#It's a very niche brand of fics

[royboyfanpage]

AUs where Lian didn't die but Roy still lost his arm my beloveds

#It's a very niche brand of fics #but i enjoy them when i find them #roy harper #lian harper

[handdrawnfantasma]

thinking this morning abt a post i saw a while ago which i should have saved bc it had things in it that i disagreed with that i now cannot quote with any accuracy (life tip: save the posts u disagree with bc it means that when u finally figure out WHY u disagree with them you will actually be responding to what was actually there instead of your plato’s allegory of the cave version of it)

anyway

the post in question, iirc, was talking about like........ i think the crux of one of its arguments in support of its point was this idea of fanfiction being somehow unable to draw or explore characters with the same depth as an original work - so you can already see why i disagreed with it in spite of the fact that the main point it was trying to support was one that i DO agree with - which is that the trend of turning your fanfic into Original Fiction Do Not Steal by just “filing the serial numbers off” needs to stop bc it’s a bad way of trying to create original fiction. anyway one of the points the author made in support of their main statement was that true fanfic should be rooted in the love and exploration of the original world and therefore the original work, and so that’s why so many AU fics fall flat

and i just had to stop and pause to reassess how apparently the way this person approaches the very concept of AU fanfics is apparently so diametrically opposed to my own bc i AM The AU Warlock who is only capable of writing really weird niche AUs, and i don’t think i have ever approached any AU without this being my driving mission statement:

[ image ID: the Parks and Rec “It’s about the cones” meme with the subtitle text changed to read “It’s about the shared narrative themes” ]

ANYWAY i don’t know if i had a point with this post at all, but it really is interesting sometimes to get a glimpse of how some people truly live in an entirely different world to the one you inhabit huh

#what time is it? Time For Fel's Opinions #for real though i. i have never been capable of even coming up with a CONCEPT for a 'normal' au. #the closest i think i've ever come is the as-yet-unwritten Amelie AU concept i came up with for jmart? #but even that came about bc i realised that Amelie is EXACTLY the sort of person you would get if you had a Lonely-Web-Beholding-aligned-- #person who somehow managed to remain benevolent. #i have more thoughts that were going thru my head about this but they're too long for tags #and also i'd want to find the original post again first #bc like. i agreed with the 'u cant just make an original work by filing serial numbers off ur fanfic bc then u remove all the actual-- #personality of the characters u were writing for' point but like. #look. i'm not saying there aren't some very bland cookie-cutter AU fanfics out there that do not give a whit for characterisation and themes #and instead choose to lean heavily on shallow fanon tropes and stock fanfic genre conventions. #we've all seen it. #but making the statement that all AU fics fall under that banner is a Bold Fucking Claim my guy #like yes ok ok my own jimmies are personally rustled by this bc my entire brand is #'weird niche AUs with a heavy emphasis on exploring the canon themes and characterisation within a different context to the canon universe' #but i've also read a fair amount of AUs that REALLY sink their teeth into studying the characters and themes bc the AU setting allows them #to look at it from angles that canon simply cannot! #ANYWAY

[comewithmeintothedeep]

Do you have any other monster writers you can suggest? I’d love to find more!

@fae-fvcker's one I've discovered recently and I enjoy their works, mostly because I don't see a lot of fae centric stuff in the community and it's nice to see someone fill that niche. They got some good stuff on there.

@bucketsofmonsters is a personal favourite of mine. Their fics are long reads, but they're very much worth the comparatively higher word counts because they're not only enjoyable, but they're also very well-written and compelling reads. Give them a shot!

@nagaparadise have their brand and it works well for them! Lots of good naga-themed stuff that I like and there's a decent variety of personalities in their works.

@obsessivevoidkitten writes some darker stuff, but that darker stuff is very entertaining and I like to indulge sometimes. So for my readers that like the darker things in life, have at it!

Those are the recommendations that come to mind for now.

#Anonymous #the dark mother speaks

[gallavichthings]

Gallavich Masquerade

Welcome to the first ever Gallavich Masquerade!

This is a brand new event, so feel free to ask any questions you might have.

In a Masquerade, fic authors will write one-shots anonymously. These one-shots will all be revealed at the same time on December 21st - our Masquerade Ball! - and readers (who may also be other writers) will have a bit over a month to attempt to guess who's behind each mask, that is, who wrote what. And the writers, of course, will try to fool everyone!

Details after the read more, but don't forget to please spread the word. This will be fun!

Fic requirements

All fics must have between 2,000 and 5,000 words.

No theme is required or forbidden, but, as this is an event in which the goal is to have as many people reading your fics as possible, writing fics in niche categories is not advised.

I don't know what to write about!

You can get inspiration from anything you want. It can be canon-compliant, canon-divergent, after the show ended, AU...

But, if you still need some ideas, you can find some here, here or here (not to mention @callivich always has tons of prompts lists).

Sign-ups

Signing-up is required and can be done here. For this event, sign-ups can be done up to the time of posting. Unlike other events, this is one where you will need to sign-up only at the end, after the fic is done. You'll be required to add your AO3 username, the title of your fic, the word count, and possible categories under which it falls.

What are the categories for?

In case there are too many fics and I feel like people won't be able to read everything, I'll divide the fics into categories, which will depend on what we get as well. These may be according to fic size, canon or AU, with or without smut, etc., as long as the amount of fics or words in each category is pretty much the same. But it all remains to be seen.

What if I don't have an AO3 account?

Then I'm very sorry, but in this case, you won't be able to participate (as a writer). For his event, having an AO3 account is mandatory so that you can post in the collection. That being said, a lot of people have AO3 invites, so ask right now and someone may be able to send you one.

Posting

Posting will be done on AO3 and AO3 only! This is because the Masquerade Collection will be unrevealed and anonymous. All posting must be done until the eve of the Masquerade, so December 20th. On December 21st, all fics will be revealed and available for the readers. The fics will remain anonymous until January 31st, when the game ends. On February 1st, the authors' identities will be disclosed (and your fic will appear under your account just like any other fic).

As an author, all you have to do is, when posting on AO3, choose to do it under the Gallavich Masquerade 2023 Collection (as in the picture below). I'll take care of the rest. It's important to do so when posting and not after, or it won't work.

Voting

Voting will be done via a new form, which will be disclosed only after the fics are posted. All fic titles will be displayed and readers will chose from a menu who they think the author is.

Points

There are two ways of winning this game, as an author and as a reader.

Authors are awarded 1 point for each person who correctly guesses their fic and 3 points for each person who wrongly guesses it. That's right, you get more points if you're actually able to deceive everyone!

