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#postcanon get-together fics at this point and this one is one of if not THE best I've read. love it. no notes. could have done more
llycaons · 1 year
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I don’t remember if I already talked about this fic but honestly, it’s a marvel how well it captures wwx’s scattered thoughts and how difficult he finds it to identify his own feelings. this is something so crucial to his character that a lot of works miss in favor of either utter certainly or unbelievably obliviousness
in the postres chaos where he’s recovering from being dead and all the trauma of his previous life, I definitely got the sense that he just couldn’t figure out his feelings and he had to really make the effort to sit and examine them intentionally, which is what the finale travels were for. and he always had a habit of flinching away from things he really wanted and of lying about how he felt to the people around him, so the fact that it takes him a while to understand his feelings and understand lwj’s is completely reasonable. and I prefer it explored this way instead of heaping twelve overused and ooc self-deprecating tropes onto him the way 90% of the fics I’ve read do
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wangxianficfinder · 7 months
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Fic finder
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1. Hi! I looked everywhere for this fic so I’m afraid it’s gone. It was on ao3. Omega Wei Wuxian is captured by Wen Chao during a battle where he sets fire to a stronghold and meets Alpha Lan Zhan while they are both prisoners. The fic is mostly Wei Ying’s war efforts using his extremely violent heats to his advantage. Song Lan and Xiao Xingchen feature prominently as do the Wen siblings. It was a long-ish multi-chapter completed work. Thank you! @sicklyscribe
FOUND! I Will Not Go Gentle into the Quiet Night by TriviasFolly (M, 89k, WangXian, A/B/O Dynamics, Omega WWX, Alpha LWJ, no cultivation au, Vaugely Historical AU?, royal au, War AU, Slow Burn, Attempted Rape, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Murder)
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2. Hey, I'm looking for a fic where lwj summons an incubus or succubus wei wuxian. It is a bottomji fic. @imstillthinkingaboutithmm
FOUND! Lan Wangji's Fullproof Guide on How (NOT) to Summon a Demon by Howtosolveit (E, 3k, WangXian, Porn With Plot, but not a lot of plot, Incubus WWX, Demons, wwx has a tail, Wings, Interspecies Sex, Bottom LWJ/Top WWX, Anal Sex, Crack, Filthy, size queen lwj, Canon Divergence)
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3. hi! im looking for a fic where lan wangji and wei wuxian date as teenagers before lqr finds out and sends lwj to london with lxc
FOUND? 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)
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4. Hello mods! Thank you so much for all of your hard work. I'm looking for a wangxian fic that is set in the modern Omegaverse where WY is an omega and LZ is an alpha, and they're already an established couple at the beginning of the fic. The fic starts when both of them wake up in the middle of the night to the sound of chaos, as an omega uprising against the alphas has started, and their is a coup going on against the government and they're assasinating alphas. Then Wangxian meet up with Sangcheng and XuanLi to a safe house where they plan to move to another country for safety. I remember a WY thinking or saying something along the lines of, "It's my turn to protect you" to LZ.
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5. hi, need help finding a fic title. it should be quite popular. modern setting, wwx has powers to open and close... rifts? he and lwj go through one and get stranded in canon setting during postcanon. thanks for the help
FOUND! a tide in two seas by occultings (microcomets) (E, 81k, wangxian, modern w/ magic, parallel universes, post-canon, getting together, pining, case fic)
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6. good day! for the fic finder, can u guys help me find this fics: A) idk if its a jiang bashing but during the competition, wwx broke jwy's sword then he asked his father to have another one but his father didnt gave him any. then i think there's also a scene where jyl is also included in the competition that somehow she managed to form a core to fight but its not that strong.
B) i cant remember this one clearly but wwx stays with the lans at some point and he doesnt give a fvck with jyl. jyl wants wwx to come back to them (jiangs) but wwx knows his worth this time.
6A)
FOUND! Hua Xianle by Tiffany_Guinne (Not rated, 170k, hualian, wangxian, TGCF, canon divergence, not Jiang friendly, madam lan lives, WWX adopted by hualian, WWX with different name, overprotective hualian, hurt WWX, WIP)
6B)
FOUND! Never Again by Hauntcats (T, 67k, WQ & WWX & WN, JC & WWX, wangxian, graphic depictions of violence, major character death, Canon Divergence, AngstGolden Core Transfer Fix-It, I love Wen Qing and Wei Ying working together, Time Travel Fix-It, Not JC Friendly, Dark, BAMF WWX, mentions of abuse, Canon JC traits, Not Everyone Dies au, XY doesn't have a happy ending)
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7. Hi mods!! Love this blog and thank you for all that you do! ❤️ I read a fic a long time ago where at the climax Wei Wuxian formed a core from purified resentful energy. Can't find it again to save my sanity, would you be able to help?
FOUND? Sunder by naqaashi (E, 32k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Soulmates, Golden Core Reveal, Golden Core Transfer Fix-It, WWX Has a New Golden Core, Heavy Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Denial of Feelings, Mutual Pining, Emotional Sex, Porn with Feelings, PWP, Light BDSM, Fix-It, POV LWJ, YLLZ WWX, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Top/Bottom Versatile | Switch WangXian, Light Dom/sub, Explicit Sexual Content, Miscommunication, Misunderstandings, Grief/Mourning, Five Stages of Grief, Suicidal Thoughts) the last chapter has a scene similar to the description
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8. hii!!! i’m in the need for a ficfinder!! the fic was basically wwx tries to call lwj because he thinks he got drugged at a party, but he doesn’t answer since lwj is having dinner with his brother and uncle and they aren’t allowed to have their phones, so he calls lxc instead and he answers.
lwj and lxc go into the bathroom where wwx is hiding and find someone trying to take advantage of him, so they beat him up. this is all i remember unfortunately!! :((
(modern setting), tsvm!! :D
FOUND! Please Let Me Take Care of You by kayceebabe (G, 9k, wangxian, LXC & LWJ, LXC & WWX, modern, Hurt/Comfort, Getting Together, Sexual Assaultish, kinda assault, drugged WWX, big brother LXC, Nightmares, the horrifying ordeal of being known, Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Hurt WWX, crying WWX)
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9. Hi! Hope u'all having a good day! Is anyone of u know a fic where lwj got wwx pregnant and he didnt know about it. Wwx sent letters but lwj never got it because of lxz.
FOUND! Nothing but your heart by airinshaw (E, 21k, WangXian, Modern AU, A/B/O Dynamics, Implied Mpreg, First Time, Getting Together, Angst and Drama, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anal Sex, Whump, Breeding Kink)
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10. Hi! Can you help me find these 2 fics.
A) I remember this fic is a dark lwj. The lans ask Jyl’s hand in marriage for lwj however, since the jiang family know lwj as a bloodwar, they instead sent Wwx (disguised as female) instead of jyl. I remember when it was on their wedding night, lwj saw wwx’s robe covered in blood and discover wwx got a lot scars/wound on his back and learned that wwx is a boy.
B) Xicheng where Lxc and jwy are lovers but they got into fight to the point jwy thought it was better he was gone. Then, i remember jwy doing sacrifice soul summoning (like how MXY summons Wwx) to summon MY/JGY. It was successful.
10A)
FOUND? The Bloodthirsty Prince and his Bride by moss_enthusiast (M, 27k, WangXian, Angst with a Happy Ending Violence, Anxiety, Royalty, Strangers to Lovers, Arranged Marriage, Self-Worth Issues, Self-Esteem Issues, Whipping, Blood and Gore, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Past Abuse, Child Abuse, Physical Abuse, Blood and Violence, Dark LWJ, Fluff, Angst and Feels, Hurt/Comfort, Shock, Anxiety Attacks)
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11. hello! I'm looking for a wangxian fic where wei ying dies at qiongqi path and lan zhan hears about it went to burial mounds but he was too late. after that, song lan appeared at jin lintai with wen yuan and a-yuan went to lan zhan shouting rich gege. when a-yuan learns that wei ying is dead he keeps telling that his xian-gege is now asleep like his parents and sister. and then when a-yuan saw the golden robes of madam jin, jin guangshan he screamed and kept saying bad men. @zeanclr
FOUND? @lovelyiknow said: #11 from the most recent fic finder is When I’m Gone by qiankun_pouch, it’s mostly finished but was deleted at 29/30? 31? smth like that. I have the pdf if anon wants it!
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12. looking for a fic where lwj gets tortured, and is rescued. one thing I remember is that it was second person pov, and it was relatively short. also, lwj kinda had amnesia- as in the torture made him forget or something. thanks!
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13. hello ! i hope y’all are doing well. i wanted to see if anyone could find this one fic that i read ages ago, but i can’t remember the title. but basically, i think it’s where wwx gets his old body back after being cursed by a fox(?) spirit - like he transforms back. and i think somewhere in the story, the juniors are there and they ask sizhui what wwx originally looked like and when he draws them a picture, they think he’s lying bc wwx looks too good in the drawing !! it’s been sitting at the back of my brain, so any help would be much appreciated:)) thank youuu <;3 @slytherin-trash
FOUND? Transcend by covalentbonds (Not Rated, 7k, WIP, WangXian, Post-Canon, Fluff and Humor, Smut)
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14. hi!! I’m not sure if this is the right way to ask, if it isn’t, please correct me! Im pretty sure I had seen a fic on here where the description said that lwj just kind of showed up at wwx and a’yuans door and they were just kind of like ok sure why not. I’m sorry I don’t have more details my app crashed just after I saw it😭😭would you happen to have an idea of what it was?? Thank you so much😭
FOUND! Across the street to another life by danegen (M, 99k, WangXian, Modern AU, unleashed au, Family Fluff, Set in America, Hurt/Comfort, Past Child Abuse, Addiction, Crime, Amnesia, Ableist Language, another fridged mother, POV Alternating, past wwx/ofc, past wwx/omc, Medium parent YZY, A-Yuan is wwx's biological son, Musicians, Happy Ending)
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15. I’m sorry to ask this but I can’t find this fic and I searched it all day 🐇🐇🐇
A) I think, lwj and wwx are able to achieve immortality or are trying to achieve it and idk nor remember if it’s a omega verse or just magic bs but at some point in the story wwx asks how many children lwj would like to have and he answers 10 to which wwx thinks is joking but lwj is all serious about it XD
B) And also a fic where ylz ends up as a Jin and he’s usually in a garden surrounded by guards
Jiang Yanli is still alive and I think Jin zixuan too, but when wwx talks to JY he’s always formal and she can tell something is going on, there’s also wangxian and I think JGY is the one behind everything under his father’s commands
Thank you 🙇‍♀️
15A)
FOUND? Besieged by Ariaste (M, 11k, WangXian, WWX POV, wwx's avuncular powers, Teenage Drama, Humor, Feelings, Fluff) the second work of "A Civil Combpaign", the talk about lwj wanting more children surprised wwx, who had kinda jokingly suggested.
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16. Hi there, looking for a fic that had a 4/5 times wwx something 1 time lwj something format. Maybe based on jealousy or people hitting on them? One of the times was the head disciple of yunmeng jiang drugging and almost assaulting wwx but jiang cheng saves him. Please help, thank you!
FOUND! Cotton Wool by incendir (M, 34k, wangxian, LJY/OMC, JL/LSZ, JC & WWX)
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17. Hi! I’m looking for a fic when lwj is intersex and a river nymph I believe! wwx drinks water from lwj’s home and now he has to grant a wish. wwx at first thought that the price would be sxx but lwj actually asks him to build a rabbit hutch, a fence, and a house throughout the fic. This fic takes place over a course of a year or so and by the end they are married to live together! I remember this fic so clearly I just can’t seem to find it again. Thank you!
FOUND! Water Sweeter by deliciousblizzardshark (E, 8k, WangXian, Historical, Rogue Cultivator WWX, Some kind of fairy or spirit or something LWJ, Intersex LWJ, Intersex Character, Fluff and Humor, Crack Treated Seriously, Thirst Trap WWX, Topping from the Bottom, WWX's Canonical Cottage-core Fantasy, First Time, Domestic Fluff, Vaginal Sex)
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18. hi so I am looking for this one fic and all I remember is that some of the wen remnants were bloodline jiangs
Thank you @princess-nettle
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19. Hi! 🤗 For the next Fic Finder, I wanted to ask about a fic I read some time ago, and now I can't find it. It's a fic where LWJ and WWX have sex in Xuanwu cave and WWX gets pregnant. After that they separated and WWX thinks he have lost the baby, but he didn't lost the baby and WWX goes into labor in a fight with the bad Wens.
I hope you can help me find it! Thank you! 😊💜 @wangxiansgirl
FOUND! Impermanence, Transience, Permanence by Best Bepsy (BepsyGray) (E, 39k, wangxian, canon divergence, unplanned pregnancy, mpreg, gore, sunshot campaign, assumed miscarriage, medical procedures, childbirth, golden core reveal)
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20. I'm looking for a short fic, modern AU, mpreg, where Wei Ying doesn't know he's pregnant and gives birth on the bedroom floor. I only remember that and that he decided to walk home from work when he was feeling ill (still not realizing he was pregnant and in labor). Thanks, you are ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ @ilolatthis
FOUND! Surprise Baby! by trulywicked (M, 10k, WangXian, Modern with Magic, Modern Cultivation, Mpreg, Unplanned Pregnancy, Accidental Baby Acquisition, Didn't know he was pregnant, birthing scene, Little bit of blood, A/B/O Dynamics, Inspired by Twitter, Established Relationship, Fluff)
NOT FOUND! Blood, Google, and Love by Prairie_Grass (E, 4k, WangXian, Modern with Magic, they were roommates, A/B/O Dynamics, Getting Together, Mpreg, semi graphic giving birth, Alpha LWJ, Omega wwx, Intersex Omegas, (or you could head-canon WWX as trans if you wanted), Fluff and Angst, the run-on sentences are on-purpose because WWX and LWJ are both:, neurodiverse characters, slightly traumatic birth)
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stormbreaker101 · 6 months
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Wiztober Day 19: For Better or Worse - What should have been a simple recon mission and fetch quest quickly spiraled out of control, for better and worse.
This fic was made in collaboration with @klaraflamez! It takes place in her Wizard101 postcanon/rewrite, the Cleaved AU. Things aren't quite as they seem in this Spiral...
Content warnings: multiple instances of swear words (so it's not PG-13), and both canon-typical and canon-atypical violence.
If you want to read the fic with font variation for flavor (and maybe a secret or two in between the lines :3), here's the fic in its original format.
Word Count: 7866
It was supposed to be a pretty simple quest. Sneak into a heavily secured Schismist fort in the middle of the day, take the blueprints for an incredibly dangerous machine they’ve got, and hightail it out of there. No harm, no foul, no need to use that license to kill they gave him.
Unfortunately for Flare Rouge and Jane Doe, the young Wizard that (for better and worse) the Arcanum assigned to him to watch over, the fort was in a world that nobody had a key for. The elusive and fascinating Novus, a world said to only be about 25 years old, a world that didn’t exist in Flare’s original spiral! What a joy would that be to see! 
Alas, getting there was another story.
And it still is another story. Sorry Flare, I know you and Jane probably have a ton of good memories you want written out, spending so long adventuring. But there’s a lot to get through.
Moo Bu was fantastic company on the long trip from the Jade Palace to Catmandu, over which hung one of Novus’s shards. He had a thousand stories to pass the time, open ears for Jane and Flare to share their stories with as well, and many a wisdom to dispense. Moo dispensed his final wisdom as their journey split (him up the scarlet Stone of Heaven, and them to Conatus, where the fort stood): “Be careful dealing with the people in charge there. The governors are egoists first, leaders a distant second. And your… Arcanum also sound like bigshots. Do not let them use you.”
Flare nodded slowly. “Thanks, but we’ve got this.” He didn’t like the implication that Moo was hinting at, but there wasn’t time to argue. Jane was already rushing to the pale blue leyline gate. “JANE! WAIT UP!”
“WE DON’T HAVE TIME TO WAIT!” Jane shouted back. Then to Moo Bu she hollered, “BYE! THANKS FOR EVERYTHING!” before disappearing through the gate.
Flare rolled his eyes, but couldn’t hold back a laugh. Ms Whisperwind had warned Flare that Jane was flighty as a pup and needed overseeing. Jane’s impulse and determination were why Flare enjoyed questing with her. Sure, she was his responsibility and 10 years his junior, but she was also a friend. They both ran at a million miles an hour and often ran together, an unstoppable duo of Sorcerers! He hurried after her, zipping through the leyline gate.
~
Conatus sprawled out in front of Flare and Jane, a sight unlike anything the two had seen before. Stone cliffs wide, smoothed, curved, and jutting out like way too many fingers on a pair of palms. Soft white loamy sands down below. A massive indigo waterfall from what almost looked like an eye, tumbling into a massive waving lake. Many tents, gardens, markets, and camps for the other five nations that Novus’s shards hung over. Karamelle, Marleybone, Polaris, Monquista, and Valencia. 
Notably, there was no Schismist fort to be seen, but that only made sense. Why would a secretive cult have a major base of operations where everyone could see? It’s a good thing the Arcanum provided Flare and Jane with some particularly convenient maps: of Conatus, and of the base’s interiors, including the location of the Schismists’ lab, where the dastardly plans lay.
Jane opened the map of Conatus up, and Flare peeked over her shoulder. “There’s no way we can go through the main entrance,” she said, pointing at the entrance marked on the map. “Even with the Arcanum promising to keep the Schismists’ attention, we’d be spotted super easy by whoever stayed behind. Is there some side entrance we can go through?”
“Yep, they’ve got that animal sanctuary,” Flare said. He took out the other map and laid it out on the floor. “Thing is, that’s pretty darn far away from the lab. We might get caught the longer we stay and move around.”
“C’mon, we can do it! I’ve got experience sneaking about back when I was a pirate. And you can… well…” Jane’s train of thought trailed off. Flare was not stealthy in the slightest.
“I could polymorph into a ninja pig-” Flare spitballed.
Jane snort-laughed at the idea. “YES.”
Flare laughed as we,,. “Pogchamp! That’s our plan!”
“More like pigchamp?”
“YES!” Flare cheered. He gathered the map and hopped up to his feet. “I’ve trained ya well in the art of the pun. Now, let’s get going.”
~
The two of them made their way down to the sanctuary entrance, tucked between some cliff walls that at a distance looked like one surface. Flare put his hand against the door and made a portal to the other side. Portals were one of the magics that he had carried from his home, outside every Spiral, and thus were a tad shakier to use here. (This Spiral seems to resist every magic that isn’t its own.) 
Even riskier still to try and make a portal to a place he had never set foot into. The furthest Flare could trust his portals into unknown territory was a few feet. In other words, safely past this wall but not more.
Jane put on her mask and helmet. The portal opened. Flare polymorphed. The two hopped through. The portal closed behind them.
For better and worse, they’re in.
Jane scurried to the shadowed edges of the sanctuary, and Flare hustled up a tree with newfound ninja agility. A peculiar mustache-bird of some kind flew up to Flare. Flare fought back the mounting panic of him being discovered already. It’s just a harmless bird. Not an enemy. He held out a hoof to gently pat the bird. There’s a good birdie. Calm. Friend, he thought at it. He also decided to spare a moment to magically *Check what the bird was, get some more information.
A 2D textbox appeared in front of Flare, with a splash of flavortext explaining the little creature. [Follicle Falcon (Star-Balance, rank 21 Elite): Native to the Stone of Heaven. Well known as therapy pets for their Empathic Abilities.]
So thinking at ya was the right call, Flare realized. There’s a good bird. Kinda wish I could adopt one of y’all from these guys… You deserve better than being raised by cultists, y’know?
