read? What was it about?

I cannot - statistically, it was probably Harry Potter or Percy Jackson, or something very similar. Although a very early one I remember reading and loving was a Wrong BWL fic which set off a small obsession at the time.

[balancingdiet]

Tabula Rasa

Detective Conan & Magic Kaito Characters: Shinichi/Kaito Words: 3300 ish Chapter: (1) … (19) (20) (END)

Shinichi always finds his neighbour weird. But he didn’t expect to find his neighbour lying on a patch of grass and donned in Kaitou Kid’s costume, too.

After the urgent meeting held in the morning, Shinichi took the remaining day off from work and headed home. The thoughts of his action-plan later had taken up most of his brain space throughout the ride, and it was a wonder how he reached home without crashing into a tree or two.

Stepping out of his parked car, Shinichi checked his mailbox. It was strange to not see anything on it for the past two days, be it a dove or the slightest of shit-stains—

Shinichi cringed at himself for those thoughts and left the mailbox.

But instead of going to his house, Shinichi walked over to Kaito’s. He patted his suit’s pocket along the way, feeling the hard notebook against his chest. Though he never left the book anywhere else, he couldn’t help but to check its existence every hour of the day since Kaito passed it to him. The diary wasn’t just the last few possessions Kaito had of Aoko's—Kaito’s trust tied heavily to it too.

Shinichi would rather die than lose it.

Outside of Kaito’s home, Shinichi hovered a finger over the bell for a long while before ringing it (he might actually find this harder than destroying the Black Organization). The blinds were down and he couldn’t see anything inside, but he heard the faint chime echoed behind the door, followed by the sound of shuffling steps—

The door opened.

Instead of Kaito, standing before Shinichi was the old man he accidentally and awkwardly mistook as Kaito’s disguise a long time ago.

Shinichi gaped, lost for words at the moment.

The old man was faster to recover as he smiled. “Hello,” he said, his voice soft and kind like what Shinichi remembered.

“Hi, um, I’m looking for Kaito,” Shinichi said. “Is he in?”

“You missed him. He’s on his way to the hospital."

“What?” Shinichi’s eyes widened in horror. “Shit, is he alright? What hap—”

The old man raised a hand. “Sorry, I should have elaborated,” he said apologetically. “I meant he’s on his way to the hospital for his volunteering session.”

Feeling the heat rising from the back of his neck and to his face, Shinichi cleared his throat and turned away.

The old man smiled, in a way like he understood Shinichi’s predicament.

“Is he even in the right state to go?” Shinichi muttered.

The old man sighed with a hint of exasperation. “I told him the same thing, but he said he can’t miss a session.”

Can’t... Shinichi’s hand unconsciously reached out for the bulge in his suit. “I see, thank you. I shall g—”

“Wait,” the old man interrupted, stopping Shinichi’s attempt to backtrack away from Kaito’s house. “Are you free for a cup of tea?”

Shinichi checked his watch, contemplating for a moment. If Kaito really did just leave, he should still be able to make it in time to the hospital before he ended his performance…

“Sure,” he agreed.

The old man looked relieved at Shinichi’s response. “Thank you.” He stepped aside for Shinichi to enter.

It was also two days since Shinichi last saw Kaito’s place, but it seemed a little off—or strange. It took him a while, but he figured the difference was the lack of doves perching or lingering anywhere.

And of course, because Kaito wasn’t around too.

The old man invited Shinichi to the couch while he headed to the kitchen. A minute later, he came back with two cups of tea on a tray.

“How may I address you?” Shinichi asked.

“You can call me Jii,” Jii said, passing a cup to Shinichi.

“Thank you.”

“So, Kudo-kun...” Jii sat on the other end of the couch. “How is it like to have Kaito-botchama as your neighbour?”

“Um.” Shinichi shifted the cup from one hand to another before awkwardly raising it to his lips. “I think it’s rather... interesting?”

“I’ve heard a lot about you from him.”

Shinichi was one second away from spitting out his tea if he had drank it before Jii said what he’d said. He swallowed a breath and finally took a sip, just to buy some time to register Jii’s words.

“I hope they were good things,” Shinichi murmured, placing the cup on the coffee table after he was done.

“They definitely were.” Jii smiled. “I’m glad I didn’t persuade him to move when I realized you knew about his identity.”

Shinichi blinked.

“I was worried,” Jii quickly explained with a laugh. “You were quite a pes— persistent little Detective back then.”

Was he about to say pest? "It’s understandable; we weren’t exactly on very friendly terms with other.” Shinichi rubbed a hand behind his neck. “So, Kaito chose to stay in the end?”

“He wasn’t sure either, but he said it should be fine.” Jii chuckled. “Besides, he was worried you would kill the two plants in your backyard too.”

“...What?”

“I know. I had the same reaction.”

Shinichi scratched the space between his brows. “I don’t think I can ever understand him.”

Jii sighed. “I don’t think anyone can either.”

There was something heavy about the following silence, same for the notebook that Shinichi had inside his suit...

“Does Kaito really have 63 doves?” Shinichi asked out of the blue.

Jii looked a little confused, but he shook his head to answer. “It’s 67 now. Two recently hatched.”

Unbelievable.

“Anyway,” Jii began, picking up his cup from the coffee table. “I want to thank you.”

A weight fell on Shinichi’s shoulders, and he lowered his gaze. “If it’s about the two nights before, there’s no need for it—I barely did anything.”