Readers are awarded 5 points for each fic the guess correctly, but they lose 1 point for each wrong guess. (This is to discourage people from guessing on fics they haven't actually read, as we do want people to read as many fics as possible.)

Authors can also be readers, so they have twice the chance of winning. In case categories are applied, each category will have an author and a reader winner.

Prizes

Winners will get boasting rights! XD Plus, of course, a special post for them.

If anyone would like to make fanart or edits for the winners, please let me know, that would be super nice!

#Gallavich #Ian x Mickey #Shameless #Shameless US #Gallavich Masquerade #events #mod post

[aziraphales-library]

Helloooooo again! Hope you are doing well! I have a request for some fics and I was wondering if you happen to know if there are any where Aziraphale and Crowley get married in Vegas after a drunk night (this is a very specific niche so if you can’t find any that is perfectly ok!) and it doesn’t even have to be in Vegas, just accidental marriage fics are cool too. Thank you!

Hi! Here are some drunken Las Vegas marriage fics...

to have and to hold, probably by seventhstar (G)

They have long, drawn out arguments about this, if they can even be termed arguments; onlookers inevitably describe their tone of voice as 'fond' and their mode of communication as 'bickering'. The wine is passed back and forth between them. Marriage, Aziraphale argues, is divine. It's about love. It's about making promises, and keeping them. It's about faith and hope and devotion. Marriage, Crowley replies, is infernal. It gives two people who love each other endless opportunities to ruin it. It's about power and money and pain; it's caused more evil than it ever has good. Or, the one where they get drunk married in Las Vegas.

Waking Up In Vegas by Supergeek21 (T)

Crowley and Aziraphale wake up hungover after a night out in Vegas.

Ouroboros by FriendOfLoki (T)

“We should get married!” Crowley blurts out. His face is burning the moment the words leave his mouth and enter into the night. He’s not quite sure how he got here. Or, the story of how Aziraphale and Crowley drunkenly marry each other one night in Las Vegas.

Oops! by Mimsynims (E)

This must be a dream. A fantastic, soul-crushing dream. That’s the only explanation. Right? “Aziraphale, did you hear me?” Bugger. Not a dream. “Pardon, what was that?” Aziraphale reluctantly dragged his eyes from the simple yet perfect ring on his left hand. A ring that matched the one on Crowley’s left hand. His friend, Crowley. Best friends Aziraphale and Crowley are on holiday in Las Vegas. After a getting a bit too drunk the night before, they wake up with wedding rings on their fingers. Sounds like it should be easily dealt with, or is it..?

Veni Vino Vegas (I Came, I Got Drunk, I Got Married) by A_N_D (T)

After a whirlwind drunken evening, author Az Fell came home from Rom-Con without his heirloom pinkie ring – but with a wedding license from a 24-hour Las Vegas chapel. Elsewhere, book fan Tony Crowley woke up with a hangover, vague memories, and a brand new ring he’s only seen in author photos. Mutually attracted, mutually terrified the other one thinks it was all a regrettable mistake, they turn to their dear but anonymous online friend to vent and ask for advice. …Maybe they should tell each other their screennames someday.

Waking Up Married by Caedmon (E)

"So you’re telling me that my options are either to convince this man I just met and drunkenly married to stay married to me for six months or lose two thirds of a billion pounds?” “That’s exactly what I’m telling you,” Fergus said. “Fucking shit,” Crowley spat. He hung up the phone and stared at it for a moment before rubbing his eyes with his fists. Now his job would be twice as hard. He needed to talk Aziraphale into staying married for six months. Should he try begging or bribing? This was a huge ask, and Aziraphale would be well within his rights to tell Crowley to fuck off. But Crowley was prepared to offer him pretty much anything, up to half of the trust, if that’s what it took. He didn’t care. But that was only part of his concern. Even if he got insanely lucky and Aziraphale agreed to stay legally married to him for the next six months, how the hell was he going to talk Aziraphale into dating him during that time? And was it foolish to even try? One thing at a time, he decided. First, he needed to convince Aziraphale to stay legally married to him. Then he could set about wooing his husband. He hoped.

- Mod D

#good omens #ineffable husbands #accidental marriage #drinking #alcohol #las vegas wedding #mod d

[octoberautumnbox]

Happy 1,022+ Followers for Box!!!

I'm very grateful to all of you who followed me despite me not being that great or experienced as a writer, and I truly appreciate everyone who's ever given me feedback and criticism to help me improve! From this point forward, I'll work even harder to get better and earn the space I take up in your timelines :))))

(tldr but under the keep reading is lots and lots of rambling and impt announcement lmao soery)

I'll be honest when I started writing four months ago I never thought I'd get anywhere near where I am now in terms of notes and followers. Back in November, all I was concerned about was promoting Yuri through this very weird very niche platform, which I think I was able to achieve just a little bit!

Since then though, I've gained so much too. The very nice people at The Bunker are great friends and amazing writers that I look up to and have helped me improve as a writer on more than a hundred occasions.

A very on-brand Box saying would be that this was such a weird little learning experience I'll never forget. This was so fun and I'd love to go through all of it again!

Now you might be thinking "Shit. Is Box retiring?" Well no lol I'm not done and have a bunch more fics in various stages of writing that will see the light of day eventually! Downside is even I don't know when those'll be so idk stick around I guess lol or not that's up to you

All this said though, I think now is a terrible time for a hiatus but it is what it is. Things are going turbulent IRL once more and I'm thinking that I need to sort them out again. I don't know when I'll be back but rest assured that only very very little will be able to keep me away :D

Until then, please continue to keep Yuri in your hearts and minds! Squid Game 2 will be out later in 2024, she will continue to make OSTs, and of course we're all waiting for her next comeback! There's much to look forward to and I'm hoping all you honorary Glassys will tune in.

That's all for now! October's Autumn Box will now temporarily close :)

[starcurtain]

Haikaveh Fics I Want to Read (Part 4)

1. The situation in Sumeru takes an unexpected turn for the worse as both corruption and the Abyss begin to encroach. Nahida foresees a way to protect her beloved nation, but it's going to take both extensive knowledge of King Deshret's records and the mechanical and structural workings of the old desert empire. How convenient that she knows two people who've researched exactly that.

Or: Alhaitham and Kaveh are forced to team up to finally complete the research project that tore their friendship apart years ago--and, in the process, maybe mend a little more than just their unfinished thesis.

