#I love fic and fic authors but I’m very picky about my fic

[kicktwine]

*slides in on fuzzy socks* hi hello i was wondering. If you have any fic recommendations for kh. Because I just finished kingdom hearts three and am looking at the number of fics on ao3 and am Very intimidated so,,,, (dont feel like you gotta resp to this tho!)

oh anon, yes

I’m gonna break this into two categories, not because I have 100 bookmarks for you, but because organization makes me happy and I think just coming out of KH would make u more inclined to canonverse than aus or more conceptual fics… all of which I have!! And keep in mind a lot of really good fics on ao3 are ships. So let’s see here

canonverse/canon-adjacent

(I don’t need you to) worry for me - cigna_hime - I present you with an amazing fic about vanitas seeking out ventus way before he was supposed to, and ending up a wayfinder. Fic that makes me feel soooooo many emotions

Dandelion seeds - corishadowfang - khux likers do you want more dandelions? And Union leaders? Of course you do dandelion seeds is a collection of oneshots following ephy and the other leaders as they try to run daybreak town for four years together. This has made me cry as well. If you like this read her other work it has subject x skuld and treasure planet in it yes yes yes

Like some pitch moon - alcor - this one is very violent and it is also VERY SATISFYING, im not even a leaisa and leaisa go BRRRRR. also there’s some really cool stuff with ymx and kairi in here. Lea and Kairi enter the final battle of kh3 together, and something sure hits the fan.

runs on happy faces - bukkunkun - short, sweet, so sweet, so so sweet, sora grows up on the gummiship

the joining of unlike things - mousapelli - love this one!! worldbuilding about keychains!! Forging keychains! Roxas and riku and sora and aqua!

reminiscent - therasia - REMINISCENT GOOD. Ventus misses Vanitas (or at least the challenge) and goes to fight the vanitas remnant about it, to the detriment of literally just himself a lot. Tagged as ship but as it’s unfinished, it’s not really there yet

like old times (before we had a care in the world) - prototyping - I could prolly have a whole category about wayfinder fluff. I do have a whole category about wayfinder fluff psst hey kid

aus (outside of canon)

See you in shibuya - end-alls - TWEWY TIME this one is FUN. It’s a whole what if about yozora, Sora, and riku in the reapers game, and I love the spec worldbuilding and character stuff. also vanitas gets a leather jacket. What more could you ask for

they may pass - magicites - ventus vanitas ffx au! a sellsword and an al bhed summoner complete their pilgrimage. I’m on the floor sobbing my eyes out and the author knows I’ve done this multiple times and she laughs at me (not really she’s very nice.)

cough it out - ??? - verrrrry cute soriku confession fic. sora is sick and riku accidentally gets roped into not avoiding him anymore. Also sora is obsessed with Disney movies

cool sea turtle beats to relax/rehabilitate to - frootlups - dandelions run a sea turtle rescue and it’s literally one of the only chatfics I have ever found that feels like an actual discord server they would have. this one is so fun and Ephemer saying “I’m literally obsessed with you. Like wtf is wrong with you” is in my head forever

at the edge of hope - bookwormally - PACIFIC RIM AU!!!!!!!!!!!!!! currently being updated WHAT more could you WANT they pilot JAEGARS TOGETHER

umbra, penumbra - end-alls - vanitas-ventus roleswap. Ventus is spooky scary, and gets his hand licked by a darkness rat. I made fanart for this one it makes me go :]

a lot of these authors have many other very good works, and I have a stockpile of fics that are Similar (like my ten wayfinder fluff fics) - so, like if there’s only one oneshot here or only one cool au and you want more, lemme know and I’ll let you know if I have em! I kind of guessed and went for the medium long, some shorter

#I love fic and fic authors but I’m very picky about my fic #so this is my curated collection here AJFBESKGB NOT TO SOUND. PRETENTIOOUS? I GUESS? #ch’boy has. fics that are less conventional but make my brain explode #A ton of fics just about ven I think he ties sora for - nope 57 sora 53 ven #fics that are weird but I love them #MORE aus etc etc etc etc #pineovercoat. (explodes) #there are fics I love but didn’t put here is what I’m saying. Thought abt your just finishing 3 and went hmmmm what fics would I like then #hope it works dghfhjvgdj #ask #anon

[wangxianficfinder]

In the mood for...

~*~

1. Hi! This is weirdly specific but I’m looking for modern AU fics set in China, written by Chinese authors preferably because I’m hoping to find the very accurate, realistic representations of China, with all those little “daily life” details that make the setting feel more real. I hope this makes sense, and thank you in advance for your help! ❤️

There's definitely Chinese diaspora collection(s). Give me a minute and I'll see if I can find some for #1 Like this one

I am not sure how many of these are set in China but it's a collection of non canon-set fic recs made by Chinese diaspora fans in two different Diaspora servers

this is another diaspora collection!

The Fifth Type of Non-Contact Force by Caixx (Not Rated, 83k, WangXian, Modern AU, High School, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, Fluff and Humor, Actually Somewhat Canon, Mutual Pining, Horny Teenagers, Angst with a Happy Ending, Non-Graphic Smut)

oh #1 even modern day cdrama are not all that accurate for daily life stuff. If you're feeling like branching out from wangxian fic to a cdrama with modern china daily life vibes that isn't 100% romance. Can try "Heart of Genius" it's a time/parallel world travel to the past.

~*~

2. Hello again!!! Thanks for the recs, they're so goooood! I recently read two fics that involve catfishing, how to fall in love with a catfish: a guide by wei wuxian (disaster rat) by bwyn, Yuisaki & we'll get him falling for a stranger (or a catfish) by sweetlolixoand I'm hooked! I'll definitely recommend them to everyone!

Ok so I'm craving for more catfish fics. Preferably wangxian but I'd love Sangcheng or Xicheng too! Thanks again ❤️ @dizzydandelionsandhyperhydrillas

~*~

3. ITMF: I'm very, very picky about modern aus but figured I'd give it a try. I want a modern au where they're already adults, it's angsty, and they're in character. My fave is when the angst kind of mirrors canonverse (ie WWX being "disowned," framed for something or disappearing, miscommunication, whatever so long as it isn't kind of just random melodrama) but I'll also just accept if the angst is in a breaking up -> getting back together/exes to lovers arc. Sorry if this is too picky!

These Things Stay the Same by notevenyou (E, 29k, WangXian, Modern AU, Kid Fic, Canon-Typical Violence, Minor Character DeathInjury, Natural Disasters, Angst with a Happy Ending, Hospitalization, Accidents) kinda

These all involve breakups/canon-level misunderstandings:

Tempo Rubato by Spodumene (E, 107k, WangXian, Modern AU, Angst with a Happy Ending, Romance, Persuasion au, Separations, Mutual Pining, Depression, Miscommunication, Emotional Roller Coaster, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Reconciliation, Eventual Smut, Jane Austen Fusion, Underage Kissing)

💖 Pentimento. by orange_crushed (E, 73k, wangxian, modern, college/university au, art conservation, museums, pining, not actually unrequited love, angst w/ happy ending, misunderstandings, smut, major character injury, hospitalization, hurt/comfort, past incarceration, forgery)

Waiting for Spring series by thievinghippo (E, 225k, WangXian, Modern AU, Mutual Pining, Pining while fucking, slight angst, Happy Ending, for a baseball fic, there’s not a lot of baseball, Sports, Baseball)

Dirty Little Secret by ilip13 (E, 67k, wangxian, Modern, Angst with a Happy Ending, Unreliable Narrator, Post-Break Up, Friends with benefits / Exes with benefits / Fuck-buddies, Implied Cheating, Also possibly some cheating kink, Self-Worth Issues, WWX is strong with the self-hatred here, trigger warning: suicide and mental illness (background of minor character), Graduate Students, Liberal use of the word 'fuck', Semi-Nonlinear Storytelling)

The Right to Care by travelingneuritis (E, 61k, wangxian, Modern, Mood Whiplash, musician LWJ, nanny WWX, Developing Relationship, Breakup, Texting, Pining, Eventual Happy Ending, Adoption, Child Abuse, abuse intervention, Miscommunication)

moonlight falls Series by RoseThorne (T, 19k, WangXian, Modern, Found Family, Corporate Espionage, Bunnies, Adoption, Family, Family Feels, Family Fluff, References to Depression, Anxiety, Blind Character, POV Third Person, POV WWX, Confrontations, Bad Parent LQR, Dissociation, Mental Health Issues, Anniversary, Food, Food as a Metaphor for Love, Emotional Constipation, Communication Failure, JC is Bad at Feelings, JC is Trying, WWX Needs a Hug, Implied/Referenced Sex, Food Sex, Friendship, Reconciliation, Psychological Trauma)

~*~

4. Hey, any fics where wwx's (and lwj's) parents are alive. Absolutely no omegaverse thanks

~*~

5. Hi! I’m looking for modern AU wangxian and I’ve searched far and wide for new ones. I don’t have anything specific except I looking for multichapter / longer than 15K! If there’s anything not talked about enough and AMAZING or something new etc. If there are any authors that write modern AU wangxian I’d love to know. Thank you so much for your page!