“You did more than what anyone could have. But I’m not just referring to that night; I’m referring to everything.”

Shinichi raised his head. “Everything?”

“When Kaito-botchama wanted to become Kaitou Kid again—to continue his search for Pandora—I was really worried.” Jii’s hand started to tremble, and he placed the cup back on the table. “But I’m actually more worried about what would happen after he found Pandora, because…”

Shinichi nodded, knowing what Jii’s unspoken words meant.

“That’s why I’m really glad you’re there for him, Kudo-kun,” Jii said, his eyes filled with an abundance of hope behind his round spectacles. “Even though Pandora was found, you’ve given him something else to look for.”

“I—" Shinichi swallowed the returning lump in his throat. “But all I’ve done is be his neighbour… and making him clean my mailbox when his doves shit on it.”

The slight tension in the air broke as Jii laughed. “That’s exactly it.”

Shinichi wasn’t sure if that was exactly it. He did think that was enough once, but that was before he knew the true tragedy behind Aoko’s death, and how Kaito had blamed himself for it. And worse, that Aoko actually knew about...

Things just weren’t as simple as Shinichi wished to be—

“Kaito-botchama... he’s indeed happier now.” Jii brushed a finger across an eye briefly. “He’s a lot happier than before.”

“...Is he?”

“You should have seen how he—” Jii shook his head. “I don’t think you’d want that.”

Shinichi momentarily glanced at the floor, the same spot where he found Kaito on the first night he had been in this house.

He supposed that could count as a glimpse of the experience.

“After Aoko-chan passed, Kaito-botchama didn’t bring up her name, not even once,” Jii said, before looking at Shinichi with the same glint of hope in his eyes again. “But ever since he started talking about you, there were instances when he unconsciously mentioned about Aoko-chan... I think he’s coming to accept her passing, and it speaks a lot about the changes in him too.”

Shinichi hoped, with all his strength, that it was true.

“I’m glad he moved out of Ekoda.” Jii glanced wistfully towards the direction of Kaito’s backyard. “He needed more than a change of view.”

“...I have a question,” Shinichi spoke, and continued when Jii looked back at him. “I get why Kaito wanted to move out of his old home, but was there a specific reason why he did it years after Aoko… died?”

“That?” Jii let out a breath that resembled a laugh. “It was because he lost a bet to Hakuba-kun and Koizumi-san; he never wanted to move in the first place.”

“What?” Shinichi frowned. And Hakuba? Isn’t he—

“They were Kaito-botchama and Aoko-chan’s high-school mates,” Jii explained. “Though Kaito-botchama prefers to call them acquaintances, I believe he regards them as friends.”

“Life’s just so funny sometimes.”

Jii continued, “Before Hakuba-kun returned to London, the three of them had a little farewell party at a bar, and there, they made a bet: Whoever the bartender serves last loses. If Hakuba-kun loses, he will visit the Queen and dance in front of her, if Koizumi-san loses, she cannot date for a year, and if Kaito-botchama loses, he has to move out.”

Shinichi wondered for a moment, and asked, “Who suggested the bet?”

“It was Hakuba-kun.”

Ah. Shinichi nodded, roughly knowing what Hakuba was trying to do. “I’m surprised that Kaito agreed.”

“Kaito-botchama would do whatever it takes to embarrass Hakuba-kun,” Jii said before he gave a nervous laugh. “Besides that, he thought the odds would be in his favour too.”

Shinichi quirked an eyebrow. “How so?”

“He believed the bartender wouldn’t serve him last—because that bartender was me.”

“You— You were the bartender?” Shinichi blurted.

Jii sheepishly nodded.

“I... see,” Shinichi said, not sure how to feel. Then another thought struck him. “Was that bet actually all a plan?”

“No; I had no idea they were betting on anything,” Jii clarified. “The only reason I served Kaito-botchama last was because he ordered Tabula Rasa, and I ran out of orange slices.”

Shinichi straightened. “Did you say Tabula Rasa?”

“Yes.” Jii tilted his head. “Is there something wrong?”

“No, it’s... it’s nothing,” Shinichi said as he laid against the couch and stared up at the ceiling. 

The realization came a little slow and late, but it was all now clear in Shinichi's head—Kaito wasn't hiding, and neither was he starting anew.

To Shinichi, Kaito was simply stuck in time. 

The time that doesn’t heal any wounds.

——

The hospital floor was extremely quiet when Shinichi first stepped out of the lift, and for a moment when he wondered if he was too late, a muffled sound of applause erupted from the end of the corridor. 

Relief washed over Shinichi as he quickened his steps, and he pressed a hand over the bulge in his suit again.

After making a final turn, Shinichi entered the room. It was much packed than Shinichi remembered seeing the last time he was here, and he had to stretch his neck a little to see what everyone was gathering around. And there—like what Shinichi was glad to find—was Kaito.

Shinichi joined the crowd, and this time he was sure Kaito didn’t notice him; he was too busy clearing up the aftermath of his previous tricks and gadgets. And when Shinichi took an even closer look, he noticed Kaito had removed his hand bandages and used smaller band-aids instead.

He was indeed a Bakaito.

“Okay!” Kaito clasped his hands and turned back to his audiences once he was done. “For my last performance, I’ll need a number of volunteers! Is there anyone that wants to go first—”

Before Kaito even finished, the children began jumping about with raised hands. Shinichi watched in amusement as Kaito had a painful, hard time choosing, but in the end he picked a little girl with pigtails. The girl squealed in excitement and hugged her father—who had an IV stand beside him—before skipping to the front.

