aaa i miss my motu ocs ;-;

Mayo's Fic Recs

List of my favourite fics below the cut; this list is a WIP and completely personal taste; a mix of fandom classics and lesser knowns

Please remember to leave comments and kudos for the authors and podficcers!

*shows particular favourites

Fandoms currently included: Spn, Merlin, Les Mis, BatFam

Fics That Changed Me Fundamentally

Loaded March*** by Footloose. Merlin | E | 1.26M(Series)/ 35k (First part) | 188k hits (First part)

The reason SAS Captain Arthur Pendragon can’t keep a communications specialist in Team Excalibur because none of them are good enough. And then Lieutenant Merlin Emrys gets assigned to his squad, and Arthur does everything he can to prove that Merlin isn’t good enough, either. Except he is.

You can read all about my thoughts on Loaded March here, here, and here. Basically this fic series is beautifully written, has absolutely delicious UST, has found family, magic, and high stakes. It’s been part of my life for almost a decade now, I made friends through LM that I still have to this day, and it genuinely changed me as a person. Plus there are 78k of Extras to itch that I Finished Now What scratch. Parts 1-5 have been podficced and you can find them in works inspired by this one in each part.

Down to Agincourt*** by Seperis. Supernatural | E | 1.12M(Series)/ 154k (First part) | 73k hits (First part)

The world’s already over and they’re already dead. All they’re doing now is marking time until the end.

S7!Dean is transported back to the aftermath of where 5x04 The End left off. Much like LM, DtA was one that I avoided for a while. I didn’t think it would be my thing. I’m not usually into End!verse, it sounded so bleak from the summary, and it sounded so long for something I wasn’t sure about. If you’re reading this and nodding along? You are as much a fool as I was. Yes, it’s the end of the world. But it’s not over yet. This is a beautiful journey in what it means to be yourself, how to survive the end of the world, a How-To for Coups, and a study in food as a love language. I only read this fic this year, but like LM, it has genuinely changed me. Map of the World has been podficced.

Supernatural

Let’s start with the current hyperfixation. All of these are at least passively Dean/Cas unless otherwise stated. I've split into ones from my first time around in the SPN fandom and more recent ones because the vibes are actually really different and it took me some time to adjust (Not in a bad way! In a time has passed they have grown as characters way)

Old-School SPN (AKA the Classics my first time around)

Canon-Compliant or Divergent

Home in Motion* by nomdeplume13 M | 232k | 48k hits

Castiel swore he was done with spur of the moment decisions that permanently changed Dean Winchester's life. A year after the angel's most disastrous, his newest may present the largest challenge of dean's life: Fatherhood.

Did someone say kid!fic in canonverse? This is perfect. Canon divergence from the end of S6. Cas saves a baby from a neglectful mother and gives him to Dean to raise. They all move in with Bobby. Great OCs. Bobby considers Cas his son. Listen everything I say here will not be able to begin to encompass how much I love this fic. Just trust me on this one.

Named* by RC_McLachlan M | 95k | 95k hits

Jesus Christ is dead. Somehow, that isn't the worst part of Dean's week.

With a summary like that, need I say more? No but I'm gonna. This is one of the funniest fics I've ever read, but it doesn't take any emotion from the serious moments, if anything it heightens them. There are so many quotes from this I think about all the time. It was written in 2010 and so there's a bit of misogyny/character assassination of Anna in places.

Second Childhood by CloudyJenn (read by exmanhater) G | 16k (1h30) | 10k hits

"Dude, I can't do this whole thing by myself," Dean said with far more desperation leaking into his tone than he liked. It would just be too much to make it through hell and death and Lucifer only to have Castiel bail on him because of a frigging baby.

They beat the Apocalypse (OG-S5) and then Sam gets de-aged by a spell. I've listened to this so many times I know it by heart, it's an ultimate comfort fic to me.

Defy Any and All Expectation* by Tenoko1 (read by Tenoko1) M | 138k (14hrs) | 37k hits

Chuck's newly released books tell of another war between Heaven and Hell. Team Free Will sets out to try to defy prophecy, only to realize there is a lot more at stake and amiss than the not-quite-accurate words of one Prophet of the Lord. Along the way, Dean and Cas' relationship continues to evolve into something neither expected or were prepared for, all of their lives transforming in ways no one could have expected. But with no shortage of cases, monsters, and mayhem, it's going to require the help of new friends and old enemies if they're to have a hope of saving the world one more time. Alternate Season Six.

So this is a re-written version of Tenoko1's The Path We Choose which I don't think is around anymore. By the time I was reading the re-write as each chapter came out, I knew every single line of TPWC and it wasn't all that much shorter. It's such a perfect canon divergence because they are all 100% in-character. If you're into podfic, you already know what an absolute gift 14 hours is, but if you have never tried podfic before, Tenoko1 is a fantastic place to start. Her voice is soothing and energetic and her Cas sometimes comes to mind when I'm reading fic in Misha's place (sorry Misha)

His Fucking Kids 'Verse by 8sword M | 96k(Series)/ 3k (first part) | 26k hits (first part)

Jesus, the school should just have a parking spot labeled, “Reserved for the Novak-Winchesters,” because Dean’s getting sick of having to cruise around the parking lot looking for a spot every time he gets a call from the principal about Emma.

Emma survives and Dean and Cas are raising her and Claire. This fic series will make you laugh, make you cry, and (nowadays) make you wish Emma had survived to be a part of Wayward Sisters.

One Species Too Many by wallmakerrelict E | 22k | 37k hits

While Dean is laid up for a month after breaking his leg on a hunt, Cas decides that it's a perfect time to adopt a litter of kittens. But even though he's gotten better since Purgatory, Cas still isn't quite the same as he was before fixing Sam's head, and being trapped in a cabin with him for weeks on end is making that all the more obvious to Dean. When Sam takes off on a hunt, Dean has to figure out on his own how to navigate his new relationship with Cas while also helping to raise a bunch of fuzzballs that aren't even cute. Not even a little bit. (Well, maybe a little bit.)

Dean breaks his legs, and honey!Cas brings home some kittens to foster. It's achingly sweet and also painful because you know Dean wants to fix Cas but there's nothing to fix. It is tagged for ableism for this.

Tripping* by Hatteress E | 49k | 78k hits

That time the universe decided Dean belonged with Cas and wasn't afraid to pull out the big guns to make it so. Big guns in this case being obsessive fangirls, archangels turned tricksters and overly enthusiastic cupids. Welcome to Dean's life.

Alt!S5 and it is beautiful. Also any fic with Missouri is an automatic win.

Broadway Musical by Grifitings M | 12k | 79k hits

This is the day that marked the Holy and Blessed Union of Dean Winchester and Jo Harvelle. The merging of prominent bloodlines is always a grand occurrence, but breeding pedigree hunter families like Winchester and Harvelle is something to be rejoiced. It is also something to be meticulously planned, which thankfully the Host is very good at. Or, the romantic comedy where Dean Winchester and Jo Harvelle are destined to get married, Castiel is given the task of playing matchmaker and fails terribly, the entire Heavenly Host becomes a sitcom audience, God warns against male pregnancy, and Jimmy Novak is incredibly unimpressed with angels in general.

Jimmy deserves a sainthood and frankly I don't even want to hear about crack if it's not on the level of the Host yelling at Cas not to touch the butt.

Classic AUs (AKA AUs from my first time around)

Try Something Tuesday by almaasi E | 48k | 144k hits

Dean Winchester teaches a third-grade class. He's new to this whole ‘bisexual’ thing - but by pure happenstance, he meets Castiel: a particularly dapper male librarian who moonlights as a substitute teacher. Dean's curious and Castiel is willing, so why the hell not? Except, fate never intended it to be one-time-only...

This was one of the first spn fics to really really stay with me and it never really left.

Rock 'n' Roll Queer Bar by ChasingRabbits E | 127k(Series)/ 8k (Part1) | 29k hits (Part1)

Ellen and Jo Harvelle run Harvelle's Roadhouse, a bar that unintentionally becomes a beacon for wayward queer souls. Her employees: Dean, the smartass runaway with a big heart and bigger mouth; Castiel, the college drop-out turned hippie; his (surprisingly heterosexual) trouble-making brother Gabriel; and Charlie, who has been told several times that the back room is not to be used for after-hours Dungeons & Dragons games. But there's a lot of love in this place, and a new family for anyone who may otherwise be without.

This series. If you've ever felt unsure or out of place or anxious or just really felt like no-one understood you, this fic is for you. I first found this series when I was coming to terms with my queerness and I genuinely think it was invaluable. Also I am a sucker for the go for a dinner at Cas's family and end up storming out trope.

Play It All Night Long by janie_tangerine (read by Tenoko1) NC17 | 43k (4hrs)

The rom-com-ish one where Dean hosts a late night radio show, Castiel is a regular listener of his who starts calling one day and ends up calling more often than not and Dean finds himself liking it. This, until one day Castiel calls for not exactly petty reasons (just before Dean's brother Sam is visiting with his girlfriend for spring break) and things get very, very crowdy at his place. He also doesn't know it's just the beginning of it. Also features Gabriel, Chuck, Andy, the Roadhouse crew and a huge amount of music quoted. Especially Bob Dylan.

Again, this podfic has got me through many a night of insomnia. Cas calls in after a particularly shitty day and it all goes from there.

New-School SPN (AKA post-2014)

Canon-Compliant or Divergent

Tall Grass by aeli_kindara E | 57k | 28k hits

“I think we should have a garden,” Cas says. Dean looks up from his beer. He hasn’t had that much to drink, but Cas still has a vague look of unreality about him, a splash of living color that doesn’t fit in the bunker’s echoing stillness. Dean didn’t hear him coming. A lot of the time, Cas is so unobtrusive it feels like Dean has the bunker to himself, with Sam away. Dean shakes his head to clear it. “A — garden?” he repeats.

There is a reason you will see this recced time and time again. It healed parts of me I didn't know needed healing.

So Says the Sword* by komodobits E | 85k | 73k hits

The briefing was simple: ‘Stand guard over the Michael Sword until the battle is ready to commence. Await further instructions.’ Castiel doesn’t mind working security duty; he was briefed shortly after the initial salvation of the Sword from the pit, and again before taking up his position. He knows what to do. However, it’s easy to forget that the green room isn’t real. Time moves differently there, the space ever-changing to make a prison of mountains, cathedrals, salt flats, orchards, and whatever Castiel was led to believe about Heaven’s greatest weapon—Dean Winchester is something entirely unexpected

I saw ssts mentioned in like every single If you're getting back into the fandom READ THIS rec list. For good reason. It's described as "canon-adjacent in that seasons one to three happened exactly the same, but when Dean goes to Hell, he is not raised by Castiel". It's one of the most interesting concepts I've read and it's one of those fics where the writing style will stick with you. Castiel POV in a way you've never read before.

Aching in the Absence of You* by sobsicles E | 95k | 9k hits (in 5 days)

Brittle and battle-worn, Cas looks at him over coffee one morning and says, "I need to go," and Dean instantly knows that he's not coming back. He's not really sure how he knows it, but he does. It settles into the pit of his stomach, curling hot and tight like something he instinctively wants to tear out with his bare hands. He takes a breath, and it gets stuck in his throat, hitching there. It hurts, hurts, hurts when he finally exhales. "Yeah," Dean says, "of course you do," and he nods jerkily as he looks down at his phone. He doesn't say goodbye. He doesn't look up from the screen when Cas gets up and leaves the room. He doesn't finish his coffee, or move for a long time. By nightfall, Cas is gone.