once upon a time, 很久很久以前 by gentil-minou (Flyingsuits) (M, 40k, WIP, WangXian, Modern AU, Canon Divergence, Transmigration, of the townwide variety, Amnesia, of the nearly everyone variety, Mystery, of the shenanigans variety, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, WWX Has Self-Esteem Issues, Single Parent LWJ, Fluff and Angst, Slow Burn, Mutual Pining, Minor Character Death, Angst with a Happy Ending) this is my fic, it's modern au and pretty new. still ongoing though, idk if that's a turn off for you

Just Ask Me To Stay by mrcformoso (M, 20k, WangXian, Modern AU, Former JZ/WWX, Minor NieLan, Minor XuanLi, No Powers, Dancer WWX, Musician LWJ, Roommates, Best Friends, Friends to Lovers, Break Up, Post-Break Up, Recovery, WWX Has Self-Esteem Issues, Fluff, Light Angst, Anal Sex, Anal Fingering, Oral Sex, Domestic Fluff, LWJ Has a Big Dick, WWX Has a Breeding Kink, Size Queen WWX, Belly Bulge, Porn With Plot, WWX Has Friends, LWJ Has Friends, Hurt/Comfort, A lot of comfort, Romantic Comedy, Cuter story than the summary makes it out to be, Feel-good) bestfriends to lovers and oh my god they were roommates.

eyes closed for you by soultana (E, 36k, wangxian, modern cultivation, POV LWJ, Cultivator LWJ, WWX is a spirit/yao, Dreams vs. Reality, basically WWX haunts LWJ's dreams (lovingly), Sexual Tension, Pining, YLLZ is misunderstood, Oral Sex, Anal Sex, Masturbation, WWX is a Tease, Getting Together, Supportive LXC, LQR Is So Done)

take my hand, will you share this with me series by doodlebutt (E, 137k, wangxian, JC/WQ, Modern, figure skating, Hurt/Comfort, Mutual Pining, Angst with a Happy Ending, Major Character Injury, Recovery, Getting Together, Background Pregnancy, the mortifying ordeal of Talking About Your Feelings, sexually tense pair skating, and tbh. sexually tense everything else too, past trauma, public displays of affection aka canon wangxian behaviour, u dont need a sex tape when the cctv footage is Right There!, There Was Only One Bed, Pre-Relationship, TEEN WANGXIAN MY BELOVED, Semi-Public Sex, sleep deprivation and irresponsible decisions can be sexy sometimes, with additional warnings in start note, Domestic Fluff, Burnout, Yúnmèng Siblings Feels, BSSR knows everything, angst! softness! tender yearning!, demi wwx)

Players gonna play by Scrippio (T, 41k, wangxian, JC/WQ, JYL/JZX, Modern, College/University au, Theater AU, Director WWX, Faculty advisor LWJ, grad student JC, Baker JYL, grad student WQ, Fluff, First Meeting, Getting Together, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, Depression, WIP)

Truth Will Out (when caught on video) - End_OTW_Racism! by KizuKatana (E, 108k, wangxian, WN & WWX & WQ, graphic depictions of violence, modern cultivation, canon divergence, YZY abuses WWX , caught on camera, partial core removal, WWX kicked out of Jiang sect, livestreamer WWX, meet ugly, dual cultivation, smut, no war, WIP)

~*~

9. Hi! Hope you guys are okay <3

For your next itmf, I was hoping you could rec me something a bit more particular? Something that highlights Yi Ziyuan's abuse and makes wwx leave the Jiang sect for good. And then as time passes YZY tries to bring wwx down, or just regrets doing what she did. Can be modern, or not, I really don't mind. I just wanna see genius wwx standing up for himself and getting the love and appreciation he deserves!

Thank you again!! 🩷 @flexible-racoon

💖 Lessons relearned by Iamnotawriter (T, 44k, WangXian, LQR & WWX, Not Madam Yu Friendly, Time Travel Fix-It, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon-Typical Violence, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Inventor WWX, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, No Golden Core Transfer, YZY Bashing) It's not the focus of the fic, but it does feature characters reacting to YZY's abusive treatment of WWX & has her try to bring him down after he leaves the sect, though that part happens late in the fic

Debts of a Child series by Hauntcats (M, 115k, WangXian, dark, YZY Bashing, Not Jiang Family Friendly, Angst and Feels, lots of anger, JC Bashing, not Jiang friendly, Angst with a Happy Ending, Content warning for icky spiders in later chapters.)

If Wishes Were Donkeys by NightOwl1 (M, 61k, WIP, WangXian, SVSSS, Time Travel Fix-It, Case Fic, Mpreg, Fluff and Humor, Dysfunctional Jiāng Family, Bad Parent YZY, WangXian Get a Happy Ending, Period-Typical Homophobia, Crossdressing, LWJ and WWX Have a Breeding Kink, It's All The System's Fault, Post-Canon, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, Warning: JGS, Good Uncle LQR, LWJ and WWX Are LSZ's Parents, Inappropriate Humor, Family Feels) If Wishes Were Donkeys, kinda. YZY gets caught between her hatred of WWX and knowing he's talented when LWJ comes to get him to bring him back to Gusu as a bride, forcing her to accept a single copper coin and handing over the rights to all of WWX's inventions and blowing her top when it comes to light WWX's inventions are actually incredible

Truth Will Out (when caught on video) - End_OTW_Racism! by KizuKatana (E, 108k, wangxian, WN & WWX & WQ, graphic depictions of violence, modern cultivation, canon divergence, YZY abuses WWX , caught on camera, partial core removal, WWX kicked out of Jiang sect, livestreamer WWX, meet ugly, dual cultivation, smut, no war, WIP) (link in #5)

~*~

10. Are there any fics that contain WWX resenting/hating on the Jiangs? Maybe he'd do revenge after he's out of LP or something similar with that would be ok

~*~

11. itmf fics where JC is raising baby JL as a single parent. modern au preferred, but any is good! he could have support from others or not, but im looking for fics where he does most of the day to day parenting

To lurk, to lie in wait by trippednfell (M, 124k, WangXian, Modern with Magic, Huli Jing, strangers to co-parents to lovers, Strangers to Lovers, Dragons, Kid Fic, teenage juniors, background NieLan, Angst with a Happy Ending, Case Fic, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Not Really Character Death, Fox Spirit WWX, Dragon LWJ, Blood and Injury, Additional Warnings In Author’s Note)

~*~

12. For the next itmf, I’m looking for fics where wwx gets turned into child/baby @selkie-hi

found your writing on my wall by howodd5ever (T, 25k, WangXian, Accidental Baby Acquisition, De-aged WWX, in which jc and lwj have to learn to deal with each other, Post-Canon, Getting Together, Referenced Child Neglect, discussion of parental loss, child food insecurity, Case Fic, kind of, Nightmares)

no time for crying by Narci (T, 10k, WangXian, Wwx protection squad, Age Regression/De-Aging, Kid!WWX, kid!lsz, night hunt gone absolutely right, (lowkey golden core fix it), Fluff, Angst and Feels, Humor, Juniors)

grow by cafecliche (T, 14k, LSZ & WWX, LSZ & LWJ, WangXian, Age Regression/De-Aging, Character Study, Post-Canon, [Podfic] Grow by jellyfishfire)

❤️ in case of fire, break glass by Jenrose (T, 65k, WangXian, Time Travel Fix-It, Post-Canon, Canon Divergence, Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, BAMF WWX, BAMF LWJ, Genius Inventor WWX, No Women Die, Background XiYao, Second Chances, unless they're too evil to save, Canon-typical Temporary Major Character Death, First Time) this has some physical deaging via time travel

A Tiny, Untimely Mess by Hauntcats (T, 26k, WIP, WangXian, Child WWX, Canonical Character Death, Accidental Baby Acquisition) this is a WIP

~*~

13. I've had a craving for a D&D AU for a while, but haven't come across any of them naturally so far. I don't mind it being them playing D&D, but preferably it would be a D&D styled fantasy AU. I just want silly Wangxian in Faerun tbh. @littlemintrose

🧡 Where’s Your Emergency? by trippednfell (M, 64k, WangXian, 911 Dispatcher WWX, Single dad LWJ, Kid fic, Modern AU, D&D Games, Angst with a happy ending) has WWX as a D&D player, and he creates characters based on himself and LWJ (and later creates his own fantasy D&D game)

~*~

14. Itmf wwx's motherly instincts towards his ducklings pls

~*~

15. Hi! I love love LOVE fics where Lan Zhan gets badly hurt and Wei Ying gets all protective over him. Bonus if Wei Ying goes all angry/dangerous to those who hurt Lan Zhan. Basically any fic where Wei Ying is protecting Lan Zhan who is in a bad situation is welcome 😂 Do you have specific tags or posts like that? @acklesforlife