In the meantime, Jane had made her way across the sanctuary to the door without any of the other creatures spotting her. Got the door open! Lockpicks :> she Whispered to Flare.
Perfect. Flare crept through the tree cover and climbed on the sanctuary walls, making his way over. I’ll go in first in case anybody’s right inside. Maybe they’ll miss me slipping into the rafters or something.
Jane gave a thumbs up.
Flare nudged the door open and swung inside. The room was thankfully empty, and also a bedroom? Furnished and decorated, with Life motifs everywhere. A fuzzy moss-looking carpet, a soft bed nested in bookshelves, walls lined with various supplies that Flare couldn’t investigate too closely, and a closed wardrobe. Not what he was expecting, but then again… what had he been expecting in the first place? He hadn’t really come into this plan with… any preconceived notions on what a violent apocalyptic cult’s base would look like. He wasn’t one for judging someone based off how others portrayed them, a trait that had caused him to butt heads with this Spiral’s Arcanum many times. Always considering the other perspective, never taking something as face value, save for the Arcanum itself. Because he knew the Arcanum from his own Spiral. But all this debate he got into for his differing views was all in good faith, right? A compromise could be reached eventually. Besides, if they were truly evil, he’d be able to see it for himself.
Maybe the Schismist’s base would show its true colors outside of what was obviously a personal bedroom.
Room’s empty. We’re clear, Flare Whispered to Jane.
Jane stepped in and paid little heed to the room’s decor, heading straight to the other door. She tested the doorknob- it was already unlocked. Hey, weird question, does this feel too… easy for you? she asked.
Not yet, Flare admitted. We’re only two rooms in. It’ll probably ramp up the further we go in. Leah’s not the kind of person to just throw us in the deep end immediately, he reasoned to himself. The story needs time to build, right?
Right.
Jane nodded and opened the door to the halls. She slipped behind a potted plant by the door and Flare climbed up into the rafters above the hanging lights. The floors were lined with neat runner-rugs, a very pleasing blue and purple palette that reminded Flare of his favorite sweater, and distinctly not the dark malachite green and gold normally associated with the Schismists.
The Arcanum had warned that the Schismists were fickle foes. Changing their name and their faces, but carrying the same dangerous ideologies across the ages. They’ve supposedly done it before, posing as the otherwise noble-intentioned Chronomancers in maroon and white in Mirage maintaining the Sands of Time, or the Dark Cloud Agents in grey and purple and silver harassing the Nimbari of Empyrea. Of course they’d do it again, especially after the Wizard had lain waste to those Schismist offshoots 25-odd years ago. This particular chapter of the Schismists, at the heart of Novus, called themselves the Astral Alliance.
Flare and Jane snuck their way through the fort. It was suspiciously quiet. The two of the only caught sight of some folks hanging out in what looked like a library similar to the Arcanum’s Repository, and a lemur-person checking on the sleeping Rainbow Eucalyptus tree planted down the way.
A door opened right underneath Flare! An impossibly tall moose-person stepped through the doorway, speaking to someone inside the room he had just come from: “All we can do is hope, Chancellor.”
Flare held his breath. Leah, don’t leave me hanging. Please. 
The moose’s ear twitched. He hesitated for a moment, hand to his muzzle, then straightened up with a snap of his fingers. “Er, actually, I remembered one last thing on my mind,” he said. “If I may.”
“Oh?” responded this Chancellor figure from inside. “What is it now, Manti?”
“That newest recruit-” Manti closed the door, muting the conversation too quiet for Flare to hear.
THAT WAS WAY TOO CLOSE, Jane screamed in the Whisper.
Flare nodded. We got real lucky. Anyway, next door over is the lab. Jane’s earlier comment about this quest being too easy rang in his mind again. That was so close to leading to a disaster! Had this Manti fellow heard him? Did he think it was just the wind? Did he- god forbid- know? Leah, please. Prove my worst panicking wrong. Save us. Help.
No, no there’s no way Manti knew. If he knew Flare was sneaking around, surely he would’ve sounded an alarm of some kind! Or made ANY sort of move, an attack or a word of acknowledgement like ‘I know you’re there. You came far but now you’re found out. You made a mistake coming here’ or some other archetypical monologue! He wouldn’t just know and say nothing about it.
Of course. Right. Yeah, we’re in the clear. Thanks.
Flare was overthinking.
Oh, come on, you didn’t have to say that.
Jane came out of her hiding spot and tried to pick the lab door open. However, none of her picks seemed to work. “Stupid- dammit- C’mon- Why are you harder- than the fucking outside door- you bastard-” she cursed under her breath, getting more agitated with each repeat attempt. This lock must’ve been enchanted, or just more heavy duty. Flare I think we might just need a portal past this son of a bitch.
Flare dropped down from the rafters and unpolymorphed. One portal past this son of a bitch coming right up, he Whispered back, echoing the vulgarities back because sometimes you just have to call a door a son of a bitch. Hand to the door, he tried to project a portal just barely past the door. No more than… six inches in. That’d still be well in the doorway and thus well without the odds of portaling into some furniture.
The two stepped in, expecting to be the only ones inside.
Instead, there was a hippocampus girl inside, wearing a true Schismist uniform of green and gold, and holding a batch of blueprints in her arms. “Arcanum,” she hissed upon seeing the two.
Flare closed the portal. 
“Hey bastard!” Jane jeered. “You’ve got something that we can’t letcha have!”
“These plans don’t belong to you.” The stranger backed up towards the open window on the back wall.
“We have to take them, for the sake of the Spiral!” Flare countered, stepping forward. If she dared to fly out that window, he could chase after her.
“You know nothing about the matters you’re meddling with,” the woman spat, “nor any understanding about what the Spiral needs!”
Flare dismissed the stranger’s words, and *Checked her. Mercy was rarely an option in the Spiral, and it was painfully obvious to Flare that there was no choice but to defeat and collect here, and he’d like to know what kind of enemy she was before jumping into a fight. [Shrub (Star, Rank 20 Elite) - the Old One’s daughter. Schismist like him. Raised to be a prodigy Wizard. Dangerous.]
A Wizards’ duel circle sprung up at his feet. The circle pulled Shrub in, and then Jane joined Flare. Jane noticed the textbox in front of Flare. “What’sit say?”
“Star school… which could mean just about anything,” Flare answered. “And she’s the Old One’s daughter too. Whoever that is.”
“Ah, so she’s geezer the second.”
Shrub was visibly taken aback, insulted even. But she said nothing more.
Both sides wanted this fight to end quick. The longer they stayed, the more chance there was that someone would come in and discover them. Unfortunately, Flare and Jane made a dynamic duo with him as support to her offense, and Shrub was a pesky foe with all of the worst utility a foe with Myth and Balance mastery could have. Whenever Jane had too many blades, Shrub would Earthquake them off. Whenever Shrub dared to summon an aura on herself, Flare would pop it with a Supernova. Plays upon counterplays. Neither side went down easily.
Shrub’s health ticked down slow and eventual. She had no heals of her own, while Flare was able to keep Jane’s health stable with Availing Hands, and his own health up with the occasional Dark Shepherd. Jane grinned as she looked down at her spread of cards and pip count. “You’re going down!”
“What the hell’s going on in there!?” a voice shouted through the door. The handle rattled. “Shit. ALICE!” The person ran off to find this Alice.
Flare broke the duel ring apart. God fucking damn it. Of course you wouldn’t let it be so easy, Leah. One hit away from defeating Shrub or no, the two of them HAD to leave. Alice was a foreboding force, if she had access to this room that a typical anonymous soldier wouldn’t. 
“What the hell?!” Jane protested. “We had this!”
“That was before god put us on a timer of BASICALLY ZERO,” Flare countered. “We need to go.” He made a portal to outside, the indigo lake visible.
Shrub shoved Jane aside and barreled through the portal as soon as it was large enough for her to fit, like there was a fire at her heels too.
“HEY! GET BACK HERE!” Jane shouted at her, rushing after.
Flare ran out last, closing the portal behind him. As he stopped to catch his breath, he watched Shrub run… and couldn’t help but wonder for a moment why a Schismist warrior would be so desperate to flee the Schismists’ fort too.
Jane’s shouts crashed through Flare’s pondering. “FLARE! COME ON! WE CAN’T JUST LET HER GET AWAY LIKE THAT!”
Flare huffed and stretched his arms and wings out. “I’m coming!” Whatever weird infighting and sabotage and subterfugue there was plaguing the Schismists would have to wait. Flare and Jane had a job to do.
~
The two chased Shrub down to another leyline gate, but by the time they appeared on the other side, Shrub was out of sight. “SHIT!” Jane cursed. “MOTHERFUCKING DAMMIT! SON OF A BITCH!”
Flare draped a wing around Jane. “We’re not gonna give up,” he promised. “We just gotta look around for a bit. We don’t even have to rush anymore. We can just… take a breather. Maybe some snacks?”
Jane’s eyes brightened up at that. She was always up for a snack. Could you blame her? She was a growing kid, always hungry. “Y’know what, yeah. I could go for something.”
Flare looked around. These buildings all seemed very… official. Legislative. That’s the word. Not much of a place to get snacks. He approached a hamsterman in a suit and tie. “Excuse me, sir, would you happen to know where we can get something to eat?” he asked. “We’re, uh… tourists. This is our first time here.”
“Tourists, ja? Welcome to Wunderland! Karamelle’s wondrous bite of Novus, discovered by the renowned Alice von Wunder,” the hamsterman said. “You’ll find the lovely Shopping Town on the other end of the shard. Just follow the West Path!” He pointed to a brick path winding past an open gate. “Though, if the cotton candy storms are still over the bridge, you’ll have to go the long way round instead, down to Karamelle itself und sailing up from the Candyrock Summits.”
“Thanks, mister,” Jane piped up.
“Of course, of course!” the hamsterman assured. “Oh- also, are you alright, darling? You swore very loudly when coming out of the leyline!”
“Sprained my ankle,” Jane quickly lied.
“I was able to heal it,” Flare added, letting his hand glow with magical healing light, the Helping Hand spell out of combat. “Magic.”
“Ah, ja, of coure. Wizard types,” the man said. “Well, I won’t hold you here any longer! Have an Olde-Fashioned Delightful Day!™”
~
The West Path was a beautifully curated trail among the woods. The brick road lined with candylike flowers. Gumdrops and peanut-buttercups and fondant roses. The trees were dense around the path, but occasionally there was an opening. Suppose if someone wanted to take a hike or have a picnic, or a boss battle in peace.
If I weren’t used to Wizard101 logic I’d say that’s completely oxymoronic. A boss battle in peace. As if.
You know what I mean.
Yeah yeah.
“Hey, do you think the Alice here and the Alice that other guy was calling for are the same person?” Jane asked, interrupting the banter between an author and his character. 
“Not really. Do you?” Flare asked.
“It’s just… kinda weird. Coincidental?”
Flare shrugged. “Alice isn’t that rare a name.”
“Yeah, but… isn’t the whole deal with the Schismists that they’ve snuck into everywhere? Including politics? Like claiming the shard?”
“That is fair, but… sometimes a political figure is just that. Political. Not a cultist. We shouldn’t be trying to see more people as enemies than we have to.”
“Yeah, yeah… mercy and all that,” Jane sighed. “I just… don’t wanna be blindsided. Because I’m supposed to be the next Wizard… not to mention all the pirating… I gotta keep my eyes open, y’know? Like Ione said.”
“Ione’s always been a bit of a hardass.” Flare knew the Iones in both this spiral and his well. They mean well, but can sometimes get a bit… tunnel visioned. This spiral’s Ione was worse about it by leagues. “You can keep your eyes open for more than just enemies to fight.”
“I guess. I just… don’t wanna end up on a prison galleon in Polaris or something, you know? Or worse.” 
“Yeah, I know…” Flare nodded. It’s unfair, Jane has a lot of expectations on her shoulders at any given time. He could only do so much to alleviate the stress that everything piled up on her. “Can I ask why ya said Polaris specifically? Have you been, before?”
“Not in Polaris, that was just at the tip of my tongue for some reason. I had been in Skull Island, but a pair of pirates helped bust me out bef-” Jane stopped walking. She looked up at the sky in front of her in fear. “Flare.”
“Yeah?” Flare asked, now worried. He looked to where Jane as looking. “Oh-” In front of them roared a massive pink windstorm, engulfing the edges of the land. He tried to *Check the monstrosity.
[KLorem Ipsum Hamster Cinnamon Mole Hurdy-Gurdy]
“Leah,” Flare muttered, unable to keep his irritation at me silent. “Kindly. What the fuck.”
Jane raised an eyebrow. “Who the fuck is Leah?”
“I said that aloud?”
“Yep.”
Flare pinched the pridge between his eyes. “Oh.” Shit how do I explain that we’re characters being written out without giving you an existential crisis!? “Well… he’s basically the Raven, Spider, and Bartleby of the universe I came from.”
“Huh.” Jane hesitated. “His name sounds like just some guy.”
“Yeah. He kinda is. He’s also a massive troll, like what the fuck kind of flavor text is this, man??”
Cinnamon flavor text.
Flare sighed heavily. “I walked right into that one. Son of a bitch.”
“Wait, he answered you???” Jane asked, staring at Flare in utter bewilderment.
“Oh. Yeah. He does that, for better or worse… Usually better.”
“Huh.” Her voice was hollow, Flare’s attempts to stave off the existential crisis had failed. Her friend can just… talk to God. Casually. Damn. If only she could talk to any of the Big Three. But as the existentialism sank in, a miracle unfolded itself in front of the duo. The cotton candy storm parted, like Moses at the Red Sea. 
Flare stared at the storm in bewilderment. “... Son of a bitch rescinded. Doubling down on the ‘what the fuck’, though.” 
“... if I think about this too long I think I’m going to go crazy,” Jane resolved, shaking her head briskly. “But why did- wait nope. That’s thinking about it. Nope nope nope. Can’t do that.” She pushed ahead.
Flare, however, could think about it for longer without going crazy. This meta talk was his normal. So… why this whole cloud thing? Why’d it part for us? Is reality just… kinda fucky? Shitposty? Is this… I can’t think of a better word, normal for this Spiral?
Normal is a meaningless word in Novus and its many shards. This world is Nothing that Flare had ever seen. Magics that never had the chance to surface in his Spiral dance freely in this one. Storms that feast upon existentialism are just one of the ways the fuckiness manifests. For better and worse, there’s more to come.
~
Flare and Jane breached the far edge of the cotton candy storm. The marketplace sprawled out in front of them, with shops advertising sweets galore. The docks were quite busy as well, with one grand ship coming in right now. But right now, there were more important things to pay attention to.
“So… whatcha thinking?” Flare asked, gesturing to the motley of market stands.
Jane looked around, scanning the shops for what exactly she was in the mood for. And then she found it: the holy grail of snacks, the El Dorado of Wunderland. “Chocolate. Over there.” She hurried along, and Flare followed close by.
The hubbub of the market and docks seemed to get louder and louder. Flare glanced out at it, trying to see and hear what was going on. Two voices clamored above the din, though Flare couldn’t see who was shouting it: “... of eVERYTHING DON’T LET IT BE WHAT I THINK IT IS!”
“THEY SAID, AND I QUOTE, ‘GOOD LUCK KICKING THE CALAMARI’S ASS’!”
Flare laughed. “Damn, what the fuck? Jane, you hearing this?”
“Yep. I’m also hearing my stomach growl like crazy! C’mon!” Jane called. “You’ve got the money!”
“I’m coming, I’m coming!”
Karamellian candy hit different. Of course a world that’s an entire candy pun would specialize in some downright magical treats. Flare and Jane found a nice shaded spot to sit, chill, and snack. Flare kept his eyes on the skies. That Shrub… After this snack break, he and Jane would have to hunt her down. She probably had to fly around the cotton candy storms. That is… if she was even here. There was a chance that she was headed to some place in the middle of the woods, on the other side of the cotton candy storms, not having to fly at all.
Jane had much less serious things on her mind for now. She heard the mechanical whirr of some sort of… incredibly smooth clockwork come up to her. She looked down and gasped. A small mechanical cat sat in front of her. A bright red coat of paint on its face and body, its ears and tail segmented and silvers, its legs replaced with small wheels under its body. It stared up at Jane with the brightest digital (OwO) expression on its screen of a face. “Flare,” Jane gasped, staring at it as well, completely enamored.
Flare glanced down. “Oh! Where’d this fella come from?”
“No idea. It’s adorable, though.” Jane pet the metal kitten  on its head. It stretched its head up to meet her hand. A digital “Meow!” rang from it. “I’m keeping it,” Jane resolved.
“It’s not owned, is it?”
“It’s not wearing a collar.”
Flare decided to *Check it just in case. [Kit_10. The purrfect pet of Tomorrow! This one isn’t currently owned :3] “It’s your lucky day.”
Jane picked the Kit_10 up and hugged it close. “Hell fuckin’ yeah! I just gotta figure out what to name ya…”
“I’m sure a name will come to ya soon enough,” Flare said. He went back to watching the skies. Where could Shrub have possibly gone?
THERE! On a building by the docks! Leaning against the roof, the greens of her skin and suit almost blending in with the green rooftiles. Key word, almost. There was no way she was just… chilling up there. Flare could see the blueprints in her hands. She must be watching, or listening, or both. As much as Flare wanted to get up and see what was Shrub was espyin’ upon, he knew he’d be spotted if he moved.
Maybe that’d be to his advantage.
“I’m gonna see what’s up with the crowd,” he told Jane. “I’ll be back.”
Jane nodded. “I’ll be trying to come up with names for this guy.”
And down Flare went. Casual, unassuming, he tried his best to not look at Shrub. If she saw him looking at her, she’d know he knew she was there. These sorts of mind games were really dizzying to spell out, but not too hard for him to actually grasp and act upon. Meanwhile, the crowds were talking. Through all the hubbub, Flare couldn’t quite make out what any one person was saying, aside from a few key phrases that seemed almost entirely nonsequitur: Calamari, eldritch putty, Stallion Quartermane, Astral Alliance, Lemuria.
Lemuria was an incredibly… touchy point. It was why Flare was in this second Spiral in the first place. The Schismists of this Spiral had somehow come over to his own, stole an entire world, and brought it here. Flare had come over to this Spiral to warn its Arcanum that the Schismists were making these big moves, while his Arcanum had sent Maulwurf von Trap, ex-Schismist and skilled spy, to infiltrate the Schismists’ ranks and perhaps devise a way to bring Lemuria back?
Now that Flare thought about it, he hadn’t ever had much of a chance to check in on Maulwurf. Every time he actively remembered his friend, there’d always be something else that he HAD to take care of. But right now, there was no such rush. Flare tried to send a Whisper: Hey! Checking in. You safe? How’s Lemuria?
No response. 
He must be busy too, Flare realized. Sadge.
He glanced up towards the building, and just barely caught sight of Shrub’s tail slipping into the window. Damn, perfect timing. Had he looked up a second later, he would’ve missed that. Thank god I saw that. You’re welcome. That building had to be a meeting point of some kind, why else would she have snuck in? Trying to go inside, then coming out through the front door, then sneaking her way into another building would only risk her being noticed by the other people in the crowds.
Flare went back to Jane. “Whenever you’re ready, I found Shrub. We can go yoink the blueprints.”
“Oh shit!” Jane gasped. She stood up. “You bet your ass I’m ready! Let’s go!” She put her helmet on, then picked the Kit_10 up. “I’ll name this guy later. Haven’t had anything good come to mind.”
~
Flare and Jane went down to the building. It was a quaint three-story tower looking out over the docks. Makes sense the Schismists would want a foothold in a busy port, keep an eye on who comes and goes. There was a sign on the door saying “Authorized Personnel Only” in a handful of languages.