If you don't already know sobsicles, I am delighted to introduce you to the person who will smash you to pieces with a hammer to put you back together Kintsugi-style. This one is post-finale but without 15x18 (it'll make sense as it goes). Cas says he's going to leave again and again Dean doesn't ask him to stay. Full of lines so beautiful they'd make Shakespeare weep, Sobsicles has this way of writing that is so evocative and paints such a clear picture. Fair warning, if you're Dean-coded, this might be A Lot.

dumbassery, denial, doing (the three d's to the destination)** by sobsicles E | 108k | 25k hits

Freedom is just one adjustment after the next. ~~~ Cas hums again. "I think you already have. It's been months since everything settled. All that's left to do is...get used to it, and perhaps—" His voice stalls out, uncharacteristically, and his gaze roams Dean's face with intensity. When he speaks next, his tone is a little raw. "Perhaps what one does with peace is...whatever they want." "What if I don't even know what that is?" Dean grumbles, arching an eyebrow in challenge. "'Cause I know damn well you don't just mean good food and a good bed and time in Baby, not simple wants like that. You mean—ya know, the big things, the wants we didn't get to have before." "Yes," Cas agrees. "If you're not sure, figure it out." "Easier said than done."

Yes, two sobsicles recs back to back. This one I read first and it still holds such a special place in my heart. A sign of a good fic is being able to picture it perfectly. The sign of an amazing fic is that when reading this I was so in Dean's shoes I could feel a pool cue between my hands and Baby behind my back. And I sobbed like a baby in this. It has probably my favourite ending ever. It's genuinely beautiful. If you don't read another on this list, read this one.

Teaching Poetry to Fish by aeli_kindara M | 52k | 14k hits

In which Castiel teaches poetry to fish. Also, himself. Also, eventually, Dean. (A series-long story, diverging slightly from canon after S14.)

The ultimate Cas character study and interwoven with poetry.

So There It Is, I've Said It All by PorcupineGirl (read by Ceewelsh) G | 4k | 13k hits

"Why, do you have something you need to say to me that you don't think I'll like?" I think I'm in love with you. "Yeah. I guess so."

Dean figures out he's in love with Cas then can't stop thinking it. This is genuinely beautiful and if you've ever had trouble actually saying the thing you're thinking, you'll relate to Dean here. I recently did the podfic for this.

you won't find this place alone by amidsizedfrog G | 9.5k |

When Claire said she was dropping out of college to pursue hunting full time, Dean said, “right,” and left the room. Or, the cross-generation conversation about formal education, choosing your own path and figuring out what it looks like to find a family. Or, in other words: "But what I do have is a GED and a give-'em-hell-attitude, and I'll figure it out." - Dean Winchester

This is a beautiful look at education in the hunter world, and I love anything that looks at Dean and Bobby's relationship and this does it perfectly. Also best cameo ever.

Seek to Know You Better by ahurston E | 33k | 23k hits

Dean and Cas, a long stretch of highway, and 36 questions empirically designed to make two people fall in love. As if they weren't already.

This is perfect. It has a lovely slow pace like it has the vibes of an indie film if that makes sense? Like it's two guys going from place to place talking. It was an instant favourite.

Newer AUs (AKA more recent AUs)

And This, Your Living Kiss* by opal_bullets M | 57k | 69k hits

Only a very few people in the world know that the celebrated and reclusive poet Jack Allen is just Kansas mechanic Dean Winchester, a high school dropout with a few bucks to his name. Not that it matters anymore; life has left him so wrung out he never wants to pick up another pen. Until, that is, a string of coincidences leads Dean to auditing a poetry course with one Dr. Castiel Novak. The professor is wildly intelligent, devastatingly handsome...and just so happens to be academia's foremost expert on the poetry of Jack Allen.

When I asked which fics were absolute must-reads for someone who'd been out of the fandom a few years, this was said repeatedly. But what really got me to read it was everyone actually told me more about what it meant to them than just the summary. It's a study in poetry, a study in learning who you are and who you used to be, and a reminder that it's never too late.

The Graveyard Shift* by riseofthefallenone, PurgatoryJar E | 620k | 175k hits

Dean’s favourite coffee shop, The Graveyard Shift, is only open after the sun goes down. Which is perfect for him, because that’s exactly when he craves coffee the most while doing the overnight at the fire hall. The coffee shop’s owner is pretty perfect too, but it’s kind of a bummer that Dean never gets to see Cas during the day. In a world where the supernatural live more or less in peace with the rest of humanity, it’s a little impolite to ask Cas just what he really is - or what his dark past entails.

A fantastic magical realism fic - magical creatures live and work with humans. Gabe and Cas run a coffee shop, Dean is a fireman, and the burn is slow and delicious and the intrigue kept me reading for like a week every single spare minute.

Painted Angels by WinJennster E | 106k | 162k hits

Author Castiel Novak has finally hit the big time, with a book based on his failed college relationship with a brilliant painter. He's put all his pain behind him, but at a book signing, he comes face to face with Dean Winchester for the first time in twelve years, and the reunion doesn't go like Cas hoped. Dean's a broken man, with a lot of scars and secrets, shoulders weighed down by his demons and self loathing. Cas sees a second chance with the man he's never stopped loving, but Dean's moved on, and is about to get married. Sam launches a "brilliant" plan to reunite his brother and his best friend, but Cas is worried it will all blow up in their faces, and he'll go through the agony of losing Dean a second time.

The first part of this I actually saved back when I was first in the fandom but I never got around to reading it (I had a To Read folder of 100+ fics that I absolutely dove into when I got back into spn) and the rest of the series finished in 2016 so I'm counting it in this section not the other. On the one hand, I wish I'd read this when it first came out. It's beautiful and heartbreaking, and so visual. On the other hand, I think I appreciated it a lot more now than I would have seven years ago. The parallel of me coming back to the old fandom that I loved dearly with Cas coming back to see someone and places he loved so much really hit. (Although coming back to the spn fandom was much easier and much less heartbreak!)

Finale Fix-Its (yeah fuck you Dabb that this has to be a whole category)

The Goldenrod Revisions by aethylas M | 66k | 15k hits

A rewrite of Supernatural’s final two episodes, expanded into a five episode arc - in which Chuck needs to be defeated, Castiel deserves to be saved, and the characters in this story get a very different ending.

Script format re-write of 15x19 and 15x20 into a 5-episode finale fix-it. As far as I'm concerned, this and chocolatecakecas's American Pie fanvid are the Supernatural finale.

break the skin (to break the barriers)* by sobsicles M | 30k | 9k hits

The first time she meets him, he's nothing more than an almost-missed appointment. ~~~ Dean is silent for a long, tense moment, then he gruffly says, "It's not for banishing the angels. It's to summon them. So, it doesn't—it's not to get rid of 'em, but to draw 'em in." Mitzi can't help but glance up at him at that. His voice is so heavy with so much unexplained pain, and she doesn't understand why, or what angels have to do with it. She knows religion can impact people. She's very aware that it can get complicated, and that it can be a huge source of pain for someone, but Dean sounds grievously wronged, somehow, as if it's a truly personal thing. She pushes through, focusing back on her job, clearing her throat before murmuring, "Well, I guess we all want angels to visit us sometimes." "Just the one," Dean mumbles. "Your guardian angel?" Mitzi asks. Dean breathes out, "Something like that. As close to one as an angel will ever get."

Therapy through getting tattoos and telling your life story to someone who obviously doesn't think it's real. Outsider!POV not just done well, but done literally the best.

Kingdom Come by ahurston E | 17k | 10k hits

Cas wakes up on the coast of Maine. He makes his way home.

I don't know if this counts as finale fix-it as it's more fuck the finale we're ignoring that. There's just so much love and care in this fic.

The Family Business by chai_lattes M | 16k | 5.5k hits

It's all over. It's been weeks since Chuck's defeat and Cas' return from the Empty. There are no threats on the horizon, no apocalypses to stop, but there's something that keeps the Winchesters from being happy. Something that's maybe always been there. On their way back from a hunt, they find John Winchester, back from the dead.

If you're anything like me, you start rubbing your grubby little hands together at the tag John Winchester's A+ Parenting like yes let's address this! This is one of the best examples of John coming back and how it jars with the life that they have built. Also Claire and Jack getting to share screentime!

Merlin

If I have a forever fandom, it's Merlin. I've always kept one foot in this fandom, and it introduced me to fandom, and most importantly to podfic which kinda had an impact. All Merthur unless stated.

Canon-Verse

Seven Magpies by syllic (read by lunchee) E | 33k (3hr15) | 58k hits

Arthur opened his eyes a minute later to the sight of seven magpies streaking across the top of the clearing, their shapes dark against the white clouds and the muted grey of the sky. He tried to remember what it was that seven magpies meant—he'd had a nurse who had sung the rhyme to him as a child—but couldn't. Arthur wakes up somewhere he doesn't recognise, but where he clearly belongs.

Okay so this is an AU but it's Canon-AU so it's going here. Fantastic role reversal fic that you will be thinking about for weeks.

and from your grace, i fell by TheDragon (read by Ceewelsh) T | 4.6k (41mins) | 13k hits

“Where’s Merlin?” he asks the maid. “Where’s that idiot of a Court Sorcerer?!” “Begging your pardon, Your Majesty. I thought you knew,” the maid replies, not daring to look him in the eyes. “He’s taken ill.” “And he couldn’t be bothered to tell me himself that he would be unable to attend today’s council meeting?” Arthur questions, voice full of acid. “He hasn’t woken since he collapsed two days ago, Sire,” the maidservant says, blissfully unaware that what she’s saying the power to stop Arthur’s heart in its tracks.

When I first read this, it had me completely transfixed. I could not stop reading. It was so raw and so full of emotion. I was then lucky enough to get TheDragon in our exchange, so I did a podfic for it and it's probably the most proud I've been of one.

Modern AU

The Student Prince* by FayJay (read by FayJay) M | 145k (15hrs) | 696k hits

A Modern day Merlin AU set at the University of St Andrews, featuring teetotal kickboxers, secret wizards, magnificent bodyguards of various genders, irate fairies, imprisoned dragons, crumbling gothic architecture, arrogant princes, adorable engineering students, stolen gold, magical doorways, attempted assassination, drunken students, shaving foam fights, embarrassing mornings after, The Hammer Dance, duty, responsibility, friendship and true love...

A classic is a classic for a reason. I'm also pretty sure this introduced me to podfics so like special place in my heart x2. Did you know if you filter AO3 by hits on Merlin, this has 426k more hits than the second result? Now that is a Fandom Classic.

Drastically Redefining Protocol* by rageprufrock (read by lunchee) E | 46k (5hr30) | 269k hits

In which Prince Arthur meets Merlin and all hell promptly breaks loose.

As I always say, if this can happen to me and I still love the fic, nothing is going to change that. Arthur hides from his duties in a cupboard and gets stuck in there with a chainsmoking med student.

Fundamental Imperfections by Starlingthefool (read by bravenclawsome) M | 12k (1hr35) | 123k hits

In which an argument about Dickens leads to a Twitter scandal, broken bones, midnight conversations, and transatlantic longing. (Or, an AU with Arthur and Merlin as moderately famous authors.)

This fic has everything: Charles Dickens, long distance texting, Morgana choking a Sherlock cosplayer with his own scarf. This is the ultimate comfort fic and I compare all fics to this even when they're incomparable. I never read the sequel because it was WIP and I was waiting for it to complete, it hasn't been updated since 2015 and apparently ends on an unhappy note, so if you're going to read the sequel you have been warned.

Les Mis

Modern!AU

Overzealous Oddities by YassHomo e/R, Courf/Cosette/Marius, Comb/Ép | G | 6.4k | 4k hits

Courfeyrac: Remember when I smashed our tv and we laughed about it? Enjolras: No. Courfeyrac: Let me rephrase Courfeyrac: I've smashed our tv, lets laugh about it.

I love me a text fic and this is in my opinion the best one around. Just look at that summary. I have quoted that so many times.