❤️ Rabbit Heart by Suaine (M, 57k, wangxian, yearning, family issues)

moonlight caught in mutton fat by Raitelzen (T, 45k, WangXian, Case Fic, Curses, Curse Breaking, Transformation, mild body horror, Hurt LWJ, Ghosts)

the field meets the wood by astronicht (T, 7k, WangXian, BAMF WWX, slight whump, Ritualistic Self Harm, Canon Era, Tang Dynasty style, Blood Loss, Blood and Injury, salt economics, Post-Canon, [Podfic] the field meets the wood by semperfiona_podfic (semperfiona), [podfic] the field meets the wood by jellyfishfire)

~*~

16. hello! nothing in particular, just wangxian fics where lwj calls wwx his airen (i read it once in a fic and i am obssessed)

what price is duty, what cost is love by thunderwear (G, 18k, wangxian, Canon Divergence, WWX was never adopted by the Jiang Sect, War Prize, YLLZ WWX, Mutual Pining, First Kiss, First Time, Falling In Love, eventual dramatic confessions, Angst with a Happy Ending)

Stop (But please don't) by Silvers_Hidden_Corner (Silver_Flame_2724) (E, 1k, wangxian, Dubious Consent, Somnophilia, technically non-consensual somnophilia because they didn't discuss it beforehand, Bite Kink, Overstimulation, Size Kink, Strength Kink, Multiple Orgasms, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Belly Bulge, Dirty Talk, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot)

~*~

17. Hello there! First of all Thank you for all the fic that all of you have recommended, it was very helpful and interesting. Please take care of yourselves well.

For the next ITMF, i would really appreciate if you could recommend me something that is truly heart-wrenching. I want fics that will destroy my feelings and heart.

Thank u so much! Have a great day.

When the Words Stop Coming by mrcformoso (T, 7k, wangxian, major character death, Canon Compliant, POV WWX, POV LWJ, Cloud Recesses Study Arc, Pre-Sunshot Campaign, Burial Mounds Settlement Days, Canonical Character Death, Love Confessions, Rejection, LWJ is a Panicked Gay, Temporarily Unrequited Love, Trauma, WWX confesses early on, But canon still happens, LWJ starts confessing after, but the tables have turned, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Sad, LWJ rejects WWX, Then gets rejected by WWX after, "Get Lost") because I love breaking and mending hearts apparently

New Perspective series by mrcformoso (T, 35k, wangxian, LSZ & LWJ, WN & WWX, LSZ & WWX, LJY/LSZ, major character death, Angst, Hopeful Ending, Fatherhood, Regrets, Flashbacks, POV LWJ, LWJ-centric, Canonical Character Death, Pining LWJ, LWJ Has Feelings, LWJ Needs a Hug, Character Development, Dead WWX, LWJ deals with the death of his love, And learns to be a father along the way, Introspection, Feelings, LWJ is Bad at Feelings, Character Study, Regretful LWJ, Breaking Toxic Cycles, Canon Compliant, LWJ in Seclusion, Post-LWJ in Seclusion, Child LSZ, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon Divergence but only the ending, Because can we agree that The Untamed Ending was bull, LWJ regaining Wei Ying's Trust, Golden Core Reveal, Good LSZ; Snippets, Post-Time Skip, Love Confessions, Requited Love, Trust Issues, WWX Has a Fear of Dogs, WWX Has No Golden Core, Jealousy, Fierce Corpse WN, Protective LWJ, Post-Canon, WWX Has Chronic Pain, WWX Has Issues, WWX has Phantom Pain, WWX was Malnourished, Sad LWJ, POV WWX, WWX is always cold, migraines, Suicidal WWX, Suicidal Thoughts, Implied/Referenced Suicide, mirror therapy, Good Friend NHS, Crying, WWX's body is normal but he still feels as if it isnt, POV LSZ. Found Family, Toxic Elders, Growing Up, The Lan Juniors, LSZ's parents suffered, And so he starts a revolution, Bringing about change, LWJ Adopts LSZ, WWX is LSZ's Parent, LSZ is a polite menace, HGJ raised an army of Lan rebels and we're here for it, Good Uncle WN) can guarantee has made multiple people cry

to the act of making noise by words-writ-in-starlight (WordsWritInStarlight) (G, 19k, WangXian, Grief/Mourning, Father-Son Relationship, inquiry, Music, Fluff and Angst, Found Family, CQL Verse, [Podfic] to the act of making noise by Ceewelsh, flamingwell, kisahawklin, Rionaa) This one is totally heart-wrenching (and heart-mending), bring your tissues! Gotta especially recommend the podfic version, especially the one work music added. Absolutely shreds your tear ducts. The whole series is incredible tbh

Home Front by flamingwell (T, 1k, LSZ & WWX, Post-Canon, Angst, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Child Death, Qiongqi Path prison camp references, hence the referenced child abuse and death, Grief/Mourning, a lot of angst in a small package, War Crimes)

and the calm is deep where the quiet waters flow by izanyas (E, 308k, WIP, WangXian, A/B/O Dynamics, Rape Recovery, Unplanned Pregnancy, Discrimination, Slow Burn, the slowest burn imaginable, Violence/Gore, Child Abuse, Suicide, post-partum depression, a painful but gentle journey into the intricacies of bodily autonomy) one of the most heart-wrenching and disturbing fics I’ve ever read full stop. please mind the trigger warnings. it’s a/b/o but is very much a dark fic that takes it very seriously, to the point that i would hardly consider it an abo fic anymore 😭 incredible world building and deals with themes of sexual abuse, discrimination and all those lovely things </3 unfinished atm but the author has plans to continue

~*~

If you didn’t get an answer to your ask here, don’t forget to make use of @mdzs-kinkmeme and MDZS KINK MEME on Dreamwidth. Authors actually do use them for ideas. You may get what you order!***Your prompt doesn’t have to be kink! Fluff, crack, whatever - it’s all good!***

#wangxian #mdzs #wangxian fic recs #i'm in the mood for a fic #the untamed #wangxian fic search #wangxianficfinder #long post

[princeloww]

broadchurch fic recs !!

(Except I'm very picky and don't read Alec/Ellie fics)

Whumpuary Day 1: Secrets Revealed by AJWrites1998 (@bro-ken-spoon)

Summary: Ellie Miller was having the worst day of her life even before she got the text message. Takes place during season two, episode six.

Details Ellie's reaction to Alec getting his surgery (and telling her about it over text). Packed full of brilliant lines that are both clean and beautifully sensitive all at the same time. Spot-on characterisation, and quite a quick read. I personally really loved this one, and (as you'll probably notice) absolutely love this writer and their writing style.

All I Want For Christmas by AJWrites1998

Summary: The edges of his mouth turn down slightly, but he tries to play it off as thinking about whatever he’s managed to pull up on his computer. He sighs.

“Can’t,” he says, “Daisy’s visiting her mother for Christmas. She won’t be back till next week.”

Ah, so that’s what it was, then. He’s missing Daisy.

“Well, I guess if I can’t have Daisy, I’ll accept just you,” she says, then takes a sip of her own tea. She watches for his reaction over the top of the mug. He winces, but she didn’t exactly leave a lot of room to say no.

---

Daisy's out of town for Christmas. Alec has some feelings on the matter. Ellie's there to help out.

Alec Hardy sick fic!!!! This is a Christmas themed one, but it definitely doesn't need to be Christmas time for it to be enjoyed. Ellie and Alec are written incredibly well - their interactions are so brimming with familiarity that you get the sense that these two characters really know each other, yet in such a spectacularly Hardy-Miller way. Very slice-of-lifey and quite low stakes. Very fun to read, and full of really sweet moments (like Alec helping Ellie put Christmas presents together).

A Hard Day's Night by AJWrites1998

Summary: “Well, she was right, even if you are feeling poorly now. We’ll get you some toast later on, when you’re feeling up to it again.” She feels the need to reinforce this, otherwise she fears he’ll take away the wrong lesson. Unfortunately, at the mention of food, he pales again. “No. No need. I’m never eating anything ever again.” he says, his face lined with pain. ------------ Alec Hardy doesn't usually eat anything at all. It's just his luck that the one time he does, it's gone bad. It's up to Ellie Miller to look after him.

Oh my god, I think this is my favourite Broadchurch fic ever. I think it deserves so much attention - it's amazingly written and honestly quite beautiful. It's witty, clever, and perfectly captures strong, familiar and platonic intimacy. This is another Alec sick fic where Ellie takes care of him. Their dynamic is really well written, and extremely accurate. The author clearly has a great understanding of the characters, and it really translates in this - and all of their - piece(s). Without giving too much away, I've got to say the hair scene is absolutely amazing. If you enjoy thinking of them in a queer platonic kind of way, this might be good for that? It's very intimate, in a way that is refreshingly platonic.

Over the Sea to Skye by lestatslestits (@lestatslestits)

Summary: five times Alec Hardy sang to his daughter while she was sick, and one time she sang to him instead.

Oops, it's another sick fic. I only read this one recently, but it is absolutely beautiful. The father-daughter relationship between Daisy and Alec is so compelling and sensitive, and every character is incredibly well written and characterised. I really, really recommend this one.