“Think we can just portal in?” Jane asked.
Flare looked up to the third floor. “It’ll be risky. We dunno the layout inside. I don’t wanna open up a portal into the middle of the room.”
“We kicked Shrub’s ass once before, we can do it again. This isn’t the entire fort. We won’t get swarmed”
“Meow!” the Kit_10 seemed to agree.
Flare mulled it over, but finally relented. “Alright. Prepare for the worst but hope for the best.” He opened a portal, and prayed that there’d be cover.
The portal opened up to the top of a stairwell. There was a hall and a bend between it and the main room. Perfect.
The duo crept in. Jane put the Kit_10 down. “Okay kitty, I need you to be quiet,” she whispered. “No meows, okay?”
The Kit_10 nodded its mechanical little head.
There was talking within the main room. Voices heard, but faces unseen. “- did not go as smoothly as we had planned, sir.” Shrub’s voice. “The Arcanum sent two of its soldiers to interfere and attempt to retrieve your works as well.”
“I trust you disposed of them?” an older man asked.
“I could not. They were too coordinated, and able to heal back the damage I cast. I only escaped because they fled as soon as we heard an Alliance grunt fetch a senior member.”
“I see. A botched mission that you succeed in is better than one you fail, but moving forward I expect you to do better.”
“Of course, sir.”
A silence.
“... Father,” Shrub amended.
A chill ran through Flare as he put two and two together. He made a text box, silent. [the Old One himself.]
Oh shit, Jane mouthed. She glanced down, to check on the Kit_10. It wasn’t at her feet. She tapped Flare’s arm and pointed down at where the Kit_10 no longer was.
Oh shit, Flare mouthed as well. Fuck, where did it go?!
The Old One made but the slightest ‘hm’ of recognizing his other title. “I trust these two soldiers didn’t track you.” As if the Arcanum would ever resort to tactics that low! Flare and Jane had followed her themselves, they were just that good, no extra trackers required!
“Of course not,” Shrub assured. “They made no physical contact with me, and I was airborne and past the treeline by the time they came through the leyline gate. Additionally, the cotton candy storms are swarming, and only one of the soldiers is winged. With how coordinated they were, I doubt he would have chased after me alone, especially considering he was merely support to the other.”
“Meow!” 
OH SHIT. THAT WAS FROM THE MAIN ROOM.
Silence, and then “Meow! Meow! Meow! Meeeow! Meeeow! Meeeow! Meow! Meow! Meow!” 
“There goes stealth,” Jane grumbled. “Fuck it.” She charged to the main room, Flare right behind, to see the Kit_10 desperately shaking its head and whipping its tail around, as if struggling in the grip of… the Old One. An imposing figure, standing some seven foot tall, his piercing pale gray eyes, immaculate suit (classy top hat included), and posture all radiating an aura of cold command. That was one hell of a B.B.E.G. a la modern video game design if Flare had ever seen one.
Shrub reacted to Jane and Flare barging in first, however. “YOU! How did you-”
“As if we’d ever let you know, Shrub!” Flare retorted. “You ran into the wrong Wizards!”
“You gave them your name?” the Old One asked Shrub.
“I would never!” Shrub insisted. “They- I won’t let you two show me up again!”
The Old One stretched a wing to Shrub’s shoulder, the claw at the tip poking at her skin. “You are being rash. Your judgement clouds.”
“Meow!” the Kit_10 screeched, releasing a spark from its body. The Old One flinched and dropped it, and it rushed right over to Jane.
“… I see the Arcanum’s judgement has clouded over as well, if they think they can send two of its pawns to properly meddle,” the Old One continued. “I suppose you had chance abound to turn back, but mercy is not an option within the Arcanum.”
Flare hated how the Old One ripped that philosophy out of his soul and turned it against him. But… he was right, wasn’t he? There’s no way this can end peacefully now. There was no way the Old One and Shrub would let them leave, with or without the blueprints. There was bound to be a fight. Flare tightened his grip on his spelldeck, and Jane on her wand. 
“Your deaths are entirely your fault,” the Old One warned. He snapped his fingers, and into battle he dragged himself, Shrub, Flare, and Jane. 
Flare quickly *Checked the chthonic man. [The Old One (Myth-Life, Rank 20 Boss) - Secret author of history. Always watching, always nudging. Actually dangerous.] “Oh, this is gonna suck,” Flare groaned. Good luck kicking the calamari’s ass, indeed!
“How bad?” Jane asked.
“Myth-Life. He can heal.”
“Motherfucker.”
Even though the duel circle had declared that Flare and Jane would move first, the Old One had a cheat up his sleeve. A Wyldfire sprung around them all. The Old One didn’t make any scoff or taunt about how apparently he had even more than just two schools of magic at his command.
Flare handed Jane a Blade, and Jane wasted no time attacking Shrub. She had learned from the first fight with her, trying to stack multiple buffs was a waste of time, a pesky Earthquake would just toss it to the wint. This fight would have to be won by a thousand papercuts, and hopefully they can outdamage the Old One’s heals.
An aura sparked to life at the Old One’s feet, and Shrub cast a Spiritblade upon her father. And then the damndest thing happened: the Death portion of the Spiritblade popped, and a second set of Myth- and Lifeblades took its place.
“What the fuck?!” Jane shouted. “That’s bullshit!”
“Now I get what the ‘actually’ was for,” Flare muttered. “He’s gonna sweep us.” But for now, the two of them were still standing. Flare used a cheeky Donate Power, Jane would need all the pips she could get for attack spamming. Jane bid her time with an aura of her own. The Old One cast a pesky weakness on Jane, and Shrub once again lent a blade to her father, which once again burst into a Myth- and Lifeblade pair.
Flare’s heart sank deeper. What was that… six different blades on the Old One in two turns?! If he hit, then the two of them would absolutely wipe. There’s no way Jane could take a triple-bladed hit, and Flare wouldn’t be in good shape either! He cast a Spirit shield on Jane, and Jane lobbed another attack at Shrub. Her attacks weren’t the strongest as is, and that extra Weakness from last round DID NOT HELP.
Finally, the Old One sent an absolute behemoth of an attack. Tatzlewurm, a nasty AOE that neither Jane nor Flare had ever seen, let alone been on the receiving end of! Shielding Jane was the right call! Holy shit! Shrub then cast an attack of her own, at Jane! Just to pile on the pain.
Only three rounds in and this fight was already going bad. Flare chose to heal himself with an Availing Hands, and Jane picked out a Tower shield to also help Flare stay on his feet- but before either spell could come out, the Old One had yet another cheat?! Out of absolutely NOWHERE, a DoT burned into existence at the two Wizards’ feets, then a frigid Balefrost took Wyldfire’s place. 
Flare was damn glad that he and Jane both went on the defensive!
The Old One decided to go defensive as well, casting a Tower Shield of his own- that glitched and became an absorb for- 
“EX FUCKING CUSE ME?!” Jane shouted out of turn. “FIVE FUCKING THOUSAND?!”
“You made a mistake trifling in Schismist affairs!” Shrub taunted on the Old One’s behalf. “Now you see what you’re messing wi-”
“Enough!” the Old One scolded Shrub. “You make yourself seem a fool with your banter.” 
Admonished, Shrub simply cast her spell, a Balanceblade like before. Strangely, this time, it didn’t split. Did the Old One’s abilities depend on which Global buff was up?
“Jane, try casting a bubble,” Flare suggested. “We could use the extra edge, and… I’ve got a theory.”
Jane nodded and cast out a Balance of Power while Flare healed himself again. The bubble took over the Balefrost for a moment, then faltered.
“Alright. That solves nothing. Good to know,” Flare grimaced.
“Playing by this bastard’s rules…” Jane growled. She glanced down at the Kit_10 at her feet. This was all the damn pet’s fault! If it hadn’t rolled out here, then there would’ve been a chance that they could’ve avoided this fight! If Jane hadn’t taken it in the first place, then it wouldn’t have been anywhere near here! Mad at the damn pet, mad at herself. But it’s not like she could do anything about it now! She’s in a fight! And… she doesn’t have the heart to leave such an itty bitty weird clockwork kitty all alone. A captain doesn’t abandon any of her crew, not even the kind that gets her in danger. She made a damn commitment to the Kit_10, for better and for worse.
The fight dragged on, Flare and Jane both struggling to keep themselves and each other alive. Flare began to rely heavily on Dark Shepherd to sustain himself, but even that wasn’t enough. They hardly had the chance to properly attack, and what damage they did do to Shrub and the Old One was quickly healed back up, either by Healing Currents that the Old One just happened to be able to use as a Darkwind crackled around them, or with a healing spell Flare had never seen before, Never Say Die, when the Old One’s own Balance of Power shone.
Flare couldn’t see a way out. Everything he tried to think of felt like it would fail, either thanks to his own exhaustion or the Old One’s power or the Spiral itself enforcing its rules and rejecting every other magic. He couldn’t break the duel circle apart because he wasn’t the one who summoned it this time! He couldn’t summon portals while in combat, and even if he could, it’s not like he could go through them! The duel circle kept him right where he stood. The other nonSpiralian magic he had didn’t translate well into Spiral combat, plus how much could it even possibly do, as spent as Flare was already? How much determination did he really have, in the face of certain doom? His hands were tied. Perhaps he’d be a braver and foolier martyr who could say ‘fuck it’ and try some desperate gambit, if it weren’t for the fact that Jane was here. He had to keep Jane safe. He was bound to that duty.
Jane didn’t have her own ‘Jane’ to keep safe. She was getting pissed. Trying to help Flare heal the two of them was getting nowhere, Wizard heals were nothing like the heals a Pirate could use! She looked to the spells in her hand. One card appeared all sorts of fucked up. Torn, blurred, covered in glitches and blocks of black static. She had been avoiding using that spell because using a fucked up spell like that simply… felt dangerous. Like using a sparkthrower that clearly wasn’t maintained, or a busted shield. But at this point, she had no other option. She cast it, a hail mary.
The attack spun itself together, taking the form of a… pillar? A tree? Before she could even tell what the fuck it was, though, it glitched and fell apart. A waste of however many pips she had. 
Dread strangled her like handcuffs and an ill-fitting necklace. What the actual shit was that? Are you fucking kidding me? No. NO. I’m not letting my turn be a fucking waste! Her absolute rage cut through whatever bullshit laws of magic forced this entire song and dance. A dagger through tough ropes. To hell with ‘turns’ in the first place! Jane grabbed the Kit_10 and stormed forward. “HEY, MOLD ONE! EAT SHIT!” And she threw the Kit_10 at the Old One with the fury of a thousand fucking suns.
The Old One brought his arms up to try and catch the Kit_10. However its momentum barreled it past his hands, and it crashed into his sternum, his windpipe, his spine. Like a cannonball tearing through a flimsy ship hull. Absolute shock and indignation. How did this child-
His body collapsed under the weight of the Kit_10, and his spine failing. For better and worse (though mostly for better), the Old One was as damned as dead.
Shrub stared at her father’s corpse. Terror ate at her bones. Her stomach churned at the sight of some of of her father’s blue blood trickling out from his mouth. “You…”
“Geeettttttt dunked on!” Jane crowed. “Hey, Flare, how’d I do?”
Flare blinked, getting out of his shocked stupor. “Uh- You did great! Let’s get out of here.” He had no idea how Jane had done… any of that, but good for her! And what the fuck! But mostly good for her! He broke the duel circle apart and picked up the blueprints Shrub had left on a small desk in the corner.
“Meow!” the Kit_10 said, chipper as ever, despite it still sitting on a bloody corpse.
“And you did great too!” Jane said, scooping the Kit_10 in her arms, babytalking it. “I am so proud of you!”
Flare made a portal to the Arcanum. “Let’s get that cleaned up before you cuddle it,” he told Jane with a slight chuckle. He wanted to get out of here. He didn’t do well with corpses. Especially not fresh ones.
“NO,” Shrub screeched, all the grief and hatred bursting from her in a moment. “No, I will not let you get away with this! Don’t you dare think you can get away with this!” She glared at Flare and Jane, her eyes as smoldering hot as her late father’s had been piercing cold. “I am what you two could never be. What neither Arcanum nor Alliance could ever understand. Neither you nor Manticore can stop the Spiral’s true fate!”
Jane opened her mouth to deliver one last scathing clapback, but Flare stood in the way and gently nudged her through the portal. She was grieving, snapping, they should at least give her the mercy of quiet. He closed the portal as soon as the two were through.
“Awh come on, are ya seriously gonna let her have the last word?” Jane asked. “I had a helluva jeer for her, too! I’m already what she is, just some girl with a dead dad!”
Flare took a deep breath. How the hell to explain this. “We cannot take another fight. We’ve got like… what, maybe two hundred HP apiece, was it?”
“And what’re we supposed to do, just let her ramble and diss us like that?”
“We rest. We recover. And who knows, maybe she’ll find us and we get a chance to fight her again.” Those words dropped from his mouth and settled in his gut like lead. He did not want to face her again. He hadn’t wanted to be accomplice for murder. He hadn’t wanted to force Jane into a position where she had to murder. But for better and for worse… it happened anyway. “You should wash yourself and the Kit_10 off. I’ll hand in the blueprints and report to Ione.”
~
A few hours later, after the not-so-simple quest had been turned in, Flare found Jane and the Kit_10 over by Sybil, the sleeping birch of the Arcanum. He still had no idea what its name was. “So, got any ideas of names for it?”
“Meow!” the Kit_10 mewed as Flare approached.
“How about Stabbington the Squidslayer?” Jane asked. “They did help, after all.” She gave it a pat on the head.
Flare sat down next to Jane. “Someone might get mad,” he warned. “Y’know, given that’s literally us admitting our crime. And accomplice.” Technically the Kit_10 was a weapon, not an accomplice, but technicalities.
“So… not a great idea in the slightest. Gotcha…” Jane looked aside. She was used to being proud of her crimes. Having to keep silent about her accomplishment, especially with how kickass it was, felt stifling. 
“But… we can make a pun out of it so convoluted nobody will guess?”
“Oh yeah!”
Flare rushed to the Arcanum’s Repository, grabbed a encyclopedia of marine life, and hurried back to Jane. “Let’s see… what puns can we come up with for…” He flipped over to the page for the common squid. “Loligo vulgaris?” He then did a double take. “Wait. Vulgaris? Really?? What the hell, scientists???” What’s so vulgar about a squid?
“What about… Grim Bubbles?” Jane then suggested. “Grim like the grim reaper, and bubbles because sea life?”
Flare gasped and slammed the encyclopedia shut. “That’s GENIUS.”
“Why, thank you!” Jane tried to bow, overdramatic and proud. It just looked like she was folding herself over Grim Bubbles, gloping it in an armless hug. She then straightened up. “I do have a wonderful teacher, after all.”
“That ya do,” Flare admitted, letting himself have a moment of pride too.
“Meow!” Bubbles said. It wheeled around, mechanical zoomies.
“Aww, they like it too!” Jane cooed. 
It was rather nice, being able to play with Bubbles. A moment of lightheartedness and peace. Jane didn’t have any regrets today. Flare had a few, but that’s simply to be expected. He could never take something as face value or absolute. 
~
This quest happened for better and worse, and the two of them were certain it was ultimately for the better.
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thatgirlonstage · 2 years
Note
What will your next fanfic be about? Are there ones that you have on the back burner?
Lmao it's adorable you think I have this like. Neatly planned and organized that I definitely know what I'm posting next.
I have two kinky erotica one-shots that I have a good amount written for, one JJK Sukufushi pwp and one 5+1 porn-with-plot Elena of Avalor fic (...I started a rewatch and Esteban promptly broke my brain, it's. been a thing). Barring that I bang out something short on tumblr or twitter (like my most recent fic, keep the king) in like an hour, or something else doesn’t unexpectedly overtake my life, one of those will go up next.
For the back burner… oh, god, so many things.
I have three fics planned for next Mermay, two of which are short (a Critical Role M9 fic that will not take much work to finish, and would’ve been done this year if Our Flag Means Death hadn’t seized me by the throat and consumed my life, and a TAZ: Ethersea fic, which I have planned out and I’m just waiting to write out and publish closer to the month). The third is a longform Witcher geraskefer fic that I uhhhhh sort of promised would be published this past May, but then grad school and ofmd happened and it Simply Was Not Finished. But I am very much hoping to get it done for next year.
There are two BNHA fics — one dabihawks, one postcanon future fic that I was writing for Banned Together Bingo and didn't finish in time — that I have a shit ton written for but may or may not ever see the light of day due to starting them before/during the first war arc and now they’re really not canon compliant anymore, and I’d have to do a lot of work to make them a more deliberate canon divergence, and just… idk if it will ever happen. Also because, frankly, ime BNHA fandom sucks to post fic in. Your fic just gets buried in the first ten minutes and I feel like the comments to kudos ratio is particularly bad. So I’d be doing a shit ton of work just for nobody to care about it if I bothered to share it.
I do fully intend to write another TAZ: Balance fic about Lup to turn Without Mercy and Without Blame into a triptych that covers all the birds. I lost part of my drafting for that unfortunately so it's just getting up the energy to rewrite it. Also in the vein of incomplete series, I will not feel done with in the quiet of his mind until I have at least written the forest kiss and "get away"; and I would be absolutely remiss not to do an epistolary Charon/Hermes fic for The Many Layers of Life and Death. None of those things are imminent, but they've been percolating in my head long enough that I think I will eventually get to them, it's just anyone's guess when.
And then there’s the WIPs.
Both The Way You Said I Love You and Written in Sand I have substantial swathes of the rest of the fic written for. For WiS, at this point, I’m waiting until I’ve chipped away and finished the whole fic so that when I finally do come back, I can just post chapters once a week and not go on another years long hiatus. For TWYSILU I’m just blocked on part of this specific chapter and I need to get back to it whenever my brain stops hating me about it. They 10000% are not abandoned and will not be, I am just slow.
I did not. Uh. Intend to post a single chapter of If I’m Not Back Again and immediately stop, but. Life. The current plan for that one is that I’ll write more when Good Omens S2 drops.
And if you go REALLY far back in my Ao3 you’ll find The Green Hunter, which I honestly make zero promises for, that one’s on an “if inspiration strikes” basis.
The only unfinished published fic I have that definitely will not be finished is Long Lost, and even that isn’t abandoned as such — whenever I finish WiS, I want to move over to a significant rewrite of Long Lost to scratch the Voltron itch without being forced to engage with canon. But WiS is the priority.
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syzyg3tic · 6 months
Text
Yuletide Letter 2023
Hello!
Thanks so much for writing for me! I’m excited to see what you come up with :) Here are some general likes and dislikes, as well as fandom-specific thoughts. Feel free to think of this as a grab bag of starting points or inspiration, not hardline prompts (of course)! I am equally interested in all three fandoms, so have fun with whatever you want to write!
ALSO I love treats.
General Likes:
-Character study/character motivation exploration
-Expressing emotions physically–sex or kissing or any physical interaction as conversation/argument/apology/confession/goodbye
-Characters B&C talking/making out about their mutual feelings for Character A (probably most useful for 180Degree)
-Missing scenes/vignettes
NSFW likes:
Again, no pressure to write explicit fic, but if you do, here are some things I like to read about!