But Paris was a very old city and we were young* by GingerNinjaAbi E/R, Courf/Jehan | M | 99k | 42k hits

Perhaps somewhere in between all the cups of coffee, shots of tequila, sunny March days, terrible lumpy jumpers, love, cigarettes, drunken nights and the desire to change the world they'll all leave Paris with a degree in something. Or not. Grantaire's money is on no. But he's a pessimist who's hopelessly in love, so perhaps his opinion shouldn't count.

The ULTIMATE modern!AU tbh.

Tagged by Salomonderiel E/R, Courf/Jehan | E | 155k | 28k hits

So there's this artist. He could probably be compared to Banksy, but he's a lot more... cynical. He shares rooms with a poet who braids his hair with flowers, in a flat near Covent Garden they rent from a short-tempered shop keeper with a penchant for fans and who'd do anything if you mentioned Poland. Sometimes, the three of them will go and deface public buildings in London whilst completely smashed off their heads. And then there's this, shall we say, 'revolutionary'. He has a band of other revolutionaries, who all meet at this cafe by Borough Market. He shares rooms with his best mate, a philosophy student, spends too much time with a flirty guy who has a thing for poets, goes boxing with a guy in a red vest, wants to punch the wet sop who drools on the blonde waitress and is getting tired of this guy who keep breaking his laptops through sheer dumb luck. Thank god the hypochondriac's there to keep an (slightly too) attentive eye on their stress levels. The revolutionary thinks the graffiti artist's work is a waste of space. The artist thinks the revolutionary's campaigns are a waste of time. And all the while, the poet and the flirt drool over each other in the background...

This is perfect and it's funny and it's beautiful and it rips my heart out multiple times.

Canon

To Be Free by kjack89 (read by Ceewelsh) Gen, Cosette/Marius | T | 3.8k (32mins) | 375 hits

Three blows from a bayonet had transfixed Combeferre’s breast, followed by a fall from the barricade as he rapidly lost first blood and then consciousness. But neither of these, it seemed, was enough to kill him, as much as later he might perhaps wish that they were.

I read this because it was on a list kjack89 did of their favourite fics which don't necessarily have the same hits traffic. It's nothing I would have usually read (canon era, not e/R, MCD) but I am so glad I gave it a go. It's a study on what if Combeferre had survived the barricades too and the guilt. This stayed with me for days afterwards until I eventually messaged kjack89 to get permission to podfic it.

BatFam

Canonish (I don't know differences between canons but these are all they're superheros fics)

Robins United by laceymcbain (read by reena_jenkins) Gen | T | 49k (6h15)/ 19k (2h25) (First part) | 103k hits

Bullets, knives, a three story fall, even a fucking crowbar hadn't managed to keep Jason down permanently, but Dick Grayson (and the rest of his "family") was going to kill him with kindness.

The ultimate batbros series. Also if you haven't heard reena_jenkins' podfics before, you are welcome. Pre-pandemic I took a lot of public transport and reena_jenkins kept me sane.

batcoons by drakefeathers (read by reena_jenkins) Gen | G | 6k (49mins) | 14k hits

Jason and raccoons have a lot in common. (Additionally: his so-called family are much bigger pests than the stray animals hanging around his safehouse.)

This is funny, it's heartwarming, and it's a really good character study.

AU

Here Comes the Sun by batsy_rocks Clark/Bruce | T | 19k | 20k hits

Clark Kent is a kind-hearted reporter working in the big city. Bruce Wayne is a stressed dad of four with no idea of what he's doing. Then they meet.

Bruce Wayne is a Tired Single Dad™. It's genuinely such a sweet fic.

1, 2, and 4 pls!

1.Tell us about your current project(s) – what’s it about, how’s progress, what do you love most about it? 

So I have four main projects at the moment. I have others but they are just embryos, a couple lines written down somewhere so as to not forget about them and work them later on like brioche dough.

That Carraville cuddles prompt

You sent me this one months ago now I think but I’m getting there!!

Progress : It’s about three fourth done, I’m just trying to find a nice transition scene to link what I have so far and the last scene I have written some time ago already.

What I love about it : it’s totally self-indulgent in the setting/context. I don’t want to spoil too much as I want it to be a surprise but the drabble is set in an AU-ish sort when Carraville (and others familiar faces) take part into a TV game show about teams of two having to hitchhike to reach their given destination with barely any money and having to complete different challenges along the race.

 “Uncle Beom-pal” Project

What was intended as a drabble and will probably finish at 4/5k words qzsedrcftgybh. A fic about Cho Beom-pal, himbo extraordinaire from Kingdom, a korean original Netflix show about zombies in the early Joseon era.

Progress : I’d say I’m about halfway done. The more I write and think about this WIP, the more I think about scenes I could add or change, the more I can see the construction of the story, almost like a storyboard. I do have a clear-cut vision of how it will be now so I think it won’t change too much from what I have in mind.

What I love about it : I decided to set the story during the timelapse that happens at the end of season 2 so it allows me a certain form of freedom to imagine what may have happened during the seven years timelapse (the fic is set a year before the story resumes). It also gives me the opportunity to develop further Beom-pal’s layers that we see in season 2 (honestly the best character arc of the whole show) and to speculate on his relationship with the new king who happens to be his young nephew. To give you an idea of Beom-pal’s situation at the end of season 2 : he’s alone. His friends are not with him anymore, his family is all gone. Except for his nephew. Who also happens to be the king. Whom he also happens to be the prime advisor. I try to explore the complex relationship this situation creates because of protocols and royal duties in contrast to the king being just a child and he and Beom-pal basically being the only family they have left. As you can see I’m very invested in this project haha ^^’

 The “Ceci predicted an actual scene of the show     in fic” project

This WIP has been going on since August while I was watching Miss Korea (a truly beautiful show and criminally underrated).

Progress : it’s been a slow progress but I’m almost there.

What I love about it : the characters, who are the secondary couple in the show but who, imo, steals the spotlight. During an episode at the end of the first half of the show, there was a scene that made me wonder what happened after and I just expanded it trying to tie it with the character’s traits and depictions. Find me wheezing four episodes later when like... 85% of what I had in mind ACTUALLY HAPPENED in the show aqzsedrftgyhuji. Anyway, I’ll go through with it even though it is a bit of a canon divergence. What I like about this WIP is that I make the characters “see” one another for the first time and not just a glimpse (which happened some episodes earlier). They are more vulnerable, especially Teacher Jung (his name truly means Teacher so I just call him that) who is your typical petty thug but with some moral code and a good heart underneath. 

 The “5+1 times Nam Ju-ri x Lee Sang-in” project

Lots of projects about korean dramas at the moment but I have watched a lot of them lately so I guess it’s only fair. And it’s also because I can’t find any fics focusing on my favourite characters (usually supportive characters) so I guess I want to be the change I want to see in the world.

Progress : very early stage of the fic, I wrote bits of paragraphs or dialogue for different chapters at the same time, it’s kind of all over the place at the moment.

What I love about it : there are no fics focusing on these two who had a cute, individual, development of their character and who have a blossoming relationship. They are both losers who cares and I just love themn, they deserve more love. This is truly a self-indulgent fic and that’s just nice in and of itself.

 2. Tell us about what you’re most looking forward to writing – in your current project, or a future project

Re : the Uncle Beom-pal project.

There are two scenes that appeared to me after I began writing but which gave me so much feels just thinking about it that they had to be there.

The plot of this WIP is basically the young king, on the eve of the day in remembrance of all the victims of the “great plague” (he doesn’t know it was a zombie epidemic, everyone tries to protect him and not tell him what truly happened), asking Beom-pal to tell him a story before going to sleep. The ceremonies planned the next day weighs on his mind and makes him think about his friends and, especially about Seo-bi : a nurse who saved his life and to whom he is truly devoted like a lost puppy. And thus, he tells the king what happened without really telling him. By turning it into a story, not mentioning names but using nouns or adjectives (”The Healer”, “The Warrior” or, for himself, “The Fool”) and just being vague about “monsters” in a far away place, a long time ago. As he goes on with the story, past and present mix together as Beom-pal remembers his and his friend’s journey.

The two scenes are flashback scenes between Beom-pal and Seo-bi right after the last big “battle” against the zombies. One flashback she tends to his wounds and there’s a sort of silent reverence as if she finally realises he’s not just a useless and coward nobleman. And he, on the other hand understands what is probably to come (her leaving with two other characters, their friends) and how he wishes he could go with them or keep her with him but either solution is simply impossible. And the other is their goodbye (they won’t see one another for, AT LEAST, seven years and the guy is still yearning, can you believe). And again, it’s mostly silent, sentences cut short because they understand and they don’t need to say all of it. He’s not being talkative and a lost puppy following her every move anymore and she lets herself be more relaxed, lets her guard down a bit with him to show just how far they have come personally and in their feelings towards one another. Truly cannot wait to make myself cry and for my friend to threaten me to call the police on me zserdtfygh

 4. Share a sentence or paragraph from your writing that you’re really proud of (explain why, if you like)

He was tired, tired of pretending, of wearing a mask when nothing seemed bright anymore in his life. He felt the salty tears brush his lips before he realized he had begun to cry. He put the barbell back in its place, before it threatened to fall from his soon trembling hands, and he sat on the bench, completely consumed by uncontrollable sobs.

Failure, fraud, failure, fraud, failure, fraud… His mind did not leave him any rest.

 From and I’ll only need to hold you (go back to sleep and dream) – Chapter 4

 More than that paragraph, it was the whole chapter that I was happy with. It came from a rather personal place and it wasn’t always easy to write it but when I was done, I felt a bit better and I was happy with the result. The paragraph above is the beginning of my favourite scene in the chapter which is when two then-not-old Italians have a confrontation. Well… More like Rino confronting Gigi after the latter has isolated himself for some time. And it’s in the dark. Ever since I’ve read Long Day’s Journey Into Night and studied it, I’ve been fascinated by the trope of dark/night setting = when the characters are the most honest, the most vulnerable and the most true to themselves. And that’s what happened in that scene. I was happy with how I wrote it out and the vibes it gives off.

FIC: Terms of Engagement ch.1

Summary: Rus is still a kid himself and with his life turned upside-down, he has no idea how he's going to take care of his baby brother. Having other kid skeletons appear in his world wasn't exactly the help he was looking for.

Tags: Pre-Spicyhoney, Underfell Papyrus, Underfell Sans, Underswap Papyrus, Underswap Sans, Undertale Sans, Undertale Papyrus, Babybones, Scientist W. D. Gaster, Skellie Daycare, Growing Up Together, Big Brothers Caring For Their Little Bros, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort

Notes: Like I needed a new WIP? But, somehow, I find the idea of Rus helping to care for a little Edge to be adorable, couldn't resist it.

Read Chapter One on AO3

or

Read It Here!

~~*~~

In the furthest corner of the lab amidst the wrecked equipment and overturned tables, Papyrus curled up tighter, holding the warm little bundle of his brother close as he tried to figure out what the hell he was gonna do.

Wrapped up in his blanket, Sans was sleeping restlessly and when he woke, he was gonna want to eat. He wasn't gonna understand that Rus had given him the last of the stale cereal this morning. He was gonna cry and right about now, Rus was ready to join him.

The scientist was gone. He'd had a name, but Papyrus didn't remember it anymore. He was pretty sure he only remembered the scientist at all because of the picture. Scientist? He was wearing a lab coat in the picture, maybe he was a doctor, but then why were they in a lab? Not knowing was frustrating but it was hard to care with the ache of hunger in his soul.

No more food, no one coming, and Papyrus didn't know what to do. There were other places to go, he knew, outside. They’d gone before, to the palace, and to see the old turtle. The scientist sometimes got them treats on these outings, Papyrus remembered that much. But something kept him here in the abandoned lab, some sense of certainty that if anyone knew, they might do something, might take away his brother.

Maybe they would be right, he thought unhappily, even as he pressed his teeth to Sans’s little forehead. He didn’t know how to get them food, didn’t know where to go, what to do. He had to take care of his little bro, if only he knew how…!