And the rest are under the read more:

2. Haunted by his broken relationships and his idealistic dreams of what a proper, happy family should look like, Kaveh is completely blind to what's happening around him in the here-and-now; it takes him far too long to realize that the rowdy gang of people who've carved out niches in his daily life may not resemble the harmony of his childhood home, but are, nonetheless, a family--full of love.

It's just a found family feel-good fic, featuring: An Alhaitham who has been waiting forever for Kaveh to acknowledge his feelings, double date buddies Cyno and Tighnari who don't mean any of their complaints (about Alhaitham, Kaveh, or even each other), a merc who wanders in and out of their lives like a feral cat, a dancer with big dreams and a bigger heart, and two ancient supernatural beings who definitely aren't children but still sometimes really need an open door and a helping hand.

3. It's not a crime to dream, okay?! Kaveh knows he's not getting out of debt any time soon. He won't be able to build the beautiful mansion of his fantasies for a million more years. But that doesn't mean he can't at least plan for it, right? Right? It should have lots of light, and lots of garden space, and a built-in coffee bar, a good place for warm naps, and at least two desks, close to the Akademiya as a mansion can be, and maybe the library should be a little bigger--the Akasha is gone now, that just makes sense--

Or: Kaveh drafts the blueprints for his dream home. It takes him until the very last line to realize that he'd just assumed Alhaitham would also be there.

4. "Alhaitham is the most irritating person on the face of the earth! He's temperamental, deliberately irksome, lazy, and archons forbid you're in conversation range when he comes across something brand new in those books of his--you won't get a word in edgewise for hours!"

"Kaveh... Have you been drinking again? This doesn't sound like Alhaitham at all..."

No matter who he tells, no one seems to believe Kaveh's story that Alhaitham acts totally different around Kaveh than he does around everyone else. But it's true! Kaveh has to live with it everyday! Fed up with being doubted, Kaveh encourages their mutual friends to eavesdrop to prove it once and for all. If they see just how doubly frustrating Alhaitham really is in private, then maybe they'll finally grant Kaveh the commiseration he is due!

Cyno is in it for the blackmail evidence. Tighnari is in it for the betting pool. Aether's always in it, whatever "it" is. Nahida is nosy. Dehya is there for the laughs. And Nilou's not sure how she got involved at all, but she's definitely going to do her best!

(Or: The Sumeru Crew tries their hardest to spy on Alhaitham to prove he's a simp, and it goes exactly as ridiculously as it sounds.)

5. A 5+1 fic that's just a soft compilation of little things Kaveh has adjusted in his daily life to accommodate to living with Alhaitham (and one time Alhaitham returned the favor). They're small gestures, barely noticeable when taken individually-- remembering to stop for takeout on gloomy days because his roommate hates going out in the rain, memorizing the order Alhaitham uses to shelve his books, tip-toeing because Alhaitham always insists on napping in the living room, no more client meetings after 5pm--but together they form the picture of settling down softly, (sort of) easily, into another person's life.

6. After the Interdarshan Championship, Kaveh wades his way through the arduous process of dividing up and donating Sachin's estate, including properties in the Avidya Forest. But on one trip out to survey land, a run in with Ruin machines leaves Kaveh and Mehrak both worse for the wear. Injured and at the mercy of the jungle, far from help, Kaveh fears the worst--until he encounters a strange, cabbage-shaped creature that seems (if he's understanding its odd way of speaking) like it wants to help. Little does Kaveh know that "help" from an aranara may involve solving endless ancient puzzles, diving into the unfathomable world of dreams--and finding out things about his father that he never could have learned by himself.

Meanwhile, Alhaitham is a rational, calm individual who is most definitely not worried about his roommate disappearing while dealing with a nihilist's estate. He's absolutely not taking time off from his work duties to scour the forest for signs of a missing architect. And he certainly isn't forming any advanced conspiracy theory about forest fairies spiriting people away. Obviously not.

(Or: Kaveh is rescued in the jungle by the same aranara his father befriended decades ago, allowing him to heal some wounds both physical and mental. Meanwhile, suddenly finding himself alone opens up some wounds Alhaitham didn't know he had.)

+1, where Haikaveh isn't the main focus but is definitely still in the background:

A slight canon-divergent AU where, during the Interdarshan Championship, that weird "Hat Guy" takes an unintentionally fierce blow from Cyno and receives a wound that definitely... does not look like something a human being might experience. Kaveh notices and, in typical empathetic fashion, can't let it go--if he hadn't distracted Cyno with all his flailing, that injury might never have happened, so Kaveh's at least got to offer to help this (probably not-quite-human) stranger, right? There isn't any form of engineering on Teyvat that Kaveh can't manage, after all!

It's... easier said that done to actually corner the weird Wanderer, and even easier said than done to get him to agree to Kaveh's checks. But that difficulty is nothing compared to handling the history of abuse writ plain upon the puppet body's inner-workings or the story of centuries of grief the boy finally deigns to share.

Kaveh knows a thing or two about suffering, but there are some things no heart--however much the Wanderer claims to lack one--should have to bear.

If there's one thing Wanderer doesn't trust, it's generosity. If this gullible fool thinks he'll be allowed to fix all the damage Dottore left just completely free of charge, well, he has another thing coming. Say what you want about Wanderer, but he pays his debts.

Or: An odd-friendship fic where Kaveh fixes Scaramouche's injuries-- the ones that can be seen and even some that can't--and Scaramouche pays him back by trying help solve some of Kaveh's problems too, starting with the big, tactless one known as Scribe Alhaitham.

(Archons above, humans are stupid and the struggle is real.)

#genshin impact #haikaveh #kavetham #alhaitham #kaveh #fanfic ideas #genshin impact fanfic #please send help #I have no time to write

[maniacwatchestheworld]

Several small BatFam notes

@moss-covered-thoughts (I'm answering questions and providing information for DPxDC fans.)

lol don't worry about it! Nothing about you talking about your fic will make me feel left out! I'm just happy to help you out with your work! If anything will make me feel left out, it's the lack of rogues content and people within this fanspace underutilizing Vlad and not having much of that juicy, juicy polycule content (specifically Vlad/Jack/Maddie) that I keep coming back to Danny Phantom for. :p Speaking of, I want to be as transparent as I can with the information I'm giving out, because just like all comics fans, I'm not an expert on everything and I am very much in my own specific niche and haven't read everything out there! I'm actually not much of a Batfam fan and am much MUCH more of a rogues fan! (Specifically my hyperfixation is focused around Harvey Dent and Two-Face.) So while I do have some information about the members of the batfamily, my knowledge isn't nearly as comprehensive as someone who's deep dived into that part of the DC universe! I'll give you the information I can, and hopefully someone with more cohesive Batfam knowledge can reblog this post with extra notes to fill in the holes I have in my knowledge. >.<

Adoption Order

So I can't tell you the specific specifics of adoption specifically, but I believe that the order of each member joining the Bat Family would probably be along the lines of: Dick Grayson -> Barbara Gordon -> Jason Todd -> Tim Drake -> Cassandra Cain -> Stephanie Brown -> Damian Wayne -> Duke Thomas.