On this part, I'm going to go ahead and recommend lestatslestits' entire selection of Broadchurch fics. I've only read this one, because I genuinely literally just discovered it while writing this post, but I'm entirely confident that they are all amazing. I'm going to devour them as soon as I have a chance, and then probably devour their TOTA fics too. Amazing writer, please go check them out.

Mail Slot by capn_schmazz (whose tumblr I don't know)

Summary: Ellie thought about Alec in those first weeks of knowing him. Seeing if her memories were different now with this new information. They weren't. Not really. She wouldn't have ever guessed it if he hadn't trusted her enough to tell her, so she stopped thinking about those weeks and took a sip of tea in the present.

I am INSANE about this fic. It's absolutely perfect, yet subtle and meaningful and really impactful. Has suicide themes, as Alec tells Ellie about a past suicide attempt. It's really focused on the relationship between Ellie and Alec, as they have a late night/early morning conversation about first a case and then the past. Also one of my absolute favourites. The dynamic is so well done, and the characters are so well portrayed, that I had a tiny little David Tennant and Olivia Colman in my head as I read it. Genuinely, in my opinion, brilliant piece of writing.

I really really recommend all of these fics!! Please go check them out.

#david tennant #broadchurch #alec hardy #ao3 #writers on tumblr #broadchurch fanfiction #recs #fic recs #broadchurch fic recs

[the-obnoxious-sibling]

Do you have any shuggy fanfic recommendations? I already read and rearead (and reread) yours one piece ff…

i can certainly give you some recs!

everything's hosted on ao3 and set in the one piece universe; i do read modern/mundane AUs but i'm always really picky about how an author adapts a ship's canon history into an AU, so i've yet to find one that really grabs me except that one college AU i forgot to save a link to… i hope i'll find you again someday…

for all my life i’ve watched from afar, i’m too afraid to try by Badopportunities - complete, 18k

this is probably my favorite shuggy fic i've read so far. a canon divergence in which shanks hunts down ace instead of whitebeard to warn him off the blackbeard hunt directly, and just so happens to find ace while he's hanging out with buggy's crew. love the outside POVs on shanks & buggy before their history was common knowledge, love their dynamic while trying to keep that history secret, love the optimistic way the story ends.

uncharted waters by vestigialmoods - complete, 41k

a long, multi-POV sorta kinda get-together—this one written after we knew the warlord system was being dissolved but before we learned about cross guild. buggy tries to figure out what to do now that he's lost government protection; shanks is encouraged to go for what he wants for once, instead of passively letting fate decide his path. features very fun characterization for both crews, and a really well-crafted scene that deals with phantom limb pain and sexual tension simultaneously.

in the deepest depths i lost myself, i see myself through someone else by Badopportunities - WIP, 36k

it may be gauche to rec multiple fics by the same author but Badopportunities has yet to steer me wrong! this is set during the timeskip, while buggy is searching for an island to claim as his warlord base of operations and shanks is trying to look after former whitebeard territories. they clash. uses one of my favorite lines for a childhood friends-to-lovers ship: one of them says he's single because he's having trouble finding a partner with “similar life experiences.” iykyk

currently incomplete at 4/5 chapters, last updated in 2022… but they just posted a new chapter of their other shuggy wip (which i also recommend, buggy time travels and saves ace & uta) this week, so it feels like anything's possible!

I'll See You in My Dreams by doublejoint - complete, 4k

shanks keeps dreaming of being older, on a ship with only buggy for company, wearing matching rings and sailing for who knows where. i love how efficiently and effectively this fic explores his thoughts on these dreams over the years—are they visions of the future, his secret desires, bad gas? the ending is very sweet.

We Are Never Ever Ever Getting Back Together (and other lies Buggy tells himself) by Transformatron - complete, 11k, explicit

i am not much for smut (being ♠️🏳️‍🌈 and all), but occasionally one gets in the mood, and this fic has some intense emotions to go along with the intense, kinda kinky smut. shanks has found out about cross guild and comes to see buggy, not convinced that this is a safe, sane, and consensual situation buggy's found himself in. they fight about it, and then… 😳

there is background established buggy/crocodile/mihawk, but crocodile and mihawk aren't present for the explicit portion of the fic.

i like lipstick on my neck by kiriya - complete, 20k, explicit

if i'm recommending smut-with-feelings, i have to rec this fic. genderbent butch/femme shanks and buggy run into each other in east blue, post-roguetown and pre-canon, and spend three chapters bickering, drinking, and… you know. absolutely fantastic characterization, buggy is an awful little gremlin and shanks likes her very much despite herself.

i don't know if the fic was inspired by this art or if the art was inspired by this fic, but either way… if you read the fic you should look at the art. that butch shanks is just. absolutely inspired.

#asked and answered #fic recs #one piece #shuggy

[littlerosette]

Do you have any aot fic recs? It can be any pairing, genre, setting etc. I'm not too picky

plenty!! though, i have to preface that i haven’t been very good about reading new aot fic lately.

first of all, anything by bacondestiny is terrific. i know that it’s known that charlotte and i are good friends but she genuinely is one of the best, most naturally talented writers i’ve ever met. her style is absolutely sublime. my favorites though are ritual of love, let the awful song be heard, and the way home (one of the first aot fics i read coming back into the fandom).

i also really love anything by @karizard-ao3. she has a fantastic comedic voice in her writing and her eren characterization is among my favorites. my favorites from her are clueless teens and her office enemies au, but seriously. read everything from her.

@sinigangsta-ao3 is also a fantastic, fantastic writer. her style is beautiful and the characterization is perfect. mikasa is written with a little bit more steel in her spine than i normally see, which i loooove. my favorites are all the time i have — it’s yours and the formative years series. i don’t normally love modern aus but i completely fell head over heels for that one.

@strscrossed is also wonderful. i really do feel like she’s a master of variety because all of her aus feel so distinct and separate from one another. her prose is lovely too. so far i think her magnum opus is i killed the sun for you (her warlord au) but i’m enamored with her actor au as well (serendipity).

and i know this isn’t eremika but this jeankasa fic is wonderfullllll. i sobbed reading it.

@dead-dolphins also has an asoiaf au i haven’t been able to really dig my teeth into yet outside of reading a few chapters (i absolutely need to) but her writing is beautiful and id be remiss if i didn’t mention the promised princess. and @onwriting-hrarby has legendary fics such as rotten judgement. the subjects she tackles are so mature and she’s an extremely intelligent writer.

there’s a million other authors i can recommend. this fandom truly has so many good ones in every flavor you could want (fluffy to dead dove) so we’re really lucky. i really only just mentioned the ones i can immediately list off of the top of my head, so if you don’t see an author here you like please rec me their fics!! i also have stuff in my bookmarks!!

#asks #fic rec #aot

[sitp-recs]

HP Rec Fest, Day 23

I can’t say soulmate AUs are among the things I read the most but every now and then I feel a soft yearning for that trope and I’m always open to new angsty interesting takes on it. I know this is a great comfort trope for many readers so I really wanted to do is justice at @hprecfest. I’m reccing two of my favourite authors, and I just realized that’s two Snarry recs in a row (you’d think I read this ship every other day which is def not the case as I’m very picky - I can picture Writ laughing at this 😂). Incidentally, both fics are 9k which means everyone will have two nice short treats to check before the Christmas Eve chaos. Oh, I’ve also recced a Rarry soulmate fic here, highly recommend it as well. Enjoy!

Day 23) a soulmate fic:

Drarry

swallow your words by @candybarrnerd (E, 9k)

The truth is, not many things are known about the magic that is behind soulmarks. They'll turn up when they want and not before. The truth is, you don't get a choice in your soulmark. The truth is, not everyone is okay with that.

what I really adore about this fic is that… they’re already there, right from the start. they fall for each other before Harry’s mark shows up (and of course it’s their first words to each other 🥺) and the lowkey angst comes from their sudden appearance and Draco’s not-so-receptive initial reaction to them. I say lowkey angst because the fic opens with such a gorgeous, intimate and tender lovemaking scene it’s impossible to believe they’re not already head over heels for each other - but learning that there’s someone “destined” for you out there brings implications and complications that Draco’s not yet ready to face. I love this take on the trope because that immediate panic and resistance to the whole soulmate concept is so relatable and raises a great question about predetermined x freely chosen love which I think it’s a fascinating and very mature discussion involving this trope.

Rare pair

A Universe of Searching Souls by @writcraft (Harry/Snape, E, 9k)

When the small, innocuous mark on Harry’s hip begins to cause him discomfort, he decides to go and visit the person who has a similar mark of their own. He’s fairly certain there must be some mistake, because the universe wouldn’t be daft enough to give Harry and Severus matching soul bond marks. Would it?

god help me, I’m so weak for Writ’s Snarry. this 9k fic actually feels longer thanks to the brilliant format and Harry’s compelling pov. I love the narrative style that highlights the passage of time through short (then not so short) vignettes covering Harry’s teenage and early adult years. he’s so lovely, earnest and tentative, a sharp contrast to this Snape who’s as insufferable and difficult - and therefore, perfect - as ever. I just reread this last night and am still howling at “I refuse to dismantle my wards for your stupid convenience Potter, you might as well stay the night” 😂 if you’ve read Writ’s other works you know their chemistry is deliciously addictive, charming and funny and full of blatant UST; the way Snape gets so easily undone by Harry’s eager honesty always gets me. for such a short story this is a masterclass in anticipation, and when they finally get there it’s hot af but also calm, intimate, familiar. definitely a must read!