A sob welled up in his throat. Papyrus swallowed it back, but the tears refused to be ignored, spilling down his cheekbones. The best he could do was cry as quietly as he could and let Sans sleep.

An unexpected sound made him look up, curious and afraid. There was no one else in the lower levels, just them, and he hadn't ever heard that sound before, so what…?

More sounds, coming closer and weirder still it was voices…were they arguing? Papyrus shrank back for a moment, then he moved quickly, hiding his sleeping brother behind one of the overturned tables. He patted the baby absently, hushing him and darted back out just in time to see two skeletons turn the corner into the lab. They were arguing furiously, didn’t even seem to notice him standing there staring at them in fearful confusion.

One of them, in a too-large jacket with fur lining the collar was complained loudly, “i’m tellin’ ya, we don’t need another, we can handle this!”

"will you be quiet?" the other hissed. “i already toldja, we could use another pair of hands!” He was in a hoodie like Papyrus wore, only his was blue and it hung a lot further down on him that Papyrus’s did. They were kids like him, he realized, only they were a lot shorter and wearing oversized backpacks. At the same moment he thought it, they both finally caught sight of him and froze.

"oh, great, we found us a crybaby," jacket boy said in disgust. Papyrus stiffened even as he wiped hastily at his face with his sleeve.

"shut up," the other shoved him roughly, ignoring it when his companion snarled and snapped teeth that Papyrus suddenly saw were like a sawblade, much different than his own even teeth. The other skeleton looked more like him, offering a cautious, flat-toothed smile, "hey, uh. papyrus?"

Papyrus blinked at him. "how'd you know my name?"

The other skeleton visibly relaxed, "lucky guess. you got a big brother around here somewhere?"

"no," Papyrus said, warily.

Instantly, they both looked concerned. "no? that's a first, no brother?"

"don't have an older brother," Papyrus corrected. A cry came from the corner and he guessed there was no point in trying to hide his bro. Papyrus retrieved his little brother, jostling him as he whimpered unhappily.

A sound came from behind him, like Sans’s whimpers turned into a weird echo, and it was something of a shock to turn back to the others to see them both hushing their own little bundles, murmuring almost in unison, "hey, paps, shhh, it's okay."

"you…you've got little brothers, too?" Papyrus blurted.

"that’s your little bro, huh?” Jacket Boy’s mouth twisted, “okay, so you're a papyrus here whose older. sounds like your world is all swapped around from ours."

World? Papyrus wasn’t sure what that meant, but he scowled at the shorter skeleton’s assessment, "why is my world the swapped one?"

Hoodie grinned. He shifted the bundle in his arms and the blanket fell away to reveal a baby bones about the same age as Sans. "cause we're the older brothers in our worlds and it's two against one."

Papyrus could only shrug. "guess that makes sense." As much as two skeletons showing up from another universe could. Besides, arguing sounded like too much effort. The shorter skeletons got their brothers soothed pretty quickly, but Sans only cried on; poor kid was so hungry, and Papyrus could only bounce him uselessly, trying to calm him.

“huh,” Hoodie looked at him shrewdly. “hang on.” He set his brother down on the floor where he giggled and bounced happily, ignoring jacket boy’s hiss as he slung his backpack off his shoulder and dug into it. He took out two little packets and offered them to Papyrus. When he didn’t take them, Hoodie said easily, “hey, you’re hungry, ain’t’cha? it’s good stuff, i promise.”

Promise. Something about that made Papyrus reach out warily, snatching away the little wax paper bundles. Inside each one was a donut, and much as he wanted to feed his little bro, Papyrus took a cautious nibble first. Hoodie only watched, smiling easily, and Jacket grumbled something about wasting time. He set his own blanketed bundle down by the first kid, revealing another baby bones. They could’ve been twins, if the second one didn’t have a matching set of those sharky teeth. Both of them gabbled to each other in unintelligible baby talk and in his arms, Sans quieted, offering a curious babble of his own.

The donut tasted okay and when nothing happened after a couple minutes, Hoodie gave him a wry grin, “see, nothing’ wrong with ‘em. your scientist was kinda like ours, huh?”

Papyrus didn’t know what to say to that, so he offered one of the donuts to his brother. Who immediately tried to cram the whole thing into his mouth, complaining in his baby chatter as Papyrus stopped him, taking back most of it until Sans chewed what was already in his mouth. Only after he was done eating did Papyrus finish his own donut, and it was delicious, his magic greedily soaking in every morsel. It wasn’t enough after days without food, but it was enough to quell a little of his hunger pangs.

"now that that’s done, can we get this going?” Jacket Boy grumbled, “we ain’t got time to dance around. from the looks of things, you’re in the same leaky boat as we are, and all of us need some swim lessons pretty fucking quick. we're here for a reason, so let's get down to it."

He supposed he owed them at least a listen for the food. Cautiously, Papyrus sat his brother down with the other little ones, the three of them gabbling happily together.

“what reason?” Papyrus asked warily.

Hoodie answered him this time. “see, me and red here are from another ‘verse. i figured out how to get my machine working and decided it couldn’t hurt to visit around,” Hoodie’s mouth twisted unhappily. “turns out it can hurt, but anyway, since we bumped universes, we’ve been workin’ together. hard to work or find supplies when you’ve got a babybones to watch, innit, so we’ve been trading off days. one of us babysittin’ and the other working. if you want to sign up, then we can do even more, right? whatcha think?”

Trusting these two strangers with his little brother? It should be horrifying to think of, they’d been here ten minutes and were suddenly suggesting some kinda baby skellie daycare and yet…somehow, he felt like he’d known them so much longer.

“yeah, sure,” Papyrus found himself saying. Jacket Boy (Red?) and Hoodie both sighed in something like relief.

“good, that’s some good news. one more thing, we’ve already got a papyrus,” Hoodie nodded at his little brother, who was currently trying to use Sans as a brace to pull himself up on his feet. “so you’re gonna need a nickname. also got a sans, dibs on that, so your little bro’ll need one, too.”

“okay,” Papyrus said, a trill of unease going through his still-hungry soul. What was he getting himself into?

~~*~~

One Year Later

"all right, kiddos, you ready to go on a trip today?"

His little trio all squealed excitedly, and Rus grinned down at them, even as he winced at the echo. Most of the lab was still empty; Rus preferred to keep to the back rooms, their living quarters tidy and safe for whenever it was his turn to keep track of the baby bones. But the walk to the outside was pretty safe; he’d spent a lot of time making sure the walkways were baby-proof, and he let the kids run ahead, dawdling back while they waited impatiently for him at the door.

Long experience taught him that Blue and Papyrus would run the second he opened it, which wouldn't be a problem except they tended to run in opposite directions. That was a damned important lesson learned. So, he'd rigged up little harnesses for 'em, both of them reluctantly allowing him to truss them up. Hey, if the Dogi could do it, then so could he. His trouble-twins didn’t look much alike anymore; Papyrus was already a good head taller than Blue, much to his little bro's dismay. But one look at Sans and Red gave him a pretty good idea of what Blue had to look forward to, height-wise. He probably wasn't gonna be catching up anytime soon.

Edge only stood back and waited, watching him with those big ol' crimson eye lights and Rus knew exactly what he was waiting for. He looped the leashes around his wrist before turning his attention to his last little troublemaker.

"c'mere, kiddo." Rus scooped him up, making sure to tickle him on the way to get him giggling. Edge was a weird looking kid with those sharp teeth, but he was a good lesson in how appearances could be deceiving. Kid was a little sweetheart and all he needed to make him happy was a cuddle and a smile.

“Russy!” he crowed and Rus grimaced. At some point Edge decided if Sans was Sansy, it only made sense in his little mind that Rus should be Russy. He’d successfully argued the point by simply refusing to call him anything else. If that was the worst problem he ever caused though, then Rus’d take it. He still remembered the day Blue and Papyrus had found an old tub of paint in one of the rooms that they shouldn’t’ve been able to get into. Cleaning ‘em up had taken up most of the day and Edge had only sat by the tub, quietly playing while Rus cursed beneath his breath and scrubbed.

Rus loved his brother to bits, but man, Red got it easy with this little guy.

A couple more tickles and Rus slung Edge up onto his shoulders, and they were off.

“where we go?” Blue asked, even as he strained at the very end of his leash. Papyrus echoed him eagerly and even Edge made an inquisitive little sound. Pretty normal, all told. Blue and Papyrus didn’t usually ever shut up, but Edge didn’t talk much unless he had something to say.

"i got a little extra g this week,” Rus told them. He was already sweating, Hotland always lived up to its name, but they weren’t going far. “found some good dvds at the dump to sell. so, how's about we get a treat?"

Red would have a fit if he heard…and he would, all three of the trouble triplets were incapable of keeping a secret. But fuck it, the kids didn't get many treats. Sharing a couple bisicles wasn't gonna break them.

The Nice Cream cart was deserted this early in the day, except for the lady who ran it. She perked up curiously as they approached, but Rus couldn’t blame her for that. A pack of skeletons, two of whom were on leashes, was probably the most exciting thing she’d seen all day.

Rus swung Edge off his shoulders, lowering him carefully to the ground before he ordered. “two bisicles, please.”

While she rummaged in the cart, Rus carefully counted out his g, handing it over in exchange for the packages. He broke both of them in two, offering one half to each of the kids. Blue and Papyrus both took their unisicle and started in happily, their teeth colorfully smeared in moments.

Edge only stared at the one Rus offered him with those wide, wide eye lights, all soft crimson. He looked up at Rus, back to the treat, then back to Rus again and the hopefulness in his gaze ached as he whispered, "For me?"

"yep,” Rus waggled the unisicle in his fingers as the first melting drip fell over his hand, “all yours, edgy. try it."

He took it almost reverently, readily devouring it after a first cautious taste. Rus had to look away, eating his own unisicle as he blinked back angry tears. One treat shouldn't get that reaction, it shouldn't; he could vaguely remember not that long ago getting a bisicle every other day without even having to share. The sweetness of the treat was marred by his unhappiness, and Rus regretted that he'd had to waste the g on one for himself. But they only came in pairs, not much choice there, and he could only swallow down his regrets with the cool ice.

"I'm going to marry you, Russy," Edge announced suddenly and that took Rus's mind off his problems right quick.

The nice cream gal made a little snorting sound, muffling it behind her hand. Rus grabbed a couple napkins and knelt down to wipe away the smeary mess that was liberally decorating Edge's face.

"that so?" Rus gave the kid's nasal bone a playful tweak, "nah, you want to find someone better, not a crusty old jerk like me."

Edge scowled up at him, trying to fend off the napkin. "Nuh uh. I love you. Sans said people get married who love each other so I'm gonna marry you."

It was very difficult to school his expression to seriousness, but Rus did his best. "well, you can't just marry someone, you gotta ask."

"Okay." He turned to Blue, who was wearing more than his fair share of his treat, "Please tell your brother to marry me?"

Rus couldn't hold back the laughter anymore, "no, numbskull, you ask the person you're gonna marry. tell you what, you go on ahead and ask me again when you're a little older, then we'll see, all right?"

"Okay," Edge said agreeably. He let Rus toss his stick into the trash and wipe off his sticky fingers, then immediately held up his arms, pleadingly.

"i got you, baby bones." Rus scooped him up, nuzzling his little face and neck ticklishly until he squealed. A tug on his sweatshirt made him look down into two more messy faces, both hopeful for their own cuddles.

Rus crouched, gathering the other two in close, uncaring of the sticky faces pressed to his sweatshirt. "okay, let's get you two cleaned up, too, and we'll head for home. your brothers will be back soon enough."

"Red!" Blue chirped up and his starry eye lights glowed happily.