Batgirl and Duke recs

Again, I haven't read much Bat Family stuff because my primary focus is on the rogues. But I do have a handful of recs! If you're willing to watch a long-ass video instead of reading, I would actually highly recommend Linkara's retrospective on Cassandra Cain and here's the link to said video! It's very good and goes into just about every major comic appearance she was in at the time of the video first coming out (in 2019)! You will get a very good image of her character from that, I like Linkara's analysis, and by watching that video, you will definitely be able to come away from it with a number of recommendations for both Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown! (He does talk about Steph some in this video, but it's limited.)

Speaking of Stephnie I'm sorry to say that I don't really have any recommendations for Steph as I sadly have just not really happened to come across any works that have her in them in my poking around in different comics and related media. But honestly, while I can't give you any recs for Steph, maybe you should toss Linkara (@atopfourthwall) a message! He's actually a decently active Tumblr user and given that he wants to do a different retrospective on Stephanie Brown, certainly he would have things to recommend!

As for other Cass reccomendations... The only thing I have in my back pocket is Spirit World. It's not about her, it's a solo series about the brand spanking new character, Xanthe Zhou, but Cass IS a main character in it, and people seem genuinely happy with what they did with her in that story!

If you're looking for good Barbra Gordon content... Well... Personally I would recommend giving her episodes in Batman: the Animated series or the issues that include her in The Batman Adventures a look-see...? It's always a solid time with her around in B:TAS, or in the Batman Adventures! They characterize her very well in those serieses!

If you want both a Cass and a Barbra suggestion... Maybe check out No Man's Land...? Asking you to read all of the comics that were part of that saga might be a little much, but there is a novel adaptation of the No Man's Land storyline out there, and personally I listened to the reading of that novel as done by Graphic Audio and it is genuinely excellent! Like, the marketing may be tacky, but it is on the level of quality as something like an audio drama podcast or a Big Finish Audio. It just happens to be a book reading. :p But No Man's Land IS where Cass was first introduced, (also where Harley Quinn joined the comics universe fun fact!) and it has plenty of good moments from Barbara in it too!

As for Duke... Honestly, if you aren't already reading the Wayne Family Adventures, then you really ought to. >.< That series is available for free on webtoon and the first several strips have him as the main character before it becomes more of an ensemble cast thing. (And in case you were wondering it IS official DC media!) >.< I also haven't read much of Duke's stuff, and so in terms of his backlog, I really don't know what to recommend. The one story that I did happen to read that heavily featured Duke... Was "My Own Worst Enemy" (it's like volume 1 of All-Star Batman) which was... Fine...??? Like, as a Two-Face and Harvey Dent story, it was pretty bad and ablest in how it portrayed Harvey's DID. (But this isn't necessarily unusual for books that include him... SIIIIIGH!) But it was also incredibly stupid and fun, and had a lot of good forwards momentum and offered a number of interesting ideas that I don't entirely hate! So overall I find it... Fine... But as a Duke story... Honestly it's not bad as far as a Duke story can go! And the back-up story for that little arc (the Cursed Wheel) was pretty alright too! I do feel like after I read My Own Worst Enemy that I did understand Duke just a little better as a character! So while it's not good... You might find it to be decent in what you're looking for...? Because I really cannot speak on any other stories he's been in. >.<

So uh... Sorry about my whole limited perspective thing... But I do hope that you find some of this useful at least! I wish you the best of luck in your writing endeavors!

#dpxdc #dc x dp #dp x dc crossover #batfamily #cassandra cain #stephanie brown #barbra gordon #duke thomas #batgirl #batgirls #steph brown #cass cain #bat family #batfam

[mid0khan]

I got tagged by @the-apocrypha in the last line game, so I'll share a little bit of the (really big) Sandman fic I'm working on (like seriously I went from 'only writes one shots' to 'start a 100-chapters-long project' with no transition and I don't know what I'm doing I can only pray it's good)

Anyway, enjoy

Hob stood across the street from the bookshop.

When Abel had told him there was an angel in London, and one with a passion for books and a knack for magic, he had hardly believed his luck. If the revelation hadn’t been immediately followed by Cain stabbing a butter knife in his brother’s head (“How dare you ruin a perfectly good mystery you miserable maggot!”), Hob would have hugged him. Cain had assured him such a “benign” wound would heal pretty quickly, and he had even proposed to burry Abel near the surface, so he would rise up more easily, but Hob had awoken before he had a chance to thank his unlucky informant.

Finding the bookshop had been easy enough, but Hob was now facing an unexpected difficulty.

The ghost car, the one he had seen driving itself and that had caused him to avoid Soho for years now, was parked right in front of the shop.

He had feared he would see it; he was in the middle of its territory after all. But he had never thought the thing would be waiting for him there.

Hob had been standing there, staring at his newfound adversary for at least half an hour. The thing hadn’t moved at all. It was waiting for its time to strike, no doubt. Hob had no choice but to try and get around the car to reach the shop’s door, and pray that the car wouldn’t have a sudden crave for blood.

He warily crossed the road, keeping his distance with the ghost car as much as he could. It didn’t move. He hugged the wall, slowly approaching the door while never taking his eyes off the beast. From up close, he could see what a beautiful car it was. He hadn’t seen this kind of Bentley in ages, and this one looked brand new! He would have been in awe if he hadn’t been so suspicious of the thing. He finally reached the door, all but fleeing away from the car with a sigh of relief.

When his eyes got used to the relative darkness of the shop, Hob gasped.

Books everywhere. Books on shelves so full they looked like they were going to crumble. Books in piles on the floor. Books on the stairs, because there was a mezzanine filled with books too. New books, old books, children’s tales next to things that really should not be read by children, big classics and very niche authors… It was untidy. It was crumpled.

It was lovely.

“Go away,” a voice slurred to Hob’s left, making him jump. “We probably don’t have what you’re looking for, and if we did, we wouldn’t sell it to you anyway.”

Hob had been so focused on the books, he hadn’t noticed the little reading space next to him. Slumped in a very old armchair, a red-headed man was staring at him, slightly menacing. He looed very out of place in the bookshop, with his old-rocker style and his sunglasses, but somehow, he also seemed to perfectly belong there.