-Sensation play
-Breathplay
-Solo/fantasizing
-Sex as conversation–sex that’s also about forgiveness/goodbye/someone else/admission/catharsis/grief
-First times/exploration of each other
Dislikes/DNWs:
-AUs
-A/B/O dynamics
-Soulmate/one true love stuff
-Mpreg/pregnancy/kidfic
-illness fic
-Noncon
-Scat/pee
-Non canonical character death
Requests
1) สามเราต้องรอด | 3 Will Be Free
Characters: Miw, Mae
Why I like it:
I love all the characters in this show a lot, and I love the hero trio and the “villain” trio on their own, but I think a LOT about the two women, on their own and together. They both have had to learn to be hard, and to push away their feelings. They both are scarred by the memories of the first person they killed. The fact that one woman’s revenge quest hinges on another’s downfall is aaah it’s a big feeling, especially because Miw gets what she wants in the end and Mae doesn’t. This pains me. The 3 who end up free are the only people left in the world who know what Mae went through, and she can’t really talk to them about it because of the nature of their situation!! Their connection in that big confrontation in the forest really hit home how similar the two of them are, and how well they’d get along in other circumstances. I think there’s a lot of bittersweetness in that. I want Mae to be happy.
Concepts:
-I would love to see postcanon fic where Mae and Miw meet, either planned or by accident, and get a chance to talk. To create some kind of friendship forged in trauma. I think they are both capable of forgiving each other, since they now know they both acted the way they did because of situations they did not control. I can see them wanting to take back control from those external forces by being good to each other, both learning to feel worthy of the other’s forgiveness. I can see this being fully friendship or turning romantic or physical. I love the idea of them experiencing queer gender euphoria together. I don’t want you to break up Shin/Miw/Neo, but hey, they’re already polyamorous, why not let Miw have a girlfriend also! Or at least a one off emotional cathartic hookup (or series of healing hookups) with Mae??? And Mae deserves the world, by god, and I want her to have SOMETHING good after the story ends ;-;
DNW “welcome to the polycule, here are the rules” type long winded relationship negotiation. The way the main 3 navigated their relationships in the show was pretty fluid and organic, and a bit of checking in with each other is fine, but I’d like to keep that relaxed tone, if you do take this in a romantic direction.
I didn’t request the other characters because I wasn’t interested in fic that focused on them, but feel free to include them as side characters if you like.
 2) เส้นลองจิจูดที่ 180 องศาลากผ่านเรา | 180 Degree Longitude Passes Through Us (TV)
Characters: Inthawut, Sasiwimol, Siam
Why I like It:
This show obliterated me. The way In, Mol, and Wang balance and unbalance each other and circle around the absence of Siam. How it ended the way it should have but made me ache for other possibilities. All the damn line and bridge and travel imagery and concepts. It was so restrained while making me FEEL unhinged. Real fuckin art. Anyway, the show made me feel like my heart got scraped over gravel, and I would love to feel worse. I mean. I am also down with a hopeful ending, but if you want to dig into the angst (especially for In), feel free.
I requested In, Mol, and Siam, and I am happy to have any fic focusing on any one of/combination of those three characters! While I do love Wang, and the fucked up juicy tension of Wang/In, I am not interested in fic that focuses on their relationship, which is why I didn’t request him. I am fine with him being a background character, and his different fraught relationships with both In and Mol can still be present, if you write about the canon era, I’d just rather have the main dynamic the fic is about be some combination of the other 3.
Concepts:
-More about the past era! Could be more about a time In and Siam almost got together but didn’t. Or make it more Mol focused, her trying hard to Not See the truth, because if she manifests what she wants hard enough, surely it will happen. Or a time when they were happy (or thought they were happy) In/Mol, In/Siam, Mol->Siam, Siam shooting his shot to try and get a 3 way, and it absolutely not going well, if at all. Any of that!
-This is uh. The most wretched concept I’ve got, but I am very fond of it. I keep thinking about what if In and Mol did some grief hooking up once. The show is pretty clear on the fact that they didn’t hang out after Siam died, but like. What if Once. And it was just miserable for them. Lots of talking around Siam. Or what if they run into each other, pretend they don’t know each other, and hook up playing like they’re strangers but they’re both definitely aware of what’s going on? Or Mol trying to get In to talk about Siam while they’re having sex and it making In dissociate. I just really love the trope of persons A and B hooking up about person C that they both love. And this would work both with them acknowledging this to each other or not. This could be cathartic or make things worse, or both!
-Any kind of In, Mol, or Siam navel gazing, past present or future, self-aware or unreliable narrator style.
-And a note about Mol–She’s one of my favorite parent characters ever. She’s extremely flawed, but I think the show does a good job of showing us why her fears make sense to her, and how they lead to her narcissism and hold her back from being a happier, better person. I know some people have a hard time with her character, but I love her a lot, so if you feel up to writing her, I’d love it if you show that she is trying hard to be good, to be loved, to not be left behind, rather than just demonizing her.
3) One Piece (Live Action TV 2023)  
Characters: Arlong, Nami
Why I like It:
Ok well the reason I like the SHOW is that it is silly and fun and chasing its bliss, with the anachronistic costuming and shonen power dialed up to full earnestness. It's sweet and weird and hornier than I expected. But I also like the way it allows for darker moments, to make the good "friendship means everything" message that Luffy brings to the crew really land--these guys are coming from some TRAUMA, huh?? I also like how the "villains" are sometimes villains for complicated reasons, and that the military/government is often the real enemy, and that outcasts and oppressed peoples lash out when they've been held down long enough. So for this fic I really am leadning harder on the traumatic pasts, but i DO love the hopeful future Nami finally allows herself to want by the end of S1, thanks to Luffy, so feel free to use the tone balance you like most.
Concepts:
Well. Ok so the thing is I would love to see some absolutely wretched Nami/Arlong from when Nami was younger and horny and sad and fucked up and potentially had never even kissed anyone, and was like "maybe if i crawl into Arlong's bed he will like me more and let me go faster." But then the end result is that no, he wants to keep her around longer, now. What if Nami had a not horrible time hooking up with him, and then felt weird about it because, you know, this guy killed her mom and kept her captive? What if she has complicated feelings about him that are definitely not Love, but when you wanna hook up and your options are limited and a hot shark guy is there, and he Knows you like no one else does, well. Oops. Arlong could be immediately down, or he could be surprised and unsure at first because of some silly little piece of affection for her that he has buried, but overall I like the idea of this being Nami's idea, and Arlong ahhh, rising to the occasion. Dubcon is great on either end (or both! What if they both feel like they're the one getting one over on the other one!), Noncon is a DNW.
I am only familiar with show canon, where their ages are more vague and handwavy, which is fine with me. I am not looking for SUPER young Nami here, but if you keep it just vaguely in the past it'll be fine. The power imbalance and Nami trying to take some control here is what I'm most interested in, so the age gap is like. THERE, but it isn't the main reason I'm interested, if that makes sense.
If you like writing flashbacks to the horrors with a happy current day, feel free to frame it as Nami remembering this happening, or with a coda at the end with Nami comparing her life then to how it is now. I like any and all ship mashups of the crew, so if you want her to have friendly casual sex with Luffy (who imo would kiss any homie), or her with Zoro (who i feel Get each other on a tortured introvert level, though i feel like Zoro is a Kinsey 5), feel free to add that in! I didn't officially request it bc I'd rather the fic focus on Nami and Arlong, but go wild if you're into adding those things on to the end! If you want to include any non-Nami ships in any present day addition, I am partial to zosan and luffy/zoro, but I'm not super picky.
Things I forgot to put in my signup because I did it at the last minute but that you can please keep in mind:
-If you got assigned me for this canon and you don't want to write explicit fic, that is also completely fine!! You can use the same energies for a Nami/Arlong kiss, or even for her just thinking about trying to seduce him and ultimately deciding against it.
-You are welcome to include the politics and ethics of the Fish-men as much or as little as you feel capable of. If you feel you can address the race allegory with nuance and care, and you like writing about that sort of thing, feel free to address it! But it is also fine to not make that a focus--just don't be racist and I will love it.
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theredconversegirl · 4 years
Note
Hello! Can you recommend any angsty sasusaku one shots or fics that end in fluff or smut? :)
Hi nonny :) Thanks for stopping by!
First of all, sorry for the wait. It took me awhile to go through my ffnet and ao3 fave lists and confirm if the fic did have a happy ending at least. Some here will end with fluff, some with smut, and some will be more subtle but still soft and happy. 
So, I’m calling this list: 
Angst with a Happy Ending 🍅🌸
My go to story when I’m in this mood is Heartbeat by letmeannoyyoutoday, which I have recommended here before. It’s long and detailed, and it will make you cry before it will make you smile ;)
Now, let’s get started:
A Blue Bathed Litany By: Elegies for Shiva  / @elegiesforshiva
Bad dreams are nothing new for any shinobi. But being comforted is, especially in a fashion as sensual as this. Angst. Fluff. Lots of lemons. [Rated M, complete]
🍅🌸🍅🌸🍅🌸
A Highly Contested Topic By: Annie Sparklecakes  
SasuSaku. He's not lonely, he says, Because he has her. In which Sakura desperately tries to form a bond, and Sasuke grows more and more attached by the day. He won't admit it, but the truth doesn't lie. [Rated T, complete]
🍅🌸🍅🌸🍅🌸
Ambrosia By: refracted  
Dark/AU. In the morning, when all the pretense has dissolved and they have finished the deeds that will become the death of them, he pretends he is asleep when he hears her sob. She breaks too beautifully, he believes. [Rated M, complete]
🍅🌸🍅🌸🍅🌸
Being with you By: La coccinelle bleue  
At that moment, he could recall comparing her, and her presence, to the smell of fresh paint. [Rated K+, complete]
🍅🌸🍅🌸🍅🌸
Blood for Blood By: SouthSideStory  / @southsidestory
It's vengeance that drove Sasuke away from Konoha, and vengeance that brings him back. Staying, though, is a different matter entirely, and it's only Sakura that could give him a home. [Rated M, complete]
🍅🌸🍅🌸🍅🌸
breaking the habit By: the blanket  
I'm scared as hell to want you, but here I am, wanting you anyway. Sakura, Sasuke, and breaking habits. And maybe, just maybe, learning new ones. [Rated T, complete]
🍅🌸🍅🌸🍅🌸
Cruel Cycle By: EmilyEphebiphobia  
She really does hate this sick cycle, but at the same time, she can't help but love it. [Rated M, complete]
🍅🌸🍅🌸🍅🌸
Decennial By: fayevalentines  
The ten years and ten separate times that Uchiha Sasuke catches himself staring at Haruno Sakura's back chronicled his descent into a maddening, consuming and achingly prosaic lunacy he fearfully acknowledges as love. [Canon-verse and Postcanon-verse.] [Rated T, complete]
🍅🌸🍅🌸🍅🌸
Distant Ruins By: soulaire / @soulairee
AU. One-shot. She is lucky, she thinks, to have Sasuke as her first client. He's handsome, rich, and everything else she's not, and that is exactly why she's here, in his room, giving all of herself over to this stranger she just barely met. She only hopes Naruto never finds out. It would kill him if he knew she was selling her body to keep them alive... [Rated M, complete]
🍅🌸🍅🌸🍅🌸
don't let go By: theeflowerchild 
He made love to her in between the hospital sheets, released her name like a prayer between cracked lips. "I thought I lost you." [Rated M, complete]
🍅🌸🍅🌸🍅🌸
Elevation By: refracted  
On day three hundred, he realizes he's probably loved her all along. [Rated T, complete]
🍅🌸🍅🌸🍅🌸
Enlightenment By: ClaraDraconis / @claradraconis For Sasuke, clarity comes after the final battle. Sometimes reflecting on the pain you've caused is the only way to realise what you've been missing all along. [Rated T, complete]
🍅🌸🍅🌸🍅🌸
Even After Everything By: Rise of the Blossom  / @riseoftheblossom-ff
Once more, her eyes searched through the large crowds of people, searching for that certain face she knew would be lurking around somewhere. At that moment in time, to her, he was all that mattered. He would always be the only one who mattered. [Rated K+, complete]
🍅🌸🍅🌸🍅🌸
Everywhere By: flowerslut  / @flowerslut
"Did you—" she hesitated, looking away, "did you miss me?" He did not hesitate, although he did pause and think for a quick moment. "No." [Rated T, complete]
🍅🌸🍅🌸🍅🌸
finding the inbetween By: glossier 
Whether it's love or hate or something in the middle, his pupils dilate when he sees her. [Rated T, complete] ❣
🍅🌸🍅🌸🍅🌸
For the Love of the Amaryllis Flower By: theClosetPoet7  / @theclosetpoet7
With them, it has always been like this, him doing whatever he wants and her patiently waiting for his return. [Rated M, complete]
🍅🌸🍅🌸🍅🌸
Ghost By: twilightdazzle 
Sakura is officially declared missing on a Wednesday morning. Wednesday, what a stupid day to go missing. Of course, Sakura is the only person he knows that is annoying enough to interrupt the middle of the week like this. [Rated M, complete]
🍅🌸🍅🌸🍅🌸
he said By: the blanket  
Sasuke, Sakura, and all that lies between. “I have never expected anything from you. That would have been the height of all foolishness, and say what you want about me, but I was never that. With you, Sasuke-kun, I only ever hoped.”  [Rated K+, complete]  ❣
🍅🌸🍅🌸🍅🌸
Her Patience Was Rewarding By: DeepPoeticGirl  / @xxlovendreamsxx
"I don't care if I throw my life away. If that's what it takes to make your life a little happier, and that this is exactly what you need to fulfill your dreams... then I don't care. Anything and everything for you, Sasuke-kun." [Rated M, complete] 
🍅🌸🍅🌸🍅🌸
how scattered is the shattered glass By: silence.like.sleeping 
Sasuke knows that glass is easy to break and very hard to put back together. [Rated T, complete]
🍅🌸🍅🌸🍅🌸
I think By: Lady Starburst 
She thinks it's impossible to get over something that never was. He thinks there's nothing left. A few years later, Sasuke and Sakura pick up where they left off. Sort of. [Rated M, complete]
🍅🌸🍅🌸🍅🌸
Intoxicated By: cherryblossomthundercrash / @uchiharvno
Sasuke always catches Sakura. (TW: alcoholism and drug use) [Rated M, complete]
🍅🌸🍅🌸🍅🌸
Kaleidoscopes By: twilightdazzle 
Because Sakura loves Sasuke in kaleidoscope colors, and not all of them were so pretty. AU. [Rated M, complete]
🍅🌸🍅🌸🍅🌸
Magnetism By: twilightdazzle  
No," she snarled. "If you're going to leave again, then I want you to be man enough to say goodbye to my face." In which Sakura is stubborn and Sasuke is conflicted. [Rated M, complete]  ❣
🍅🌸🍅🌸🍅🌸
more than enough By: proserandom 
But of course. She never did have a place in his heart. [Rated T, complete]
🍅🌸🍅🌸🍅🌸
One Touch By: Clearheart 
They're always close, but they never touch, and it's killing them both. One touch is all Sakura craves to set things right. [Rated M, complete]
🍅🌸🍅🌸🍅🌸
Once More, With Feeling By: JinnySkeans
Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time. [Rated M, complete]
🍅🌸🍅🌸🍅🌸
parting the clouds By: in cages  
he points his finger & she bares her teeth; they are in love, or so they're told. [Rated M, complete]
🍅🌸🍅🌸🍅🌸
raindrops falling up By: rawrchelle  
“It can’t be anyone but Sakura.” “Why?” “Because she’s the only one stupid enough to love me despite everything.” [Rated T, complete]
🍅🌸🍅🌸🍅🌸
say anything By: the blanket  
Absinthe makes the heart grow fonder. But sometimes radios help, too. [Rated T, complete]
🍅🌸🍅🌸🍅🌸
Sickness of love By: GrimmjowKurosaki19 / @grimmjowkurosakidrake
Sasuke falls sick in love and there's no cure. [Rated T, complete]
🍅🌸🍅🌸🍅🌸
Tangible By: twilightdazzle 
Sometimes, she feels like she's invisible and they can't see her. Like she wasn't real. And they finally realize she's there just when they're about to lose her. [Rated M, complete]
🍅🌸🍅🌸🍅🌸
The Long Way Home By: the general girl  
Sakura finds Sasuke again in Wind Country five years after the war, when he is supposed to be dead and she is supposed to be beyond caring. Neither have been very good at meeting expectations. [Rated T, complete]
🍅🌸🍅🌸🍅🌸
this is how you lose her By: wistfulwhispers 
and that's when you know it's over. as soon as you start thinking about the beginning, it's the end. for most people, at least. [Rated K+, complete]
🍅🌸🍅🌸🍅🌸
Three Months Overdue By: silence.like.sleeping 
There is nothing worse than waiting. Unless you fear that you're waiting in vain. [Rated T, complete]
🍅🌸🍅🌸🍅🌸
time spent By: sincerelyLen / @sincerelylen
Uchiha Sasuke is not oblivious to how popular Haruno Sakura has become over the years. Once in their lives, she tried to spend most of her free time solely with him. However, years later, Sasuke begins to feel a frustrating displeasure rise when he realizes how happily she splits her time with others, especially those who are not a part of the immediate Team Kakashi. [Rated K+, complete]  ❣
🍅🌸🍅🌸🍅🌸
yours, forevermore  By: DeepPoeticGirl  / @xxlovendreamsxx He never meant to hurt her, but he did. He never meant for things to fall apart so bad, but they did. And now, even five years later, as he holds the Hokage seat and finds himself juggling more responsibilities than he can bear, Sasuke still tries to find a way to make things right. Hokage!Sasuke AU. [Rated M, complete]
——————————————————————————
Well, I hope you find what you are looking for in this list! 
And if you enjoyed these stories, make sure to leave some love & feedback. 💕
P.S.: I’m slowly going through other asks and prompts as I have free time after work and when my computer allows it - I’m still having some issues :(
~ Happy Reading & Stay Safe!
xoxo
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washymylifeaway · 3 years
Text
KyouHaba Fanfic recs
Hiya! How much do I love KyouHaba? Yes. This is one of my favorite ships and one of my comfort ships <3 KyouHaba has got some amazing fics, so even if they aren’t really your thing, you should still read this :D Anyway, onto the recs!
As always, pls check WARNINGS, TAGS, and SUMMARIES for fics before reading (esp since KyouHaba usually deals with darker topics and not all of them tag/warn for it!) and make sure you’re taking care of yourselves (since mental health is key!) Stay healthy loves <3
CP:
Close to the Chest by darkmagicalgirl (T) 61.1k // THIS ONE man anyway I just love the progression of their relationship and the way this fic is written! The way we really go into who Yahaba is really what makes this fic great! Also there's some slightly ~angsty~ IWAOI so look out for that hehe.
Police Dog by surveycorpsjean (E) 34.9k // if you’re super against like any *furry* implications, pass this one LOL. But TBH I don’t like furries, but this one was pretty great (hence why it’s here LOL) and they make me laugh. Also I really like some of the head cannons for Kyoutani in this one and the writing style is super freakin’ good, so it’s definitely worth the read~~~ Pls CHECK TAGS AND WARNINGS cause there are a couple REAL spicy scenes in this one ;)
Team Mom by All_My_Characters_Are_Dead (T) 2.7k // so as I was going through this tag (because that’s what I do LOL), I remembered this fic and I love it. Like yes Yahaba is the fear factor and yes Kyoutani is the DAD. I really like the team dynamics in this one, and the first years make me laugh pls.
Camellias by kiyala (T) 1.9k // I love this fic and when I starting looking for this ship, it was the first one I thought of hehe. I really love magic and their interactions are so cute and the PLANTS ARE DOING THE MOST. Pls read both in the series, cause domestic KyouHaba is best KyouHaba ngl LOL. I love the plants, and if you read the second one, someone tell the trees to stop bullying Yahaba.
Sixth Time’s the Charm by tsumekakusu (T) 2k // ok THIS was SO FREAKING funny, please Yahaba how dumb can you get LOL. The number thing made me facepalm so hard, but the ending was cute and that’s all that matters, right?