"yeah, yeah, red," Rus rolled his eye lights. Why the hell Blue was so enamored of that little thug, Rus did not know. His bro would have to be the contrary one and worship the worst possible role model. No matter how much of a dick Red was, Blue always came back for more, completely oblivious. But the first time Red made Blue cry, Rus was going to kick his ass, no matter how much Sans tried to keep them from fighting too much. Hell, if Rus caught Blue saying 'fuck' again, Red was getting a boot up his pelvic cavity.

Soon enough they were heading back, the leashed ones babbling to each other excitedly about their treat and yeah, Red and Sans were gonna know in two seconds. From his position on Rus’s shoulders, Edge didn’t talk, but he did rest his little skull on top of Rus’s, cuddling in contentedly. His little chin dug in painfully, but Rus didn’t care.

Hell, they were practically engaged according to Edge, he thought with no little amusement. An extra hug or two was probably allowed.

~~*~~

tbc

Fic-Writer / Vid-Maker Meme

Tagged by @educatedinyellow and @gailbsanders, thank you!

Author/Vidder Name: sanguinity

Fandoms You Write For: Lately it’s mostly book!verse Hornblower and ACD!Holmes (although the ACD!Holmes is largely behind the scenes with a long-form WIP that I’ve been focusing on). I also write for assorted small Holmesian fandoms as the whim or prompts take me, and I used to write fairly prolifically for Elementary, before that show wore me into the ground with how persistently they don’t care about Joan Watson. I’ve written a fair bit of Strange Empire, some Doctor Who / Torchwood, and quite a few one-offs in random fandoms, from the Oz books to Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles.

Fandoms I Vid For: Mostly one-offs or small batches that overlap with the fandoms I write for: Holmesian multiverse, Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles, plus a number of rarer Festivids-qualifying fandoms like The Middleman or Noah’s Arc. 

Where You Post Fic: Most of it is on AO3, excepting some three-sentence and five-sentence fics that I’ve never collected. 

Where You Post Vids: Variously Vimeo, YouTube, and DailyMotion, depending on who threw a fit about what copyrighted music the week I posted it, but all my vids are listed at AO3.

Most Popular One-Shot: “The Sincerity of Dust,” a BBC Sherlock Mystrade flash-fic I banged out one morning and which then went on to eat Cleveland. It has 1400 kudos and is working on 14,000 hits. Its nearest rival is “Score: Q to 12,″ an Elementary flash-fic featuring Sherlock and Joan playing Calvinscrabble, which performed modestly on AO3 but cleaned up on tumblr to the tune of 1700 notes.

Most Popular Multi-Chapter Story: “Holocene Park,” an Elementary case fic featuring dinosaurs under the streets of New York City. If I’m remembered in the Elementary fandom for anything, it’s probably for this or Calvinscrabble.

Most Popular Vid: “Something Good (Will Come From That),” my Holmes/Watson multiverse vid. It has 10K plays, the AO3 page has 2.5K hits, and the tumblr page has almost 800 notes. It escaped my corner of pseudonym-based AO3-centric fandom and has made the rounds of the Sherlockian scions on Facebook, as well as being rec’d on non-fannish websites in French, German, and Japanese. For a little while there it was making me anxious with how popular it got -- at the height of its popularity, I was worrying my mom was going to email it to me. After it hit it big I almost completely stopped making things for a while, because I was pretty sure that nothing else I made would be even half that good ever again. Happily, that turned out to be a stupid reason to not make things, and so I started making things again.

Favorite Story You Wrote/Vid You Made: Yeah, sorry, no, my brain burns out on “favorite” questions, especially ones that have no criteria. I’ll just refer you to my Fic/Vid Speed-Dating Score Card, which can be construed as a list of my favorite works on various axes, and is still fairly accurate despite being a year old. (Scariest nowadays is probably “Tea for Two,” a Moriarty-centric story from this last round of Holmestice.)

Story You Were Nervous to Post: “Any Service Required,” which is dark Bush/Hornblower porn. I always feel hideously exposed when publishing porn -- I’m nervous about posting it even in the best of cases. But what with this being dark-fic, I was half-expecting the self-appointed morals police who get prescriptive about “healthy” relationships to show up and make a stink. Or along similar lines, I was fearing that followers who are used to a certain kind of thing from me will look at this one, think it base trash, and lose respect for me over it. I’m happy to say that nothing like that has happened so far, and while readership has been light, I’m fine with that: I’d rather a story have a small readership who is genuinely into it than a large readership who isn’t, and I’d like to believe that this story’s small readership is mostly due to people taking a look at the tags and making good decisions about the kind of thing they enjoy reading. 

How Do You Choose Your Titles: BY ANY MEANS I CAN MAKE WORK. My preference is to grab a meaningful phrase from the text, but I’ll also use quotes and popular phrases, sometimes straight-up and sometimes with a twist, if it seems a decent fit for the story. Ideally, a title will speak to some deeper truth about the story, but when push comes to shove, I’ll settle for a title that is short, clean, and memorable: basically, anything that I and others can remember without having to look it up all the damn time. (This is my main problem with people using lines of poetry or song lyrics as titles: they tend to register in my brain as generic word salad, and in many cases I couldn’t say without looking it up what the title actually was, let alone what it had to do with the story.)

Do You Outline: For long or complex stories, sure, yes. If there are many scenes or multiple chapters, I tend to jot down a few lines listing out the succession of scenes or chapters; for “The Next World,” whose main body is a long and rambly conversation, I had an outline that listed out every twist and turn of that convo. The outline for “Langstroth on Bees” (WIP, currently 58K) is a monster of a thing, listing out the internal timeline (five years of current action plus another ten of backstory), various promises I’ve made that I need to deliver on, assorted events that I want to remember to include, and rough ideas about where chapter breaks should maybe fall. Given that I’ve been working on that story for five years now, often with breaks from it of nearly a year, that outline has saved my ass. I guarantee you that without it, I would have picked up this story at some point, tried to remember where I was going with it, come up with nothing much, and shelved it permanently. If anything, I really should outline more often -- I have a few long-standing drafts in my WIP folder that I just... don’t remember where I was going with that. I remember that I did have a destination in mind, yes, but what exactly? WHO KNOWS. Btw, my outlines are living documents -- I revise them often, as my understanding of the story develops. In fact, revising the outline is one of many tools for understanding where a story is going and what is still needed to bring it together.

How many of your fanworks are…

Complete: 92 stories or story collections (I have a few AO3 “stories” that are actually collected ficlets from tumblr or Sherlock60), and 26 vids and vidlets, 

In-Progress: Nothing published to AO3 -- it makes me crazy to have a partially-published WIP. My drafts folder has 36 partially completed stories in it, and there are probably a half-dozen vids that I started but haven’t finished.

Coming Soon: Four? For various values of “coming soon.” I have two Hornblower stories that are mostly done (one for the Tegmore verse and another for the Kraken verse), and I’ve been working steadily on “Langstroth on Bees” in the hopes that I’ll finish it this year. And I’m signed up for Remix Revival -- whatever I do for that will probably be the very-most-next thing.

Do You Accept Prompts: Yes! Although I have only a 1/3 to 1/2 completion rate on prompts -- I do hope that no one minds that too terribly! But I’ll actively solicit prompts from time to time -- to celebrate something, or if I’m having a shit day and want to turn it around -- and some of my best stuff has come from prompts people have given me. I never ever guarantee filling them (see my above mentioned completion rate), but if someone wants to prompt me something, my ask box is open. Even if the prompt never gets filled, I still get a warm flutter of “They want to play with me!” from it.

Upcoming Story You Are Most Excited to Write: “Langstroth on Bees,” a 58K-and-counting Holmes/Watson retirement fic that I’ve been working for five years. I added a solid 13K to it this month, and have maybe 20K left to go -- I’m hope-hope-hoping to have it done this year. But I’ve gotten far enough into it that “Langstroth” has finally begun overlapping the territory covered in “From Allegany,” and by the end of this chapter I’ll have passed it entirely. Then I’ll be in unwritten territory, wheee! (Speaking of titles, I never really intended to call this thing “Langstroth on Bees” -- that’s just a working title for my drafts folder. But enough of you now know it by that name that I think I’m going to have to stick with it? So I’m desperately trying to figure out how to justify it. ONE OF MANY THINGS TO DO IN THIS DRAFT.)

Tag Five Fanfic Authors to Answer These Questions As Well: @beanarie @quipxotic @phoenixfalls @xserpx @amindamazed And of course anyone else who wants to play!

writing meme

tagged by @cats-and-metersticks thank you!! :)

Author Name: I guess I’m using wintersend an ao3 if that’s the question... I don’t have like a pen name or anything

Fandoms You Write For: right now mostly just Rogue One/Rebelcaptain, but I did write some fics for Zoya & Nikolai from King of Scars (and I plan to write another one soon) and I also wrote one for Catra & Adora from She-Ra (and I’m also very very slowly working on another one for them too) 

Where You Post: here on tumblr (tagged my fics) and on ao3

Most Popular One-Shot: apparently it’s one of my silliest fics when Cassian overhears Jyn saying that she wants to give him a blowjob.... yep. it has both the most kudos and comments from all my oneshots so I guess it has to be this one. But on tumblr, this one has the most notes though. It’s really short and fluffy so I’m not surprised. 

Most Popular Multi-Chapter Story: well to be fair, I don’t write a lot of multichapters so it’s definitely imaginary homelands. besides that, I have an unfinished one from almost two years ago, a drabbles collection (does that even count), and a very very short 3 chapters one that is still missing its last chapter. so yeah, it’s not surprising that it would be imaginary homelands, it’s definitely the best one imo

Favorite Story You Wrote: I never thought about it but if I have to choose, I think it’s either imaginary homelands, because ex-relationships is one of my favorite tropes and I always wanted to write one and I’m really happy with how it turned out, or my Secret Santa fic from last year because one of my favorite things that I ever wrote is still Jyn stealing a cake for Cassian, or actually the Supernatural AU because idk, that one was just a lot of fun to write. It’s not my usual writing style and it was great to experiment and I like how it turned out.

Story You Were Nervous to Post: I was the most nervous for the very first one. I think firsts are always so nerve-wrecking. I haven’t reread this one since then so I don’t even know how I feel about it, I mean it’s been almost two years and it was my first time writing Jyn and Cassian so I might not even like how I wrote them in it anymore. But it did actually get a lot of positive response which helped a lot to motivate me to continue writing them.

How Do You Choose Your Titles: song lyrics or poetry lines. all in small caps because I like the aesthetic of it. When I first started out writing fics, I actually tried to come up with titles on my own and it did not work. They were all cringey and horrible so at least song lyrics is aesthetic. My creativity is exhausted by writing the story itself :(

Do You Outline: I did not use to until recently and if it’s something short, I still don’t. But for longer oneshots, and definitely for multichapters I do. I couldn’t have written imaginary homelands without an outline.

Complete: 28 for Rebelcaptain. Overall, for every fandom since I started writing, 114... which is. I did not realize I have written 114 fics, that’s crazy.

In-Progress: hmmm let’s see....

part 3 of the bodyguard au (pt 1 and pt 2)

a vampire au for Halloween (also a sequel to my already existing short vampire au)

angst / hurt-comfort for a prompt

wrong number au

chapter 3 for perseverance

fake married au

plus some stuff I have for other fandoms

I haven’t been working on any of these lately except the Halloween one, which is likely not going to be ready for Halloween because school. But once I’m done with my thesis, I can’t wait to pick these up again.

Coming Soon/Not Yet Started:

more stuff for the Supernatural au... idk what yet, but I definitely want to do more for it

I have a billion other ideas but since I already have too many WIPs I don’t want to start anything else until I finish some of them

that being said, I’ll probably be doing the Secret Santa exchange too so something for that definitely

Do You Accept Prompts: sometimes... it’s just that I’m usually very slow with prompts and I don’t want to keep people waiting. But it can be fun from time to time.