#hprecfest2023 #day 23 #a soulmate fic

[thelordofgifs]

I wish you would write a fic where Maglor didn't get to Uldor in time and now has to manage the aftermath of the Nirnaeth with Maedhros dead.

Sat on this for a couple of days because I wanted to write a snippet, but I have too many Thoughts to condense into one scene so you get bullet points instead!

So: firstly, this is really sad why did you do this!

Anyway Maglor has actually been in this situation before. He’s mourned Maedhros already: when he was first captured, and again when he had to turn down Morgoth’s offer to return him, and again when he was rescued and Maglor realised he was not the brother who had ridden away to the parley and never would be again.

That doesn’t make it better – this is the literal worst thing that has ever happened to him in his life and it’s his fault he didn’t get to Uldor in time – but… in some ways, it’s less of a shock than Fingon’s death was to Maedhros.

The immediate aftermath of the Nirnaeth isn’t very different. They don’t have the strength to hold Himring, so they flee east and then eventually south to Ossiriand.

For Maedhros the Nirnaeth, as well as being obviously personally devastating, marks the end of his significance as a political player in Beleriand. It was his Union that failed, his allies (or Caranthir’s if you’re picky) that betrayed them, his lands that were taken.

For Maglor this is actually less pronounced. He lost his own lands in the Bragollach. It’s hard to pin the breaking of the Union on him.

In terms of intra-Fëanorian power dynamics, I think this means that Maglor actually commands more authority post-Nirnaeth than Maedhros did.

Headcanon time: although they do love each other deep down (very deep down. subterranean levels.) Celegorm and Maglor do not and never will get on; they are far too different and tend to clash.

During Maedhros’ captivity this resulted in a quiet cold war between the two of them, with Celegorm constantly undermining Maglor’s decisions – now we get a repeat of that situation. which Maglor is not a fan of. But he is at least used to it.

Not much significantly changes until Thingol’s death, the fall of Melian’s Girdle and, soon after, Lúthien’s death and Dior’s inheritance of the Silmaril.

Of course Celegorm is frothing at the mouth to go after Dior for the Silmaril, and Curufin with him.

In canon Maedhros appears to have completely abdicated any sense of responsibility at this stage: it was Celegorm who spearheaded the Second Kinslaying.

Did Maglor, who wrote the Noldolantë, who deeply regretted Alqualondë, want to attack Doriath?

Hopefully I’m not just being biased about my blorbo when I say that I think not.

Maglor would follow Maedhros into anything. His greatest flaw is that he has a conscience, and ignores it for Maedhros’ sake.

Would he follow Celegorm? Not really. He hasn’t failed Celegorm the way he failed Maedhros over and over again. He doesn’t owe Celegorm anything.

But he is still bound by his Oath. And it is not sleeping.

… ok I’m sufficiently intrigued this is going on the Sticky Note of things that need writing. WHY did you do this I have enough AUs. @ tfs readers you know whom to blame for the delay in updates! (Or here’s the ask game if you want to contribute)

#asks #pearlescentpearl #my writing #maglor #the key question which I failed to answer here: does the 2nd kinslaying happen under maglor? #I am Torn but also intrigued #also I think I can make the politics of this absolutely byzantine #good prompt. I hate you for doing this (affectionate) #ask game

[commanderfoxdeservesbetter]

20 QUESTIONS FOR FIC WRITERS

thanks @whatislifewithoutangst for the tag!! Sorry it took me so long to complete

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

As of now, 43

2. What is your total AO3 word count?

Had to look at my stats for this but 126,184

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Just Star Wars. I would like to write in other fandoms but I find the transition to be a bit did; as well as the fact that I know my fics will suck when starting out and I’m not ready to face that just yet.

4. What are you top five fics by kudos?

1. Therapy Sessions with a Fox

2. Agony is a curse too well known

3. The ghosts are all that’s left to cling to

4. The Truth Inside is Different from the Lies Spoken

5. Just a Friend

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

I try to. Sometimes I overthink on what to say so it takes me a while to respond but generally, yes.

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

Ah geez. That’s like most of my fics. Probably Agony is a curse too well known.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I had to search but Collapsing Stars for sure

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not really, no. I’m grateful for that.

9. Do you write smut?

Not for publishing purposes. I like to keep my fics clean of that; however, on discord it’s free game lol (mainly with a friend)

10. Do you write crossovers?

Nope. I like reading them but I doubt I’d be efficient at writing something like that.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I'm aware of fortunately.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No I haven't.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

Not any that are published. A friend and I exchange long writing pieces on discord when sharing ideas that it could be considered small fics and have ideas on co-writing a fic together but will that ever actually happen? Who knows. Depending on the concept, I wouldn’t mind being asked; however, I have yet to gather my nerve to ask other authors to potentially co-write a fic with me so once I do, we’ll see (it’s a goal I have for 2024 🤞)

14. What's your all-time favourite ship?

Out of all the fandoms that I love, Drarry (Draco/Harry). That’s the first ship that got me into shipping and I’m too loyal to let it go. I still read about them to this day though now I’m picky on how I want their relationship to go.

15. What's the WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Therapy Sessions with a Fox. I love the WIP but I started that fic when my mental health was in the drain. Every time I go back to finish it, it’s very hard to get into the mindset needed without spiraling; often times, an update only occurs when I’m in a bad mental state. So the possibility of ever finishing it is very low unless I spiral and for my sake, I hope that never happens again.

16. What's your writing strengths?

I’m not too sure. Probably descriptions of a scene. I tend to over describe the scene since I want readers to see it how I do in my head.

17. What's your writing weaknesses?

Probably dialogue or character descriptions. I tend to focus more on internal thoughts that I forget people speak out loud and don’t generally say what they’re thinking. Also I don’t like the overly descriptive language of characters in fics so I tend to avoid it and now I don’t really know how to describe characters without being too vague or overdone.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

Eh, I personally don’t unless it’s a fake language I can bullshit and make my own grammar rules for.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Harry Potter (on Fanfiction.net lol - you can probably still find them on there but beware: the fics suck!)

20. Favourite fic you've ever written?

When Tomorrow Comes, I’ll Bring You Home!! This is my only big fic and it was so fun to write within a deadline I gave myself and the encouragement I received from my friends on discord when sharing updates really helped push it forward. I would love to write another big fic like it because it was so rewarding and fulfilling in a way I never experienced before (at least within a fandom).

I really enjoyed doing this and thanks for reading. No pressure but I would love to hear your answers @ladyanidala @here-be-bec @dinogirl123 @oathena11-writes @hastalavistabyebye

[chainofclovers]

15, 23, 26 for the writing ask!

Thanks, friend! <3

15. What’s your favourite plotless fic you have written?

HA! I love the assumptions baked into this question and that you chose it for me. I feel seen.

I scanned through my ao3 and which a bunch of my fics are truly just fueled by vibes, they do have plots--quiet ones--and I don't necessarily wanna discount the quiet or domestic or private as not counting as plot?

But I also have some true zero plot stuff FOR SURE. I think my favorite might be "I'm going, all along" about agnosticism and various religions and how they intersect with Ted Lasso characters, or "neon," in which Ted is worried Beard is going to get bored sleeping with him and Rebecca but doesn't articulate it very well, and Beard books them time in a sensory deprivation tank.

23. Dialogue or description? Why is the other one so hard?

When people talk about being fully comfortable with one and struggling with the other, I'll admit that I'm actually not sure how that feels?! They are both hard, except for the rare times they are both easy! I think I do generally have an easier time writing dialogue with some light descriptions interspersed, and it's harder for me to write longer descriptive prose passages conveying action or the passage of time or whatever. The stuff I imagine most vividly as I start to write are the busy moments where people are interacting and speaking but also sensing/perceiving/noticing/feeling, so zooming out past that to write pure description is a bit more of a slog.

(I want to know how you feel about this too)

26. What would you describe as OOC?

Answered here, but I actually have a slightly expanded answer if you'll indulge me, so I'll paste the original answer (in italics) + add to it.

It’s a bit hard to put my finger on it. I guess it boils down to the “He would not fucking say that” thing?

But as I think about it, in terms of fanfic, something reads as OOC most often when I just get this strong and very distracting sense that the author is more interested in serving their own motivations or wish-fulfillment fantasies than the characters themselves. Which is a legit thing to do when writing fic, even if I have reader preferences! I have 100% put characters into situations specifically because I just really wanted to spend time with those characters in that situation, and I’m sure there have been people who read it and think it’s OOC even if I try to stay true to character. (Like I’ve definitely had people say they don’t typically think of a certain character as having a specific sexual identity that I might ascribe to them. And I might ascribe it to them both because I personally see it as true to character but also might just wanna explore it for my own queer reasons. To each their own!)