“Weird way to handle a bookshop,” Hob mused, and the redhead hissed at him. “But I’m not here to buy anything, actually I have a book to show to M. Fell?”

The redhead raised an eyebrow, curious, all trace of aggressivity leaving his body.

“Oh! Well in that case, welcome. Aziraphale is out for now, but he should be back soon. You can wait for him here, take a sit.” With a lazy raise of his arm, he pointed to a chair, and after carefully putting the pile of books covering it away, Hob sat, trying not to stare too much.

He was sure he had already seen the man somewhere.

The thing with being immortal was that he had seen a lot of people. It wasn’t always easy to remember which face belonged to which name, or where and when he had met someone. But there were situations that were harder to forget than others.

He had frequented a few circles that were… not very legal, in the 60’s. He had missed the thrill that came with doing something forbidden, that he had grown up with as a mercenary, and he had been quite good at picking locks. He had made sure never to kill anybody (his life and the last century both had had enough death already, thank you very much), but still, it had not been as fun as it had once been. He had felt like a fraud, stealing alongside people who struggled to make ends meet when he himself had been richer than any of their victims.

But there had been a weird job, not long before he had left his group. Someone had offered thousands to simply walk in a church and steal holly water. Of course the client has made it look like a big coup, but Hob had not been fooled. He had refused the job. He didn’t want to risk getting dragged in some demon summoning or whatever.

The redhead was the spitting image of the client.

Maybe it was just a man looking a lot like his father. Or maybe it was the same person. A fellow immortal? Another angel? Something else?

Maybe he could help too?

“Could you take a look at the book, too?” Hob asked, making the redhead frown. “I really need advices on how to use it.”

“How to use a book? Well, usually, you’re supposed to read it.”

“This one is a bit special; besides, I can’t read it.”

Hob took the grimoire out of his Marlowe was better tote bag, and the redhead tensed

“Nope! Absolutely not.”

“Could you help me-”

“No.” The redhead stood and grabbed Hob, forcing him toward the door. “I’m not helping you with that, Aziraphale is not helping you with that, you get out and you never come back.” He pushed Hob out of the shop and slammed the door shut behind him.

Hob stood there, dumbfounded. Welp, that didn’t go as planned. What was he supposed to do now? Could he convince the redhead to let him back inside? Was there maybe another book-specialist angel in London?

He was snapped out of his thoughts by a squeal. He realized he was still in front of the bookshop’s door, and a white-haired man was standing in front of him, a look of bewilderment on his face, his hands flapping in front of him in excitement. The man pointed to the grimoire still in Hob’s hands with a shaking finger.

“Oh my, is it really… No, it can’t be, but it looks just like… Where did you… Come in!” The man grabbed Hob’s arm and dragged him back in the bookshop, while almost screaming. “Crowley? Crowley dear, you won’t believe what I just found!”

I am supposed to tag people there too, which makes me a bit nervous, so I'll tag @cuubism, @kydrogendragon and @mimisempai if you want to play, and if you don't, forget I ever tagged you

#the sandman #writers on tumblr #good omens #my writing #my wips #what am i doing #dreamling eventually

[sitp-recs]

Save the Date by @mallstars

Harry/Draco (2023, Explicit, 123k)

In the twelve years after the war, Harry attends sixteen weddings. As friends and acquaintances vow their lives to one another, he watches quietly from the sidelines. Step by step, Harry pieces himself back together, builds a life from the wreckage of his past and falls, slowly and thoroughly, for Draco Malfoy. A story told in sixteen parts, of patient and transformative love, of queerness, of reaching out and holding on. Featuring plenty of pining, Gilderoy Lockhart getting married in a fever dream of glitter and product placement, and Rita Skeeter spitting a steady stream of venom at Harry and Draco's every move.

“Perhaps this was how much of Divination worked. Showing you something you wanted, or didn't want, and urging you along a path. Sitting in the freezing ground on a Bulgarian mountain as the sun commenced its journey up the sky, Harry made a decision. He would get to know someone, the way he knew Ron and Hermione. Better, even, if he was capable of that. It was evident, really, who he wanted that person to be - and Padma seemed to approve. It had to be Draco Malfoy.”

Since I’ve been talking and getting asks about my most recent read I’ve decided this would be a good opportunity to write a brand new rec, and hopefully send more people on their way to this story. I’ve been in the mood for longer fics lately but it’s getting harder and harder to binge anything over 30k, so instead of pressuring myself to rush through it I’ve decided to take my sweet time and embrace the experience over the past week.

Curiously, I found this fic thanks to the author herself! We bonded over our shared interest in a niche fic kink (isn’t that how it always starts!) and she mentioned that earlier this year she published her first fic, one she was very proud of. Naturally I had to ask for a link to check it out and I’m so happy that I did. This story is a long, aching and deeply emotional love letter to Harry, carefully exploring his trauma and post-war struggles in such a compassionate way it gave me a lump in the throat. From dealing with his childhood abuse and a general lack of sense of purpose after the war, to coming to terms with his fame and sexuality to finally allowing himself to be happy and fulfill his resolution: getting to know someone, deeply. I love how that scene puts everything into motion, giving the fic a magical and serendipitous tone that helped me get through the angsty slow burn knowing that Drarry was more than endgame, it was inevitable. The tea leaves willed so!!!!

We follow Harry’s melancholy and introspective POV for about 12 years, each one marked by a different wedding he attends. There’s this weary wistfulness about the way he sees things that really touched me, as he struggles to find his place and pines on for Draco. We celebrate the friends and acquaintances we get to know through his eyes, one wedding at a time - and what a fantastic cast! I especially loved seeing more of Angelina as she’s not usually explored in fic. From Blaise’s to Lockhart’s to Ron’s to Hagrid’s, each wedding ceremony offers a new setting for Harry’s self-reflection and advances the Drarry agenda offering him new ways to get to know Draco and himself. They don’t always meet or talk but Draco’s always at the back of his mind, even before the resolution is made, and I found that quite romantic!

I wasn’t expecting this fic to span over so many years but instead of never-ending pain where you don’t quite understand why they can’t kiss and make out already, Harry’s pining is soft and tentative; it allows him to grow, explore his own sexuality and learn how to be comfortable in his own skin before reaching out to Draco. Despite being unavailable for some time, we don’t really need Draco’s POV to know he’s aching for Harry just as desperately. But we do get a glimpse of his mind through their correspondence, which is how they actually fall in love.