Sleep by GangstaCrow (T) 5.5k // the plot twist…. omg…. I had to pause and take a moment of silence for the people suffering because of LL… Poor Kyoutani….. But this is a really funny but cute fic at the same time :D
a little bit funny, this feeling inside by postcanons (G) 5.4k // PLEASE THIS ONE omg crow matchmaker ftw. Like I said, I really love magic and this one is just so freaking funny. Also, very informational curtesy of one Kyoutani Kentarou.
meet me at the fucking pit (and let me hold your hand) by anyadisee (T) 5.4k // IF THE TITLE ISN’T MAKING YOU LAUGH ALREADY WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING????? (JK but am I really?) This was SO funny and it KILLED me,,, like all the conspiracies and how everyone was so seriously invested in it. Yes, CHAOS.
if not, winter by knightswatch (M) 54k // YES THIS FIC. THIS ONE RIGHT HERE. I love the development of their relationship,,, IT’S SO GOOD. Like when our boy Yahaba goes on that really friendly field trip and Kyoutani takes matters into his own hands? UGH YES. And when they visit? CUTE OMG. Yes this fic is it.
Isolated Parts by darkmagicalgirl (T) 3.3k // I love this fic cause old men KyouHaba are funny (fight those refs) and I love the nonlinear plot. It really adds another layer to the fic itself, and slowly unraveling the plot through the different years was SO IUAHFJF. I really loved it and piecing everything together :’)
Magicked by HoneyBeeez (T) 8.4k // CHECK TAGS, I love KyouHaba Hogwarts fics, and this one is SO good! We do love some slightly oblivious Yahaba and fake delinquent Kyoutani LOL. Though there is some violence and homophobia so if that puts you off, steer clear of this fic :)
stardust by InkCaviness (G) 1.4k // like I said, in love with KyouHaba and hogwarts fics, anyway,, this one was so short and sweet! It’s full of fluff, and honestly, if you like KyouHaba, read this entire series cause I really love these KyouHaba works :’)))))
New:
knightswatch // GREAT writer, but most of their KyouHaba works are explicit/mature, so be careful as you go through their works! My fav T one? all you have is your fire by knightswatch (T) 6.4k, but they’ve written some of the best KyouHaba I’ve read (they’re just mostly M)!
kiyala // another amazing writer and their works usually alternate between G and E LOL. But, all of their Gs are amazing, and rn my favorite was between Room To Grow by kiyala (G) 50k or Cost by kiyala (G) 1.1k cause it was either secret doggy relationship or magic LOL. But all of their fics are worth reading, and there’s a large variety of AUs!
snoqualmie // I love this writer, but they don’t have much KyouHaba (enough that I would put them here though LOL) My favorite? Mixed Signals by snoqualmie (T) 7.8k // it’s a really cute fic and I love the hc that Kyoutani has the good family! It has like a semi continuation (I think it’s in the same verse as it), but Jan. 6 features the sisters again! (Also yes for veggie fiend Kyoutani,)
tale as old as time by crossbelladonna (series) 30.2k // AHH this series is fully of such good KyouHaba fic!!!! I really love all of them but my favorite is through open doors by crossbelladonna (T) 4.3k // I love soulmate AUs and salty Yahaba is best Yahaba. Also at the end when the coffee incident happens, I love Kyoutani :’)
Words Not Spoken by Dogsocks (series) 51.5k // this is a continuous fic series (meaning all the fics are in the same verse and related to one another), but it’s so FREAKING good and I love reading it!!! It’s got some mentions of ABUSE, and things like that so please read the tags carefully!!!
kyouhaba week by InkCaviness (series) 6.7k // I loved KyouHaba week (all of them are just such AMAZING fics and tropes) and my favorite from this list was stardust by InkCaviness (G) 1.4k // I mentioned what I loved from it above, but it truly is a great fic :D
Kyouhaba Trash Week 2016 by HoneyBeeez (series) 28.9k // all three of these fics are SO good. I literally cannot choose a favorite because I loved all of them :’) Like no joke, just go read all of them because singing Kyoutani? Yes please. And also like the tattoo one was SO ajksdhfkjshdfjkln I LOVED IT AND DON’T GET ME STARTED ON THE HOSPITAL ONE. I loved loved loved the ending, and her going to the school? UGH ADORABLE. These fics were some of my absolute favorite KyouHaba fics!
Venom and Vulnerability by darkmagicalgirl (E) 48.3k // OAAJKSFNKJ I LOVE THIS ONE YES. The concept? AMAZING. Execution? FLAWLESS. This is a GREAT fic and it’s done SO WELL,,,, I realllllly loved the plot in this and their teamwork is making the dream work! WARNING check the tags and warnings cause there’s smut, (non kinky) bondage, and death!
it's tradition. by hicsvntdracones (T) 5.5k // this fic made me want to die from second hand embarrassment. GOD, the awkwardness and really the way they went HARD on those dares PLEASE. If you don’t mind feeling embarrassed (and even if you do) go read this fic cause it’s V funny and the comedy factor cancels out the embarrassment LOL (does it? That’s what I’m tellin myself LOL).
An Equivalent Exchange by Chibs (E) 14.5k // PLEASE THIS WAS FUNNY,,,, like chill Kyoutani, Yahaba is trying his hardest okay? BUT NOT HARD ENOUGH anyway it’s a happy ending in the long run and no one dies :D how nice is that <3 (but the baby agenda? yessssir.)
The Wall Thing by rideahorse (M) 6.8k // THE TENSION :0,,, but I love how many fics go based on that one KyouHaba wall slam in the middle of the Karasuno match LOL. Also, I love the dynamics they have in this one and the way fighting ~is their communication~ Some smut is here so WARNING and they do something about the tension LOL obviously :))) Constantly curing KyouHaba is good, happy Kyouhaba.
Sixteen by surveycorpsjean (E) 13.4k // Yahaba is a basic btch and Kyoutani does football LOL. Honestly, I think that’s a pretty good summary (jk) but what’s a fic without some good tension ;) Also, cheerleader Yahaba lives in my brain rent free and I would like to propose it live in your head as well :D Aren’t I such a kind soul~
Safe in Your Hands by shions_heart (T) 8.9k // um soft KyouHaba? I think yes,,,, this also do be a common trope in the KyouHaba realm, but I’m not complaining,,,, it’s a good trope :) There IS ABUSE in this fic so big warning here! Check the tags and warnings! But the real mvp is the girl on the bus and points to Yahaba for playing spot the difference unintentionally.
The Sweetest Smile by FindingSchmomo (T) 6.6k // cake making! Yes! Bakery! Yes! It’s a great time and think about it, Kyoutani, our baby, working in a bakery making cakes? UGH my heart :’D Yes Oikawa is right, a cute grumpy puppy making flowers (CUTE VERY CUTE) and it doesn’t help that Kyoutani looks like a total bad boy in this fic too :DDDDDD
wear your love like it's made of hate by parenthetic (renaissance) (T) 3.3k // we are starting this off with the alt title totally worked and I would’ve read it either way LOL. Also, the ending was funny and thinking about why everyone was wearing it would’ve been so confusing to the other teams (also shout out to Yahabas line and Kyoutani calling his eyeliner a whore). But yes to random sexual tension, this is KyouHaba nation.
captain's orders by whitemiists (G) 3.7k // okay we love Watari in KyouHaba nation (surprised I haven’t talked about loving Watari yet but better now than never right?), but also Yahaba being messenger for Kyoutani (baby first years are ajhsajdfh). I love this trope and also I love rooftop lunch crew is yes :D
Running In Place by cleiioo (T) 33.3k // GUYS OMG THIS FIC. CAUTION ABUSE AND RUNNING AWAY AND BAD PARENTS SELF DEPRECATION I COULD GO ON BUT BOTTOM LINE IS BE CAREFUL READ TAGS! This fic is UGHHH YES. First, twenty questions make another appearance, and DUCKS. Yes, ducks. But this fic is just written really well, and honestly Kyoutani might be a tad bit ooc, but it’s okay, you don’t even notice. Distracted by the amazing writing :)
Something About Fate by patteh (T) 4.6k // SOULMATES! And then they were soulmates :D I love a good soulmate denial AU, and this is no exception. I loved Yahana’s backstory in this, and I think it set up a great framework for the plots progression! Also, the ending was really cute (and we all know, I’m a sucker for a cute ending :D)
toeing the line by masi (T) 2.7k // the mcDonalds cause WE’RE LOVING IT! But this was a fun read cause a. it goes pretty fast and b. communication exists? ANyway, I like the ending cause Yahaba is one smooooooth btch! It’s just a lot of banter (playful and not), and I’d read tags jic for this fic :)
bumblebee by shizuoh (T) 1.5k // he got sht on by a bumblebee. Points for creativity Yahaba, points. But this is just a fun, random AU where pepperoni on pizza is a universal aggrievance (esp the infused on cheese kind,,, I feel you Yahaba), we disown furries (for good reason), and you confront people staring at you! This IS a flirting 101 textbook. (also yes Yahaba, murder Mattsun!)
The art of fighting in heels by boxofwonder (T) 8.7k // yeah don’t question this fic. It’s like,,, you just kinda,,,, well,,,,,, I mean who doesn’t want to read about Iwa fighting in heels? Like you’re not thinking about magical guy Iwa? Maybe you should. (the way the summary has nothing to do with KyouHaba, I swear they’re a main component, but no thoughts just Iwa in sailor moon cosplay.)
yahaba vs. the miyagi captains by blessings (T) 3.7k // I love this hc and I wish there was more of it because Yahaba picking fights with everyone is fun and I like the chaos :D Like honestly, the creativity of some of the burns? Just amazing, it filled me with serotonin. I’m not kidding :0 But like, Kyoutani having to make sure that he doesn’t go overboard was askfkahf.
Love the One You Hold by shions_heart (T) 3k // f tough KyouHaba, I’m here for the soft, loving KyouHaba. Like mushy feelings KyouHaba, the kind which makes me feel singler than I already am single. Reassuring of feelings and ajsfdhla KyouHaba. The ending is KYAAA!!! Caution for implied bad parents!
a thousand and one roses by rorarot (T) 3.4k // I love florist Kyoutani and it’s honestly a crime I didn’t recommend more florist Kyoutani fics :( Points for the pun, Yahaba, points. Also, the progression of their relationship was YES, and this fic was SUPER cute :D
It Takes Two by Poteto (G) 24.1k // IT’S COHESIVE KYOUHABA WEEK! I really loved this fic and I enjoyed how they incorporated each prompt into each day! There is homophobia and running away so be careful when reading this fic, and check the tags!
So I Like Your Dog by helloyesIamtrash (G) 4.8k // FIRST, this is within a series of soulmate AU fics (all in the same verse) and SECOND, this was really good! I loved the way Yahaba’s family are a bunch of late bloomers and how YAHABA DIDN’T LET THE MF RUN AWAY. Yes communication, WE LOVE AND STAN.
but tonight i'll need you to stay by InkCaviness (G) 2.2k // the feels were strong with this one :’( Pushing my SOFT KyouHaba agenda. But I LOVE this one for the feels and also because they don’t dance around it. Just straight forward, random a confessions. It’s a great time. But also, I can’t believe he slipped LOL.
Down River Road by carafin (G) 4.4k // I love list fics, I think they’re great and I think I might just have a thing for lists in general (LOL). But also, I love the growth both of them undergo over time and the interactions with Oikawa in KyouHaba fics are always fun :)
I (Heart) You by darkmagicalgirl (T) 3.6k // I really like this fic. Like REALLY like/love. Maybe it’s the ending where Yahaba goes ham on that one guy. Or maybe it’s the magic. I think it’s just cause it’s written spectacularly. But no seriously, it’s a great fic and I really loved the AU :D
Five Times Kyoutani Failed to Say 'I love You' (And One Time He Didn't) by patteh (T) 3k // a 5+1! Yes! TBH I don’t understand the importance of saying ily to your significant others (maybe it’s just because I don’t understand romance very well LOL someone explain it to me), but if it’s important to them, IT’S IMPORTANT TO ME. Also, Kyoutani is dog agenda, full force ahead.
Baby steps (or 'Yahaba's guide to applying eyeliner on a grumpy puppy') by ghostsgf (G) 1.5k // more Yahaba and eyeliner fics! Of course :D If you can’t tell, KyouHaba nation and I really love Kyoutani + eyeliner, so yes. Eyeliner. But also, fractured arms and toilet adventures!
baby don't hurt me by orphan_account (M) 4k // LET ME BEGIN THIS WITH THE A/N AT THE END. YES I AGREEEE. Also SMUT alert but like nothing really happens? And again, while I don’t 100% get the ily thing, this one makes more sense to me and I can see why Yahaba got angry. We love crying boys though ahaha.
Retrograde by dreyars (T) 19.5k // AJFJLSFJLASD ANGST THE ANGST AND I- I love amnesia fics, they have such GREAT angst potential (which was totally used in this fic YES!) and UGH this fic. The feels you go through while reading this but ALSO THE ENDING! YES I LOVE. IN LOVE. THEY’RE IN LOVE YOUR HONOR.
restless by Crawlingthroughashes (T) 2.4k // PLEASE the petty Yahaba agenda is back and the way I ajfhdjkadshlf when he started his plan. BRB CRYING (of laughter ofc). Also the CONFRONTATION. Smooth Yahaba, oh so very mf smoooooth (very much so nailed it). Sugar high trick-or-treater in bunny slippers.
The Time Yahaba gained a boyfriend by sammysosa157 (T) 3.8k // PLEASE I saw the post for this fic and it was SO funny! I really loved this prompt, and the execution of it was done really well. Boo for weird food combinations, though ig if you’re in college and you’re broke, you gotta do what you gotta do :/
wanna give you a kiss by Slumber (T) 2.8k // kith give kithes muah muah (omg I’m so sorry you had to read that no regrets tho ahaha only shame). But this fic is SO cute and boyfriend chicken is fun :D Like the fluff in this fics is just so AJKKJAF and like Watari knows best.
Touch by tetskuroo (T) 2.4k // aihdjk PLEASE. This is SOFT! KYOUTANI! and non a hole but pushy! YAHABA! There is HUGGING cause WHY NOT! But the soft Kyoutani agenda is getting pushed hard today LOL. I mean the mans starts to turns the waters works ons. What more could you possibly need? (other than a cuddle session cause why tf not >:( and me to write normally LOL)
what the night does to the day by deathbyglamour (G) 9.9k // AHH HOGWARTS! I realized I forgot to add this fic to the Hogwarts list and I was so angry at myself. The potion version of our get along shirt :) I loved this fic and their relationship development was lovely :DDDD
Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back by Asimi_Shadowborn (T) 30.6k // I love magic AUs and this was ahdjsjjfjs. The trope was amazing, the execution was flawless, and the communication? Nearly nonexistent just how we like it :’) it’s a great read and you’ll regret nothing.
Baby, I bought a dragon by tetsuskitten (T) 1.1k // AJKSFHKJ WITCHES. I love them being witches/warlocks cause IT’S AN AMAZING TROPE DUH. But like the dragon made me laugh, the conman Kuroo is KJAFN. But yes, THERE’S ANOTHER FIC AND IT’S AJSHKJASF YES READ <33333 (why didn’t I just put it as a series, cause I forgot and then I got lazy, leave me be.)
Thorne-blessed by fish_wifey (T) 19.4k // (again, another that HAS ANOTHER FIC but then I was too lazy to transport it up to the series section deal with it.) But THIS YES. First tattoo artist Kyoutani is a sight to see. But also, Yahaba is baby. And like the ending of how it all got resolved was so satisfying and the conflict execution was really creative :D CAUTION FOR THIS ONE, some bullying and violence-ish!
what a wonderful kind of day by qingting (G) 1.2k // PLEASE. I love it when Kyoutani talks to animals, it fills me with joy. But also, ofc points to Yahaba for the new nickname, dog whisperer. Cute and I like it more than Mad Dog chan. Also, Kyoutani’s thoughts on Yahaba were funny and are worth the read LOL. I like pats too, Shiromaru.
what becomes of broken hearts by plumtrees (T) 8.1k // OOOOF some angst right here. Like I’m in paiiiiiiin. But you should read it so we can be in pain together :’D Like the way we had to witness the falling out AND the break up to be happy again. UGH. Just don’t think too much and jump in.
we both know what we know by Slumber (E) 4.7k // UHH EXPLICIT FOR A REASON LIKE WITHIN THE FIRST SECTION I THINK BUT THEN IT CONTINUES AHHAHA. But also, riling Kyoutani up and just teasing him in general? Fun times (at least Yahaba thinks so LOL). But like also, random thought but the comments on the (fake) IwaOi divorce made me laugh LOL.
new constellations by thealmostviki (G) 4.3k // reincarnation AU, but it’s like non linearish! It’s really good and the writing is very eloquent :D I really loved this fic and the ending was UGH adorable! I love references and the way they still feel things in the next lives :’) Milk and honey guys, milk and HONEY.
FINALLY DONE. WHEW. I hope you all enjoyed these fics, and ik my commentary got/was super bad but pls just pretend like you’re not seeing it. I swear once upon a time it was informational but now it’s just me writing random sht down LOL. Again, I love KyouHaba so this honestly was a lot of fun to make (even if I kept complaining about it) and I ended up not splitting the list hence why it’s so long! I hope I made all of you into KyouHaba lovers cause it’s one of my favorite ships :D
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mynameisemma · 3 years
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AO3 Stats Meme
Thank you, @alleyskywalker!
1. how many works do you have on ao3?
23
2. what’s your current ao3 word count? 12,553 3. how many fandoms have you written for and what are they? 14 + 2 orginal works. These fandoms are War and Peace by L. N. Tolstoy, The Last of Us II, Detroit: Become Human, Sherlock BBC,  Sex Education and others (I’m too lazy to name all of them lol).
4. what are your top 5 fics by kudos? I’m going by my Ficbook statistic here for the obvious reason.
1. Дефект  (Sherlock BBC: Sherlolly; a postS4 angsty-fluffy sketch)
2. Старая привычка  (The Last of Us II: Dina x Ellie; a postcanon angsty sketch)
3. Суженый-ряженый (War and Peace: Sonyakhov; a postcanon darkish soulmate AU).
4. Секрет (Gravity Falls: Mabel x Mermando; a darkish AU sketch)
5. Подождать (Madagascar: Gloria x Melman; a human!Au sketch) 5. do you respond to comments? why or why not? I almost always respond to comments but can accidentally miss some and answer them much later. Mainly it’s just thank yous and/or my replies (and also ramblings x)) on reader’s thoughts. I started respond to comments because I was very enthusiastic when I started receive my first ones, but now it’s more of a a matter of following the habit or politeness. But I really love long elaborate reviews even though the vast majority of them comes from the reviews exchanges.
6. what’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?
I’d say Незаживающее (Sherlock BBC: Warstan; a post4x02 angsty sketch) and Сплетения и разрывы are the leaders here. Also Суженый-ряженый has quite grim, if not angsty per se, ending.
7. do you write crossovers? what’s the craziest one you’ve ever written?
No.
8. have you ever received hate on a fic? Thank God no. Although there were comments with some...dubious implications, let’s put it like that x).
9. do you write smut?
No, but I want to try. But it’s seems really hard for me not to end up using metaphorical language to the point of being ridiculous. And absence of neutral vocabulary for sex and genitals in Russian certainly doesn’t help too.
10. have you ever had a fic stolen? Also no. At least no cases I know about.
11. have you ever co-written a fic before? No. I kind of hate to be dependant on someone in writing process. But the original story co-written with my best friend brought me into the writing. And we even posted it on the kids forum.