After the girl introduced herself as Yuki, Kaito started the show. He first took out a bunch of balloon string from his sleeve before fishing out a couple of coloured pens from his back pocket. Though both hands full, he reached out for his other sleeve and pulled out a bulky drawstring pouch.

“Now, from the bag, Yuki-chan will— Opps!”

Over a dozen coloured-balls overflowed and slipped out of the pouch, bouncing all over the floor. As everyone scattered around to help pick them up, Shinichi squeezed his way through the crowd and found four.

“Oh, sorry— Thank you very much, and thank you too,” Kaito said to the kids that passed him the fallen balls.

Reaching behind him, Shinichi tapped Kaito’s shoulder.

“Ahah, thank y—” Kaito turned, and stopped short when they made eye contact.

A beat of silence passed, and Shinichi cleared his throat. “Do you need an assistant?”

Kaito’s face was still blank for a second before he broke into a grin. “Are you volunteering yourself?”

“My question only requires a yes or a no.”

Kaito chuckled. “Yes.”

“Ok.” Shinichi took the drawstring pouch from Kaito’s hand and placed all the balls back into it.

After the commotion, they returned to the front, standing side by side with Yuki as well. Kaito first apologised for his slip-up, (very unnecessarily) introduced Shinichi as his assistant for the day, and resumed the show.

Passing the pouch to Yuki, Kaito asked her to pick a ball and a coloured marker of her choice before instructing her to draw on it. Then, with the loose balloon string and a magical wave, the ball poofed into a helium balloon, and it floated with the cute bunny-face that Yuki had drawn.

More kids raised their hands, wishing to be the next lucky volunteer. But Shinichi wondered what the difference was, when in the end, Kaito stayed till he finished giving each and every children the balloon they desired to have.

——

“Oh? You’re still here?”

Shinichi turned to the voice, catching the moment when Kaito jumped over a crack on the pavement. He stood up from the bench he had been sitting on while waiting for Kaito.

“Why are you surprised?” Shinichi asked back, confused to why Kaito thought he would even leave.

Kaito shrugged once he reached Shinichi’s side. “You left without waiting the first time.”

Shinichi pursed his lips, having nothing to say to counter that. He then glanced behind Kaito and at the entrance of the hospital building he just came out from.

They were supposed to leave together after Kaito’s performance, but in the midst of Kaito’s packing, a woman came over and wanted to speak with Kaito. Shinichi couldn’t recognise her at first, but it was in a good way; she wasn’t in a wheelchair, and her face looked much fresher and less pale than what he remembered…

Kaito patted his shoulder, breaking Shinichi’s thoughts. “Anyway, as thanks, let me treat y—"

“Is everything alright?” Shinichi interjected.

Kaito tilted his head back. “What?”

“The lady,” Shinichi said. “Kanna’s mother.”

“Oh. Yeah. She’s alright. Better even.” Kaito beamed. “After years of treatment, she's going to be officially discharged next week.”

Shinichi heaved a small sigh of relief. “That’s really great.”

“Yeah.” Kaito’s smile slowly faded as he looked at the hospital, and the silence that followed lasted longer than Shinichi expected.

Then, without a word as well, Kaito walked away.

Shinichi followed. “I think Aoko would be happy if she knew,” he said behind Kaito’s back.

Kaito stopped.

Shinichi too, just a few steps behind.

A breeze and the sound of distant ambulance siren later, Shinichi heard: “I think so too.”

Taking a breath, Shinichi tentatively overtook Kaito’s path and pulled out Aoko’s diary from his suit.

Kaito glanced up, and then at the blue book in Shinichi’s hand.

“Thank you for letting me read this,” Shinichi said.

Kaito's eyes drooped as he took the book carefully with both hands. And again, with the same care like he did, he brushed his thumbs over the cover.

“I hope you didn’t sign in it,” he said after a long while.

“…What?”

It seemed to take Kaito a lot of effort, but all he produced was a meek smile. “She wanted your autograph.”

Shinichi scoffed. “Of course I didn’t sign in it.”

The smile didn't last long on Kaito's lips. “So… now you know."

Shinichi nodded.

“Well.” Kaito let out a soft sigh. “There goes my image of the best neighbour—”

“What do you mean?” Shinichi smirked, catching Kaito off guard when he did. “You’re still my best neighbour.”

Shinichi had never seen Kaito’s eyes grew so big like this moment before.

“And you’re not just my best neighbour,” Shinichi continued. “You were Aoko’s too, and that’s what I know.”

“Wow, uh.” Kaito cleared his throat. “I— um, thanks?”

“Speaking of which, I still haven’t thanked you for the time you encouraged me to speak to Ran, and when you talked to her on my behalf too.” Shinichi smiled. “You taught us how time doesn’t heal all wounds; it’s all about what we do with the wound instead.”

Kaito’s lower lip quivered for a moment, but he bit it to stop it from showing.

“And...” Shinichi softened his gaze, just as much as he did to his voice. “I think that’s what you have to do too.”

“But— Aoko—" Kaito clutched tightly onto the book, the band-aids stretching over his skin. “What… should I do?”

“You should try to forgive yourself.”

Kaito’s eyes glistened for a moment, but his fringe covered everything when he lowered his head. “…Do I have the rights to do that?” he asked in a pained whisper.

“It’s not only for yourself; it’s for Aoko too.” Shinichi reached out and patted Kaito’s hands, slowly releasing his tense grip. “I’m sure she would want that.”