Watching their friendship blossom through the letters made me so soft and happy I didn’t want it to end. I think that was my favourite chapter and and I’m not even that much of an epistolary enthusiast! But their written exchanges create the most delicious anticipation and oh, when they finally get together they’re both so sure and devoted to each other it feels earned and right. I love how the fic paces the progression of Harry’s initial obsession towards a calmer, reserved and patient love. Just like he wished many years before, he gets to know someone deeply: this reformed and fascinating tea shop owner Draco, who adores his mom, is there for his friends, says Harry’s name with adoration and has a fondness for flowers and owls 🥹

If you’re looking for a cathartic pining!Harry journey, with gentle slow burn and satisfying payoff - the endearments! the smut! be still my heart - this long fic is an absolute treat. Check it out today then let’s get started on @mallstars’s new time loop wip!

Read on AO3!

#Drarry fic rec

[whatthefishh]

Merry, Happy

AN: self indulgent fic of the week #2. This is part one of three little blurbs of what I think a friendship with the moon boys would look like during Ramadan (and if reader has an inevitable, obvious, unmistakable crush on them). In no way am I trying to misrepresent the boys from their original presentation of Jewish, and if I have in any way please let me know. This is mainly just focused on reader’s time during this month, not to take away from anything the boys do on their own.

Tagging some people who might be interested but this is a no pressure tag ❤️ @looneytooz @marc-spectors-wife @copingchaos @romanarose @xbellaxcarolinax @in-between-the-cafes @melodygatesauthor @360iris @annautumnsoul @minigirl87 @my-secret-shame-but-fanfiction @kittyofalltrades @outlawsredemption

No warnings, just a very short fluff HC

Part I - Steven Grant x Muslim!reader ❤️

Steven and you have a little routine at work: you make meaningful eye contact across the gift shop floor, one of you raises your eyebrow and the other nods, signalling it was time to take your coffee break together

This usually consisted of him drinking one of his niche tea flavours that you’ve never heard of and you making your coffee with the machine in the break room

Then Ramadan came. Steven, of course, wished you, knowing about your religious views after having been work friends for so long

Not to mention the little crush he's been harbouring on you. And no, Steven doesn’t know you like him like that either because he thinks every time he catches you watching him it’s because he’s doing something wrong and you’re probably laughing at him

You came in to work that day with a sticky note on your locker with little drawings of the moon on it, and a hastily written note saying “Happy Ramadan” in his messy handwriting, and he made sure to tell you, too, when he saw you

His demeanour never failed to make you comfortable and happy around him. His soft nature easily coaxing smiles from you but this felt sweeter than any of those other times, your face heating up as you calmed your racing heart.

Nobody had ever gone out of their way to make you feel so seen in a workplace about your faith, and you were used to it. It was something you had come to accept a long time ago, but seeing your friend (whom you already had a hard time not fawning over) put in effort to make you feel celebrated made your heart melt. You had to hold back tears as you thanked him with a watery smile.

Steven unusually was missing during your coffee break that day, and the next, which was slightly disheartening after his sweet gestures but you told yourself he wasn’t your boyfriend and he didn’t have to report to you.

At first you assumed he just missed it because of Donna, or maybe he wasn’t in the next day, or maybe he got caught up overexplaining something to some curious kid who shoved garbage in the displays. Honestly, it could’ve very well been a lot of things. Regardless, you gave him the benefit of the doubt.

On the fourth day he missed your joined breaks, you hunted him down and found him sitting outside on the steps, drinking a tea he’d purchased from the cafe (not his preferred brand or flavour) and munching on a scone that, from the look on his face, wasn’t very good

“Steven? What… what are you doing out here?”

He almost choked on said scone

“Um, hi- uh. Thought I shouldn’t eat in front of you, since y’know… since you can’t eat ‘n all.”

The fact that Steven didn’t want to make you uncomfortable by eating in front of you so he sat outside in the chill March air, all by himself, made you melt. If possible, your crush on this adorable, dishevelled man grew even larger.

You then proceeded to yell at him (affectionately) to come inside before he caught a cold as he looked up at you sheepishly, muttering “alright, alright” while he dusted off his bum from where he was sitting

You vowed to bring him a box full of treats for Eid, and maybe a little extra gift depending on what you could find in East London for him

#steven grant fluff #steven grant imagine #steven grant fanfiction #moonknight fanfiction #moon knight fanfiction #moonknight fluff #moon knight fluff #steven grant x reader #steven grant x you #moon knight x reader #moonknight headcanons #moonknight hc #Steven grant x Muslim!reader #Marc Spector x Muslim!reader

[aerodaltonimperial]

I'm playing Rune Factory 5 and it's fun and the mechanics are a lot like Rune Factory 4, which was just a banger of a game, and I'm not very far in and I realize this brand of niche, very Japanese fantasy-esque farming battle hybrid games are such a weird genre even though I enjoy it. Starting thoughts:

There are some hybrid animal were-people and I'm like I do not wish for this, please never talk to me ever, you creep me out, but you would do well on Tumblr

Am I old???? I want to date the middle aged guy who owns the general store and wears sexy glasses not his CHILD who looks like he is 15???? Fucking SUCKS

None of these people are wearing weather appropriate clothing, it is NOT that warm, we start in SPRING, why is the doctor wearing A BIKINI

I think two of my (male) love interests have major beef with each other and are enemies and now I ship them with each other and is there fic on AO3? I should check

My kiddo keeps cracking up every time I carry a stack of 9 rocks on top of each other, like can't breathe delirious laughter and its so cute I keep doing it even though these rocks are kind of worthless

There are like 10 abandoned houses in town so I assume a gaggle of new love interests will arrive as I get through dungeons like in 4 so I'm waiting to see what my romantic prospects look like, I'm still mad I can't date the store owner

Since I remember so much of this from 4 I'm probably ahead in terms of leveling up my crops and shit, so that's nice

I absolutely destroyed everybody in the Bean Throwing Contest, though I won by hitting the beans with my body so the name is kind of misleading

#anyway its fun #and nice to let myself relax for once #without having to be productive

[ectogeo-rebubbles]

I have kind of a niche Garashir fic idea I want to write but I’ve never posted anything publicly before, so I am nervous. But I can’t seem to get over the idea? You’re one of my favorite fic writers, any advice? 💕🥺

Ooooh, you gotta try to write it!!! I always love to indulge my new ideas that are driving me insane as soon as I can hehe (because part of writing often has to be done after the initial idea no longer excites you quite the same way).