Upcoming Story You Are Most Excited to Write: sadly none of them really excite me right now, I’m way too exhausted and nervous about my thesis. but hopefully my inspiration and excitement will be back once I’m done with this shit and can relax a bit

You And I (Trixya) (Chapter 1/?) - Kiwific

Trixie and Katya were best friends for six long years. Growing up, summers spent at her aunt’s in Trixie’s small Tennessee hometown were the high points of Katya’s year. After her parents split and those holidays stopped, they lost touch for a while, their lives both unfolding in different ways. Now, after a messy breakup and an unexpected gift of a certain farmhouse, Katya finds herself living in the last place she would have expected. Everything is the same, yet so, so different. Not only because of her sudden crush on a certain blonde musician…but that definitely doesn’t help.

Notes:

Hi, it’s your local delusional flightless bird/piece of fuzzy fruit here. I can’t believe I’m finally getting around to uploading some of this. It’s been an absolute mess of words and ideas on my computer for months now. The idea from this came from a mixture of listening to ‘Little Sister" off Trixie’s album far too many times, mixed with my own feelings of living in a small rural town. I’m pretty sure at least part of it came to me in a dream. Any-who, this is still a WIP. I have a few chapters edited into a semblance of a story and the rest just kind of lives in my head until I find the motivation to actually write it down. Cool? Cool. Enjoy, comment, like, abuse me, whatever floats your boat.

Notes: Katya is 26, Trixie is 25.

Bronte (Trixie’s town) is named after Charlotte Bronte. Because I’m a literary nerd. Bronte is in no way a real place, I’m not even American so feel free to point out any glaring errors in that respect.

Also on AO3 under Kiwific <3 Come share the love.

It’s been a long time since you came around,

Been a long time but I’m back in town

And this time I’m not leaving without you…

Dear Trixie

I hope it isn’t too weird that I’m writing to you like this after all this time. I know - Facebook is a thing that exists, and a much faster way of communicating, right? I unashamedly stalked your page and it looks to me like your parents still live in the same house you grew up in, so I’m assuming this will get to you somehow. Hell, you live in Bronte - the postman has probably known you since you were two, has kids that went to middle school with you, and knows exactly where you are at any given time.

Anywho, the reason I’m writing is that, well, I found our old letters when I was packing up my apartment and wanted to tell you this the old-fashioned way. I know it’s been a while since we talked, but you’re going to want to hear this…

I’m moving to Bronte!

I can hear your disbelief from here, and seriously, I know. What the actual fuck, Katya, right? Believe me, I’ve been asking myself that question enough when it comes to understanding the decision on a philosophical level, so let me just give you the facts:

When Aunt Stevie died, she left her house to me and Anya. Annie moved to Russia last year and couldn’t give a flying fuck what happens to the place, so I guess it’s mostly mine.

I’m a college graduate and a free house is definitely something that makes my future look much less ugly (loans are painful and I want to eat something other than ramen before I’m thirty).

Recent developments in my life have made me want to get far, far away from New York, and what could be further than Bronte?

Anyway, I’ll be there mid June! I’d love to catch up if you’re around and reminisce on old times… like the time we made toffee “apples” for the town fair, except they were really onions. And the time I made your friend cry when she wanted to be Baby Spice for that concert we put on fat your church (you were the best Baby Spice ever, by the way). I can already smell that sweet nineties nostalgia.

Please message me when you get this, I don’t expect you to write back, plus I might be out of this apartment by then. The sooner the better, in my honest opinion.

See you soon!

Katya

P.S. Fact number 5 - I miss you.

June

Katya could feel the dust in the air before she even stepped out of the car. She stretched her jean-clad legs out in front of her, feeling the heat heavy in the air as she stood up. Placing her hands at the small of her back, she groaned, feeling the effects of her two-day drive seep into her bones. Looking around, Katya (not for the first time ) questioned the wisdom of her decision to relocate to a southern state in the middle of a scorching summer. The whole plan was absolute insanity - who would have ever thought in a hundred years that she would move to Tennessee. This wasn’t the first time she’d had second, third, or even fourth thoughts about the move, and looking around at the picturesque town around her did very little to ease her nerves.

How the fuck did she end up back here?

Logically, the plan made sense. She had free accommodation here - a house that, beyond all belief, was hers alone. She would have time to write, time to sort her shit out. Time to stop moping over Rachel and get her head back in a healthy space. That, or she would slowly go insane with boredom. Or forced out of town by dyke-hating, pitchfork-wielding townsfolk. Too far?

Above her, the gas station sign leered down.

Bronte, Tennessee. Last gas stop for 20 miles!

Katya snorted to herself. Last anything for thirty miles, more like.

Filling up her ancient, cherry-red BMW, Katya peered down the main street. It had been approximately eleven years since she’d last been here.  Growing up, her aunt Stevie had an old farmhouse just out of town. They would fly (sometimes drive, to Katya and Anya’s mutual horror) and stay for weeks in the summer, Katya and her sister spending the long, hot days playing in the fields, climbing trees and swimming in the river.

Katya barely remembered the town itself, but a few things stood out: the general store with its array of mismatched soda signs, the diner with the hideous pale pink facade (still faded and chipped after all this time), and the water tower looming over the long line of shops. It had been years, but to Katya it looked like nothing had changed. She felt her cynicism draining away as she looked around, fond memories of her childhood drowning out the panicked voice in her head telling her this move was a mistake.

They had stopped coming here when Katya’s dad walked out - a disappearing act to rival any world-famous magician- and while Stevie tried to keep in touch, it got too hard for Katya’s mom to stay close to her ex-husband’s family. Stevie had always sent birthday cards, though. Right up until the year she got sick. Katya’s mom didn’t know what killed her, but no one was more surprised than Katya herself when a lawyer showed up at her apartment in New York with the news that Stevie’s three-bedroom farmhouse in hicksville had been left to Katya and Anya. Anya wasn’t extremely interested in the news, she was enjoying her new life in Russia with mom’s family. Katya didn’t think she cared either, maybe one day they could sell the house and use the money for their own city apartments…

Until the shitstorm happened with Rachel.

She had been utterly blindsided when Rachel walked out, she had to admit that. One minute, Rachel was moving in with her and Katya was thinking about their happy future together. The next, Rachel was packing, leaving a broken Katya alone on their bedroom floor as she walked out. Katya should have seen it coming, and the fact that she didn’t was one of the things that had hurt so much.

The petrol pump stopped and Katya shook her head, trying to clear her suddenly foggy thoughts. Enough of that. She was away from Rachel and from New York. As far away as she felt she could possibly get. This wasn’t some bullshit heartbroken woman moves to the country to find herself after a breakup saga, this was just her… getting away from everything in the city that would sabotage her. Getting away from the version of herself that she was spiraling back into before making the decision to move here. Saving some cash in the process too, because hey - free accommodation would do a wonder on her savings.

Moving her car to one of the parks at the front of the station, Katya decided to take a walk and visit some old haunts. She had planned to head to the house first and come back into town when she’d settled in a little, but something was gnawing at the back of her mind. Someone, rather.

Trixie.

When Katya had written to her friend, she’d been a little overwhelmed at the excited reply. Trixie had messaged her the minute she received the letter announcing her move, and for a while there her excitement was contagious. Katya couldn’t help but feel a knot of anxiety when it came to seeing Trixie in the flesh again, though. What if it was awkward? What if they didn’t know how to talk to each other anymore? What if they had both changed too much?

Trixie had been Katya’s best friend for the better part of six years, despite the fact that they only ever saw each other in the summer. They had met one scalding hot day down by the river at the back of Stevie’s property - Katya and Annie went there everyday to cool down, and Trixie and her brother were swimming with their dad. A precocious eight year old Katya had snobbishly told seven year old Trixie that it was her auntie’s river and that her Barbie swimsuit was gross and too pink. Trixie had pushed her in the river.

They were best friends from that day on. Every summer, Katya counted down the days to their trip to Bronte, marking the days off in her diary (black, with a wolf howling at the moon on it. She had been a weird kid). They swam, played in the fields, terrorized the locals of Bronte year after year. They told each other everything, sharing their deepest secrets, navigating the joys and disappointments of growing up. When they weren’t together, they wrote to each other. Almost every week, Katya would get a letter on brightly colored Lisa Frank stationary, Trixie’s neat handwriting filling the pages. Her own letters were scrawled back as fast as she could write them, words falling from her as she tried to fit her thoughts onto the small pages. When Katya’s parents started fighting, Trixie was the first person to know. When Trixie got her first period, Katya had been the person she had written to.

When Katya’s dad left, she’d written a letter to Trixie that had to be at least seven pages long. She had been so angry, so scared, so worried about what to to when her mom barely came out of her room. Trixie told her everything would be okay, and it was. Eventually, it was. The next summer, however, had confirmed Katya’s growing suspicions. They didn’t go back to Bronte.

She and Trixie had kept up their friendship through letters and occasional phone calls, but these tapered off over time. New friendships came along, more for Trixie than for Katya, but eventually the letters stopped all together. Katya thought of her sometimes when looking at the photos in her mom’s old albums - her favourite was one of the two of them passed out on a mattress in the back of a pickup truck after a party at Stevie’s place, straw in Trixie’s thick hair and a blanket covering the two of them.

A few years ago, Trixie had sought her out on Facebook and they had talked occasionally, reminiscing about old times. Katya didn’t realize until she shamelessly stalked Trixie’s profile how much she had genuinely missed the other girl, and she’d been startled to realize she was crying after finding the same picture of them in the truck in an album Trixie had labelled ‘Old times’.

Katya couldn’t help but steel herself for disappointment as she prepared for the move to Bronte. She logically knew that things couldn’t be like they used to be - there was no way they could just pick up where they left off and be as close as they had been, and that was fine. They had been kids. Trixie had her life her, her friends, she probably didn’t need Katya hanging around all the time. Katya wanted to try, though, she wanted to give their friendship a second shot.

In truth, a friend was what she desperately needed right now.

Captain Swan Fics Masterlist

For the OUAT Fandom Crescendo ;)

hindenburg

Because in an explosion of clarity, she realizes that without even looking, she’s built a home here – has planted her feet and grown some roots, roots that have only strengthened with every connection she makes with her family, with every relationship she builds in this town and isn’t that something?

The lost girl isn’t so lost after all.

darling you got to let me know (should i stay or should i go?)

A snippet of a pretty woman au that no one asked for.

feeling like a house but not a home (i want you to know)

“Home,“ she echoes, recalling the words from the video, recalling the article that details how she was left, abandoned on the side of the freeway with nothing but a blanket, the name ‘Emma’ stitched onto it, the first and last things her parents ever gave her, remembering the Swans who had promised her the same thing only to return her when they had a child of their own cause it was just that easy for them to let her go, all the foster families that took her only to discard her when things got rough, and she wonders what that is.

Casting On, Casting Off

“You got a secret knitting talent or,” and at this she shuddered, “ugh, knitting fetish I should know about?”

She’s all for sexual experimentation and fetishes but, seriously? Did it have to be knits?

North

“I once told your mother she was my happy ending, you know, but I was wrong.”

To Find Rest in Each Other’s Arms

They can’t seem to find a comfortable way to fit, no matter how they position themselves. Amidst adjusting once more, Emma ends up kneeing him in the groin and Killian falls flat to his back as he groans.

“Oh!”

Killian’s hand is down there to ease the ache and instinctually, (despite never reaching that level, never having the time), Emma’s hand makes it there as well. But when her hand touches his over, well, him, she realises what she’s doing and snatches her offending limb right back.

“Oh.”

And then she’s laughing - she’s laughing at the situation because it’s… it’s awkward but it’s pretty damn perfect too.

what is it about you? (that i can’t get enough of)

He sighs, winding his arms around her and bringing her to him so closely till her every line and curve is matched to his.

