peaked: NAOMI. (pic#17546439)
I want to clean up some of my notepad docs so, here we go, an exchange wrap-up! Because I've been feeling burnt out over the last year, I don't really have any recs compiled (I lied and did for FIAB, but I deleted the notepad after copying my bits over, so, RIP). I think I may move away from creating rec lists as I'm not quite sure how used they are and they take so much work that they're becoming unfun.

Anyway! Onto the good stuff.

[personal profile] candyheartsex 2024 -

I wrote -

myrtle
ENOLA HOLMES | Enola/Tewkesbury; Teen; 1.5k

"What?" she barked.

"What?" he repeated dumbly, blinking dumbly, too.

She rolled her eyes. "Not this again!"

"Enola," he said with a low laugh that ruffled the butterflies deep in her belly, "I haven’t the slightest clue what you’re talking about. What gift?"

"My gift!"

*

Enola gets Tewkesbury a gift. Perhaps that's the problem in itself.


I really enjoy writing their banter.


My gifts -

Card Goat by [archiveofourown.org profile] McBangle
GRISHAVERSE | Jesper & Milo | Gen

Jesper and Milo play a friendly game of poker.

Really funny art.

*

'effable Spirit by [archiveofourown.org profile] Synergic
THE GREAT | Catherine/Peter; Mature; 1.4k

On an unprepossessing day in May two years after her husband’s death, Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia, put out a hand for her morning cup of tea-laced vodka and received a letter instead.

I thought this was brilliant. This universe is so easy to get wrong, but Synergic makes it look so easy.


[community profile] smut4smut 2024 -

I wrote -

we can chew through my bracelet
GRISHAVERSE | Zoya/Nikolai; Explicit; 3.8k

Elizaveta was gone, and the demon remained. Juris was gone, and yet she felt him stand beside her. But why hadn’t Nikolai come back to himself? They’d done everything that was expected of them—

Except she knew, deep down, that the obisbaya required more than being pierced by the thorn wood.

-

With Elizaveta dead and the obisbaya stopped, why does Nikolai stand before her as his demon?


I wish I had the guts to make this dirtier lol. I enjoyed getting to write my OTP for a lovely recipient!

*

just for tonight own me
GRISHAVERSE | Zoya/Nikolai; Explicit; 4.1k

"We can prolong it, Nikolai," she murmured as she hovered over him, effortlessly holding the chains between her hands like they were the bridle for his horse. He felt like one at times, although one that was whipped even when he behaved well. This was the penance for surviving the war. The Darkling ensured to leave his mark on Ravka. "Pretend we’re an old married couple, if you like."

"Go on, wife," he said, not looking away. He wanted them to play this game, and so they would. "Let’s pretend for a little while."

-

Nikolai likes it when he's bound to his bed and Zoya sits on his face.


What can I say? I got to write my OTP being playful. I really enjoyed s4s in 2024 because people requested my favourites!


My gift -

Not Your King Tonight by [archiveofourown.org profile] InsectKin
GRISHAVERSE | Zoya/Nikolai; Explicit; 3.4k

At the beginning of Rule of Wolves, Zoya and Nikolai debrief after visiting the revived Darkling in his sun prison. Nikolai shows Zoya that his demon can exist outside of himself, and the demon removes the ribbon from her hair.

In this fic, the demon keeps going.


I loved the whole concept of this. THIS IS WHAT WE DESERVED IN CANON.


[community profile] fandom5k 2024 -

I wrote -

between the world and you
THE WINTERNIGHT TRILOGY | Vasya/The Bear; Mature; 8.1k

When the kikimora brings Vasya the one person she wants most, the chyerti suffer nightmares as a consequence.

I really enjoyed writing this. Grief is something I always gravitate towards, and this fic was no exception. The Bear/Medved is always so difficult yet fun to write, and I remember really enjoying writing this. I wish this fandom was bigger.


My gift -

Dark Mirrors by [archiveofourown.org profile] GalahadsGurl
CHARMED | Chris & Piper; Teen; 5.6k

Chris Perry missed his mother, but Piper Halliwell was not his mother.

Right?


This was a fun expansion on season 6's plot with "Who is Chris Perry really?"


[community profile] rarepairexchange 2024 -

I wrote -

dreamers are selfish
THE HUNGER GAMES | Katniss/Finnick; Mature; 2.1k

When the rebellion fails to catch fire at the 75th Quarter Quell, Finnick and Katniss are left to pick up the pieces. Katniss is glad Finnick lets her be there for him for once.

I love writing Katniss/Finnick. This was meant to be a lot bigger than what it was, but what I ended up with was what I felt was a nice moment of a grander world that you still get a good pulse of.


My gift -

the siren call by [archiveofourown.org profile] aelisheva
READY OR NOT | Grace/Daniel; Teen; 1.7k

Daniel let out a shaky breath. “You’re not the real Grace Le Domas.”

Not-Grace stared him down again, and all over his skin and bones grew cold. She tilted her head, blinking innocently. “Is that really such an issue? I’ve seen into your mind, Daniel, thanks to Lord Le Bail’s help. I know how much you covet your brother’s widow.”

She leaned in until their heads pressed together. “I could be her, if you wanted it,” she said in a low voice. His breathing shuttered at the suggestion.

***

Grace has won the game, and Le Bail offers to bring back Daniel as a reward. But only if they both realize why her life force is still tied to his through a soulmate bond...


In a fandom overrun by time loop fics, this was very, very neat to receive. The concept was fun to watch unfold.


[community profile] highadrenalineexchange -

For 2024, I wrote -

belonging
BRIDGERTON | Kate/Anthony; Teen; 10.5k

Kate struggles to find her place amongst the Bridgertons.

I wanted to explore Kate's relationships with the other Bridgertons and got to dabble in a few of those with this. It's not what I had wanted it to be, but I still enjoyed the end result.


My gift -

Through Midnights Pass by [archiveofourown.org profile] goblins_riddles_frocks
THE WINTERNIGHT TRILOGY | Vasya/The Bear; Unrated; 10.6k

Vasalisa Petrovna and Medved traverse the Midnight road.

I loved the exploration of grief and death. The banter between Vasya and The Bear was spot on. (I loved Ded Grib the most in this, though.)