I like that you said it’s a niche idea, too! I do enjoy most of the common fanon tropes and worldbuilding, but it’s always so refreshing when people add something brand new to the Garashir body of literature. And the nicher and stranger the better, in my opinion!! One thing about writing something niche is that maybe it won’t get the same amount of attention as quickly as something that has broader appeal, HOWEVER... I can tell you from experience that when your niche stuff does find its audience (which may take patience and persistence) that audience will likely go absolutely WILD for it. And I always find that very rewarding <3

Is the reason you haven't started yet because you don't quite know how to start? If that's the case, I would recommend writing an outline first. I even sometimes will outline really short oneshots lol, not because I think I really need to, but because that way i at least have a good record of my idea and ALSO because sometimes I can trick myself into just starting to write by taking notes on in outline format until I get to the part I'm REALLY excited about, at which point I realize I'm just writing full sentences instead of notes and I just let it flow from there and go back to fix the beginning later. XD You could also just try to summarize the plot for a friend, that often reveals to me where any structural issues are tripping me up, and identifies what I need to think about more before I set words down on the page.

Idk if you haven't written before or if you just haven't posted any of it, but I want you to know that a few years ago, when I was easing myself back into writing, I worked on writing like 3 or 4 different garashir fic ideas privately before I actually figured out which idea I wanted to write all the way to the end and actually post. Most of those first wips never got posted (and my wip graveyard is still massive and always growing lol) and that's for the best bc I either got bored of the idea or could not yet achieve the story in the way I wanted to. Which is NOT to tell you that this is inevitable or that you should let your inner editor shut you down, but I just want you to know that it's perfectly okay and normal to, like, have to noodle around a bit before you've written something you're happy with.

Speaking of your inner editor, you gotta tune them out while writing a first draft. Don't even worry if the sentence makes sense, just get the words out, and then get the next words out, and then the next... If there is something stopping you from writing the next sentence (a name you need to make up, or something you need to research, or uncertainty about what a character would be doing, or even if you are just blanking on a word) and you are trying to maintain a flow of writing, then write a note for yourself (e.g, "[insert title of a Cardassian novel here]" or "[Julian makes some kind of expression. Surprise? Anger? idk]" or "[synonym for sinister, bc I've used sinister three times this fic already]") and then MOVE ON. You can go back in and fill in those blanks later.

Also, I really really really really like the writing advice of thinking of your first draft as your worst draft or stupidest draft. It's so true and it helps take the pressure off. One related amazing thing about writing star trek fanfic is that if ever you begin to doubt yourself, you can just fondly think about a beloved episode of Star Trek where something very silly or buckwild happens in a very contrived way, and then remind yourself that people LOVE that episode anyway. This is a genuine way that I have reminded myself not to be so harsh on my own writing lmao.

I really working with beta readers, but I know that's not something everyone enjoys and it's def not required. Still, a beta reader can give feedback on your writing to make it clearer, and they'll likely become invested in your fic and will cheer you on, and if it’s longer than a oneshot you can have someone to talk it through with during the writing process. But it might be hard to find someone you work well with and everyone’s beta reading style is a lil different, so I recommend always being very clear about what kind of feedback you want from them (grammar/typos, plot structure, clarity, brainstorming ideas for how to fix this plothole, does this one specific line of dialogue work, etc! whatever aspects you are uncertain about and want help with for that specific fic). And you should know that it’s okay to not take someone's recommendations too, it’s ultimately your fic, so anyone giving you feedback should just be trying to help you achieve your own vision. Still, even in those cases where you don't go along exactly with their idea for what to change, knowing what parts confused them can help you figure out how to get your vision across more clearly.

If you think concrit might actually be demotivational and intimidating (totally get that, back in high school I actually solicited concrit on my fics publicly, as was the custom back then, and received some critiques from some truly well-meaning friends, and the experience STILL rattled me so bad that it turned me off writing for awhile), or if the process of finding someone to beta read sounds overwhelming, I’d recommend that you instead just find a trusted friend who is willing to read over the completed draft, with the understanding that they must simply give you a sanity check and then tell you yep that’s good! Cannot stress enough the power of encouragement and support and having someone hype you up. ^_^

If you are too nervous to post it under your own name, you can post it to the Anonymous collection on ao3. This is a reversible process, so if you want to reattach your username to your fic later then you can!

Anyway, feel free to send follow up questions about any of this or let me know if there's an aspect of writing I didn't mention that is what you're actually stuck on. I hope this helps and good luck and HAVE FUN! Have fun is actually the most important writing advice haha.

(P.S., anon, if you want me to beta read a draft of a oneshot or at least look over a chapter or two if it's multichapter, I am down to do so, just DM me. If not that's fine too, I'm just so so flattered that you reached out to me and I want to encourage you in any way I can! <3)

#asks

[thisapplepielife]

20 Questions for Fic Writers!

I'm very belated for this, but thanks for the tag @hbyrde36!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

18! But a lot of those are in the Wildflowers series. (Maybe it should have been chaptered? I still don't know what the right answer was, lol.)

So, I basically have 3 things to read, if you count the two parts of the Jagged Little Pill series as one, and I always do. Wildflowers is for those that wanted more of Tuesday's, and not that many people wanted to read Tuesday's in the first place, haha. So it's a niche of a niche. But I hold it close to my heart, and it makes me happy that a few of you have been so on board with it, too. ❤️

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

487,289. Which is kind of crazy. I just looked, and I started writing You Oughta Know on July 30th, 2022. From then until today, that's 457 days. That's averaging over 1,000 words a day. That seems wild. (And I've got a lot of unpublished words still in the chamber, haha.)

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Just Stranger Things right now, but I'm not opposed to branching out as the mood strikes. I think I'd love to take on David/Patrick of Schitt's Creek someday.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Take the Money and Run (by a country mile, lol)

You Oughta Know

I'm Brave, But I'm Chicken Shit

Tuesday's Gone With the Wind

You Don't Know How It Feels (I didn't realize it had overtaken the first part of Wildflowers, so that's fun! More readers must have enjoyed the look at the Corroded Coffin boys, and I dig it.)

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

Yes! I definitely try to respond to them all. Sometimes I'm a little slow about it though, sorry!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I like a happy ending. But Time to Move On, I guess? It's just a part of a series, so it's not like the ending is permanently sad, but that one does end at a sad point in their lives.

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

Most of them are pretty happy, but I'm partial to the epilogue ending of Take the Money and Run. That will always have my heart. ❤️

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I've gotten a very little, so I feel pretty lucky.