Kaito sniffed.

“Time doesn’t heal, but only when you're willing to heal your own wounds, then time can help you,” Shinichi said. “And then I can help you too.”

Kaito raised his head, regarding Shinichi in an open-mouthed silence.

Shinichi turned to the hospital in wonderment. “Do you know if the hospital accepts walk-ins, or do I have to apply online first?”

Shifting the diary to one hand, Kaito lowered his arms to his side. “…What are you talking about?”

“I want to be a volunteer,” Shinichi said.

“Y-You want to be a volunteer?” Kaito blinked rapidly. “But your work—”

“A new division is on its way soon, and by then, our workload will return to normal.”

Kaito hummed. “But... what are you going to do?”

Shinichi shrugged. “Maybe I can read them The Adventure of Sherlock Holm—"

Kaito suddenly laughed, and it sounded bigger and heartier than what Shinichi ever heard.

“Please tell me it’s a joke,” Kaito said after catching his breath.

Though scowling, Shinichi squirmed in his position, wondering if it was weird that he liked Kaito’s laugh more than he should, especially when he knew it was a mocking one too. “It’s not a joke.”

“Fine, if that’s what you want—”

“If you don’t mind, I can be your assistant too.”

A brief wonderment creased past Kaito’s face after he finally stopped laughing, but his curved lips remained intact. “I’d like that.”

“Do you want to eat Ramen? My treat, as your future assistant,” Shinichi said, pointing to a random direction (no matter where it was, they would walk there together anyway.)

If it was even possible, Kaito’s smile grew wider at Shinichi as he skipped next to his side.

“I’d like that too.”

[minwrathous]

Chapter 16 Excerpt: “Varric leaned in to try to get some idea of where in the book Hawke had stopped. He raised an eyebrow. Were those...notes? Shit. Hawke really had been working on this book, hadn’t he? Wait… had he been marking up one of the first editions?”

Title: Tabula Rasa

Fandom: Dragon Age II, Dragon Age: Inquisition

Pairing: Fenris/Male Hawke

Summary: After months of separation, Fenris travels to Skyhold in search of Garrett Hawke. He arrives too late. But time moves onward, and Fenris must move with it. Until, that is, an unexpected discovery pulls him back toward something he thought he’d lost forever. Now, if only he could remember…

[ Latest Chapter on Ao3 || Start at the Beginning ]

[punchdrunkdoc]

I messed up!

I just realised that when I posted last weeks chapter of Tabula Rasa, I mislabelled it as chapter 6. Which means I erased the links for the real chapter 6.

I've fixed it all now, but I'm so sorry if someone was reading the fic and it jumped from chapter 5 to chapter 7 and you got super confused!

Chapter 8 should be up in a few days.

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Thursday, June 27

Xander: "Last night with me you said Jonathan." Anya: "It was a moan!" Xander: "Fine! You moaned Jonathan!"

~~Superstar~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

For One Night Only (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by Rea

How Will We Burn? (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by Desicat

Until Next Time (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Maxine Eden

[Chaptered Fiction]

Thirty Minutes or Less, Chapter 6 (Buffy/Spike, T) by Geliot99

The Endlands, Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, T) by heckate

The Witch's Gift, Chapter 37 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by RavenLove12

Infiltre, Chapter 12 (French language, PG) by Miss Kitty

Truth and Consequences, Chapter 18 (Buffy/Spike, R) by JamesMFan

Maclay Down, Chapter 11 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Soulburnt

To All We Guard, Chapter 24 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by simmony

Stomping on Butterflies, Chapter 4 (Buffy/Spike, 18+) by Blackoberst

An odd Couple of grumpy old Brits, Chapter 17 (Buffy/Spike, G) by Julikobold

Waiting for You, Chapter 10 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by honeygirl51885

[Images, Audio & Video]

Comic:Not A Date, Chapter 6 by Grief Counseling and Dusty

Gifset:I Did Something Bad - Taylor Swift by detectivedawnsummers

Gifset:(1x09) ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴜᴘᴘᴇᴛ sʜᴏᴡ by likeafantasy

[Reviews & Recaps]

SEEING RED | Buffy The Vampire Slayer 6x19 | The Normies Group Reaction by The Normies

Buffy The Vampire Slayer S07E13/14 ''The Killer in Me/ First Date'' REACTION/COMMENTARY by SoFieReacts

**SHE GOES CRAZY?!** Buffy the Vampire Slayer S6 Ep 6 "All the Way" Reaction: FIRST TIME WATCHING by Nick Reacts

Beneath You: Buffy 7x02 Reaction by Dakara

Buffy Review - 5x19 Tough Love | Reverse Angle by Reverse Angle

The Re-Watcher's Council | "Innocence" Buffy the Vampire Slayer S02E14 Spoiler Review by LGRN - Entertainment

Podcast: YNFA 031: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or The Lost Girls of Sunnydale by You're No Fun Anymore

Podcast: Episode 122: Tabula Rasa by Myth Taken

[Fandom Discussions]

I used to think that what Tara calls Giles in S5 was foreshadowing by msfbgraves

[Where Joyce's money went, historical context] by parliament-of-owlets

[Headcanon: Dawn loses all arguments] by duckwnoeyes

[Sending Angel to hell in S2] by coraniaid

What If: The monks made a brother? by multiple authors

Dark Willow by multiple authors

How do you prefer Spike's character arc as a champion? by multiple authors

Would Fred had continued working with Angel if she found out about how he erased her memories of Connor and changed what happened in s3 and s4? by multiple authors

You Have The Chance To Delete Something Canon by multiple authors

An optimistic take on Miss Kitty Fantastico by multiple authors

What would it be like if Xander is Glory happened? by multiple authors

Winnifred Burkle by multiple authors

Does anyone HATES the idea of a a sequel with Buffy as a watcher/mom? by multiple authors

Would you have been fine with Spike/Sane Drusilla in AtS S5 or during 'AtS S6' or after? by multiple authors

Do you like that Buffy and Xander never 'got together'? by multiple authors

Submit a link to be included in the newsletter!