12. what’s your all time favorite ship? I’m avoiding “all time favorite” phrasing because my feelings for many ships I used to call an OTP are faded away now but Sherlolly is probably the longest current OTP. I also have a soft spot for Simon x Alisha from Misfits even thought I didn’t like them as much as I do now before. 13. what was the first fandom you wrote for? CatDog, lol. It’s the earliest thing I can remember I wrote as fanfic. But I don’t really sure it’s actually the earliest.
14. what’s your favorite fic you’ve written? I’m currently more or less satisfied with all my WaP fics but Как ритм внутри тебя замыкает круг, так из меня твои прорастают корни (a duology about Sonya and Dolokhov getting together in the postcanon) and Суженый-ряженый are probably the favorite ones. I’m also weirdly proud of Наедине (Lord of the Flies by W. Golding: Jack Merridew’s character study) because I still think it’s of high quality when I reread it, even 6 years later. Which is quite an achivement given that I was 14 when I wrote it x)
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awake-my-oceans · 3 years
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What ideas came to you recently from daydreaming? (@the-wip-project)
At this point, I daydream mostly about this wip, which is creating a large depth of worldbuilding and character nuance. The challenge is not having enough content, but trying to express the content, honestly.
Today I was thinking a lot about Kaito’s newfound confidence as this postcanon chain of events unfolds. Not the kind KID has, which is unshakable, and, quite frankly, fake. It is faked well, with grandeur and presence, but that doesn’t reap benefits for Kaito beyond what it lets him get away with on heists.
The stuff Kaito is getting ahold of is quite different. It’s quiet, for one, not dramatic, and it’s steady, and it’s real. It’s certainly prone to ups and downs (if it wasn’t, that would be perhaps the only clue Kaito might slip that it was another fake). However, he is starting to trust and assert himself in ways he hasn’t done before. In precanon and canon, he tends to get railroaded by events (his father’s death, everything about learning about KID) and then do a stunningly skilled and determined job of making the best of it. But now—he can stand up to the event itself and say “no, I’m going to handle things right here and now before it spirals.”
(Some spoilers for the sequel, yes this whopper has a sequel in the works. The basic premise is exploring the Nakamoris and Kaito trying to navigate a proper relationship instead of the autopilot care but painful disconnect of canon.)
There’s a moment Nakamori Ginzo, knowing something about the Organization (Shinichi’s and Kaito’s are connected for purposes of this fic), tries to arrest Kaito. And Kaito, quiet and rock-solid sure, says “understandable, but I won’t allow that until five months from now, because I’m holding together critical parts of the Organization investigation and it can’t lose my skill set yet.” Just like. Yeah. Kaito has absolutely held massive, painful secrets, and he knows it, and is tentative and apologetic about most things here, but that’s not going to stop him from putting his foot down on the stuff he needs to.
Frankly, I don’t know if canon Kaito can do that, yet, when it comes to the Nakamori’s dealing with his everything. That’s not derision, that’s loving assessment—it’s a skill he needs, and it’s a skill he doesn’t have yet for quite understandable reasons. And I am determined to give him enough self-esteem and quiet confidence to get him there eventually.
(yes, my daydreams are often like this. I try to keep it to fluff or angst or whatever, sometimes, but it tends to rapidly turn into multifaceted analysis of character motivations and suffering and growth, and how various situations can manifest those facets. yes, I was indeed sitting in the doctor’s office today thinking about how Kaito interacts with pacifism under a variety of pressures.)
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mrmissmrsrandom · 3 years
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Fic writer interview meme
tagged by @demoiselledefortune, thank you for including me!
My answers are below
How many works do you have on AO3?
69 (nice).
What’s your total AO3 word count?
553,656 words, but I do have several longish collaborations that inflate the wordcount. 
How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?
Currently looks to be at 12, not including other tags for the same series (FE and MDZS have different general tags for some things). Majority of my works have been across the Fire Emblem series at this point. 
What are your top 5 fics by kudos?
A. Serrated, an MDZS Canon Divergence AU written in part with @mwritesink. It is also the longest fic I have on Ao3 thus far!
B. Return to Childhood Redux, an alternative sequel/spin on one of the Scum Villain Self-Saving System extras that was written for a Bingqiu holiday art and fic exchange. (Note: the rest of the translation at that time was unfinished, so not fully happy with certain characterizations in it, but... popular is popular lolol).
C. The Lion in Winter, a “30 years later” FE15 fic that I still need to finish (and I will!! I will!!! I’m super grateful to everyone who has stuck with it/returned to it thus far!!). It features slowburn Alm/Lukas as sad middle age men. 
D. Tassels and Bells, a Serrated sequel/”extras” chapter fic in part with @mwritesink. No set update schedule like the first fic, just more if we’re in the mood to write. 
E. Unlike the stream, you are not in view. A (currently) pre-slash Liujiu fic co-written with @dornishsphinx for Liujiu Week 2020, where Liu Qingge is a sharkboy and they meet as kids. My love of monster designs and sharks shines here.
Do you respond to comments, why or why not?
I try my best to respond! Thankfully a majority of the comments I’ve gotten are positive, and its always satisfying to get ones where “I never thought of this idea/ship/etc. but I love it now bc of you.” 
What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?
Garotte, an FE4 bad end fic. But the angst is also mixed in with horror. 
Do you write crossovers? If so what is the craziest one you’ve written?
Hoooooo. Well, Love Like Ghosts is shaping up to be the craziest based on what me and @dornishsphinx planned for it, since it uses all three of MXTX’s current novels in one form or another. Some fun ideas: Meng Shi becomes an aspect of Guanyin in the heavenly realm, Qin Wanyue from Scum Villain and Xue Yang from MDZS end up together-- and those are the least crazy things about it. 
Have you ever received hate on a fic?
Yep! And it was so weird, because... they commented on it after reading nearly 200k worth of content? If you didn’t like it buddy, I think you should have quit while you were ahead.
Do you write smut? If so what kind?
I don’t know how to respond to the “different kind” question of this lolol... but yep! I’ve written smut. I think my main issue is trying to draw out sex scenes/foreplay when I write it on my own. 
Have you ever had a fic stolen?
Yep! I had at least one that I know of, but that was waaaayyy back on ff.net days. I found it, told my friends about it, then they dogpiled the fic with comments about it being stolen, and then it was deleted soon after. It... looking back on it, it was probably too intense, especially for the fic in question.
Have you ever had a fic translated?
Yes, but it is more “had a request, but haven’t seen the result/the one who asked decided not to continue beyond the first chapter.”
Have you ever co-written a fic before?
Yes! Several times now at this point, and it has been a lovely experience each time. :D
What’s your all time favorite ship?
To write, it looks like right now its setting up to be Arthur/Hawk from FE4... which honestly shows how much of a crackship/rarepair/multiship writer I am haha. I love so, soooooo many ships and love to write for so many ships as well though. 
What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?
I would like to say never say never, but I’m not sure how to proceed at parts on my Wen Ning/Lan Xichen “everyone else is dead but we’re still here” postcanon fic. 
What are your writing strengths?
Dialogue.
What are your writing weaknesses?
Lengthy descriptions of space/character features unless I’m super invested with in the phrase of “I have to make this character the most sexually desirable person in the grocery store.” You feel?
What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?
I am not comfortable enough in the other languages I know to do that. :D
What was the first fandom you wrote for?
Pokemon Special. It was that manga that drove me to write fanfic in the first place.
What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?
On my own, despite some pacing issues and it not being one of my most popular, its Sunbeams Shade Black Wings for the MXTX Big Bang. It just feels... really close to my heart, and one of the fics I wrote through tears at points because I was so invested in writing the story. 
I’m not going to tag anyone, but feel free to do it if you like!
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Another Ask game from @theleakypen
Name: myro (not really, but for here). bladedweaponsandswishycoats on tumblr, bladedweapons on fandom twitter.
Fandoms I have written for: Only MDZS/The Untamed so far, really. (Technically I wrote a 1 sentence fic for Gideon the Ninth, but that doesn’t really count, it was a furious 1am angry post when I finished the book and was mad at the ending.)
Where you post: AO3, twitter, whatever on here, though less here. 
Favorite one-shot (yes I changed the prompt): Missed Connections, Yunmeng which is Yunmeng siblings pov of the last bit of the flashback/episode 33. It is angsty and only 400 words but I love it.
Favorite multichapter: I think probably my Mo Xuanyu fix-it that I have not yet started posting. It’s a postcanon wangxian casefic that rescues Mo Xuanyu. Here’s a bit from a WiP Weds post. But since it is not posted yet, in the interests of talking about what is posted, maybe It Must Be Tuesday (Wei Wuxian’s in Trouble), which is a Burial Mounds canon divergence. I haven’t updated it in a bit, but that is because I’ve decided to write the whole rest of it so that I can post it quickly over a few weeks, and at this point its nearly there. 
Fic you were nervous to post: Oh My God, There’s Two of Them Now, which is a crossover with a lot of meta-textual silliness and dimension jumping, in which comics-Loki, wangxian, and Jiang Cheng team up to go help other demonic cultivators in other fandoms, starting with Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Yes, Buffy is a demonic cultivator, fight me. I was nervous to post it because crossovers are not usually as popular and I wasn’t sure anyone would want to read it. 
How do you choose your titles: Uh, I don’t really have a consistent method. My first fic in the fandom was based on a translated Wuji lyric, the Tuesday one is based on a line of dialogue in Buffy, and the crossover is based on my reaction/ how I assume the rest of the characters in MDZS/Untamed would react if faced with WWX and Loki, with TWICE the chaotic queer gremlin energy of either one alone. 
Do you outline: Yes, but sometimes it means I do so much outlining it is then hard to start writing, so I have been reconsidering maybe using the method less.
WiP I’m most excited about: (untitled) the Lanpires fic - the canon-verse Wangxian fic where the Lans are all vampires, that I’m writing with @iamwestiec- It’s so and sexy and fun, y’all. What’s better than just Yiling Laozu vibe? Yiling Laozu AND horny bitey Lan Zhan vampire vibes (Not posted yet but here’s a WiP Weds clip)
Other WiPs/not yet started (besides those already mentioned - but I have a rule of no more than 3 WiPs posting at a time so will be a while for some): 
MDZS/Untamed:
 One-shot about a nightmare where playing Inquiry turns into Vanquish (not posted)
written out form of this threadfic I did about the Lan forehead ribbon being woven with spells for compliance and obedience
(not yet started but exists in full form in my head) prequel to the Loki crossover where Loki as a multiverse-hopping god(dess) of story jumps into the Burial Mounds, see the mess that is the MDZS/Untamed verse, and proceeds to help Wei Wuxian unfuck the narrative and save some lives/make a happier ending for MDZS/Untamed.
Pseudo-academic paper-based fic in which academics several hundred years post-MDZS canon theorize about the “Qinghe Patron X” and their potential involvement in pivotal events leading to the Four Sects Era. In which academics theorize about Nie Huaisang, meanwhile Nie Huaisang is still alive and thinks it is hilarious to drop false clues and fuck with them. 
TGCF:
Hualian smutty one-shot where Xie Lian and Hua Cheng find out that drinking divine/demonic(ghost) blood allows the demon(ghost)/god to control the drinker (like in SVSSS) and decide to have fun with it, involving blood drinking, Xie Lian with fangs, and bodily control fun.
Postcanon cathartic Beefleaf fix-it and get-together (mostly an outline so far)
 Ghost Bros - about He Xuan and Hua Cheng being friends (so far some random chunks of dialogue but I want to do more but I lack a plot)
Prompts: I haven’t really done prompts, but I totally would try. Fair warning I am better at angst than I am at fluff. I was doing 3-sentence fic prompts for a while this summer and this Wei Wuxian + ghosts Murder Boi one is my favorite. (Prompt was Wang Lingjiao + Chenqing “thankful”)
Not tagging anyone because I am, as usual, too shy to presume so much (and also I think most people who might do this already have.)
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llycaons · 1 year
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it's easy and convenient to fall into this trope, and many of my favorite fics have fallen victim to it in some way or another, but readings of wx that imply or outright state that lwj saved wwx make me want to gnaw my arm off. because I feel like that's rly insidious and simplistic and does a great disservice to both of them and is missing the point of his character and of their relationship development. as teenagers, lwj wanted to be his savior, saw him struggling and demanded that he comply with lwj's own solutions, believing his path to be correct and his own judgements about wwx's situation (and body!) to matter more than wwx's own. and that's why they clashed so much - bc wwx refused to give up his agency or his autonomy, did not want to be treated as someone to be saved
and in canon, that was never his role anyway. he couldn't, and didn't, swan in to save wwx from all of the worst things that happened to him, and his methods for behavioral control - shame, judgement, commands - were repudiated in retrospect. wwx suffered, and was alienated from his loved ones, and died a horrible, violent death, and was not saved by anyone. postcanon, lwj is committed to trusting and believing in wwx rather than trying to stop him - he's listening rather than demanding
I hate this phrase but it's actually incredibly important that lwj didn't ever save wwx 'from himself'. of course, postres he does protect wwx - from jc, from dogs, from slander - but he never inserts himself as the hero in wwx's story, and he never tries to force his own judgements and opinions on wwx again, nor claim that his actions entitle him to anything. he doesn't solve the mystery alone, he doesn't defeat the big bad, and the final get-together is never framed as a reward for his actions. he offers support, comfort, physical aid, but wwx is still very much the main character in every way, and retains all his autonomy to drive the story forward and reckon with his past on his own terms. and this is exactly why they work postcanon in a way that they wouldn't have really worked in the flashback arc
in cql, this is more immediately apparent because lwj follows wwx's lead throughout the entire arc, offering trust and aid without condition or hesitation. but even in the novel, it comes through quite poignantly in the tree scene at lotus pier. wwx thinks that it's okay that he's going to fall. he's fallen many times before, and though it's hurt, he'd survived. but still, it would be wonderful for someone to catch him. and that's exactly what lwj does
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kaesaaurelia · 3 years
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books and reading in 2021
Overall I’d like to read at least 65 books for 2021 and I’d like for most of those to be new-to-me and things I either already own or have listed as to-read on Goodreads.
So far I have read 11/65 books and 4 fanworks.
Themed reading challenge checklists and brief book reviews are under the cut.  I may or may not finish any of these challenges; again, my goal is to cut down my to-be-read list and unread books I own, and themes and deadlines help me pick a book rather than hemming and hawing.
Book reviews answer the questions “Did I like it? Was it good? Would I recommend it?” (please note these are very different questions) and how many stars I rated it.
I may put fanfiction, webfiction, and other things that are very much not traditional books down on here as well, depending on how booklike I’ve decided they are.
The FFA reading challenge, 2021 (2/12 books)
JANUARY - The Pandemic Year - a medical thriller, or a book about medicine The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York by Deborah Blum Did I like it? Yeah! Was it good? I think so.  Sometimes the prose meandered in such a way that I felt the author was kind of saying dun dun dun! under her breath at me, and I was like “idk, is that significant?” but usually it was good. Would I recommend it? Do you have a strong stomach? Then sure. 4 stars
FEBRUARY - Macavity/Ratigan - a genre you wouldn't normally read Jane Doe by Victoria Helen Stone, book 1 in the Jane Doe series Did I like it?  Yes!  Very much!  The power fantasy of being able to take vengeance against people who hurts your loved ones, without feeling bad about it, was really appealing to me, a person who feels guilt over a frankly ridiculous number of things.  It was also genuinely funny. Was it good?  I thought so.  The narrator had a really strong voice that struck the right balance between creepy cold indifference and endearing little moments of self-discovery. Would I recommend it? Yes, but with the caveat that there’s some pretty serious emotional abuse of the protagonist’s false persona (which she encourages and privately gloats about), and she also gets close to committing serious violence, including fantasizing at length about it. 5 stars
MARCH – 100+ Comments of Terror - a book set in the arctic, or a book about an expedition In the Land of White Death: An Epic Story of Survival in the Siberian Arctic by Valerian Albanov (ordered)
APRIL - Sexy John Oliver Rat – a book about animals, or a book with a character called Oliver or Olivia A Libertarian Walks Into a Bear by Matthew Hongoltz-Hetling (hardcover)
MAY - A Feud in Wolf-Kink Erotica - a book involving wolves, the legal system, or ripped from the headlines Song of the Summer King by Jess Owen (ebook)
JUNE - Showerhead Wank - a comedy of manners, an etiquette manual, or a book where someone wanks or has sex
JULY – My Shithead Is What You Are! - a book with profanity in it, or a book about themes of censorship
AUGUST - Yep, Still Indoors - a book involving travel, or being stuck in one place
SEPTEMBER - Socktopus, Maybe? - a book where someone has a secret identity, or a book about aquatic animals
OCTOBER - Politics is Sequestered – a book involving politics or politicians Boss: Richard J. Daley of Chicago by Mike Royko (owned in DRM’d ebook)
NOVEMBER - It's Canon in Spanish - read a book originally written in Spanish, or set in Latin America
DECEMBER - Apple Is a One Syllable Word - a book about language/linguistics/etc., or a book with a two syllable title. 