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

Yes, and I write what fits the larger story, I hope. I've written M/M and F/M, so far. I haven't done a full PWP, though some of the parts of Wildflowers were supposed to be that, but the dang plot kept getting in the way. Whoops.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

Just little brief ones, so far. There's a couple in Take the Money and Run that I find fun, but if you don't get them, I don't think they detract from the story.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I'm aware of.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No, and I'm not sure it'd work for most of my stuff, with all the mixed media.

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

No, I'm not sure how good I'd be at that. I write by jumping all over the place. That'd probably be annoying for someone else to deal with, lol!

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

All time? Man, that's hard. I'm obviously deep in a Steddie hole at the moment. But I'll go with my first. Pacey and Joey of Dawson's Creek. They brought me into fandom, into fic, so they get the gold star. (For more current ships, definitely Steddie and David & Patrick of Schitt's Creek.)

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I don't really post anything I'm not basically finished with. But from my private stash, I like the idea of Here You Come Again, but I just have been writing other stuff. I'm going to take on my other Steddie (Untitled, But Not Really) WIP during NaNoWriMo. I've never done that before, so I thought might be fun, since I saw you can go rogue and write 50,000 words on something that isn't brand spanking new. So, even if that fic doesn't need 50,000 words to finish (and I'm not sure it does) it might give me the push to try to finish it up. I've been sitting on my hands on it since I decided to sign up, which is fine, I needed to finish up Wildflowers. (And get ahead on my Steddie Holiday Drabbles: I've finished 8 of the 30 so far.)

16. What are your writing strengths?

From the comments, I'm going to go with that I can make readers laugh from time to time, which makes me so happy. I also like to dig into the research.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Um, also the research, lol. Sometimes I'll be researching until I'm just wasting time. Some things really don't matter in the big picture. (But they do to me!!) And I need to learn to let them go.

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

That's not something I've done, I don't think. But I have tried to respond to comments that were written in a different language using Google Translate.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Dawson's Creek. Many, many moons ago. At the turn of the millennium. (That's fun to say, ha!)

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

Unpopular opinion time! I know Take the Money and Run is more popular. By, well, a lot. And I do love it. It gave me the bug to write long fic again. But I have big feelings for Tuesday's Gone With the Wind. It was such an undertaking. All the mixed media. The endless research. And I fell in love with those characters in the process.

It wasn't as popular as TtMaR, but that's okay. It makes me very happy that it reached even as many people as it did. I know that author's note was enough to scare anyone away, haha. Add in the CNTW and it's amazing anyone read it at all. Thanks to those of you that did! You've made me so happy. ❤️

I'm so late for this, I'm not gonna tag, but if you haven't done it and want to, please do!!

#tag games #my writing #steddie fic #ao3 #fic writer #writing tag

[benevolenterrancy]

A Torchwood / MASH crossover

The day started dull, if that could be believed. But in true Torchwood fashion, when things went wrong, they went wrong very fast and very dramatically. Now with no technology, no way home, and some severely injured teammates, they will be lucky to make it as far as a medical unit, never mind fifty years into the future. And in true MASH fashion, the 4077th is willing to patch up the wounded but not without adding their own brand of chaos to the mix.

I did it! 3 months and 80k+ words later, my Torchwood / MASH time travel fic is complete! I realize this is about as niche a fic as I can possibly write but damn if I didn't have fun writing it! Torchwood has time travel built into its core elements, so how could I not eventually play with that?

#torchwood #mash #mash 4077 #fanfiction #this was my Staying Sane During A Really Rough Time At Work fic which means it got a lot of energy funnelled into it #it's about time i posted something new -- i think the last time was almost half a year ago?

[ghostfilecabinet]

What are your favorite long (20k+ words) shyan fics? Could you recommend a few, please?

Oh boy oh boy, you have absolutely come to the right place.

collapse in threads by sky_somedays is at 20,179 words and begs the question of what exactly the boys would do if they suddenly developed superpowers and also were in love? A very recent read for me, and features in my Halloween Rec List. [canonverse]

Light Metaphors by sohapppily is one of my favourite fics in fandom - it feels incredibly real, and is written beautifully. Written entirely from Ryan's perspective as he pines for a Shane who is in a relationship. Gorgeous angst, with a happy ending. Clocks in at about 68k. [canonverse]

The Thrilling Case of the Mysterious Five by MiraclesofPaul really works for me because I fucking lock the cryptid academia vibes of early Unsolved Ryan and I absolutely feel like we as a fandom did not play with that more, but this fic ABSOLUTELY does that. Accurate tags are accurate when they called this "x-files au if you squint" and i love it. Sits at 57k.

Like Wildfire by makemadej (santamonicayachtclub) is 20k words of a really unique take on Shane, who gets himself (and Ryan) into shenanigans by not being super adept at the heart to brain to mouth filter. Also features a brand new kink that possibly only exists in this fandom. [canonverse]

pendulum by soyul is 150k of a paranormal detective AU and it's incredibly underrated for how HOOKED I was throughout the entirety of it.

Ancient Magical Wishing Well Verse features two things people are sometimes iffy with, which is the 'woke up with different bits' trope and mpreg, but at 36k words its honestly amazing and deserves so much love. [canonverse]

This Tornado Loves You by sequence_fairy. The thing about BFU/Watcher is that I honestly believe it should have a lot more 'niche interests' AU, because Shane and Ryan are absolutely kings of niche interests, and even though I don't think Ryan has even ever experienced a tornado I just think they'd be proud of 22k tornado chasers fic. It fits their vibe.

Edge of Town by Justspookythingz, which I read because it was labeled 'midwestern gothic' and I like gothic anything. A very creepy story about Shane and Ryan being stuck in a weird town. You can see that I got into BFU because I love the creepy and the eerie. [canonverse] (but is mostly a horror)

not always from the sky by yellowhalcyon - 30k and very hard to describe, but it features aliens and demons, Ryan house-sitting in the desert, my usual love of The Weird and, as usual, Shane and Ryan falling in love.

Want You In My Court by Ourladyofresurrection. I recced this in my recent bottom Bergara rec list but I want to re-highlight it because it got me to read a university AU and as you can see by the above recs I'm more of a ... not of this world type of fic fan. But it features phone sex operator Shane rocking Ryan's world and then they do a group project together and fall in love, in that order.

Oh, Ye Of Little Faith by youvebeenscuppered. Was aiming for ten but I thought I recced too many AUs and not enough set in the canon verse! This one was fun and sexy and features a Mysterious Box that Shane is desperate to get inside of (but maybe not as desperate as he is to get inside of Ryan, heyo!) [canonverse]

#[] #[fic rec]