For 2025, I wrote -

V1. The Lovers
AGATHA ALL ALONG | Agatha/Rio; Mature; 17k

Before Rio, there was Death. Before Death, there wasn’t Rio.

She tried to separate them, once.

*

When a witch hunter starts killing witches, Agatha and Rio begrudgingly team up to take them down.


This idea was a lot bigger than it had any right to be for a fortnight turnaround and I wish that the end result was reflective of that, but I'm still happy with it because I had a lot of fun exploring Rio's relationship with death and grief in this. I was inspired by some of the cards I like (and dislike) playing in Marvel Snap, and wrote some of those characters into this. I wish this story got a little action during the anonymous period, but I knew when my name was on it that it would find its audience, and I'm glad it did. :)


My gifts -

Hollow Heart by [archiveofourown.org profile] Major
THE MUMMY | Evelyn/Rick; Teen; 10.7k

Rick accidentally activates a curse that traps him and Evy in an apocalyptic time loop.

They've had better days.


This was a super cool concept, and I really, really loved Rick's voice throughout this. I feel like he's a character who appears easy to write but is truly difficult not to write flatly. Major did a fantastic job getting his dry wit and absolute dedication to those he loves down.

*

Annadóttir, Black, & Flamel, "Circular Reasoning: Applied Temporal Philosophy in Alchemaical Metaphysics," Journal of Magical Cosmology, 1645 (2001): 19–32. by [archiveofourown.org profile] avocadomoon
HARRY POTTER | Hermione/Sirius; Teen; 89k

"Science has its limits," Dumbledore said. "As does magic. And time. And everything else there is to see and touch and hear. But it is not a matter of fate, dear, no matter what the druid mystics say." He nodded at her wand. "When you throw a handful of petals in the air, can you control exactly where they fall? And would they always fall the same way twice?

It's not safe baiting avocadomoon because sometimes you end up receiving a mammoth of a gift. I only request Harry Potter when I see it in the tagset and have a feeling avocadomoon will participate. This was a wild ride, a fantastic, in-depth exploration of time travel and the consequences of time turners. Prisoner of Azkaban is my favourite book/movie of the franchise, so to get a story that's based on that concept and seeing the concept of time turners fleshed out was so enjoyable. This was a delight to read.


[community profile] fffx -

I wrote -

Ace
CHALLENGERS | Tashi/Art; Mature; 10.5k

Patrick didn’t call.

Sometimes, when she imagined it, she’d forgive him. Sometimes, she made him work for it over several weeks. Sometimes, she didn’t say anything at all.

Her phone didn’t ring for weeks after she popped her knee, and Tashi told herself she didn’t care. Why should she? She had Art, and Art was a good friend to have by her side.


Tashi/Art is a guilty pleasure of mine and I was thrilled I got to explore this pairing through a Tashi character study. She was so much fun to write and I really enjoyed how this story came together.


My gift -

negotiation by [archiveofourown.org profile] santanico
CHALLENGERS | Tashi/Art/Patrick; Explicit; 10.6k

“Yo,” Patrick said, and his eyes swept the main living space so quickly Tashi almost could have missed the widening of his eyes when he saw the oversized 8k TV or the double-sectional couch - in all creamy white, as if to make a point, Tashi thought - if she hadn’t been paying very close attention. He was dressed in jeans that fit him too loosely, a t-shirt with a button-up on over, as if that was somehow going to paint an illusion of professionalism to the look. He kicked off his shoes and handed her a bag.

“Chocolates,” he said, by way of explanation when she looked inside.

“I can see they’re chocolates,” she said, mesmerized by his choice of Ferrero Roche hazelnut chocolates. Maybe they were meant to be funny.

“Don’t judge,” Patrick said, brushing past her with intent and popping his head into the kitchen where Art was characteristically hiding. “Hey.”


This was a great exploration of the three of them post-movie and how they still are quite dysfunctional and shit at communication. I like that it didn't try to wrap them up in a pretty bow, and offered the implication that they aren't exactly going to work out long-term, but they might if they keep their heads in the sand.


[community profile] ficinabox -

I wrote -

In the Middle
CHALLENGERS | Art/Tashi/Patrick; Explicit; 6k

She liked it better when he allowed them to be them, as they were. Her with her scarred knee, Art with his nervous tic of playing with his wedding ring, and Patrick… Patrick stayed the same. He rubbed his hands against his thighs, scratched the back of his neck, and laughed too much. His laughter was too loud, but it fit in their room, littered with wedding photos. Nothing in this room was his, but he fit. He was theirs.

Straight up smut lol.

*

what do you get your superhero best friend for their birthday?
MCU | Carol & Kamala & Monica & MJ & Peter & Ned & Nick & Pepper & Goose; Teen; 2k

r/SUPERBESTPETSANDTHEIRHUMANFRIENDS posted by u/KAMALACANDO

sooooooo i (18F) want to get my super duper best friend a birthday gift but i 1) don’t know when her birthday is and 2) don’t know what to get a man-eating cat when i don’t know her age. SO I DESPERATELY NEED SOME ADVICE because i want to show her how much she means to me!!!


Even though I had some strife with the coding (div tags hate me), I had a lot of fun creating this. I think it's funny.

*

Homemade Hot Chocolate
GRISHAVERSE | Inej/Kaz; Teen; 2k

Inej’s Homemade Hot Chocolate
Please note that this is not for the faint of heart.


Just Kaz and Inej being a little silly and heartsick. I wanted to try something a touch different to writing a straight fic.


My gifts -

rising up like the sun at dawn by [archiveofourown.org profile] Fleetling
GRISHAVERSE | Inej/Kaz; Teen; 1.2k

Kaz doesn't answer her, because that's not what she wants, and because it's not something he can offer.

A sweet post-canon Kanej where Inej returns from some of her adventures on the sea and Kaz ensures she's comfortable. when Kaz wakes in the morning it'll be to Inej, having risen with the sun, sitting in the window and talking to the crows. It can't get anymore perfect.

*

[fanmix] deuce by [archiveofourown.org profile] hearteyesfordays
CHALLENGERS | Art/Tashi/Patrick; Unrated

I have never gotten a fanmix before. This was so cool and perfect.