Join the editor team :)

[senlinyu]

Works List

Although I do occasionally cross-post to fanfiction.net, wattpad, and inkitt, most of my stories are solely on ao3. I decided to compile a full list of my works for reference rather than just keeping them buried in my FAQ.

A quick note about my stories: I have an open policy about my fics, anyone who wishes to is welcome to archive, print and bind (personally or via a non-profit fanfic bookbinder), remix, podfic, translate, write meta about, make art for, or write in the same universe/fanon as any of my fanworks. I’d love it if you send a link. Credit is appreciated but not mandatory, fandom is open source.

Avatar: The Last Airbender

The Sun, The Moon, And The Truth: art and fic collab with @elithien. Zuka/Katara. Rated: M. Post-war AU. Firelord Zuko. Water Tribe Envoy Katara. Forbidden Love. Mutual Pining. My usual.

Harry Potter:

All You Want: Draco/Hermione. Rated: E. My very smutty a/b/o fic. Eighth Year. Alpha Draco (and Theo and Neville), Omega Hermione. Miscommunication and mutual pining.

Anthology: Assorted prompted ficlets of varying lengths. All Dramione. Including:

Prompt: “He set fire to the world around him but never let a flame touch her.” Category: Angst. Rating: T

Prompt: “But how can you walk away from something and still come back to it.” Neil Gaiman. Category: Comedy, Fluff. Rating: M. 

Prompt: One bed. Rating: T. Category: Rom-com

Prompt: Harry and Draco trapped in an elevator after Draco and Hermione’s relationship has become public. Rating: T

Prompt: Draco blackmails Hermione. Rating: M Category: angst, political enemies.

Prompt: Meet me in the stairwell in a second for a glass of gin. (From the song ‘Nobody Else Will Be There’ by The National)

Prompt: Accidental pregnancy. Rating: T

Prompt: Tabula Rasa. Memory loss fic. Rating: T

Prompt: “No, no, no, stay with me. Don’t close your eyes.” Category: rom-com, fluff

Whatever You Want Granger for @nikitajobson. Rated: T

Married art and fic collab with @avendell. Rated T.

Prompt: Dramione University Students AU.

A Slow Cruel Descent: Draco/Hermione. Rated: M.

A Slow Cruel Descent. My very first angst/dark fic. Wartime AU. Voldemort doses Hermione with a love potion, making her fall in love with Draco, and then uses the threat of harming Draco to extract information. 

A Fragile Ascent. Sequel. Post-war, Hermione struggles to move on and heal from the trauma of her imprisonment. 

A Thing With[out] Feathers. Draco/Hermione. Rated: E. A plot I invented just because I wanted to write extremely indulgent wing kink. Fake relationship with benefits. Veela Hermione. Wing sex. That’s it. That’s the plot. 

The Bestiary: Assorted creature one-shots and ficlets of varying lengths. All Dramione. Including: 

Kiska: 8th Year. Hermione secretly has cat-ears and Draco is suspiciously interested in them. Rated: M for heavy petting.

Demon!Draco. Rated: M

the business we’re in: Tom Riddle Jr/Hermione. Rated: M. Mafia AU. Cleaner/Assassin Tom is given the task of killing the ‘very ordinary’ Hermione Granger. 

Compendium: A collection of prompted ficlets originally posted on tumblr. Pairings vary and are indicated in the chapter titles. Ratings and any relevant warnings are listed in the chapter summary of the particular ficlet.

Cordial Enemies: writing collab with @stargazing121. Draco/Hermione. Rated: M. **WIP.** Bridgerton inspired fake relationship fic. Minstry co-workers. Tabloid news. 

Do Not Go Gentle: Severus/Hermione. Rated E. 8th Year. Hermione is suffering from a terminal curse following the war and Severus attempts to find a cure. Not ‘really’ a student/teacher relationship, but does occur at Hogwarts. Feral cat personality Severus.

Forever Is Composed of Nows: James Potter/Aurore Malfoy. Rated: T. Post-Manacled one-shot about James and Aurore. 

Height: Draco/Hermione. Rated: E. Dramione Height Differences Minifest 2020. 8th Year. Erotic hand holding. Hermione initiating the relationship. 

Ice: Draco/Hermione. Rated: T. DHr Advent 2018. Co-workers at Gringotts. Accidental bonding. 

Impress Upon You: art and fic collab with @mia-moriarty-art. Draco/Hermione. Rated: T. Deck The Halls with Dramione 2020. Draco asks Hermione to show him the Muggle world in an attempt to impress a Muggleborn. 

I Think It Might: tumblr live-write with @lovesbitca8 and @liliansilverstuff. Draco/Hermione. Rated: E. Drunk Draco. Cam Girl Granger. Crack.