With TL fic, I'm pretty picky about reading about Rebecca's explorations of motherhood, because while her desire for motherhood is an intrinsically important facet of her character, she doesn't strike me as someone who would find it at all satisfying to dive fully into super traditional gender roles (and gender roles that are possibly portrayed as more idyllic or even mythical than they actually feel in real life)...like a situation where she needs her man caring for her and doting on her and defers to the care/wisdom he offers her while pursuing a type of motherhood that wasn't available to her in canon. Canon Rebecca has lived through--and observed--the fallibility of those types of structures and nothing about the ways her desires (sexual, maternal, familial, professional, otherwise) are portrayed onscreen make me want to imagine her launching back into a belief that a super-traditional/conservative gendered structure would work for her, even with her next partner being someone who isn't abusive the way Rupert was.

(And I won't even go down the rabbit hole of trying to articulate why this structure also doesn't seem like something that would be fulfilling for Ted [who tried it and failed and spent 3 years of TV reprioritizing] or Roy [who has deep trust issues] or Matthijs [whom we lack historical information on but perhaps tried it and failed and now lives on a very cool boat] or any other potential dude who could be her partner on the show. But I think those structures often do a disservice to men, too, and will leave it at that.)

And again, like with any other scenario that appeals to a writer, I genuinely understand why this type of nuclear family dream scenario is something a writer might want to explore from within the safety of their own complete control over the story and the characters, and that is a cool thing to be able to do! But when it comes to Ted Lasso characters it's probably the type of thing that I personally am most likely to view as OOC.

That being said, I've read and loved portrayals of Rebecca as someone who "mothers" Henry, Jelka, Nora, Phoebe, biological kids, adopted kids, etc., as well as stories that wrestle very explicitly with her NOT being a mother whatsoever. I just balk at this idea that marriage and pregnancy are what allows Rebecca to get what she """""deserves and that canon was too cowardly to give us""""" (read: what we as viewers "deserve"); it feels very ironic for motherhood to subsume and soften Rebecca after she spent three seasons of a television show clawing her way out of the Rupert Effect and becoming a self-actualized human capable of many types of love on her own terms.

#yet another writing ask #meme #asks #itsagutthing #rebecca welton #ted lasso meta #<<< not that i think this is a full on well-written meta post just tagging for my own organizational purposes! #meta by me #hot dork club

[secretmellowblog]

Valjean + 7 & 8 (game ask)

For this ask meme: #7. What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you like? And #8. What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you despise?

Thanks for the ask!!

#7: a thing fandom does with this character that you like:

I love fix-its (I just want him to live!) it’s great when Jean Valjean gets to have a happier ending than his bleak passive suicide.  

Fics that explore Jean Valjean interacting with Other Characters (outside of Cosette) are also  great. He has such a narrow social circle in canon — he has basically no friends outside of his daughter— so playing him off other characters is really fun. It’s especially fun if (as is canonically accurate) he struggles very hard to interact with people and comes across as deeply weird. Jean Valjean tends to get “trapped in his own head” a lot, and exploring the relationships he could have with other characters– or just how other characters would be utterly baffled by him, while viewing him from the outside– is always great.

I also love fandom stuff that acknowledges how deeply strange he is. Any fandom stuff that features Jean Valjean breaking into people’s houses to give them money is always chefs kiss.

#8: A thing fandom does with this character that you despise:

I  was originally going to answer this with a whole passionate overlong essay about fandom tropes around Jean Valjean that bother me, but…I’ll keep it short lol because it's not really a big deal, haha. Like, I don’t want to be mean or unfair, and I like being in a fandom so large I can afford to be picky about characterization. I don’t like holding fanfic  to a higher moral standard than big “professional” media properties that are doing far worse. The most popular Les Mis fanfic on ao3 has maybe a couple thousand readers; BBC 2019, which is an utterly vile horrible conservative take on Les Mis and on Jean Valjean in particular, had millions of viewers. Fanfic writers have no budget and often no editors, so we don’t deserve to be held to the same level of scrutiny as massive projects like a tv show . Like I don’t want to overstate harm– fanfic is fine! Les mis fanfic is a tiny niche of a niche, and so small no one’s really being hurt by it. If I don’t like something, I don’t read it, and all that. I'm not here to be the fandom police XD.

And I really don’t like ever positioning myself as an “authority” on these characters or the person who does them “correctly,” because I’m not. 

That being said, if I were to be petty and summarize my personal Problems with the way Jean Valjean is often handled in fandom really briefly–

My core "pain" is that I feel like a lot of fans miss that the police are the villains of Les Mis. The police are the villains of Jean Valjean’s story and they’re the villains of Javert’s. Prison is evil. The carceral system is cruel and unjust, as a system. It is not a problem of Javert “not being nice enough to Valjean,” the entire system is fundamentally violent and vile and needs to be burned to the ground.  acab, and all.

I think part of why that gets missed is that many fans are laser-focused only on Javert–  and often on a highly specific musical-inspired fanon reading of Javert where he Did Nothing Wrong. (I'm not throwing shade, this was kinda also me when I was 13 lolllll.) And then they don’t analyze Jean Valjean anywhere near as deeply, if they analyze him at all, and don't pick up on the larger themes of the novel. And that's a shame, because Javert’s characterization will also suffer if you don’t have that wider context! I think the “problem” is just that if you acknowledge the complexity of Jean Valjean's character and his trauma, if you recognize how deeply Jean Valjean was ripped apart by prison,  how he has not recovered from his imprisonment and never will, and how he doesn’t view the criminal justice system with ‘total forgiveness’ but actually does have complicated overwrought repressed useless grief and rage over the system that abused him and the injustices he’s undergone, how he actually doesn’t like Javert on a personal level and only saved his life out of the same pity he would’ve shown to any other person in Javert's position–  it is much harder to see Javert as a Good Person and the police as a Good Institution. So as a result fanfic!Jean Valjean often  kinda has to be written as a bland saint patiently agreeing that Cops Are Great and Prison is Fine and Javert Did Nothing Wrong...because if he isn’t, the author has to acknowledge Javert has hurt Jean Valjean in ways he will never heal from, and question the morality of both  Javert and the police. 

 I think lots of people take the line “there’s nothing that I blame you for/you’ve done your duty nothing more” from the musical, interpret it as a sincere compliment, and then graft that interpretation onto the book— to the point of making it the entire core of Jean Valjean’s character. But Jean Valjean complimenting Javert with the Nuremberg defense (“it was all fine because you were doing your job”), and this being portrayed as Correct and Wise, is just not a compelling take on the character to me XD. I do not like it all. So I just don’t read fics that head in that direction. I'm not gonna content-police people, I just don't read it, haha.

I’ve been recommended multiple fics where Jean Valjean becomes Javert’s cop partner, or enthusiastically encourages him to return to the police, and it’s always a big “He Would Not Say That.” XD Jean Valjean, the most well-known victim of police brutality in the history of fiction, the character whose entire personality is built on the trauma of surviving incarceration and attempting to save others from his hellish fate, would never enthusiastically participate in incarcerating people–not even if they were  ‘bad’ people! It’s literally the core of his whole weird little Deal. it’s his whole schtick. 

And it's not that I hate Valvert either. I actually think Valvert can be very compelling-- and also funny, which is the most important thing. But part of the reason I’ve often stayed away from the valvert  fandom despite enjoying the Funky Weird Little Relationship is that I’ve had lots of trouble finding fic that gives Jean Valjean an actual life or character outside of Javert, or that also acknowledges the anti-police anti-prison themes of the novel.  But! There are a tiny handful of people who do it occasionally! And that's enough.

And again, this isn’t like the biggest deal or anything! I’m not a fandom cop trying to police what people write, especially because most people are just extrapolating from the musical/lots of people change their minds on characterizations over time/it’s hard to write without a team of editors to help you navigate things. These are just some fandom trends I personally don’t like, that I personally avoid,  and that I hope change over time….so that I have more fanfic to read that lines up with my own feelings on the characters XD.

But yeah those are my (abbreviated) years of spicy fanon Jean Valjean hot takes!!!

#les mis #ask game #jean valjean #fandom discourse!! kinda. XD #if anyone was interested I could write a masterpost on 'brick valjean things that arent in the musical' (that people could add onto) #im not positioning myself as an authority on these characters or anything #but!!! I think the changes to the character in the brick VS the musical and in a lot of fandom stuff are interesting #hes a funky little guy #blorbeaux from my book

[reflections-in-a-critical-eye]

I read Dishwater World They Said Was Lemonade by scholarlydanmei and I loved it. Thank you for recommending it!

I have two fics in mind which are similar that you might like if you don’t mind supernatural elements:

1.)The Devil’s cut by thruspring

https://archiveofourown.org/works/20584403

It’s amazing. The tags don’t do it justice. Without spoiling too much I can say this story has a great twist and a bittersweet ending.

2.)a touch of sin by pettey(an amazing author who left)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/10236242

It has horror elements and a lot of unexpected turns.