*

[Art] Katherine Pierce by [archiveofourown.org profile] QueerIntentions
THE VAMPIRE DIARIES | Katherine; Gen

An iconic Katherine Pierce, enshrined in stained glass.

I can't believe I got Katherine artwork.

*

hurt by [archiveofourown.org profile] kitsunerei88
CHALLENGERS | Tashi; Tashi/Art, Tashi/Patrick; Mature; 1.2k

Tashi's life is not what she wanted it to be.
Or: A character study about Tashi, her injury, and her relationships with Art and Patrick.


A really great character study that explores Tashi's resentment toward both Art and Patrick.

*

Poisoned Glory by [archiveofourown.org profile] Alley_Skywalker
HOUSE OF THE DRAGON | Aemond & Criston; Gen; 1.4k

Aemond had thought Rook's Rest would make him a hero, but instead, even the people closest to him seem to be pulling away.

A great character study of Aemond post-Rook's Rest, giving more depth to Aemond and Criston's relationship that we should've gotten in the show.

*

horror and wild by [archiveofourown.org profile] cacowhistle
GRISHAVERSE | Zoya/Nikolai; Teen; 1.2k

It is late this evening in Os Alta. There is an ominous air to the palace, and an evacuation of the king’s personal wing has been put in place.

You can never go wrong with demon!Nikolai. I love how this shows a glimpse of how Zoya, Tamar, Tolya, Genya, and David work together to try to keep demon!Nikolai under control. This should've been a scene in the book.

*

some kind of miraculous bind by [archiveofourown.org profile] cacowhistle
GRISHAVERSE | Zoya/Nikolai; Mature; 1.3k

It goes like this: Nikolai is the one to propose, but Zoya is the one to ask him to marry her.

This contains my favourite line She is a hurricane, and Nikolai lets himself be her eye and center. He is the calm that comes before her storm.

*

there is nothing in-between by [archiveofourown.org profile] cacowhistle
GRISHAVERSE | Zoya/Nikolai; Teen; 3.6k

It is the night after the obisbaya, and Nikolai cannot sleep.

A moment between Nikolai and Zoya on their travels back to Os Alta post-obisbaya. Nikolai's perspective is really well done, and come of the dialogue feels like it leapt right out of Bardugo's head.

*

[ MURDLE ] THE CASE OF THE PRODUCER ON THE PILLOW by [archiveofourown.org profile] swirlingvoid
THE HUNGER GAMES | Finnick, Annie, Johanna; Teen

A logic puzzle excerpted from the Panem Gazette. Which Victor killed again?
(Any resemblance to real events or persons living or dead is a coincidence, the paper claims. This is just a game.)


An in-universe Murdle in Panem is very cool and so very meta. This was so good.


[community profile] trickortreatex -

I wrote -

go
GRISHAVERSE | Inej/Kaz; Teen; 600

Stay, he says, and Inej can do nothing but heed him.

I wanted to try a different style while keeping it in a tight word count of 600. I think it works.


My gift -

Tonight and the Rest of My Life by [archiveofourown.org profile] anr
BUFFYVERSE | Cordelia/Angel; Teen; 605

A thin curl of sweet satisfaction.

(aka, Five times Cordelia dreams of Angel.)


This filled me with so much nostalgia.


[community profile] yuletide -

I was lucky enough to receive two gifts for yuletide 2024. I really enjoyed my time in this exchange (I had a rough go of it in 2022 with the gifting side and the Yuleswaps side, so I took a break in 2023). I think this was the exchange I had the most fun in.

I wrote -

Mother
AGATHA ALL ALONG | Agatha/Rio; Mature; 11.3k

Agatha closed her eyes. Swallowing thickly, she felt a stone within her throat shift. "How long will this last me?"

This was how it always went. Agatha would ask, and Rio would never respond. Agatha would always have her answer in the dread coiling low in her belly.

If Death wouldn’t help her, dark magic would.


I am so proud of this one. I had an easy time writing it. I really enjoyed the themes and I just loved how it all came together. This is set pre-canon, with Nicholas, and explores Agatha, Rio, and Nicholas, and how death haunted them all. I feel like it could've been longer, but I think the story is one of my best, and I was certainly proud of it when I wrote it.


My gifts -

to haunt a house nobody lives in by [archiveofourown.org profile] Twilfitt6
AGATHA ALL ALONG | Agatha/Rio; Mature; 3.9k

Agnes doesn't remember why she hates Rio. She doesn't remember that they've had this conversation before. Rio at her door with a peace offering, conversations about the case, the evidence sometimes differed but the case and the corpse were always the same, and they'd talk about these nothingnesses and then, as always, Rio would lean forward and ask.

"Do you remember why you hate me?"

Agnes never does. She remembers Rio's face, she remembers her name, she remembers the way her hands used to feel around her waist, but she doesn't remember what had happened between them. The memories had faded beneath Maximoff's spell but something still remained.


This is Agatha/Rio stuck in a timeloop during 1x01, while exploring how they came to know one another, get together, and split apart. I particularly loved the exploration of Rio's identity throughout this. Perfectly done. It has a nice rhythm to it.

*

All a wild heart needs by [archiveofourown.org profile] Dolorosa
WINTERNIGHT TRILOGY | Vasilisa/Morozko; Teen; 1.5k

Vasya has already transformed Morozko, but now her unpredictable magic has started to transform the world around them, as well.

The maturity between these two! This explores the concept of winter/spring in a quiet moment between the two of them. I was super thrilled to have gotten a gift from [personal profile] dolorosa_12. ♥


[community profile] littleblackdressex -

I wrote -

my heart beats heavy
THE VAMPIRE DIARIES | Elena/Elijah; Teen; 1k

"Don’t you wish you had a scar?" she asked.
*
Elijah and Elena speak about mortality.


I missed writing Elijah/Elena.


[community profile] pine4pine -

I wrote -

falling gracefully
HOUSE OF THE DRAGON | Baela/Jace; Teen; 1.7k

When Baela falls from Moondancer, Jacaerys doesn’t leave her side.

I won't lie, writing pining is a lot harder when you actually have to make sure it's heavily in the story in order to comply with an exchange's theme. I think I had intended to write this from Baela's POV (I was getting comfortable writing her thanks to DWRP), but because of the freeforms, I decided to challenge myself with writing Jace, which was a fun exercise.