The Library of Alexandria: Draco/Hermione. Rated: M. Librarian Hermione. Annoying Draco. Trapped together and required to have sex for some reason. Accidental marriage. Librarian Draco.

Little Hearth Fires: for @kumatan0720. Draco/Hermione. Rated: M. My one and only foray into entirely angst-free domestic fluff writing. Married  Dramione with bb bean Scorpius.

Love and Other Misfortunes: Draco/Hermione. Rated: M. My very first story. Veela Draco. Ministry workaholic Hermione. Veela bond where Draco will die if Hermione doesn’t mate with him. Ministry conspiracies. 

Manacled: Draco/Hermione. Rated: E. Voldemort Wins AU. Handmaid’s Tale premise. Memory loss. Espionage. Dark fic. Don’t read without checking the trigger warnings.

Manipulation: Blaise Zabini/Hermione. Rated: M. Vampire Blaise with a crush.

Nontrivial Pursuits: art and fic collab with @gubabubas-sketchbook. Draco/Hermione. Rated: M. Post-war Ministry coworkers engaging in a strip trivia competition. 

Now Is A Gift. Draco/Hermione. Rated: T. Sunbeam Hermione sets out to prove what a nice person she is by getting grumpy Draco the perfect Christmas present. DHr Advent 2019.

The Seduction: Draco/Hermione. Rated: E. Pining Draco trying to seduce Hermione by starting a bookclub and cooking dinner with her while she doesn’t notice...for two years.

The SenLithien Collaboration: art and fic collab with @elithien. Includes:

United We Stand. Rated: T

Beltane. Rated: M.

Seeker Fit. Rated: T

One Night. Rated: E

the first kiss. Rated: M

A Witch’s Wedding. Rated: T

consumed, obsessed, and attached. Rated: E

For Want of a Jumper. Rated: T

Switch. Rated: E

Power Couple. Rated: T

Insomnia. Rated: T

Fate and Plans. Rated: E

Rebirth. Rated: M

Common Spaces, Empty Places. Rated: M.

Snow Fall: Draco/Hermione. Rated: M. DHr Advent 2020. Newly weds having their first Christmas. Hermione helpfully teaches Draco muggle methods of staying warm during a blizzard.

your lonely calls to me: art and fic collab with @avendell. Draco/Hermione. Rated: T. Healer Hermione realizes that Draco is being abused in Azkaban and takes him in.

Star Wars

after the fall [we rise]: Ben Solo/Rey. Rated: E. My fix-it fic for The Rise of Skywalker. 

Binding The Light: Kylo Ren/Rey. Rated: T. Following the destruction of Starkiller, Kylo Ren obsesses over what he wants.

Reputation: Ben Solo/Rey. Rated: M. Rey is in a forced relationship with Hux and so out of spite she asks Kylo Ren to take her virginity.

Short: Ben Solo/Rey. Rated: E. Jealous Ben with a choking kink disapproves of Rey’s outfit. PWP modesty trope subversion. 

[kelp-my-beloved]

More Empires fic recs

It's me again. This are a few of my favourite empires fics in ao3, this time multichaptered edition. This are all completed, both from s1 and s2, and in no particular order. Fics under the readmore, enjoy!

Four Reasons Why I'm Broken (And Why That's Okay), by Useless_Bisexual123: "False is paranoid. False has memory problems. False doubts herself. False gets nightmares. But maybe, just maybe, that's alright."

Rating: T Archive Warnings: GDV Chapters: 3/3 Words: 7384

This was one of the first fics I read about Empires!False, and Im absolutely in love with her characterisation in here. She's tired, stressed, and I love her for this. The writting is so good too, and before I realised I had read the entire thing in one sitting. Also, Lizzie is here, and every paragraph she's in had me either dying in laughter or was just too cute. Just. I love this.

Shifting Perspective, by @scribbling-dragon: "Shapeshifters are shunned, pushed away from the light they helped to diminish. Their God retreated as they were outcast, disappearing into shadows that had only just appeared. Yet, they whisper that He is still present in the crackling of lightning and rumbling of thunder. His luck never seemed to hold firm, he's rather certain that Luck themselves holds a grudge against him at this point. And, as Luck would have it, he's been cursed with the gift, and truly, who could have been more suited to it than the Ruler of Rivendell? (Literally anyone else, is the answer you're looking for.)"

Rating: T Archive Warnings: GDV Chapters: 25/25 Words: 112658

So, this one is I think the most popular in the list, and it's probably you've seen it around if you spend at least half as much time as I do in the ao3 fandom tag, but oh my god. It deserves every good thing. I know this is a long read but it's absolutely worth it. I read it while the last chapters were still coming out, A While ago, and it still lives in my head rent free. I wish it a lot of extra kudos.

fill your lungs, by rabbit_with_a_sword: "When Sausage collapses, finally unable to hide the side affects from being resurrected, Gem and fWhip have to scramble to prevent him from being drawn back into the Spirit Realm and face the consequences of his escape. But there's more to Sausage than he likes to show, and he didn't escape intact…"

Rating: T Archive Warnings: CCNTU Chapters: 12/12 Words: 18504

This fic somehow manages to be so hilarious and made me have so many feelings at the same time. A chapter would update and I would spend the rest of the week worrying about my poor blorbo. But also, the lore behind it is top noch, there are so many details that made want to point at them and shout my thoughts. I may or may not have gone a little bit crazy over them, but keeping my sanity was never an option.