Around the Year in 52 Books (8/52 books)
A book related to “In the Beginning...”: (Using the subprompt a book set in the ancient world) The Odyssey by Homer, translated by Emily Wilson Did I like it? Yes; it was definitely a less comfortable read than prior translations I have read, but a more interesting one, I think.  A lot of details leapt out at me that I had either forgotten or that had been overlooked in the 3ish literature classes I have read the Odyssey for. Was it good? Yes! Would I recommend it? Probably, with the caveat that if you are just in it for a cool mythology story you would probably prefer an adaptation rather than a translation. 5 stars
A book by an author whose name doesn't contain the letters A, T or Y The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis Did I like it?  I really read this for the worldbuilding of Hell, so I liked that; to some extent I did also like some of the musings on how a lot of human foibles that people like to think of as virtues can actually be kind of shitty.  On the other hand, Lewis and I disagree about a lot of things -- mostly that whole Christianity thing.  So I liked it with caveats. Was it good? It was okay!  Again, I was not really there for the Christianity stuff.  I am never there for the Christianity stuff.  I am either precisely the wrong audience for all of C.S. Lewis’ stuff, or, if you look at it a certain way, precisely the right audience, but even if you look at it that way, he is never going to convince me; I wrote furious postcanon fanfiction about the dwarfs when I reread the Narnia books as a teenager and realized they were meant to represent people like me. Would I recommend it?  Probably not?  Unless you frequently write demons or other evil creatures trying to figure out how humans work, which I guess I am. 4 stars but only because that reveal at the end is great
A book related to the lyrics for the song "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music (The cover depicts a rose with raindrops or dewdrops on it.) Ensnared by Rita Stradling Did I like it? In a sense.  In a sense, I enjoyed this book.  It was a Beauty and the Beast retelling, and I like Beauty and the Beast.  There were robots, and I like robots.  And it certainly gave me something fun to talk about.  However, it also inspired me to try and figure out when and why I acquired this book, and while I still don’t know why I bought it, I was relieved to find that I only paid 99 cents for it.  For a more thorough description of the plot, please see my Goodreads review.  It was a weird book to start with, and then it really, really didn’t age well. Was it good?  IT SURE WASN’T. Would I recommend it?  No.  However, if you decide to read it I’d love to hear what you think.  Please.  Please talk to me about this book. 2 stars
A book with a monochromatic cover The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson Did I like it?  Yes, very much!  Also it accidentally became fic research.  I genuinely was just thinking “where do I slip Leonard into this narrative so he can try and fail to sabotage the Ferris Wheel?” and then I began to think about how much Leonard would admire and envy H. H. Holmes’ ladykilling ways.  But in general it was a really good read and had a lot of... Chicagoness, which I of course am fond of. Was it good? I thought so!  Obviously a lot of the narratives of Holmes’ murders were mostly the author’s speculation, but there were a lot of great research tidbits in there, and the picture the author paints of the World’s Fair was vivid and wonderful. Would I recommend it?  Yes, with the warning that this is true crime and there is vivid narration of several murders, including the murders of several children. 5 stars
A book by an author on USA Today's list of 100 Black Novelists You Should Read Wild Seed by Octavia Butler, book 1 of the Patternmaster series Did I like it?  Yes, but it was intense.  It takes a lot of skill to keep me reading and invested through so many horrors; the protagonist’s children and loved ones die on-page multiple times, in horrible accidents or senselessly murdered, and it hurts every time, but I kept reading.  Admittedly I am (predictably) extremely here for immortal enemies-to-lovers-to-enemies angst, so that was probably part of it. Was it good?  Yes!  I am kind of sad that I’m not just moving on to the next in the series (there are 3 more books), but also, god, I’m not sure I could handle it. Would I recommend it?  Yes, definitely, with the caveat that it is very dark and very sad. 5 stars
A love story Deal with the Devil by Kit Rocha, book 1 of the Mercenary Librarians series Did I like it?  It was good!  I gather both of the authors who are Kit Rocha were (are still?) in fandom, and it shows in the right ways; it doesn’t shy away from depicting sex pretty explicitly but there’s a lot of emotion in it, and the main couple is a m/f couple without the book being unpleasantly heteronormative.  Like, yeah, it’s about a big butch macho dude who’s broken inside and a woman who’s very caring, but the big butch macho dude is genuinely kind and not like, violent for the hell of it or overprotectively jealous, and the woman doesn’t drop everything to Heal His Pain.  (Also I think most of the characters, including the romantic leads, are established to have had same-gender lovers at one point or another without that being considered unusual or wrong in the setting, so that’s nice.)  It’s also a cheerful and optimistic post-apocalyptic book about two found families coming together to make the world a better place, despite the very grim backstories of pretty much everyone in the story, which is really nice. Was it good?  It was okay.  It was good popcorny reading; it’s not winning any literature prizes, but it sets out to be fun and readable and exciting, and it is all of those things.  Also, as noted above, the prose has a lot of the strengths of fanfic (not being afraid to mix genres, not being afraid of writing sex earnestly and emotionally but also explicitly, strong emotional focus) without the much-derided stereotypical weaknesses of fanfic. Would I recommend it?  Probably?  This isn’t a must-read; it’s happy to be idfic so if it sounds like it’d scratch your id I would recommend it, but it might not be Your Thing and that’s okay too. 4 stars
A book that fits a prompt suggestion that didn't make the final list (Using the subprompt a book related to a local industry or small business) The Gangs of Chicago: An Informal History of the Chicago Underworld by Herbert Asbury Did I like it? NO.  NO I DID NOT.  It made me genuinely angry.  It was a useful read for fic research and unfortunately I’ve got it in my little fic-writing reference material corner in my office but I DID NOT LIKE THIS BOOK IT WAS VERY BAD.  Many questionable or outright incorrect assertions and implications, and extremely racist and sexist.  For details, see my review on Goodreads. Was it good? It was actively bad. Would I recommend it? Not unless you are interested in it historiographically, or on the off chance that you are trying to find some fiddly details about a particular bit of Chicago crime history, but also have no responsibility to make sure those fiddly details are correct when you use them in the project. 1 star
A book set in a state, province, or country you have never visited The Last Duel: A True Story of Crime, Scandal, and Trial by Combat in Medieval France by Eric Jager Did I like it?  It was okay.  It was definitely interesting but not amazingly life-changing. Was it good?  It was fine!  I did think the underlying rape case was handled surprisingly sensitively given that this was a male author writing about 20 years ago about a medieval rape accusation and trial, but there is a chapter that is basically just the victim’s account of her rape, and it’s very brutal. Would I recommend it?  Do you want to understand more about trial by combat in the Middle Ages, and/or learn about how medieval people treated rape victims?  You should definitely read this book.  But if that doesn’t particularly interest you, probably not. 3 stars
A book you associate with a specific season or time of year Summers at Castle Auburn (ebook borrowed from CPL)
A book with a female villain or criminal Sin in the Second City: Madams, Ministers, Playboys, and the Battle for America's Soul by Karen Abbott (owned in paperback)
A book to celebrate The Grand Egyptian Museum The Oasis by Pauline Gedge (ebook)
A book eligible for the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa (on hold at CPL; est. 3 week wait)
A book written by an author of one of your best reads of 2020 The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow (on hold at CPL; est. 10 week wait???)
A book set in a made-up place Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey (paperback)
A book that features siblings as the main characters Sisters One, Two, Three by Nancy Star (ebook)
A book with a building in the title
A book with a Muslim character or author
3 books related to "Past, Present, Future" - Book 1
3 books related to "Past, Present, Future" - Book 2
3 books related to "Past, Present, Future" - Book 3
A book whose title and author both contain the letter "u"
A book posted in one of the ATY Best Book of the Month threads
A cross genre novel
A book about racism or race relations
A book set on an island
A short book (<210 pages) by a new-to-you author
A book with a character who can be found in a deck of cards
A book connected to ice
A book that you consider comfort reading
A long book
A book by an author whose career spanned more than 21 years
A book whose cover shows more than 2 people
A collection of short stories, essays, or poetry
A book with a travel theme
A book set in a country on or below the Tropic of Cancer
A book with six or more words in the title
A book from the Are You Well Read in World Literature list
A book related to a word given by a random word generator
A book involving an immigrant
A book with flowers or greenery on the cover
A book by a new-to-you BIPOC author
A mystery or thriller
A book with elements of magic
A book whose title contains a negative
A book related to a codeword from the NATO Phonetic Alphabet
A winner or nominee from the 2020 Goodreads Choice Awards
A non-fiction book other than biography, autobiography or memoir
A book that might cause someone to react “You read what?!?” Missing 411: Eastern United States by David Paulides (terrible pdf copy I’m not paying $100 for a book about extradimensional bigfoot)
A book with an ensemble cast
A book published in 2021
A book whose title refers to person(s) without giving their name
A book related to "the end"
There’s No Business Like Snow Business February Reading Challenge (8/8)
Snow is precipitation in the form of small white ice crystals formed directly from the water vapor of the air at a temperature of less than 0°C (32°F).
Read a book that has snow on the cover or snow in the title. Killing Dragons: The Conquest of the Alps by Fergus Fleming Did I like it? It was okay.  There was more about the personalities involved in early mountaineering than I did about actual mountain-climbing, which was fine, but didn’t get really exciting until those personalities got really dysfunctional. Was it good?  Again, it was okay.  The prose wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t gripping, and there was some odd (lack of) translation on occasion.  The research seemed thorough and solid, though. Would I recommend it?  Not really, unless you are specifically looking to research the Alps or early European mountain-climbing enthusiasts for a writing project or something, in which case, of course. 3 stars
Precipitation: Read a book that has any weather related term in the title. Trail of Lightning, book 1 of The Sixth World, by Rebecca Roanhorse Did I like it?  Yes!  This took me back to my first forays into urban fantasy as a preteen/young teen.  I loved the Diana Tregarde books and also Harry Turtledove’s The Case of the Toxic Spell Dump, and whenever I want urban fantasy that’s kind of the pattern I’m looking for?  An unfriendly world full of myths that are real and living and breathing and otherworldly but also they are probably trying to bum a cigarette off you.  I haven’t reread my favorite childhood urban fantasy because I think it probably won’t hold up, and later urban fantasy has mostly been not quite what I wanted, but this book was like being that kid all over again.  I’m not super familiar with Dine folklore/mythology so it was neat to learn a little bit about that, too, although obviously to learn those stories maybe don’t go to an urban fantasy novel. Was it good?  It was pretty good!  The prose wasn’t like, stylistically exciting, but it conveyed the plot well, and I did like the narrative voice, and the characterization was good, I thought. Would I recommend it?  Absolutely.  Content warning for violence (as per urban fantasy) and a child dies violently early on in the book, but if you were the kind of kid I was but you’re not really into paranormal romance or Harry Dresden, give it a try. 4 stars
Small: Read a book that has less than 200 pages. A Butt in the Mist: Stirred to the Core of My Bodice by the Duchess Triceratops of Helena by Chuck Tingle Did I like it?  I mostly did, but it wasn’t super exciting.  I liked the free book afterwards better.  It was funny, but Chuck’s been funnier. Was it good? This 4,000 word book was written with all the quality and attention to detail that I have come to expect from beloved author Chuck Tingle. Would I recommend it? Not really?  It was funny, but I think I like his more metafictional stuff better, and I think he gets a lot weirder with his m/m stuff; if I’m reading Chuck Tingle, I want it to be weird. 3 stars
Snow is formed of crystals and is a slang term for diamonds. Read a book in which a gem or other mineral can be found in the plot, title, or cover art. Ombria in Shadow by Patricia A. McKillip Did I like it?  Mostly!  I love the lush visuals of McKillip’s prose; they more than live up to the also gorgeous covers.  Dreamy fairytale stuff but with solid emotions and a good sense of place. Was it good?  I think so, although the dreamlike quality of the prose does mean you’re liable to miss something if your attention drifts. Would I recommend it?  Yes, I think so. 5 stars
Snow is a dessert made of stiffly beaten whites of eggs, sugar, and fruit pulp. Read a book with a dessert on the cover, or read a book in which a dessert is made. Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke, book 1 of the Hannah Swensen series Did I like it? I enjoyed parts of it, but I thought it really suffered at the beginning, when our introduction to the detective was “not like other girls, not interested in DATING and MEN” and our introduction to her older sister is “she was a DITZY CHEERLEADER and now she’s married with a kid but she’s a HORRIBLE CAREER HARPY who WORKS ALL DAY and puts her child in DAYCARE and CAN’T COOK” and that was all just very tiresome.  The sister does turn out to have redeeming qualities and useful interests, but the way these two and their mother interact is all like, if you were asking yourself whether there’s such a thing as toxic femininity and what that would look like, it’s these women.  Aside from that, it was fine; it was a cozy mystery novel about a bakery specializing in cookies.  I will say, I did appreciate the Midwesternness of the small town Midwest setting. Was it good?  Not really.  I did kind of have to handwave a lot to let the detective get away with all the HIPAA violations and crime scene disturbing that she does, but it is a cozy mystery. Would I recommend it? Probably not; I’ve heard this series gets better so if you’re interested in the series and/or like the idea of cookie-themed cozies, maybe start with a different book, unless you’re a completist like I am. 3 stars
Snow is slang for cocaine. Read a book about drugs or drug addiction. The Man With the Golden Arm by Nelson Algren Did I like it?  It was not a fun read, by any means, but Algren’s prose is fantastic and it was such a novelty to see such a familiar accent represented by eye dialect.  (Which I know has fallen out of fashion and is considered the mark of a bad writer, but I really don’t mind it if it’s done well.)  It’s one of those books where nobody has a fair shake and everybody is doomed, but it doesn’t feel gratuitous.   All the characters are horrible to each other, but in fairness they are also horrible to themselves; it’s all they’ve ever known. Was it good?  Yes.  It was extremely good and I’m considering buying a physical copy so I can write things in the margins.  This is actually really weird for me to do; in high school we occasionally had to turn our books in so our teacher could be sure we were writing in them Correctly, and I found it a little painful, but I did want to do it with this book. Would I recommend it?  Yes, if you’re up for a really depressing story about heroin addiction and poverty. 5 stars
White is the color of snow. Read a book that contains white in the cover. The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin Did I like it? I definitely did.  I haven’t read much Le Guin yet for some reason, and while this did initially start off feeling exactly like just another ‘70s SF story where in the future we’ve solved all of psychology and it’s super mechanistic, it was really fascinating and surprisingly, unpleasantly prescient. Was it good?  I thought so!  There were some parts of it that were pretty awkward about race, from a 2021 perspective, but it does actually deal with race in a way that made me think “yes, that’s exactly what would happen as a consequence of this plot, and it would be horrible, oh no, oh shit,” and it is horrible. Would I recommend it?  I am not sure I would!  I would recommend it in like five years, assuming those five years are not much like the last five years.  Hoping and praying that those five years are not much like the last five, really.  The premise of the book -- which I haven’t explained, I realize -- is that in this near-future environmental dystopia, the main character can change things in real life by dreaming about them, and he would like to not do that, only he is put under the care of a psychiatric researcher who tries to play God.  So this poor man literally wakes up every day to a brand new dystopia and it felt... familiar. 4 stars
To snow someone is to deceive, persuade, or charm glibly. Read a book about a con artist, or read a book about deception. Empire of Deception: The Incredible Story of a Master Swindler Who Seduced a City and Captivated the Nation by Dean Jobb Did I like it?  I did.  I have joked that my own personal reading challenge this year is to fill up the Chicago shelf/tag on my Goodreads account, and this book was recommended to me in that spirit, and I always like hearing about a. Chicago; b. the 1920s; and c. con men conning people. Was it good?  The prose was fine; it was fun but I think the thing I appreciated most was all the punny newspaper headlines. Would I recommend it?  If you are someone who perks up at the sound of at least 2 out of 3 of the themes of “Chicago,” “1920s,” and “con men,” yes. 4 stars
2021 Q1 challenge: Changes (3/20)
Read a book that features:
The word "change" (Changes, Changing, or other variations) in its title. Weeds: How Vagabond Plants Gatecrashed Civilisation and Changed the Way We Think About Nature by Richard Mabey Did I like it?  It was all right.  I like hearing about plant history, and the chapter on plants unexpectedly surviving/thriving on battlefields and bombing sites was particularly interesting to me. Was it good?  It was okay, but kind of poorly-organized; there were chapter themes but it felt awfully stream-of-consciousness sometimes. Would I recommend it?  Maybe not unless you’re really into botany and Western anthropology.  (As in, the study of Western cultures; this book does not do much with other cultures.) 3 stars
The theme of money or money on its cover (loose change). Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik Did I like it?  I really, really liked it to the point that I feel kind of silly about it, gotta say.  I’m really, really hit or miss on the author’s work (both fanfic and profic) but the themes of this were perfect for me; Russian fairytales, a cynical but earnest sort of Judaism, creepy fairy abductions, interesting worldbuilding, and women coming together to help each other.  (Also some interesting enemies-to-lovers stuff that wasn’t really developed on the “lovers” side, which I would have dug.  Like its precursor, this book has a lot of f/f friends-to-lovers subtext and hostile canon het.) Was it good?  I don’t know?  I liked it enough that I genuinely don’t know if it was well-written. Would I recommend it?  I would, but I’m not sure you should trust me on this???  Again, this book really, really hit me in the id. 5 stars
An adaptation of its original format (book-to-manga, translation, etc.) Murder on the Rockport Limited! by Clint McElroy et al Did I like it?  It was okay, but not nearly as good as the original podcast’s murder train arc.  The art was good and all, but, eh. Was it good?  It was fine.  I’m not sure how into the DM/character conversations I am, and I found myself having to pause and reimagine the dialogue in the various McElroys’ voices, which wasn’t good because it meant I wasn’t automatically reading them in those voices in my head, which is a major litmus test I use when I’m deciding whether I want to keep reading a fanfic. Would I recommend it?  Definitely not as a standalone thing. 3 stars
The author's initials found in the word "change" Helen of Sparta by Amalia Carosella (in progress)
Separate book sections or part of a series of three or more books (make change) The Seduction of the Crimson Rose by Lauren Willig (in progress)
An author or character writing under a pseudonym The Maker’s Mask by Ankaret Wells (in progress)
A topic or character about which you feel differently now than in the past. La Belle Sauvage by Phillip Pullman
Changing one's mind about a life decision. A Tapestry of Magics by Brian Daley
Switching careers/jobs. The Goblin Emperor by Katherine  Addison
Relocating to a different city, state/province, or country. Fire Season: Field Notes from a Wilderness Lookout by Philip Connors
Cultivating new daily habits. How to Be Fine by Jolenta Greenberg and Kristen Meinzer
A character who shifts shapes or identities. The Lie: A Memoir of Two Marriages, Catfishing & Coming Out by William Dameron
Life changes due to age Two Old Women: An Alaskan Legend of Betrayal, Courage, and Survival by Velma Wallis
A medical transformation Specials by Westerfield, Scott
A life-changing experience. Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, & the Prison of Belief by Lawrence Wright
A changing household The Girl from the Other Side: Siúil, A Rún, Volume 1 by Nagabe
An action or phenomenon that transforms society or the world. Hard Times: An Oral History of the Great Depression by Studs Terkel
Replacing one thing with another (change out) In Vino Duplicitas: The Rise and Fall of a Wine Forger Extraordinaire by Peter Hellman & Charles Constant
Technological innovation Tubes: A Journey to the Center of the Internet by Andrew Blum
A game-changer. The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914 by Christopher  Clark
Fanfic Reading Challenge recs (1)
I have a private checklist with the fanfic reading challenge data, but will not be sharing all of the fics; fanfiction is generally an amateur endeavor, and many people do not enjoy receiving (or stumbling across) criticism of their work.  Bad reviews are normal and accepted as part of commercial publishing, and professional authors (hopefully!) get paid for their work, so I’m comfortable criticizing published novels.  I would prefer not to publicly criticize someone’s writing when they are just writing for the joy of it, especially since some of the tasks require me to read first-time authors’ fics, fics with relatively low kudos counts, fics for ships I don’t like, etc.  So I’m only putting the recs here.
Romancing the Tome by Anti_kate Good Omens; Aziraphale/Crowley; ~40k words; rated Explicit Romance novelist Aziraphale Wilder is pulled from his carefully ordered life when his sister is kidnapped and held to ransom. With the help of antiquities forger Anthony J Crowley, he braves the wilds of Scotland to rescue her and keep a priceless book from falling into the hands of dangerous book thieves. Did I like it?  Yes!  It was cheesy and cute and basically what I want out of this kind of romcom AU fic.  I’m not normally into human AUs and this one wasn’t like, super deep or anything, but it was very fun. Was it good? I thought so!  The dialogue was great, I enjoyed the characterization, the sex was good.  I do think the Crowley in this fic is pretty self-loathing in a way that I don’t see canon Crowley being at all, but I have a weakness for that and I also think self-loathing works for a human version of Crowley.  One thing it doesn’t shy away from is Crowley doing genuinely awful stuff (instead of being a misunderstood woobie) and yet the resolution is sweet and lovely anyway. Would I rec it? Yes!  Go read this fic.  It’s fast-paced but long enough to be worth settling in to read, it’s funny, and it’s sweet. 5 stars
In Holy Matrimony by Myracuulous Good Omens; Aziraphale/Crowley; ~6.7k words; rated General From the private journal of Alisha Jones, wedding planner, concerning the nuptials of Anthony J Crowley and Aziraphale and the planning process thereof, containing an account of chosen decor, guest list construction, and the holy war against the Antichrist that nearly ruined six months of professional organization and a very nice dinner. Did I like it?  Yes!  It was extremely cute, and I always really like outsider POV.  I did appreciate the fact that poor Alisha definitely knew something was definitely weird, but kept telling herself not to question it because a gorgeous wedding with an unlimited budget and zero issues with scheduling, catering, guest limits, etc. is a great problem to have. Was it good?  It was pretty good!  The climax and wrap-up felt a bit rushed, mostly due to the limits of outsider POV, but I did enjoy Aziraphale unexpectedly embracing his inner groomzilla while also being unfailingly sweet about it. Would I rec it?  Yup, especially if you want wedding comedy/fluff and outsider POV
Wrong Turn by anticyclone Good Omens; Aziraphale/Crowley; ~38k words; rated Teen And Up Lots and lots of somethings are wrong. First, Crowley's nearly hit by a car. Then he almost brains himself tripping over new and excessive piles of books at the bookshop. To add insult to near-injury, Aziraphale starts throwing knives at him. Safe to say his day could be going better.