No [community profile] battleshipex or [community profile] voiceteam as they have their own dedicated wrap posts. (I am not even going to bother wrapping what I missed for 2023.)

That's all, folks. :)
peaked: NAOMI. (pic#17546439)
I started pulling together a post to wrap up everything I engaged in during January, but it exhausted me pulling books, television, and movies into a post with fandom. This is a post wrapping up all the fandom stuff I did or interacted with, and includes some recs!

*

I had a whole [community profile] voiceteam post written, but it seems to have gone missing, so RIP. I have [community profile] ficinabox and [community profile] yuletide posts half-written and will do a separate post for all exchange wraps because I'm being honest with myself and I know I will never return to them. (I have to track down the creators for FIAB and Yuletide, and I am too lazy to do that right now.)

For Voiceteam Mystery Box, I created or participated in:

voiceteam )

*

My contributions to [community profile] threesentenceficathon:

three sentence ficathon )

*

I decided to make my first ever non-challenge podfic, and it was for [personal profile] southernmedicine's fic. (I had actually half-recorded one of her other fics for Guess That Voice in Voiceteam, but I disliked how I said "luminous" and I couldn't stop laughing because it was such a surreal experience recording myself reading aloud.) When I chose this fic, I had forgotten she had written it for me!

[Podfic] Playdates
MCU | Fanny & Lucky ft. Yelena/Kate; Gen; 4 mins
If Kate and Yelena are going to be getting along, it only makes sense for their furry friends to be close companions as well.

I'm glad my first official pod that I made for the hell of it was for a friend's work! ♥

*

I commented on some of these on 29-Dec because I discovered them during [community profile] voiceteam, but I think they deserve to be added to my list! These are recs, mostly of pods, but there's one or two fics in here that I remembered I had commented on. Give them a listen, and if you like them, comment! ✨ Sorry, I couldn't be bothered ordering them by fandom. I am that lazy today.

This does not include the podfic I listened to for [community profile] comment_bingo, during January. I'll post those as part of my completed blackout when I'm done.

recs )

*

It's been nice getting back into fandom and engaging again!
peaked: AZULA. (pic#14945018)
Here are my recommendations (including the gifts I received!) for [community profile] battleshipex 2024's round! I loved all my gifts and was very fortunate to receive almost 20 spanning fic, art, and podfic! There are so many fantastic works in the collection that I have and haven't checked out (mostly due to canon blindness) so please have a look at the collections! If you enjoy something, please consider giving it a kudos and leaving a comment!

My gifts are highlighted as so: GIFT

My list is in fandom alphabetical order. I didn't go as far as to list the works in chronological order via word count or ratings because I am not that dedicated and I haven't done a wrap up post in two years and actually wanted to get this out before we are all dead.

Collections: Mermaid • Volcano • Tunnel • Crystal • Main Collection


BUFFYVERSE )

CHALLENGERS )

DISNEY )

GAME OF THRONES )

GRISHAVERSE )

HARRY POTTER )

HOUSE OF THE DRAGON )

THE HUNGER GAMES )

MCU )

“MYSTERIOUS FOG NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT” SAYS WEATHERMAN WHO DIED 20 YEARS AGO - MARY GILLIS )

ORIGINAL WORK )

POKEMON )

READY OR NOT )

THE UNTAMED )

WARHAMMER 40.000 )

YELLOWJACKETS )
peaked: BELLAMY. (pic#15335243)
Jumping back into [community profile] snowflake_challenge with #13: Make a rec list of fanworks!

I had a few notepads open from when I was answering wishlists (and one when I was starting to make a rec list of [community profile] ficinabox and then… forgot), so here are some fanworks I recommend!

Avatar: The Last Airbender

Avalanche by exceptionallyunfortunate
Toph/Zuko ; Mature ; 200 words
Even the earth bows to the blind Beifong girl, and the banished prince is no exception.

A gift for me for one of my rare pairs. It's just exceptional; it focuses a lot on earth imagery for Toph (who is an earthbender), and I've never been able to forget this one.


Beauty and the Beast

Coaxing by Missy
Beast/Belle ; Mature ; 426 words
Belle eagerly gives herself up to the town's beast as this century's virgin sacrifice. But she's surprised by the creature she meets.

Short and sweet look into a more mature Belle and the Beast. Beast's gentleness is stunning. Belle's curious nature gives her a freedom and strength that rings so true here.


Enola Holmes (Movies)

sing the body electric by the magpie said (hollowmen)
Enola/Tewkesbury ; Mature ; 8.2k
The problem with having an eidetic memory, Enola discovers, is that she can recall with perfect clarity the sounds Tewkesbury made in that thin, hazy half-dark.

Really fun casefic with fake dating and great banter.


The Hunger Games

reflect / refract / diffract by waveridden
Katniss/Peeta + Haymitch, Effie + OCs ; 3.9k ; teen
After winning the 73rd Hunger Games, Katniss gets her first tribute to mentor.

A fantastic, harrowing AU looking at Katniss and Peeta as first-time mentors. The first person reads like Collins' writing—very effective. This one didn't leave me for a while.


The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

Happiness is a Warm Gun by perfectlystill
Lucy Gray/Coriolanus Snow ; Teen ; 3.1k words
"I'm looking out for you, too. I'll find a way," he promises.
Coriolanus teaches Lucy Gray to shoot a gun.


I'm planning to go through perfectlystill's THG works because they really captured Snow's toxicity and need to control Lucy Gray, so if you like complex, unhealthy dynamics with power imbalances, I think you'll like this one!


Little Women (2019)

zombie (what's in your head) by misura
Laurie/Amy ; unrated ; 1.2k words
“I think that deep down inside, you’re a romantic,” Laurie said. “Maybe everyone is. Maybe that’s why so many people are miserable.”
“I think that right now, a lot of people are miserable because there are things out there that are actively trying to kill and eat them,” Amy said. (zombie!apocalypse!AU)


This was a gift for me last year that I have not been able to get out of my head. It's Amy and Laurie during the zombie apocalypse set during their canon. It's simply superb.


MCU

Bargaining by gamerfic
Wanda/Vision ; Teen ; 1k words
After the bite, before the end.