Tabula rasa, by @capriciouswriter207: "tabula rasa: the mind in its hypothetical primary blank or empty state before receiving outside impressions -- Sausage wakes up in bed. It’s pleasant. He stares at the ceiling. He doesn’t move. He doesn’t think. He doesn’t do anything. He just exists. (or: the fight with a certain wizard saves him from the corruption, but it leaves him in an extremely vulnerable state)"

Rating: T Archive Warnings: CCNTU Chapters: 27/27 Words:31097

This one was finished recently, and I was not ready to let it go. If I'm forced to say only one thing about it, is how much I enjoyed the way it was written, specially going back to the beggining after reading the end. This made me feel A Lot Of Feelings, and I really couldn't recomend it enough.

Obligatory Notes:

I did my best to tag the writers, but there are a few that I couldn't find, if they have a tumblr. If you know one I've missed, please let me know!

Also, feel free to add your own recs! I want to read them!

More recs but this ones are one-shots

[vradika]

WinterBaron Fic Rec List

I know, I knoooow I’ll be damned because of this cursed ship, however, this fics are redemption ones (mostly), so there’s that.

Update: may 2021

♥♥♥♥♥ I want to give you more, but not everything. (You don't need everything) by dfotw 

The idea of confessing to James is tempting in the same way that the idea of letting him put a gun to his head was. The exquisite vulnerability that Zemo would balk at coming from anyone else, feels like a balsam to his soul when it’s James wielding it. Zemo would, without a moment’s doubt, let James hold his throat in the unforgiving grip of his mechanical hand and never protest, or break eye contact, for as long as the touch lasted. If James wanted the world, either to save it or to destroy it, Zemo would gladly arrange to have it delivered to his grasp, with no expectation of reward.

♥♥♥♥ Captain Sokovia by Master_ObiWan_Kenobi

“The living are not done with you yet.” Zemo put on the shield. It felt strange, he wasn’t Captain America. He didn’t deserve it, especially after everything he did to the Avengers and to the world at large

♥♥♥The White Wolf is My Alpha by MotherLilith

Omegaverse Winterbaron fic with feels and plot. See chapter notes for more info. If you're just here for Bucky/Zemo smut, go to chapters 4 and 7 🔥

♥♥♥♥ His Soldat by Ineedtherapy (gethelp)

When Bucky finds himself unable to fall asleep after what happened at the club, Zemo comes up with a way to help his Soldat to relax. The two of them start to realize that they need each other and work on their new dynamic. This is getting kinda long, so I think I should explain the general vibe, so I don’t waste your time: At the beginning it’s just Hurt/Comfort. They get together at some point and then there will be some sex scenes, but it’s pretty innocent at the beginning. For the most part it’s just them working through some issues.

♥♥♥♥ Tabula Rasa by Aelara_Vayne

If Bucky thought there'd be no price to pay for pretending to be the Winter Soldier again, he was wrong. When you can't trust your own mind, who else is there?

♥♥♥♥ Little Darling by the_winterfloof_17

Six months… a long six months and now he was here, waiting for a foreign country to take him back. The freedom was enjoyable to say the least, not like Zemo had much to begin with.

♥♥♥♥  Not Done With You Yet by Thorny

Zemo almost wished Barnes had just shot him. Save him from another decade or two of sheer boredom while he suffered properly for the lives he had taken. It would have been one last kindness in repayment for mostly keeping his promises. However, Zemo thought darkly to himself, perhaps he didn’t deserve kindness. Or, Zemo gets an unexpected second chance from an unlikely source; the living aren't finished with the baron just yet.

♥♥♥ Twin Souls by Driverpicksthemooseic (Ratkinzluver33) for SageGarnish

It's terrifying how fine he feels, despite this. No chest pain, no concussion. Just a slight twinge at every swallow. No worse than a mild hangover. He's healthy. Mostly healed. A ticking time bomb. (OR, Zemo gets the serum instead of Walker.)

♥♥ Men That Honour Titles by quarrelwithaboot

Bucky already has to deal with the return of several PTSD triggers, but the worst of all is in the form of Helmut Zemo who may or may not have more in common than he would like to believe. Slow Burn, enemies to lovers. As canon-compliant as possible.

♥♥♥ Drossel by SageGarnish

Bucky is helping Sam investigate a mysterious case of deaths that may involve a rogue HYDRA agent. So Bucky decides to visit Zemo on The Raft, to see if he knows anything. The problem? General Ross is convinced Bucky is still a weapon, and when Zemo escapes, Bucky is blamed despite the fact he knows nothing about it. Now Bucky is a wanted man, and he and his cat Alpine are on the run from Ross and the USMC, while Sam attempts to run interference. All this while frantically looking for Zemo, who may be in trouble... or may be behind all the trouble.

♥♥♥ Just Visiting by Fuddlewuddle

Two men: One stuck in prison, the other has no regard for the Raft's 'no visitors' policy. Both fascinated by the other, they make a deal to get to know each other. They should have seen the end result coming really.

♥♥♥ Soldier inside me by Flamme19

The only thing Bucky Barnes wants is peace. But is that what Bucky really wants? And is peace what he needs? Bucky would say yes. The soldier thinks of something else. The soldier needs a mission. The soldier wants it.

♥♥♥♥Bambi Eyes by Fuddlewuddle

What happens when your enemy-turned-co-worker-turned-only-person-you-actually-like-but-refuse-to-admit-to starts calling you by a cute nickname, but doesn't tell you why? Why you just go crazy thinking about all the possible reasons why he could be calling you it, refuse to mention it out loud, and just be an idiot in general, instead of actually just asking him about it.