The thing that's the most wrong of all is the universe, of course. In this one there was never an Arrangement. Aziraphale and Anthony (they can't both be 'Crowley') aren't friends and they certainly never agreed to prep for Armageddon. Unfortunately, the end of the world is two days away.
So that's something Crowley really has to fix before they can figure out how to get him home. Did I like it?  Oh yes.  I had read bits of this on ffa previously, and also anticyclone is a good writer (and a friend) so like, I was expecting it to be good; I was not disappointed. Was it good?  Yes!  I was particularly impressed at how much alternate backstory is set up in little hints here and there, and then explained more thoroughly in ways that take the AU Aziraphale and Crowley by surprise when they do finally get to talking. Would I rec it?  Yes!  Especially if you like a nice dose of enemies-to-lovers along with your friends-to-lovers, and also the awkwardness of meeting your alternate universe self.
Finished in January, not for reading challenges (3 books):
The Way of Kings, book 1 of The Stormlight Archive, by Brandon Sanderson Did I like it? It was fine. Was it good? I think so.  I am maybe not the best audience for epic fantasy at this point, partly because I’ve read a lot of it and partly because I habitually read 3-7 books at once at any given time. Would I recommend it? Maybe, but I feel like most of the people who would enjoy it have probably heard of it already. 3 stars
Get a Wiggle On, a Good Omens fanzine Did I like it? Yup! Was it good? Mostly, although as usual with zines and anthologies, quality varies piece by piece.   Of the fics I particularly liked “A Head Above Water,” “The Grapes of Mild Irritation,” and “Concerning the Great Serpent Glykon and the Angel Clothed With the Sun,” all of which are now available on AO3. Would I recommend it? If you like snakey Crowley, yes. 4 stars
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne Did I like it? Yes, very much!  A very silly thing I particularly liked (which unfortunately you cannot really replicate) is that the edition I have is an illustrated hardcover book from 1926 which I picked up cheap at a used bookstore, knowing I would like it because Jules Verne.  I didn’t think much about that specific date when I bought it, but I am now writing a fic set in 1926, with a character who has a habit of reading adventure novels and who I have specifically mentioned enjoyed Jules Verne in his childhood, so when I discovered the date the coincidence made me very happy.  The book itself smells very nice, it’s nice to hold, and as I was reading it I kept thinking about what Danny would think of the book, and whether he would try reading it aloud to Crowley, and wondering if the book smelled as nice in 1926 as it does now.  Maybe I will have Aziraphale give this book to him as a very small thank-you for all he has done to keep Crowley alive and well. Was it good? For the most part.  Jules Verne is prone to wandering off on tangents where he shows you his research, but I’m sympathetic to that, and there’s some really cool and atmospheric scenes in this book.  My favorite character was definitely Captain Nemo, who we don’t really learn much about.  Could have done without Conseil, the bland servant character who could be a naturalist in his own right, if he had any opinions of his own, or the period racism/imperialism, which unfortunately is so built into this kind of adventure novel.  But the environmentalism was a nice surprise, and you can definitely read some critiques of certain aspects of (Western?) culture at the time into Captain Nemo’s behavior; I have not yet read The Mysterious Island where Captain Nemo also appears, but I do get the impression a lot of people read him as being disgusted with imperialism. Would I recommend it?  Probably!  With the caveats above.  It was a good adventure story with some awesome visuals, and I kept thinking about what a pretty movie it would make with modern SFX, and how sad I would be that they would inevitably not spend just 3 solid hours on cool fish and interiors of the Nautilus and scenes of the lost city of Atlantis and Captain Nemo being very mysterious and dreamy scary, because they’d probably shoehorn an awkward romance into it. 4 stars
Finished in February, not for reading challenges (2 books):
The Deception of the Emerald Ring by Lauren Willig, book 3 of the Pink Carnation series Did I like it? I did.  It was a silly Regency romance novel with espionage elements, it is the third of a series I have enjoyed, and it contained an accidental/forced marriage to preserve a lady’s honor despite neither party to the marriage particularly liking or wanting to have anything to do with each other, and some misunderstandings about that.  Also spies. Was it good?  Not really.  It was fun and I liked the characters, but I don’t think the writing was of particularly high quality.  The handling of certain elements of English imperialism was not great, and bothered me enough to note it in my review on Goodreads. Would I recommend it? I’d recommend the series if it sounds like something you’d like; I might not recommend this specific book. 3 stars
The Light Brigade by Kameron Hurley Did I like it?  No.  It was very dark, and I did not enjoy most of the book.  A lot of it was because it was very gritty and grim, and because I frequently don’t enjoy military fiction; a lot of it was because many of the dystopian aspects of our present reality that came to a head in 2020 were magnified in the book.  Part of it was also that the protagonist’s entire reality and memory was being denied for much of the book, and I think it reminded me of being gaslit.  (This is not a criticism of the book, or some kind of weird accusation that the book or its author was somehow abusing me, I just have this personal history.  In fact, it turns out the main character is being gaslit to some extent, and the author writes it very well.)  It was a minor relief when she finally decided the stuff she was going through was real, and a huge relief when she was able to talk to someone who believed her. Was it good?  Yes, I think so. Would I recommend it?  Not right now, but I think this would be a good book to read at a time when the world feels more stable.  I don’t say this because I want you to wait until everything’s fine to read it; I say this because it feels like a good anti-complacency read. 4 stars (3 for not being an enjoyable read, 5 for the actual plot; it averages out.)
In progress, not for reading challenges (1 book):
Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation by 墨香铜臭
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weekend bnha reads
the best fic I read this weekend:
mild-mannered school teacher/adrenaline-junkie vigilante by jajalala (T, miruyumi wip) – HELL YES. this fic takes a thoughtful but still hilarious look at the todorokis from fuyumi’s pov, and you know what, since she has some frustration to spare, she’s gonna (accidentally!…at first) fight some bad guys and team up with a mystery villain named dabi. but not on school nights. okay, sometimes on school nights.
warming up by copper_leaf (T, dabihawks oneshot) – one rainy night, hawks stumbles across a collapsed dabi, drunk, and hypothermic, near hawks’s apartment. a sickfic where hawks tells himself that this is purely professional concern and dabi’s vulnerability gives him a reality check.
magic that makes winter feel like spring by juurensha (T, comprei oneshot) – postcanon, mr. compress is a gallant ex-villain nursing an infatuation with rei, who, on account of her age and baggage, can’t imagine that someone could be interested in her. a sweet, delicate story of courtship with cute cameos by the todoroki kids and gentlemanly+witty dialogue by mr. compress <3
#bakudeku by rageprufrock (T, crackish comedy tododeku oneshot) – todoroki indirectly outs midoriya and bakugo’s secret relationship to their fans…but the thing is, todoroki is a troll and he’s the one dating midoriya, not bakugo. hilarious chaos ensues.
marks and ties by growingahead (T, shigadeku wip) – character drama, oh damn. midoriya is accidentally caught in a trap meant for shigaraki; neither could have predicted that they’d get attached. half the story takes place after they’ve escaped and are sneakily dating working together to find the bastards who trapped them, and half the story takes place during their captivity to explore how their relationship reached that point. excellent shigaraki characterization.
the zombie walk by ohnohello (T, shiniida chapters 13/13) – slice of life fic, shinsou and iida reconnect years after graduation. it’s awkward at first because iida rejected shinsou’s feelings during high school, but shinsou isn’t dumb enough to fall for him twice. …right?
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syzyg3tic · 3 years
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Yuletide Letter 2021
Hello! Thanks so much for writing for me! I’m excited to see what you come up with :) Here are some general likes and dislikes, as well as fandom-specific thoughts. Feel free to think of this as a grab bag of starting points or inspiration, not hardline prompts (of course)! I am equally excited about all these canons, so you can’t go wrong with any of them!! Thanks so much and happy Yuletide c:
General Likes: -Character study/character motivation exploration -Expressing emotions physically--sex or kissing or any physical interaction as conversation/argument/apology/confession/goodbye/forgiveness/someone else/admission/catharsis of some kind -Characters B&C talking/making out about their mutual feelings for Character A -Reveal moments (confessions, when a couple is discovered by friends, in general just the fallout from the moment when characters have to stick by the choices they’ve made about their feelings because other people know the feeling, now) -Getting together moments/firsts
NSFW likes: Again, no pressure to write explicit fic, but if you do, here are some things I like to read about! -Sensation play -Breathplay -Solo/fantasizing -Sneaking around/trying to not be seen but very much going for it in sketchy locations -First times/exploration of each other
Dislikes/DNWs: -Hard AUs (canon divergence is fine though) -A/B/O dynamics -Soulmate/one true love stuff -Daddy kink -Mpreg/pregnancy/kidfic -illness fic -Noncon -Scat/pee
FANDOMS
1) เขามาเชงเม้งข้างๆหลุมผมครับ | He's Coming to Me (TV) Characters: Mes, Thun
This is one of my favorite Thai dramas! I loved the romance, the family stuff, the premise, the friend group stuff--all of it! I’d be most interested in a missing scene or postcanon fic for this fandom.
Concepts: -Thun and Mes’s first time - You could expand on the tasteful fade-to-black we got in canon. What’s it like for Mes to feel things? I love physical exploration of sensation for undead characters! I can see it being overwhelming (in a good way) for him. I love the idea of Thun giving Mes a lot of attention, either in a slow methodical way or just being all over him, but wanting to let him feel things/feel good. I also like the idea of Thun wanting to take all he can of Mes for himself while he has the chance, since he’s not sure if they’ll get another.
-Thun and Mes in the future - The end of the show is happy, but their issues are definitely not over, and I’m interested to see how they’d deal with it. I’d love to see any kind of established relationship (potentially with flashback to when things were unclear between them?). What’s it like when they know each other well, either day to day or in their sex life? How do they deal with Mes not being able to expend a lot of energy without losing form? Is there a way for Mes to give him energy (hehe)?
-Far future angst - Mes is still gonna disappear one day. I am not always into angst, but I would be for these two, especially if it is balanced with bittersweetness/dashes of hope. How do they prepare? Would Mes find a way to leave a sign if it happened when Thun wasn’t around/what would he do if he WAS there in those last moments? How would Thun deal? I assume they have some good years ahead of them, but Mes DID have a heart condition, and may not have lived to old age ordinarily anyway, so there’s no telling when his actual time to go would have been. What happens if Thun dies first? Lots of ways you could take this.
I didn’t request the other characters because I wasn’t interested in fic that focused on them, but feel free to include the other friends, Thun’s Mom, etc, as side characters if you’d like. I especially love Praifah.
2) เมื่อหัวใจใกล้กัน | Don't Say No: The Series (TV) Characters: Fiat, Leon
So this show is kind of a hot mess, but I really enjoy it anyway. I was into the refreshingly new-for-Thai-BL dynamics of Fiat/Leo for the first half of the series, but I find that as the series goes on (at the time of writing this there is one episode left to go), I care most about other dynamics! So I’d really be interested in seeing some of those explored in fic. I watched part of TharnType S2, but I didn’t finish it and I like DSN era characterization better, so feel free to take or leave TTs2 canon details.
Concepts: -I am really interested in Fiat's precanon self-destructive behavior. He has both Mommy Issues AND Daddy Issues, and tries to solve them both by sleeping around and homewrecking! I find this delightful and horrible. I think it’s a rich vein to plumb BECAUSE he gets to be happy and loved (even with lots of drama along the way -_-) by Leo in canon, so I would love to see precanon Fiat dealing with his feelings and various traumas, making bad decisions to stave off the feeling of abandonment. This can be solo Fiat, Fiat and random dudes, Fiat pining over Leo, whatever. It can be angsty or be edged with hope, whatever you want.
-I also uhhh have an interest in Fiat’s bratty rivalry with Leon. They don’t seem to have real reasons to dislike each other aside from vague jealousy about Leo’s time/them both being kind of annoying (I say, lovingly). So I keep thinking about uhh. What if it’s just because they hooked up before?? I know Leon has been abroad for a while but whatever, he could’ve visited once? What if Fiat gave up on ever getting with Leo and one of his self destructive bad decisions was hooking up with Leon instead, thinking it was the closest he’d ever get (any degree from LeonFiat almost kissing to actually having sex would be fun to read about--whatever you’re comfy with, as long as it’s more recent precanon if they have sex just to keep them grown). Leon could be fully aware of Fiat’s motives or not! Whatever angle you wanna take. They’re just both kind of slutty and rash, and, well!! I can see them having an ill-advised hookup and dealing with it by being bitchy to each other in the canon era!! If you do this via flashback and have current Leo find out, I’d rather Leo think it’s funny or annoying or gross, but I’m tired of his actual jealousy, so I’d rather you not write him too mean or dramatic about it.
I didn’t request Leo or Pob, but they can be there and be side characters, especially if you do current day with flashbacks! I love both their canon relationships! I just prefer the main focus to be on Fiat solo or Fiat/Leon.
3) สามเราต้องรอด | 3 Will Be Free Characters: Miw, Mae
I love all the characters in this show a lot, and I love the hero trio and the “villain” trio on their own, but I think a LOT about the two women, on their own and together. They both have had to learn to be hard, and to push away their feelings. They both are scarred by the memories of the first person they killed. The fact that one woman’s revenge quest hinges on another’s downfall is aaah it’s a big feeling, especially because Miw gets what she wants in the end and Mae doesn’t. This pains me. The 3 who end up free are the only people left in the world who know what Mae went through, and she can’t really talk to them about it because of the nature of their situation!! Their connection in that big confrontation in the forest really hit home how similar the two of them are, and how well they’d get along in other circumstances. I think there’s a lot of bittersweetness in that. I want Mae to be happy.
Concepts: -I would love to see postcanon fic where Mae and Miw meet, either planned or by accident, and get a chance to talk. To create some kind of friendship forged in trauma. I think they are both capable of forgiving each other, since they now know they both acted the way they did because of situations they did not control. I can see them wanting to take back control from those external forces by being good to each other, both learning to feel worthy of the other’s forgiveness. I can see this being fully friendship or turning romantic or physical. I don’t want you to break up Shin/Miw/Neo, but hey, they’re already polyamorous, why not let Miw have a girlfriend also! Or at least a one off emotional cathartic hookup (or series of healing hookups) with Mae??? And Mae deserves the world, by god, and I want her to have SOMETHING good after the story ends ;-;
Do Not Want “welcome to the polycule, here are the rules” type long winded relationship negotiation. The way the main 3 navigated their relationships in the show was pretty fluid and organic, and a bit of checking in with each other is fine, but I’d like to keep that relaxed tone, if you do take this in a romantic direction.
Similarly, discussion/mention of gender and womanhood and their common ground and different angles is fine and great (especially if you’re somewhat aware of the cultural context of gender in Thailand), but I’d rather you not lean super heavily on Mae’s experiences of transphobia. Good things for Mae!!!!
I didn’t request the other characters because I wasn’t interested in fic that focused on them, but feel free to include them as side characters if you like.
4) นับสิบจะจูบ | Lovely Writer the Series (TV) Characters: Tum, Tiffy
This show was a lovely metatextual romp. I loved the stuff about the BL industry, what it’s like to be a writer, etc. The characters were all great as well. It was one of my favorite shows of this year for sure. The ONE thing I wanted to go differently plotwise was that I was really hoping for Bisexual Tum to be a reality. I thought for a second we’d get it, what with Bi Tiffy thinking he was gay for a bit!
Concepts: -I would love to see Tiffy help Tum explore his sexuality as they also get to know each other as romantic partners! I think they’re really cute together, and I’d like to see the ins and outs of what it’d be like for them to work through this while still keeping it clear that Tum truly is super into Tiffy, and that Tiffy is enthusiastic about him also being queer. Can stay G rated (Tiffy noticing him checking out dudes, etc), or get into E rated territory with them sharing explicit fantasies about various genders either conversationally or while they’re in bed together. I toyed with the idea of prompting them with another character, but they’re pretty new at their relationship. But I COULD see them discussing the possibility, laughing while discussing/disagreeing about which of their friends or other actual BL actors (since the setting allows for it, lol) they think are attractive.
I didn’t request the other characters because I wasn’t interested in fic that focused on them, but feel free to include the others as side characters if you like.
Ao3 is here
Twitter is here
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beneaththebrim · 4 years
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what are your favorite mxtx ships overall?
I’ll split this up by book:
SV:
I am incredibly soft for liushen,,, incredibly,,,,, I’ve probably lushly imagined like 5 liushen fics in my head that will never meet the light of day just because thinking about them without the labor of writing them down is part of the comfort xD
I like the gremlin energy of moshang and the angst of qijiu, but liushen is definitely my fave SV ship. I also enjoy the idea of the harem sans b/nghe just having a grand ol’ time together. Oh, and 🥒 ✈️ has excellent comedy potential, I think–their ship dynamic is basically just literal fandom wank xD
MDZS:
Love wangxian. Especially from LWJ’s pov. Also love nielan–that’s a comfort ship much like liushen for me, but with more angst. I’m an eldest sibling, so I really like the chemistry of nielan shouldering responsibilities as they grow up and supporting one another as best they can.
Let’s see, other than that I also enjoy YZY/Madame Jin. I like lesbian ships with WQ, although I tend to pair her with OCs, bc I feel like the chemistry isn’t quite right with the other female mdzs characters. I could see her and Mianmian, but haven’t thought much about it tbh.
I like songxiao, wish there were more content for them. CQL turned me on to xiyao and nieyao, but I’m honestly on the fence with them, generally only read something with those pairings if I like the fic author’s other work. I’m okay with xuexiao as an angst pairing, but I’m v picky about that ship’s content.
TGCF:
Oh boy, I have a lot of favorite tgcf ships. This is also a different situation, because I actively write tgcf fics, so I have less distance–I’m simultaneously more passionate about certain characters, and more picky about their treatment. Anyway, here goes:
Lately I’ve been very much on my junmei shit (yes each of those links goes to a different fic), and I’ve written a meta about why I like them. That being said, I’m picky about characterization–I really don’t like Jun Wu being a dom daddy, for one.
YUWEN! (That’s LW/YS) I think they have a lot of enemies-to-lovers potential, and I think YS could provide a lot of stability for LW. See this post by @thisworldgodonlyknows which discusses the foiling between LW & YS. At some point I am planning to write a postcanon getting-together longfic for them, where they fight over mentorship of the person who is destined to be the next Wind Master.
God I love beefleaf… I have written a 128k postcanon fic for them, btw, if anyone’s looking for a slowburn fic with heavy plot and lots of feels to read while cooped up at home :P I also wrote a lil essay about why I like them here. This is another ship, however, where I am a bit picky about characterization–for fics that are canon compliant, I don’t think it should be very easy for them to get back together–my own fic involves SQX reincarnating into an OC for it to happen, for instance.
I like hualian, but I tend to view tgcf as a closed loop for them–they’re all nice and resolved, so there’s not much I have to say about them, y’know? Usually when I write stuff about them, it’s either smut or more about their relationships with other characters.
Also, plug for my pet rarepair: Muyin, ie. MQ/YY. Hear me out:
2 salty & judgmental boys
Parallel unrequited crushes on half of hualian
Frustration when people don’t follow advice
YY learns to accept his judgmentalness, MQ learns tact
They write a burn book together (with some help with LW, of course 😌)
I would like to write a postcanon Muyin longfic at some point, although I’ll have to have a lot of momentum for it since I’ve basically invented the ship 😅
Other ships: I’m fine with 3 Tumors and fengqing, but generally prefer them being just friends, and only really ship them in crack settings.
Hmm, think that’s it! Thanks for the ask ^^
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