One of my favourite gifts. It's Wanda/Vision during What If…Zombies? and it's such a poignant exploration of their experiences with the zombie virus. It's been three years and I have never forgotten this one.

*

Glass Hours by Major
Wanda/Vision ; Teen ; 5.6k words
Time took Vision from Wanda.
It seems only fair for Wanda to take Vision from time.


This is a heartbreaking and hopeful Wanda/Vision.

*

The Monsters in the Dark by Rubick
Yelena & Natasha & Alexei & Melina ; Teen ; 1.8k words
It was 1994. Natasha was ten years old. Yelena was five. It was a different time back then, when kids were allowed to bike or run around their neighborhood and no one would worry about someone stealing them away.

But Natasha knew better. And why would Melina and Alexei worry, anyway? They didn’t have to worry about the monsters that crept through the night. They were the monsters.


This is set pre-Black Widow and explores what it was like for Natasha and Yelena before entering the Red Room program. Be aware that there is some violence in this.

*

A Letter Undelivered by alchemise
Natasha & Yelena ; Teen ; 300 words
Her sister was quiet next to her.

This was a lovely triple drabble exploring the idea of Natasha coming back post-Hawkeye.

*

Marvels by persephonereturned
Monica & Carol; Gen ; 100 words
"Maybe I can fly up and meet you halfway.""Only if you learn to glow, like your Auntie Carol.""Or maybe I'll build a spaceship. You don't know!""He doesn't."
- Captain Marvel (2019)


The dynamic between Carol and Monica is perfect.

*

Exit Interview by MalevolentLighthouse
Yelena & Val ; Teen ; 200 words

The Val voice is great in this one, and the power dynamics is established incredibly within 200 words.


Original

The Napping Hour by shetiger
Witch's Cat; Gen
He goes wherever she goes...and naps wherever he naps.

Very atmospheric.

*

Pre-occupied by debirlfan
Gen ; 100 words
They're still here.

This drabble is incredible.


Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story

Harvest Season by nasimwrites
Charlotte/George ; Mature ; 3.9k words
Sometimes, Charlotte finds solace in the heavens, too.

This is one of my favourite gifts I've ever received. It's an exploration of King George's illness through the seasons. It's so beautiful that I have to put it in other people's faces to enjoy. I cannot stop thinking about it even to this day!


The Vampire Diaries

A Clockwork Dream by nemali
Bonnie/Kai ; Teen ; 3k words
She kills him every single day. At some point, he stops hating it.

nemali is quickly becoming one of my favourite TVD writers. This was a gift for me; Bonnie and Kai get trapped in another universe (a "prison world") where she kills him over and over. It's a great exploration of Kai, who canon describes as a sociopath and paints with a one dimensional brush that nemali expands upon beautifully. CW for abuse.


The Witcher

Do What Pleases You by facethestrange
Geralt/Jaskier/Yennefer ; Gen
Sometimes that's watching the rising sun together.

A very warm picturesque scene — stunning art.

If you like any of these, please consider leaving the creator a comment!
peaked: THE STRONGEST AVENGER. (pic#15365918)
[community profile] snowflake_challenge #13: In your own space, rec three fanworks that you did not create. 

I'm going to do fanvideo recs since I rec a lot of fic and art already (which you can check out here, if you like!). I wish I could make videos.

There are plenty that I love, but let's go with just a few:

me and the devil by [youtube.com profile] EMILYTHRONES
the boys | queen maeve/the homelander; 2mins 39secs

I love Queen Maeve/Homelander and this captures everything that I love about their fucked up dynamic. The editing is fantastic; I love how the clips build against the music. It feels so very much from Maeve's POV.

-

Solitude by [youtube.com profile] Daddynegan
the vampire diaries | katherine pierce; 4mins 34secs

This is one of my favourite Katherine videos. The editing, the sound clips, the music, the build to Katherine being The Fucking Villain that she is, but it also builds up to her softness and how she's always carried that with her. Honestly, this is such a love letter to Katherine and Katherine fans. Daddynegan makes such great character study videos.

-

are you using your night vision, vision? (wandavision humour) by [youtube.com profile] simplymaterial
wandavision | wanda/vision; 8mins 20secs

I cannot not recommend simplymaterial's videos. They are my favourite, favourite, favourite Wanda fanvidder. I stalk them on Twitter and let them know that I adore their videos. The editing, the music, the storytelling—it's all amazing. This is one of their videos where they put a lot of work into keeping it in line with WandaVision's essence. They did a lot of research on fonts and I think it needs to be appreciated a lot more!

*

I have plenty more, but I want to actually keep a challenge response short for once.

One of my goals for this year is that I want to start making more recs throughout the year. I need to sort through my liked videos (I have over 600 liked, heh) and rec them!
peaked: CINDY. (Default)
[community profile] fandomtrees has taken root and I don't know tree metaphors well enough to make this work (despite doing a lot of work with trees in my day-to-day job which just makes this confession all the more embarrassing), but it's open! This is my second round participating, and the big theme of this year is "Let's get her to actually read" because damn, did I get a lot of book recs.

Me before Fandom Trees:



Me after Fandom Trees:



I'm super ecstatic because the books sound fantastic, I got a range of genre suggestions, and I now have no excuse to not renew my library membership and go explore my local library. :) One of my goals for this year was to read more books and try different genres, and I feel very, very encouraged to take the plunge.

My tree is here if you'd like to check out the book recs!

*

I also got a few drabbles and ficlets covering a span of fandoms, which was super amazing.

the hunger games drabble by [personal profile] obscure_ramblings
finnick & katniss | gen; 100 words

This really captures the adrenaline of fighting side by side. Finnick and Katniss are a well-oiled machine, and this captured their dynamic, their ability to work together so well, and their resilience so effectively within the structure of the story.

-

Hot Ass Cookie Monster by [personal profile] bring_me_sugar
abbott elementary | janine, gregory, ava, melissa, barbara; gen, 100 words

All you need to know is that Janine is Janine and tries to fix Gregory's dislike for the foods we all love. I could see this being an episode of the show. It just captured the spirit so well (and the last line is hilarious).

-

The Salt Road [personal profile] dolorosa_12
six of crows | inej/kaz; gen; 1,997 words
Five times Inej Ghafa left Ketterdam, and one time she didn't.