A perfect fit.

all I ever knew (only you)

The band starts a new tune then, something sharp and electric that has Emma turning to her father with a huge smile on her face and jumping in delight. And gods above but she is beautiful, always, but never more when she smiles like that - innocent and pure and light - so light, after the trying ordeal that was getting him back from the Underworld.

Everything about her draws him in, and he is powerless to resist the pull between them.

So he doesn’t.

piece by piece (he collected me)

He wants to be his usual calm and cocky self, but his voice is equally anguished when he answers, “You brought Henry.”

Emma’s face falls, like she isn’t too ecstatic about it either and he thinks, good.

“Regina and I agreed that this place was too dangerous and that he shouldn’t come. But, he wouldn’t let up, said he had to be with us otherwise he’d find a way to follow and, well, he’s a resourceful kid.” She lets out a breath that is both exasperated and fond. “We figured it best he came with us where we could keep an eye on him rather than be separated and constantly be worrying about him.”

“Stubborn like his mum, eh?” he says, trying for light and teasing but falling a little short, a little desperate.

She rolls her eyes, though her entire demeanor is tinged with trepidation. “Stubborn like all his family.”

WIP - Blanket

Chapter 1 Chapter 2

(“You’re so anal,” she’d mock.

“You say that now,” he returns, “but we’ll see who’s laughing when you go looking for fleece blankets in the dead, cold winter but find none because someone likes to use all her blankets at the same time.”

She says nothing, only throws whatever snack she’s eating at him because she knows he won’t be able to resist cleaning it up.

Also taking advantage of the fact that he’ll take note of that same snack and go out to restock on it just cause he doesn’t like when the pantry has gaps where the food should be.)

(He wishes for even just half the levity of that moment then, to give him strength now.)

you never weigh me down

“Is it so wrong for me to give my beautifully deserving wife a gift a few days after our nuptials?”

Her jaw drops in disbelief. “You got me a wedding present?”

“Don’t sound too excited, now.”

you say you want passion (i think you have it)

She has always been a woman of action

(And apparently, this Woman of Action has to add something new to the List of Things Emma Fails At: Suppressing Her Attraction to Killian Jones.)

so will you be, my life support?

He brings her back to the light.

all of you (is my favourite sweet spot)

He’s far from a disturbance, see.

The Royal Gardens

They like to pretend, see.

Here, beneath the warmth of the sun and engulfed by the sweet-smelling perfume of the flowers that surround them, there is no one named Captain Hook and no one that goes by the Dark One. There is just she, the girl in the pretty, white dress and he, the boy in the long leather coat.

you take me all the way

“So this is your world’s version of a tavern.”

She chuckles anyway and adds, to further annoy him, “We’ve upgraded a bit.”

Tonight is the night they’re about to finish what they started all those 30 years ago.

if it’s broken, it means it still works

(Fuck, who was she kidding? She’s disappointed with herself, for thinking she was equipped enough to handle this… to help him)

(Can broken pieces really mend other broken pieces?)

(Who was she kidding? Just… fuck)

In which Killian suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder following the events of the Alternative Universe and Emma helps him.

Chasing the Darkness

“Come now, Captain.” She purrs, trailing a hand down his left arm. “You didn’t actually think she’d want you like this, did you? Not when you’re so… broken.”

He’s so glad he’s had 300 years of experience going after the Dark One.

Ice Melts 2/2

Chapter 1 Chapter 2

His eyes turn from a calm cerulean to a literal icy blue, nearly gray, color before they close altogether and just like that, he fades away.

But her mother emerges to her line of sight, like the sun after an especially rainy day.

“You know what to do, honey.”

She does but when it doesn’t work, she feels like she could fade away too.

The Spaces in Between

He shifts so that their legs entwine, they are hip to hip, chest to chest and he just presses closer to her till there is absolutely no space between them and she is forced to wind her arms around his neck. She should feel suffocated; in fact, a year ago she would have bolted at such intimacy. But this is Killian and he is different and so much like her and he is trembling and she just wants him to feel safe. Like the rug isn’t about to be pulled from him any time soon or the world isn’t out to screw with him.

there’s no end, there is no goodbye

But that’s the thing, he lived nigh three centuries without her. He’d lived in the shadows for so long he’d forgotten what it was like to truly bask in the light and to remain there.

heart still beating, but it’s not working

He tries and he tries to get the words out but he’s long learned that it is an attempt at futility. While his feelings have not completely gone, it has become increasingly difficult to convey his emotions when they are but a dull roar in his chest, akin to a faded photograph in his memory.

But it doesn’t stop him from trying anyway.

21st Century Man

“You seem to be doing quite well here, 21st Century Man. Care to tell me what you’re whipping up?”

He chuckles, albeit nervously. “It’s funny you mentioned it, lass, I ah…” It’s then that he steps back and raises his hook except it’s not a hook that’s usually sitting on his brace but a-

“Is that… is that a whisk?”

The Couch

Tomorrow will surely be another hectic day and the day after that and the day after that… but still, they can these moments where they can just be and after being along for so long she likes the option of not necessarily having to be on her own and it’s a beautiful thing, to be able to choose.

wouldn’t you like to know? (perhaps i would)

And he wants to say that he does know her, because when he looks at her it is like looking at a reflection; except Emma is clear and sharp whereas he is nothing but a distorted image in a cracked mirror.

Bubbles

“Who needs eternal youth?” He pushes a strand of her hair away from her face and tucks it behind her ear so he can see the entirety of her face, absolutely nothing obscuring him from her beauty. “I’ve got my Neverland right here. I’ve got you.”

Day Off

He doesn’t get to finish (some part of him grateful she stopped his ramblings) because then she is laughing and straddling him and hitting him with the pillow and shaking the bed and-

“Nothing. No obligations, no reports, no work… nothing. Killian,” she sighs his name, breathless with what, he can now tell, is excitement and decidedly not dread.

“It’s both our day off.”

Shower

He kisses her and feels her magic engulf them, pouring over them in waves of light until they are both glowing. It is chasing away the seemingly deep-set freeze into their bones and Emma is shining, shining, resplendent and beautiful and radiant and his true love…

Snow Day

It started out as a snow day, but she feels her magic - fuelled by the emotion she holds for this man (she will not call it love, not yet, but she senses herself getting there) - take root as warmth trickles from her and into the space surrounding them. They are consumed by hear and light.

The Morning After

Even in sleep the light is lulled to her and once again, as he is more recently inclined to think, he believes there is a god out there that sent him this angel to save him from his own demons. But he knows better, it is just Emma and her light drawing him in and making him want to be a better man, no longer a shadow of himself but someone more concrete, worthy to stand beside her.

Mr. Brightside

“I’m sorry to interrupt you Swan, but could you turn up the… radio please?”

“What? Why?” She glanced up at him and saw him bouncing in his seat…his prosthetic hand tapping excitedly against his lap. What the hell?“

“Because I love this song.”

…Her jaw dropped when she recognized the song, then it literally hit the ground when Hook started singing along.

Fanfiction Writer Asks

Fuck it, I’ll do it myself, because I know I can’t count on you nerds to actually ask anything. :p

1) How old were you when you first starting writing fanfiction?

I really don’t know. I’ve been writing creatively since I was like 6. I don’t really remember writing for fandom until Pokémon, but I’ve been in fandom since the original Sailor Moon and Ronin Warriors/Samurai Troopers.

 2) What fandoms do you write for and do you have a particular favourite if you write for more than one?

I guess the Yogscast. Except I only really like a few of them, and it sure as shit isn’t the main channel people. I haven’t found a new obsession because I can’t sit still for tv anymore, and I’m a patient gamer/reader. So once I find something I like, it’s probably old and everyone’s already moved on.

3) Do you prefer writing OC’s or reader inserts? Explain your answer.

OCs. I am boring, shy (and thus no fun), and quite good at ruining the moment.

 4) What is your favourite genre to write for?

Action/Adventure. Fight scenes. Getting out of dire as fuck situations. Underdogs.

 5) If you had to choose a favourite out of all of your multi chaptered stories, which would it be and why?

I have so many… XP I guess a story I wrote in called Royal Infamy. It was literally hundreds of pages long, spanned at least 4 different fandoms, and could’ve been a standalone series if I just changed the names. Unfortunately it’s been lost to the ooooolllllddddd (and I mean 2001) internet. I like to think that maybe it’s on some ancient server, saved by those sorts of people who try to archive the entire internet and have literal exabytes of hoarded data. It was also how I met my SO of 13 years.

 6) If you had to delete one of your stories and never speak of it again, which would it be and why?

A Prince of Persia fic. I don’t even like Prince of Persia.

7) When is your preferred time to write?

I never get as much inspiration as when it’s 1am and I’m supposed to be going to bed like a normal person. But never at a normal hour in the evening unless I’m inspired at work and have to rush home before I forget.

 8) Where do you take your inspiration from?

It used to be from all the anime I used to watch, now it’s cobbled together from fantasy books and video games.

 9) In your xxx fic, what’s your favourite scene that you wrote?

Like erotic fic? Eeeh. I’m so terrible at it that I literally only have one, I’m writing it right now, I’m not finished, and I don’t particularly like it because I keep subconsciously writing away from the part where they hold hands because I’m conflicted and discomforted by the whole thing, to be honest. Like, even when I was adolescent and supposed to be thirsty as teenagers are, I just wasn’t and couldn’t. My ex tried to get me to write something for him, and I still couldn’t do it. *shrug* It doesn’t help that I’ve never been big on shipping. …Those characters sure are standing next to each other, yep.

 10) In your xxx fic, why did you decide to end it like that? Did you have an alternative ending in mind?

Hahah… endings. That’s good. (Also see previous question.)

 11) Have you ever amended a story due to criticisms you’ve received after posting it?

Not that I can recall, unless you count ‘stop doing that thing’, ‘okay’ *does it more*

 12) Who is your favourite character to write for? Why?

Rythian. Fuckin’ edgelord. Just everything about him and his OC is *kisses fingers*.

 13) Who is your least favourite character to write for? Why?

Unfortunately Rythian is usually entangled with other people from the Yogscast. :p

 14) How did you come up with the title for the xxx?

Current project doesn’t even have a title, that’s how non-committed I am to it (she says even though it’s fast approaching a novelette.)

 15) If you write OC’s, how do you decide on their names?

If it’s an OC of a particular universe, there’s probably a naming convention, and I go by many names. If it’s just generic freestanding story, I keysmash and pick through it until it rolls off the tongue.

 16) How did you come up with the idea for xxx?

Classic ‘rivals who hide their sexual tension behind their distaste for one another.’

 17) Post a line from a WIP that you’re working on.

“I haven’t seen your face since when you first came back from The End. And the … incident with trying to rid you of your curse.” He chuckled. “I’ve actually seen a lot more than your scars.”

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

Like 75% of my work is abandonware. I have ADHD, I get bored, and I usually take so long, the fandom “dies” before I can finish. And the moment is gone.

 19) Are there any stories that you’ve written that you’d really love to do a sequel to?

Royal Infamy. And make it mine this time.

 20) Are there any stories that you wished you’d ended differently?

Probably Royal Infamy.

 21) Tell me about another writer(s) who you admire? What is it about them that you admire?

Ilona Andrews. Her style is exactly what I aim for. …Okay maybe not the monster fucking, but the rest of it. Exciting, tense, a little bit scary.

 22) Do you have a story that you look back on and cringe when you reread it?

The Prince of Persia fic. The first draft of the erofic. The weeb crack.

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

Silence. My brain goes 100% towards analyzing music and then I can’t focus on anything else.

 24) How do you feel about writing smutty scenes?

Eeeeeeehhhhhh *whines* I don’t wanna…

 25) Have you ever cried whilst writing a story?

Nope. I don’t write that kind of pain.

 26) Which part of your xxx fic was the hardest to write?