I’m pretty crap at describing things, but I’m very picky with what I read and I trust my taste so I highly recommend:)

The first one is supposedly inspired by Supernatural which is not a selling point for me at all 😭 But I might give it a chance if the writing is good.

As to A Touch of Sin, I didn't mention it in my list because I've talked about it in the past and I didn't want to sound like a broken record. Not only have I read it, I believe it's one of the best jikook fics out there. I think it might have been the reason why I made an ao3 account so I could read it in 2020. I rarely talk about fics to people outside fandoms, but I couldn't not say something about this one at that time. It's like a nordic noir, with its supernatural elements reminding me of Murakami (not the best writer out there, but I do appreciate the world building) and some Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring vibe. Imagine that story turned into a tv series. It's such good material.

Talking about fanfiction opened the floodgates and many of you are sending me links. Thank you, I'm bookmarking them. I may not answer all the asks, but I'm not ignoring it either.

#m thoughts #jikook fanfic

[midnight-moth]

This might be completely wrong, but I feel like the fandom has gotten spoiled in a way by the abundance of fics. There's such an overwhelming amount of fic these days and readers can afford to be picky, you know? Especially after events like kinktober. The novelty of the fandom has worn off.

I still regularly go through the ghoulette tags, but I know I'm pickier now than before. What I would love to read is a multichapter slow-burn Mist/Cirrus fic but I haven't been able to pen it down in a way that I feel like it's good enough to share.

I love spicy wlw stuff but I know a lot of authors are non-binary which also has an effect on how authors think about female bodies as gender in general as well as dysphoria can have an impact on what people wish to write. And that is ok!

No you’re right. Someone else posted about how much their engagement has dropped recently and I wanted to comment but didn’t have the brain power to formulate my thoughts.

I’ve noticed ao3 absolutely explode with new Ghost fanfic writers. And I’m sure every time there’s a new tour it happens. I wonder about the longevity of it. I’m sure some will stick around during the slower times and others will look for something that’s happening now. And I am also very picky lol. So it’s nice to have a lot of choice.

As far as a Mist/Cirrus fic, I think people still love hearing ideas! And there might be someone who loves the idea and wants to write it with you. I have absolutely done this, I am right now with @herbal-quintessence the Midwest emo au creator and overall genius, and @alwaysjustmina is my sounding board for basically everything.

And you’re absolutely right re: the last point because that is me. However it was actually this fandom that has helped me a lot with that. In reading both cis and trans characters. I think having afab body parts reframed outside of the lens of cishet men really helped. Because my life experiences led me to be revolted by my own body. So I’m making progress. Bit by bit.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

#midnight moth answers

[the-fanfic-snob]

I created this account to document my readings/ratings of Dramione fan fiction. I’m very particular with what I enjoy (hence the username) and figured that others just as picky as me would enjoy honest reviews and recommendations. I got the idea from a crochet YouTuber (Username TLYarnCrafts) who does critiques and reviews of new yarns in a series she calls Yarn Snob. Similar to this creator, I will be honest with what I like or dislike in the fics I read. However, if I rate a fic low I genuinely do not mean to offend the author or those who loved the fic. I just mean to express that there were aspects that I did not enjoy. Below are aspects of a Dramione fic that I tend to be particularly snobby about whether good or bad. I am very open-minded though and am able to read fics that include things I don’t like as I have been pleasantly surprised before.

1: Unless, the fic takes place over the course of their time at Hogwarts OR it’s a situation where Voldemort won and Draco has to put on a facade of hating Hermione for her safety, I do not like Draco to use the word “Mudblood”. For instance (I’m making this up, I have no idea if this is true to a certain fic), if it’s like five years Post-War and everyone is going about their life and Narcissa mentions something about Hermione in the Daily Prophet and Draco says, “Why would I care what that Mud Blood is up to?”

2: When characters act out of character to a point they are basically an original character. Now, these are fan FICTIONS and I totally understand that, but even if these characters are put into a Modern AU fanfic where the death eaters are a biker gang and magic isn’t real (this IS a fanfic I’ve recently read) they can still act within character. I do enjoy some deviations like Dark!Hermione, but typically those follow a progression that could be justified as actually happening. On the other hand, I have also read a fic where Draco argued loudly with someone over a social justice issue. Now, you might be thinking, “Wouldn’t he? He’s very antagonistic.” But, I feel like Draco isn’t as forward as he was at Hogwarts. For instance, Draco definitely outwardly taunted the Golden Trio and others during Hogwarts, but the older he got he started doing things like the Potter Stinks buttons. So realistically he would just ruin someone’s reputation by circulating their dirty laundry to Rita Skeeter or at least say something slighted towards that person while other people are listening to embarrass them rather than have a brawl. I understand that this is very much based on personal head cannons and that not everyone will agree with me, but that’s okay!

3: Typically, I do not enjoy it when Ron and/or Harry are villains in a story. I genuinely love Ron and Harry as characters so it hurts when a fics major plot point is that the boys don’t care about Hermione or Ron cheated on/abused Hermione during their relationship. It kind of goes hand in hand with the out of character idea, but I dedicated it to its own point because it happens a lot. HOWEVER, I understand the need for it with certain AUs as I can imagine most Dark!Hermione fics would have this aspect, but it would have to be described in a realistic way for me to be okay with it. As for regular fics, I am totally fine with Ron and Hermione breaking up and being like it just didn’t work and we knew we weren’t right for each other or even having a not-so-good break up as long as they become friends again. Also, I am okay with Ron and Harry being upset/not taking the news well/being concerned for Hermione that she and Draco are together because that feels natural considering everything between them. But, I also love when it’s not a huge deal and they’re like “ugh we’ve known ever since _____”. Overall, Ron and Harry’s part in a fic can be a lot of things for me and I will be okay, I just hate when they seem like baseless villains just serving as a catalyst to push Dramione together.

4: When they kiss in Chapter 3, but in the last chapter he insulted her whole family line, what she wore, her hair, her friends, etc. I don’t need a 235 chapter slow burn where they kiss in the last paragraph, but I do believe some character development needs to happen before they jump each other’s bones. This obvi doesn’t apply to one-shots and/or intentionally short fics (like 5 chapters long), but even with these they need to have logical progressions as to why this is happening.

5: On the flip side, I don’t like when something IS a 235 chapter slow burn where they kiss in the last paragraph. I love some close calls, a little hand brushing, accidentally being so close their noses touch because the build up is sooooo worth it. But you actually have to GIVE the result of the build up.

6: I feel like everyone agrees that grammar is important. Now, I definitely make grammar mistakes every now and then so I won’t DNF something because a comma is out of place. However, the fic cannot be just one single paragraph and no breaks. Also, I love when characters go back and forth like this -

« What happened? »

« Not sure, she must have slipped. »

« On? »

« Well, it’s embarrassing. »

« On what, Private? »

« A banana, sir. »

I think it tends to have a comedic effect and also indicates that the two characters speaking are doing so rather quickly. However, if this goes on for more than 6-10 lines PLEASE do us a favor and throw in another indicator as to who is speaking because I will get 100% lost and have to re-read it. Also, it’s not my favorite thing when this happens with more than two characters especially when characters don’t have distinct voices because I will have no clue who is speaking.

OKAY, as for things I LOVE in Dramione fics.

7: I loveeeee when one of them is already into the other but doesn’t show it. I think this tends to be a Draco thing, but I have read some where Hermione has liked him for a while and it works really well.

8: Forced proximity is such a great trope for this specific couple. I think it’s because they hate each other and then when they’re forced to be close together they realize how similar they are. Like both of them are intelligent, ambitious, and witty and I love when they’re together a lot and realize these things about the other.

9: I love Narcissa and I think she has a great role in most fics. Whether she is just trying to rebuild the Malfoy image Post-War or is just trying to do whatever possible to make Draco happy I feel like she is always such a great and pivotal character in Dramione fics. I genuinely enjoy moments between her and Hermione even if Draco is not in the scene.

10: I love when Draco and Hermione do something for work that isn’t something typical. Like, I am totally cool with them working at the ministry and I have read plenty of really good fics where they do, but I enjoy imagining them in different spaces. For instance, if they’re healers, or Draco is a quidditch player, or Hermione owns a bookstore. It’s obviously not a requirement, but I enjoy the creativity especially because typically the plots are based around their jobs.

11: I love a slow burn with a million chapters, but something is so enjoyable about an average size fic that is perfectly paced with a satisfying ending.

12: I have to have somewhat of a happy ending. I love angst and tension, but I also like to enjoy a fic and look forward to the ending. I’m willing to look past a sad ending though if it doesn’t feel forced in order to be shock value.

13: There is nothing I value more than well-written characters. You can have the best plot ever, but if the characters do not feel/act like real human beings it is so hard for me to become attached. I think this aspect of a story is the biggest make or break for me.