One of my favourite things about the Inej/Kaz relationship is their emotional intimacy, and that's captured so beautifully in the progression of Inej finding herself on the sea and returning to Kaz for safe harbour. Even after all the heists, I love that Kaz is there for Inej even when she's chosen to fulfil a mission that he was never involved in. What I also really love is that even though they're not physically intimate i.e. hand touching, kissing, etc., they are still physically intimate in the non-conventional understanding where Inej always physically returns to Kaz and Kaz always, always welcomes her back.

-

Playdates by [personal profile] southernmedicine
hawkeye | fanny & lucky (+yelena/kate); gen; 593 words
Just a couple of small snippets from the POV of the dogs. If Kate and Yelena are going to be getting along, it only makes sense for their furry friends to be close companions as well.

Anyone who knows me knows I love animals and this captures everything that's so special about having an animal in your life. Fanny and Lucky's perspectives are believably sharp and I really loved the language chosen to keep you situated in their POV. This was so beautiful. A big woof from me.

( originally posted here )

*

As for me, I dropped a lot of icons beneath trees, which was a lot of fun considering I hadn't been in Photoshop to make icons in many months. I really enjoyed looking up animal and scenery photos.

I also wrote my first ever fic for Fandom Trees and it was for [personal profile] southernmedicine! (It only makes sense to inflict this torture on a friend.)

you kept me close
hawkeye (mcu) | yelena/kate; teen; 2,900 words
Five times Yelena and Kate wore one another’s clothes.

*

Because Fandom Trees is structured very differently from the typical exchange I do (it's a fest, I suppose), a very kind nonnie on FFA compiled a list of all the gifts under categories to make it easier to view the trees. You can find that list here and the AO3 collection here!

Not everything is cross-posted to the AO3 collection. I've used the list to go around and check some things out and leave some comments, so if you see something you like, consider letting the creator know!
peaked: SHE-HULK. (pic#15942097)
My second [community profile] yuletide is done and dusted! This year, I was really lucky to receive four gifts for two fandoms (three from the main collection and one from Madness, although I consider them all Yuletide gifts!). I have been desperate for Amy/Laurie and I was honestly so thrilled to get stories focused on them (and focused on different aspects of their relationship)!

I ended up writing two case fics because I decided that there was no better way to end the year than with some sort of crime solving. I enjoyed writing both—one was filled with nostalgia and exploring the reasons why someone would steal from a friend and the other was utter ridiculousness that let me have a lot of fun in writing hyperbolic situations that would only happen with superheroes.

There is so much great stuff in both collections. Yuletide is a fic exchange that focuses on rare fandoms, so if there's a fandom out there that you love that hardly gets any fic, check out the collections (past and present) and see if you can find any gems!

*

Fandoms I wrote: Enola Holmes and She-Hulk.

Fandoms I received: Little Women (2019) and Ready or Not.

Other fandoms: Abbott Elementary, The Good Place, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Little Red Riding Hood, Only Murders in the Building, Ready or Not, and Spy Game.

*

What I wrote. )

My gifts. )

Gifts I enjoyed in the collection. )

There are plenty of obscure canons in both Yuletide collections that I'm sure people on my flist (and who wander by this journal) may enjoy: the Main collection and the Madness collection. As always, if you find something you enjoy, please consider leaving kudos and a comment for the creator! (And nothing is ever late—I'm sure they'd enjoy knowing you liked their work several months from when I posted this, too.)
peaked: CINDY. (Default)
This was my second year participating in [community profile] ficinabox, which happens to mark my one-year anniversary in exchanges. This round, I was successful in swaps and got to have fun creating for different assignments. I ended up writing 72k in total (which is only a testament to how much fun I had creating for this exchange) and explored a lot of the collection (I'm not too sure how many comments I left, but I think I broke my own record). FIAB is one of my favourite exchanges for how it encourages me to be creative and how I get to selfishly enjoy everyone else's creativity.

Without further ado, the good stuff:

I created for The Boys, Enola Holmes, MCU, Six of Crows, and What If…?.

My recs include A Series of Unfortunate Events, A Song of Ice and Fire, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Emperor's New Groove, Harry Potter, Marvel 616, MCU, Murdle, Original Work, One Piece, Oxford Time Travel Universe, Star Wars, and Taylor Swift music video.

*

What I wrote. )

What I received. )

What I enjoyed. )

*

You can check out the collection, which has over 800 works. [community profile] ficinabox has different mediums, so not everything is a story! There are over 300 fandoms to explore and many, many great pieces to discover. If you do find something you enjoy, please consider leaving the creator a kudos and comment!
peaked: CINDY. (Default)
So I think this round of [community profile] seasonsofdrabbles might be my favourite??? It's hard to have a favourite when there's always a handful of amazing drabbles that just hit me in the face or kick me in the gut or rip my heart out.

As a participant, I love every round because I make it a point to spice up my requests and ask for a few different fandoms. As a creator, I like to use this as an opportunity to experiment, try new characters/ships, and challenge myself with great ideas inspired by amazing requests. This time around, I stuck to 200-300 words because I was busy with [community profile] ficinabox. (I did try to write 100 words, but the drabble that originally had it didn't feel right, so 100 words unfortunately didn't make it as a successful hit on my Drabble Writing Bingo Card. Sometimes that happens! I was still very, very happy with what I had spun into tiny stories.) I also wrote some ships I've never written before, which was exciting and terrifying.

I was absolutely spoiled. (I got a drabble focusing on a character study of my favourite The Boys character and drabbles of my main fandom, TVD! (So glad I didn't sacrifice that request for something else!) I also got a DCU Comics drabble (I was so excited to shake that!) and, of course, what appears to be my main fandom, MCU.)

what i wrote )

what i received )

what i enjoyed )

Check out the collection as there's plenty more in other fandoms! If you find something you like, please give kudos and consider leaving a comment.
peaked: CINDY. (Default)
[community profile] multifandomtropefest has come to a close for 2022.

I ended up pinch hitting this year:

    MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE

    [FIC] i'm going to leave you shivering
    for [archiveofourown.org profile] flipflop_diva | natasha/steve; explicit (sexual content); 5,027
    While on mission to find the Winter Soldier, Steve and Natasha hide out in one of Fury’s safe houses in the middle of nowhere. When the snow settles in and their heat goes out, they have to rely on one another to keep each other warm.