♥♥♥ Sincerely, Fuck You by Louffox

To Mr. James Barnes, I have been permitted to send letters while in the Raft, per my good behavior, on the condition that Agent Ross examine them to ensure they are free of any content that could be dangerous to others, myself, or insinuate/participate in disruption of prison activities.

♥♥♥ The Strangest Ways by just_kiss_already

Zemo escapes the Raft and receives a guest with a request.

♥♥♥ The Darkness Alters (Adjusts Itself to Midnight) by ShadowsLament

After Zemo steals out of his own place, eluding the Dora Milaje, Bucky tracks him to a nearby coffee shop.

♥♥♥♥The Soldier's Time by WinterSabbath

The Avengers used a time machine to snap back half the population. Zemo, still stuck in a Berlin prison, hears of this and comes up with a plan to sneak into the Avengers compound to use the machine. He only wants to hear his son's laughter one more time.

[zaenaris]

Now, this feels like the end

A few chapters ago, when Kakucho was slashed, I didn’t think he would have died the next chapter, and in the end it was true.

But this time, with Izana’s vision and all, it really seems the end, which is really sad. Kakucho, like almost every character that had some insight in this story, deserves a better life, a second chance. He lost his parents, got separated from Takemitchy after the accident, lost everything and at his lowest, he met Izana, that became everything to him, his king. 

I feel like Kakucho felt lost in these years without Izana, but his heart was still in the right place, like it always was, even in Tenjiku. 

They have not seen each other in years, they’ve been friends only when they were children, but Takemitchy still considers Kakucho his friend, it’s sad Kakucho says he envies Takemitchy’s friends, as if he wasn’t one of them. Everyone in Toman 2.0 would have been ready to welcome him.

I want to wait until next chapter(s) but this time it feels like a conclusion, and even if it is sad and Kakucho deserved better, imo it is a good way to go, a meaningful death, if his time has come for real.

For how complicated the situation with Izana was, it was clear they really cared and loved each other and for Kakucho to “see” Izana one last time was probably a good thing. Izana died for Kakucho and Kakucho never forgot it, not even in his last moments

I still hope he survives somehow, I really do but this time it feels like the end.

Tell me I’m wrong Wakui-sensei because, besides Kakucho himself, I don’t want to see Takemitchy blaming himself again for the death of another of his friends, it would be too much. On the other hand, if the people learns that it was Sanzu that killed Kakucho, I can see the other executives of KGM being not okay with that and it could be the beginning of an internal war in KMG,  depending on how the situation comes to surface to both the executives and the other random members of KMG.

I know it’s a pretty popular (and plausible) theory that there will be another, final  time leap to “reset” everything, all the events, all the deaths and so on, and while on one hand it would be nice to have all the characters to be alive and happy, on the other, idk, I feel everything that happened would be for nothing, had no impact, all the meaningful relationships and character developments would be lost, what would be the point of everything, all the effort, all the suffering? But maybe that’s exactly the point, after all the suffering, doing “tabula rasa” would be giving everyone a second chance, who knows?  I guess everything is possible and could be potentially both good and bad, depending on how it is written and executed.

 Of course I’m not writing the story, so if Wakui decides to “reset” everything he would do it in a meaningful way. I don’t know what’s gonna happen but, back to the chapters, while I feel this time Kakucho left us for real, I still hope I’m wrong 

[excalisbury]

Heya @aristocratic-otter thanks for the tag!!

Rules: Tag 9 people you would like to know better/catch up with

Last Song: Currently listening to my in love and sometimes mad about it playlist. Strange Girl by Laura Marling is on and is a mood as always. Ah just switched to Kiss Me by Sixpence None the Richer 🥲

Last Show: I watched a few eps of Old Enough! with my roommate earlier today. It’s about little kids in Japan (like 3-6 yo) running their first errands 🥺. Highly recommend it as a mood uplifting show. I cry from the cuteness every time, I swear..

Currently Watching: I’m currently on rewatch-in-the-background runs of three (!!!) shows: Criminal Minds, Leverage, and Avatar the Last Airbender. Also I’m part way through Our Flag Means Death. Aaaand roommate and I did a partial rewatch of a few Buffy eps last night (Once More with Feeling, aka the musical episode, and then Tabula Rasa) for the drama of it, honestly. And now I low key have the Walk Through the Fire from the musical episode stuck in my head…

Currently Reading: I’m not doing the greatest on the reading front recently. I haven’t read a new book all the way through in a while. But there are two at the top of my reading list that I’m part way through: First, I’m beta reading the most recent edit of my mom’s book (it’s called Sarai of Earth. It’s epic YA scifi and I do love it with my whole heart). It’s been so fun but I’m also trying to help her with alien character design so sometimes it feels like… 10% work and 90% fun. Second, I just started a book my dad sent me about the intersection of prayer and anxiety. I’m always hesitant to mix up spirituality and mental health stuff too much, but this guy is well researched/credentialed in both and has had some good thoughts and suggestions so far. It’s kind of academic writing, though, so can definitely be a slog 😅 I really have to be in the right mood to get through a chapter so I’m going slow.

I’ll no-pressure tag: @bazzybelle @nick-eyre @simonsnowsfreckles @truck-fcked-soul @johnwgrey @cutestkilla @mostlymaudlin @palimpsessed @adamarks