So, if you’re a fanfic snob like me stay tuned to my reviews! I would also love to take recommendations even if the fic matches one of the points I said I didn’t like because I am open-minded enough to at least try and read things out of my comfort zone. I have been surprised before! Again though, I do not mean to hurt anyone’s feelings with this account as I will be posting positive and negative reviews. I really created this because I wanted to recommend people things based on specific likes and dislikes. This won’t mean that the fics I don’t like are bad for someone else, just means that if you like the things I do in a fic and don’t like the things I don’t in a fic, maybe you should read the ones I enjoyed. Everyone likes different things and I totally embrace that!

#dramione #Harry Potter #Hogwarts #fan fiction #review #fanfic review #recommendations #AUs

[homosubtext]

top 3 sakuatsu fic recs and why pls!!

also i hope the move/transition treats you well 💗

oh god this is so difficult there’s so many fuck i’m gonna cheat and list more than 3 fics

(all of these fics are on ao3 btw)

"Three Sheets to the Wind" by fairycake ( @blueberryllus )

fairycake is my favorite author on ao3, 110%. This story was so captivating and i think i read the whole thing in like one day because i just couldn’t put it down. i think their dynamic is so well portrayed and i think fairycake does an amazing job with kiyoomis characterization (which i can be picky about, u know how much i love him). there’s so many scenes in this fic that i’ll go back to read because it fills me with so much joy and i love to revisit that. i’m also going to list “Again, Until it’s Perfect” and “Insert Coin to Play” both by fairycake because those are also excellent fics and i feel like they’re all kinda tied for first place for me.

"Play Among the Stars" by Buttonstuck ( @not-the-kind-you-save )

This was one of the first long sakuatsu AU fics i read and it really stuck with me. i think it’s well written and the plot is so memorable and everything they go through together is just,,,, wow i feel so much for this fic. i also love angst with a happy ending so this fic was absolutely fantastic for me.

“The Do’s and Dont’s of Loving Sakusa Kiyoomi” by liliapocalypse and “The Intricate Ways in Which Sakusa Kiyoomi Flirts” by woopsiedaisies

i am pairing these together not cause they necessarily have anything to do with each other but because i love them both so much and i think they are absolutely wonderful fics. i love a misunderstanding/not realizing they’re both just in love with each other kind of thing and these fics did that so well. these are fics that i revisit often and read again because wow, they never fail to make me Feel Things.

and I am going to put another one as an honorable mention bc i am a cheater <3

“Down To Earth” by KHShip ( @khship910 )

this fic was a fucking rollercoaster for me (in the best way possible), i read it months ago and there are lines from that story that i still remember. the one that i think about the most is “kiyoomi cried the first tears that heaven had ever seen” (or something very close to that). i think about it all the time. i remember sitting at my dining table reading the end of it while i was eating breakfast and i finished the fic and i just sat and stared at the table for a couple minutes after, it took me a while to recover from that one. it has one of my favorite endings to like any fic i’ve ever read. like it was a transformative experience for me, i love that fic <3

#u said 3 and i named 7 HCJXHAHWBS #fr i can not recommend fairycakes fics enough. they were life changing experiences i am a different person now than i was before i read them #if anyone wants to send asks for the ‘saturday night sleepover thing’ even tho it’s not saturday anymore pls do #i really took my time with this one whew sorry #thank u isa ily. move in went well it’s just lonely here for a while till me friends and roommates get here :( #if anyone has sakuatsu fic recs….. send them to me #if anyone knows the authors of the other fics pls let them know i love them and their work <3 #haikyuu!! #fic rec #sakuatsu #here’s the mail it never fails 💌 #asks #reymbles

[one-vivid-judgment]

what's your personal ship with kiryu (outside of majima because rgg don't let my man's heart's desires catch a BREAK) if i may ask? cause i love date but kiryu needs a Best Bro (also i'm such a sucker for date/adachi) and date is the BEST of the best. i love the idea that of course he was down bad for tachibana, but because of their lack of just being able to Have Time Together among all the chaos, it just became an unrequited scar upon his piles of piles of self-loathing.

Tbh Kiryu is not my favorite character by a long shot. I don’t hate him by any means! I just find other characters more interesting and like their personalities more. 0 and 8 are peak Kiryu for me, and I think it has a lot to do with the amount of character interactions: he is still learning the ropes in 0 and relies on and interacts more with other people (Nishiki, Tachibana, Oda, even his interactions with Kuze I found pretty cool). In Infinite Wealth, just the fact that he has an actual party to interact with elevated him to me—that dynamic intro where he and Ichiban tag team Wong Tou, or the little moment where he, Chitose and Tomi are filming the video and just... hanging out and being chill for a change, for example. Those little moments made me like him much more when I used to be pretty indifferent aside from like, his interactions with Haruka which I found the cutest thing ever.

Since I was indifferent for the longest time, I never thought much about which ship of his I like most. I really dig him and Kaoru though, but I’m not sure how popular that is 😭 Also, Nishiki, of course! I’m not too picky though, I think I’ve read fics of pretty every Kiryu ship just cause I thought they looked interesting and were well-written. My favorite AO3 author has written Kiryu with Majima, Nishiki, Saejima, Ryuji, even Someya, and I eat up all their fics like nobody’s business.

Man, it’s been a while since I thought about Adachi x Date though 😭😭 I’m more into Adachiwagi, but what little I’ve read of him and Date has been very good so like, potential new OT3 here 👀 Adachi not getting any luck with women but being a hit with old men is such a funny concept to me. They just love this bear of a man, and who wouldn’t?

#.txt #anon ask

[sitp-recs]

Dear Liv, first of all thank you for your contributions to his fandom, I’ve found and loved so many wonderful fics thanks to you!

After reading SG’s Turn, I’d love to read more epilogue compliant Drarry fics, preferably mature or explicit, but I don’t know where to start. I was wondering if you had any favorite epilogue compliant fics to rec? Sorry if you’ve already answered a similar ask. Tysm!!

Hi anon! I feel like I haven’t contributed much to fandom lately but thank you, that’s very sweet 😘 I’m a bit picky about epilogue-compliant bc I don’t really care for het ships or kid fics and many of them involve infidelity which is not my usual jam (but I’m willing make an exception for Frayach’s brilliant Breaking All the Rules).

I listed below some recs with divorced Drarry and would suggest checking this epilogue-compliant compilation by @gameofdrarry and maybe take a look at authors like Lomonaaeren and Gracerene, they’ve written a few epilogue-compliant stories. Enjoy!

A Song, Incomplete by RurouniHime (E, 11k)

Draco’s photograph took up the entire top half of the Prophet’s front page. Below the photo: DRACO MALFOY DEFENDS SON OF FORMER LOVER. As if that were breaking news.

The Weight of a Wanting Heart by Femme (E, 12k)

After nearly two decades hidden away in the Wiltshire countryside, Draco Malfoy’s surprised to see a familiar face come into his local.

Lost and Found by rillalicious (M, 16k)

Hermione is an auditor for the Ministry. When she comes across an intriguing case with a familiar name, she turns to her favorite Auror for help.

Written in the Stars by November Snowflake (M, 16k)

Draco watches as his son grows up--and maybe does a little growing up of his own.

Once Upon A Time, Yesterday by Femme (E, 22k)

"You've always been obsessed with Malfoy, Harry. That should probably tell you something."

Dating for Dads in Denial by @aibidil (T, 25k)

In which one wizard designs and another reluctantly patronises a magical matchmaking service, amidst the chaos of children and parenting.

Homecoming by November Snowflake (E, 27k)

Harry thinks spending two weeks as a guest lecturer at Hogwarts will offer the perfect chance to get away from his troubles. Then he meets his assigned faculty guide: Potions Master Draco Malfoy.

Time is a Construct series by @gracerene (E, 29k)

Draco's in a bit of a rut. He's nearing forty, divorced, and he still can't figure out how to make his Time Turner reconstruction work. He's bored, he can admit it, so he's not nearly as concerned as he should be when his pet project malfunctions and sends him twenty years into the past. That is, until he ends up relying on a nineteen-year-old Harry Potter for help and starts developing some very inconvenient—and possibly reciprocated—feelings.

Paper Rings by @lettersbyelise (E, 50k)

When Harry’s in need of a divorce lawyer, he has no choice but to turn to the best in the trade. Draco Malfoy’s reputation for discretion is flawless, and his track record for winning cases is close to perfect. But he’s also ruthless, passionate, and as infuriating as ever, and the brief relationship he and Harry had in Eighth Year still feels painfully fresh despite two decades spent apart.

2020, 2021 by newleaves (M, 64k)

Harry’s going through a divorce. It’s a love story, really.

When Times are Dire by @aibidil (E, 130k)

Magical Britain is screwed, and it's once again up to Harry to save it. This time, by marrying Draco Malfoy.

This Ain't the Garden of Eden by @romaine2424 (E, 131k)

In 2020, Hit Wizard Harry is starting to enjoy his life. He’s divorced, and no longer Head Auror. His biggest project these days is trying to remodel 12 Grimmauld Place for him and the kids. Draco Malfoy is recovering from his wife’s death. But is happy with his Ministry position as Temporary Head of the Department of Intoxicating Substances, and with his son who he adores. This all changes quickly when Minister Shacklebolt decides not to run for another term.

#asks #anon #Drarry reclist #epilogue compliant fics