I enjoyed a couple of works in the collection:

    ORIGINAL WORK

    [ART] Seaside Summoning by [archiveofourown.org profile] denpring
    gen

    This is a really beautiful artwork that has a really calm and bittersweet feel to it. I love the details and how the colour palette connects the elements.

    *

    BUFFYVERSE

    [FIC] Scarred by [archiveofourown.org profile] RoselynnThornwood
    faith/wesley; mature; 2,003
    Wesley gets injured after breaking Faith out of prison, and together they heal old wounds and new.

    The Faith voice in this is so good. My favourite Faith is Angel era Faith and this story captures her emotional maturity, guardedness and soft gooey centre so well. It also really sold me on Faith/Wesley. The writing, character voices, and emotional journey explored in this are excellent.


*

While the collection is on the smaller side, there's still a great assortment of fandoms and tropes. If you see/read something you like, give it kudos and consider leaving a comment so the creator knows how much you enjoyed it!
peaked: YOUR PRINCESS AZULA. (pic#15414368)
I've completed my [community profile] comment_bingo just in time for the deadline! While I was hoping for a full blackout, I'm still really happy that I got reading and eye-feasting (in the case of art).

There are a lot of works that I've left comments on since the start of this challenge that I didn't include for my card. The way I approached this was reading the work(s) first and then seeing if they had a spot on the card. (The only time I viewed the card first before finding a work was for the ones with specific timestamps, which was a lot of fun!) I'm hoping to continue filling it, especially with the works that have timestamps on them.

This challenge was really great in encouraging me to leave a comment, even if the work was old or had a lot of comments already. I try to leave comments on the works I enjoy, but this gave me more incentive to ensure I did because I wanted to include it in my rec list by the end of the challenge!

I completed a diagonal line. The card is under the cut. The recs are beneath the card and outside of the cut.

card )

Here are the works that I commented on for this challenge. I've included a little reason of why I enjoyed it in the hopes of encouraging others who like those ships to leave a comment, too.

[ FIC ] burn bright (burnout) by [archiveofourown.org profile] noun
Prompt: 3 different works from the same challenge [ [personal profile] fairytaleinspired ]
Fandom: avatar: the last airbender.
Characters/Pairing(s): zuko/mai.
Word Count: 1.3k
Rating: teen.
Warnings: see ao3 tags.
Summary: For the three years that it takes between Mai’s mark to appear and his, everyone has to live a polite lie.

Zuko’s name is written out in bold strokes along her forearm, plain as ink on virgin parchment. The morning it appears, around Mai’s sixth birthday, her father drops his bowl at breakfast and her mother (pregnant, again, with the son that will live three months) prays aloud at the table.

Then she is taken to her room and redressed in something with long sleeves.


I love Mai/Zuko for so many reasons and this captures Mai's love and understanding and knack for seeing Zuko as a human being.

[ FIC ] Offer Me Your Hunger by [archiveofourown.org profile] calenlily
Prompt: 3 different works from the same challenge [ [personal profile] fairytaleinspired ]
Fandom: fairy tales: little red riding hood.
Characters/Pairing(s): little red riding hood/the wolf.
Word Count: 805.
Rating: teen.
Warnings: see ao3 tags.
Summary: Ruby puts on tight jeans and tank top, leather boots and leather jacket, and does her makeup like she’s going to a club before heading down the forest path.

I really enjoyed the characterisation of the wolf and Ruby and the exploration of their toxic relationship. The wolf offers her freedom, and it's up to Ruby as to whether or not she takes it. It's short but packs a punch.

[ FIC ] Once Upon A Dream by [archiveofourown.org profile] Ultra
Prompt: 3 different works from the same challenge [ [personal profile] fairytaleinspired ]
Fandom: mcu.
Characters/Pairing(s): bucky/natasha.
Word Count: 4.1k
Rating: teen.
Warnings: see ao3 tags.
Summary: When Nat finds herself returned to life after Vormir, the battle with Thanos is over, but there's always another fight to face. Bucky's mind has, once again, become unstable, and to save him, Nat will have to go somewhere she never would've dreamed was possible…

I will always love fairytale retellings that have the women as the knights in shining armour and the men as the damsels in distress. Toss in WinterWidow, exploring Bucky's brainwashing and him using fairytales and romantic cliches and narrative tropes to try and cope with losing himself over and over and you've got yourself a real treat. This humanised Bucky in a way that reminded me of his character's potential in Captain America: The First Avenger.

[ FIC ] sing the body electric by [archiveofourown.org profile] magpiemountains
Prompt: a canon compliant work.
Fandom: enola holmes.
Characters/Pairing(s): tewkesbury/enola.
Word Count: 8.1k
Rating: mature.
Warnings: see ao3 tags.
Summary: The problem with having an eidetic memory, Enola discovers, is that she can recall with perfect clarity the sounds Tewkesbury made in that thin, hazy half-dark.

This is just... perfect. Perfect voices, perfect situation, perfect chemistry. I love an Enola who is clueless and then bowled over by her realisations, especially when it comes to Tewkesbury. This captures everything I love about this relationship. I hope [archiveofourown.org profile] magpiemountains delves into this ship again because this is one of the best fics in the fandom imo!

[ FIC ] A Fresh Start by [archiveofourown.org profile] badassbutterfly1987
Prompt: a work set in an AU.
Fandom: YOU.
Characters/Pairing(s): love quinn.
Word Count: 164.
Rating: teen.
Warnings: see ao3 tags.
Summary: She loves Joe, she really does.

But that doesn't mean he's good for her.


A really fun look into an au where Love wins and Joe loses. It really captures her psyche and Love's obsessive way of loving.

[ ART ] We must unlearn the constellations to see the stars by anonymous
Prompt: a work from a challenge from 2015 [ [community profile] rarepairfest ]
Fandom: justice league cartoon.
Characters/Pairing(s): shayera hol/john stewart
Rating: teen.
Warnings: see ao3 tags.
Summary: Post-battle rest.

The artwork is a feast for the eyes. I'm not even familiar with the canon, but it looks like it came straight off the tv.