The part where these two people who’ve tried to murder each other could even reasonably be in each other’s presence, let alone fuck. Also eternal hatred for evasive genital description brought on by a broken, puritan society.

 27) Do you make a general outline for your stories or do you just go with the flow?

I should start making outlines. My current three projects keep going off the rails.

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

To go in with no expectations of people ever responding let alone giving feedback to anything. You’re just tossing shit in a hole and for every ton, one flower might grow.

 29) Do you have a story that you feel doesn’t get as much love as you’d like?

I did a thing about how Lalnable Hector created Echo, and *crickets*.

 30) In contrast to 29 is there a story which gets lots of love which you kinda eye roll at?

Twenty years later, I still get emails about a fic I wrote about Birdy the Mighty (C-tier anime about a dead boy soul-sharing an intergalactic cop’s body.)

 31) Send me a fic recommendation and I’ll post it for my followers to see! (The asker is to send the rec not the answerer)

-

32) Are any of your characters based on real people?

Other than putting slivers of wish fulfillment in, no.

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

Someone found a fic I wrote in two weeks in an archive over 20 years old and sent me kudos. Like, that shit should’ve been buried. But they found it.

 34) What’s the harshest criticism you’ve gotten?

Mary Sue. And you’re goddamn right she was. And I’ll fucking do it again.

35) Do you share your story ideas with anyone else or do you keep them close to your chest?

Nope, not for fear or anything, I just don’t think to share before it’s done because I’ll probably abandon it anyway.

 36) Can you give us a spoiler for one of your WIP’s?

You’ll be unsatisfied with the ending.

 37) What’s the funniest story you’ve written?

You fucking made me open one of my old Gundam Wing crack fics to check. Now I don’t know because I’m still cringing.

 38) If you could collab with any other writer on here, who would it be? (Perhaps this question will inspire some collabs!) If you’re shy, don’t tag the blog, just name it.

*shrug* Like… I haven’t done a collab in *checks calendar* 17 years. I don’t have any live fandoms. I’m not big on trying to meld with other people’s styles.

 39) Do you prefer first, second or third person?

Third.

 40) Do people know you write fanfiction?

No.

 41) What’s your favourite minor character you’ve written?

Can’t think of one. I usually don’t have minor/background characters?

 42) Song fic - What made you decide to use the song xxx for xxx.

…Okay, now I seriously can’t tell if xxx means erotic or a particular example. 😐 Anyway, I for some reason lost the ability to link songs to fics/personalities. I just don’t think of any particular person when I hear a song and vice-versa.

 43) Has anyone ever guessed the plot twist of one of your fics before you posted it?

That would imply enough people cared.

 44) What is the last line you wrote?

Despite the queen pushing him, he couldn’t move even if he wanted to (which he didn’t.)

 45) What spurs you on during the writing process?

If I don’t fucking do this it’s going to bother the fuck out of me for weeks, even if I don’t finish. Just get it on paper so it goes away.

 46) I really loved your xxx fic. If you were ever to do a sequel, what do you think might happen in it?

More action and intrigue.

 47) Here’s a fic title - insert a made up title. What would this story be about?

 -

48) What’s your favourite trope to write?

The antagonist finds the protagonist’s berserk button and realizes that maybe they should not have pushed it.

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

I can’t remember fics I wrote. And shit, that was at least 23 years ago. (She says even though she can perfectly remember her first fantasy novel 30 years ago. (The Gammage Cup))

 50) If you could write only angst, fluff or smut for the rest of your writing life, which would it be and why?

Angst. I think. I’ve gotten good feedback from my more serious stuff.

Klance Recs #2

A Kiss is a Kiss (But it's never like this) by GibbousLunation (PG, 25k) Summary: “How does this keep happening to us, every time.” Lance grumbled. “You’d think they’d stop sending us on away missions,” he agreed. Honestly, between the poisonous plants of their last planet, and Lance’s tendency to always end up on the business end of every blaster or pointy ended stick, Allura was just being inefficient at this point. Or, five times Keith kissed Lance but the situation was less than ideal, and one time Lance finally kissed him back. [5+1 Times] supermassive black hole by epiproctan (NC-17, 7k) Summary: Keith has always known that he wasn’t going to get what he truly wants out of the arrangement, but he also hadn’t ever imagined that it would just…end. aka that classic fic where lance wants to stop hooking up but keith wants something else entirely [Friends with Benefits, Mutual Pining] you never stood a chance by kagshina (PG, 12k) Summary: lance to hunk ♡ >i’m gonna fukin die hunk oh mygod i sent >keith a work out selfie that i wan supposed to fcukin send to you and you know what it said >”BET YOU WANNA LICK THESE NIPS” >HUNK I WILL NEVE BE ABLE TO FCE HIM AGAIN I WANT TO DI E (Or, Keith is beautiful, Lance has a crush, and there's lots of shirtless selfies) [College AU/Snapchat] Love and Other Questions by squirenonny (PG, 46.6k, WIP) Summary: One week after news of the Kerberos disaster broke, Pidge receives a new Mark--proof that Matt is still alive. She breaks into the Garrison to find him, only to find herself caught up in the fight for the fate of the universe. Keith keeps his arms covered so he doesn't have to watch Shiro's scars compounding on his skin--but doing so means cutting off contact with his romantic soulmate, who greets him each morning with a new (and terrible) pickup line. Shiro and Matt thought they were the luckiest people alive when they found out they were going to Kerberos together. But Shiro hasn't seen Matt's untidy scrawl on his arm in almost a year, and he has no idea if his soulmate is even still alive. [Canonverse Soulmate AU with romantic and platonic soulmates (and some gray areas in between)] [Soulmates and Soulmate Marks, WIP] Save a Horse (But Also Spare the Cowboy) by Mytay (PG, 0.8k) Summary: "Keith, did you just break out your Texas for me? Did you just make a space cowboy pun for me?” “No. Also, the fact that bad jokes turn you on explains so much.” [Space Cowboys] Seven Minutes by LanceMcLame (PG, 2.2k) Summary: Pidge never should have mentioned sleepovers to Allura. That was the only thought in Lance’s mind right now, as he tried to make himself comfortable on the awkward nest of blankets, pillows, and sleeping bags. This was all Pidge’s fault. They’d offhandedly mentioned something about having a sleepover party once with their friends, and Allura had immediately picked up on the idea, insisting that it’d be “an excellent team-building opportunity”. And that was how the five Paladins of Voltron and the two Alteans had ended up building a sort of fort in the bridge of the Castle of Lions, and playing the most heinous game known to mankind. Truth or Dare. [Team Bonding] Your Love Has Shown Me Proof by freshia (PG, 22.4k) Summary: “This situation is a bit more complicated than we initially realized.” Lance raises an eyebrow, but Pidge is the one to question that. “Define complicated.” Allura takes no more time beating around the bush, “Well, I received a transmission. Keith and Lance--from the future, that is--would like to have their daughter back." or: Lance and Keith deal with a walking spoiler, in the form of a little girl who just wants to get back to her own home. [Time Travel, Kid Fic] dynamic by kagshina (PG, 13.5k, WIP) Summary: “So, uh,” Keith starts, and Lance notices the way he shifts, like he’s not quite sure how to say what he wants to say. “How are we gonna...do this?” Before answering the question, Lance makes a quick list in his head of things he should never do: Ask the boy he has a huge crush on to be his fake boyfriend for the sake of proving a point (even if Lance thinks he’s going to say no, because apparently he might actually say yes!) [Fake/Pretend Relationship, WIP] You stole a BABY?! by genericfanatic (PG, 24.3k) Summary: The castle ship has a new stowaway, and Keith and Lance must figure out how to take care of them without alerting the rest of the crew. [Kid Fic, Accidental Baby Acquisition] Rushing To Say Nothing by LynnLarsh (NC-17, 36.7k) Summary: “What the hell was that?” Keith says, sounding strangely pissed. Probably jealous; whatever happened, Lance is a lucky son of a bitch and Keith knows it. Coran clears his throat before answering, and when Lance finally pulls his eyes away from the crowd, that purplish blush from earlier has increased to a noticeable shade of violet across his cheeks. “It seems our boy Lance here has just been propositioned by the local brothel.” A.k.a. That time Lance went into an alien brothel to prove a point and came out perhaps a little too enlightened. The Little Things by fairietailed (G, 1.6k) Summary: On Friday Hunk can hear the two of them behind him as they walk to the control room, and he swears he hears something akin to a kiss, and Keith whispering. “That’s 10-7, Cargo Pilot. Try catching up.” When Hunk turns around Lance is bright red, and there's a foot of space between him and Keith.Or maybe he's imagining things? [Secret Relationship] Marital Mayhem by genello (PG, 26k, WIP) Summary: Cornered by the Galra, Lance and Keith find shelter in a local temple. There's just one problem—the natives seem to think the two of them are engaged. [Fake/Pretend Relationship, WIP] Burning Love by TeaAndKittens (NC-17, 7k, WIP) Summary: An injury sustained on the job for firefighter Keith means an extended medical leave that makes him feel useless and angry. He's so desperate to get back to his crew at Station 5 that he's almost willing to try anything - except yoga. Especially after Hunk calls this friend of his that owns a yoga studio and Keith gets supporting evidence for his claim that only crazy people practice yoga. Somehow, despite all of that, Hunk and Shiro manage to bully him into at least trying it. He shows up for that first class expecting to hate it. What he's not expecting is for Hunk's friend to be hot like the fire of a thousand suns. Or even more insane in person. Or: Keith's life. So Hard. [Firefighter/Yoga Instructor AU, WIP] if you’re ready by rhapsodyinpink (PG so far, 2k, WIP) Summary: “Why was I wearing a wedding veil?” Lance asks, eyes narrowing in confusion. “Oh wait..wait, shit! Shit! Did I marry a hot babe last night? Talk about a wild birthday!” Lance crows, waving his arms with glee. “No,” says Keith. “You married me.” In which the paladins visit Las Vegas for Lance’s 21st birthday, Keith and Lance get married, Allura goes missing, Pidge gets arrested, and Shiro goes to the spa. [Accidentally Married in Vegas - still in universe not au! WIP] Dancing for Voltron and Follow My Lead by The_Sickfic_Sideblog (PG, 2k total) Summary: Lance has a hidden talent. It's not hidden for long. [Dance Skills Lance] Seven Days by MilkTeaMiku (NR, 63.5k, Series) Summary: The Galra has a new weapon that de-ages the Paladins into babies for a week. [De-aged/Kid Fic] Thank God For Hometowns by merycula (thanksillpass) (PG, 6.5k) Summary: Lance tells his grandparents that he has a boyfriend to get them off his back, and is forced to ask his neighbor Keith to pretend to date him when they come with a visit. [Fake Dating] seeing him for the first time (again) by breadpoetsociety (G, 1.5k) Summary: “Who are you?” Keith demanded, excitedly putting his free hand to his cheek. “What’s your name?” “Eat the cracker, Keith.” “Did god send you? Are you an angel?” Keith didn’t look very frightened as this concept of being dead worked its way out of him. Lance ran a hand through his own hair, smiling wryly. “Please, eat the cracker, Keith.” “What’s your name?” Keith’s voice cracked, desperately, excitedly. “Please. Who are you?” “My name is Lance,” Lance paused, nerves sitting uncomfortably in the bottom of his stomach– deep, in the part he never searched. He licked his lips and ran a hand through his unwashed hair. “I’m, um, I’m your fiancé.” [Amnesia] On Thin Ice by Minadora (R, 150k, WIP) Summary: This multi-chapter fic chronicles the lives of a hockey player named Keith who gets forcibly enlisted into figure skating lessons by his brother, Shiro, to "work on his footwork". There he meets a pompous - yet talented - figure skater named Lance and gets swept away by both the sport and the skater. [Ice Hockey/Figure Skater AU]