[ FIC ] tale as old as time by [archiveofourown.org profile] svgurl410
Prompt: a work from another challenge [ [personal profile] fairytaleinspired ]
Fandom: mcu (thor).
Characters/Pairing(s): thor/sif.
Word Count: 7k
Rating: gen
Warnings: see ao3 tags.
Summary: Beauty and the Beast AU; When her dearest friend is taken captive by the Beast of Asgard, only known by name and feared by those around, Sif ventures to the castle and ends up volunteering to take his place. Initially resigned to her fate, she finds out more about the Beast and sees that there is indeed more to this provincial life.

The character voices are spot on and so true to who they are in canon. It's a really enjoyable story that has a fun rhythm to it and a great Sif voice.

[ FIC ] Pack Spring Break by [archiveofourown.org profile] Impala_Chick
Prompt: a work by someone who's given you a kudos or a comment.
Fandom: teen wolf.
Characters/Pairing(s): allison/isaac.
Word Count: 867.
Rating: teen.
Warnings: see ao3 tags.
Summary: The McCall pack goes on spring break together, and Lydia very purposefully assigns Allison and Isaac a room with only one bed.

Isaac/Allison was one of my favourite ships on Teen Wolf, and while I may not have stuck with the show, I absolutely adored them nonetheless. [archiveofourown.org profile] impala_chick captured their mature dynamic so well. I love Allison's compassion towards Isaac's previous trauma and how well these two jive together. It fondly took me down memory lane (and I may have gotten on YouTube to remind myself of why I love these two so much!).

[ FIC ] so what are you reading? by [archiveofourown.org profile] girlsarewolves
Prompt: a work from 2016.
Fandom: batman returns.
Characters/Pairing(s): bruce/selina.
Word Count: 1k.
Rating: teen.
Warnings: see ao3 tags.
Summary: Two damaged people with double lives have a (relatively) normal phone call.

I absolutely adored the way that Bruce is written. He gives Selina space and seems so satisfied with a morsel of her attention despite wanting so much more from her. The idea of these two starting a book club just for a reason to keep in touch is the best thing to walk away with.

[ FIC ] In Their Own Time by [archiveofourown.org profile] lionessvalenti
Prompt: free space.
Fandom: ready or not.
Characters/Pairing(s): daniel/grace.
Word Count: 2.1k
Rating: teen.
Warnings: see ao3 tags.
Summary: When Grace makes a deal with Mr. Le Bail to resurrect Daniel, it comes with a some stipulation.

This offers a satisfying ending to Daniel and Grace's stories, especially Daniel's. It ties Le Bail in with another deal, but in doing so, the author allows Grace to do so on her own terms. I really loved that this fic explored consent, especially for Daniel, and ends on a hopeful note that implies the tides are turning for them both.
peaked: IT WAS AGATHA ALL ALONG. (pic#15333234)
I participated in [community profile] battleshipex as a part of the Frost team and ended up writing around 30 fics and drawing one piece of art. This collection is massive and filled with good stuff. I highly recommend browsing the collection and seeing if there's anything that strikes your fancy! (And if there is, please give the creator some love and comment!) I've only linked the main collection because there's four collections and most participants placed their works in the main collection.

This is going to be a huge post covering what I created, what I received, and what I enjoyed in the collection that wasn't created by or for me. Please use your discretion when viewing the AO3 tags if you click through to a work. Some are NSFW and a few cover sensitive topics.

SHORTCUTS: WHAT I CREATED | WHAT I RECEIVED | WORKS I ENJOYED


what i created + some thoughts )

my gifts )

works i enjoyed )
peaked: CINDY. (Default)
[community profile] unsent_letters_exchange has successfully delivered its letters and packages (and maybe some bills) for 2022. I had such a blast! This was the first time I participated in the exchange and I am so glad I did. (I've been wanting to ever since I discovered it sometime last year.) Epistolary is something I really enjoyed writing and I can only hope I have more opportunities to do so!

Onto the good stuff:

What I wrote:
    in a minute
    mcu | bucky/natasha ft. nick fury, yelena belova, steve rogers, clint barton, maria hill | for [archiveofourown.org profile] Ultra
    teen, 6.4k
    When Bucky goes A.W.O.L after being brought back from the Blip, Fury pulls out all the stops to try and find him, including going through Natasha’s collection of personal letters addressed to "Soldat" and "James".

I initially wasn't going to sign up for this exchange for a few reasons (one being Trying to Be Responsible) but then I saw [personal profile] ultra_fic's request and I couldn't get it out of my head. My weakness is Bucky/Natasha paired with Red Room or Vormir. I tried my hardest to resist, but as I was already thinking of them in the Red Room having sent letters to one another, I was toast. I shared with my flist that a specific request was the sole reason why I signed up for this exchange and this one was The One.

This was so much fun to piece together. I hadn't intended for it to feature an ensemble that revolved around Bucky and Natasha, but when I sat down to write it, I first started with Yelena and Fury's first email and it all spiralled from there. It was so much fun piecing together Bucky and Natasha' Red Room history into the MCU's canon and building on from that. I also tried to layer each interaction so that it built to the climax.

This is probably one of my favourite fics that I've written for an exchange.


    EXCLUSIVE!
    smallville | lois/clark ft. oliver queen, lex luthor, jimmy olsen and perry white. | for [archiveofourown.org profile] svgurl410
    teen, 2.6k
    Five articles Lois Lane published about Superman and the one article she didn’t.

I might be a little addicted to writing for [personal profile] svgurl but, hey, I'm okay with that. I write media releases at work and I had been wanting to write something with a little more flair and fun to it, and [personal profile] svgurl's request came up as a pinch hit that I had to have (sorry not sorry).

It was so much fun threading the personal and professional development of Lois, Clark, Lex and (in particular) Jimmy throughout the story. I was going to date each article, but then I didn't feel that was necessary as I felt the events as they unfolded was enough to show that time was progressing forward. I really enjoyed writing a slightly political and biased slant with Lois' articles, and I particularly liked showing Jimmy's professional journey without needing him to be overly present.

This one was a lot of fun to write. I feel like I packed it with a lot of things intentionally and subconsciously. (My favourite articles are the Lex Luthor one and the final one.) I had to stop myself from writing 20+ articles as I was having way too much fun.


    my best friend
    mcu | kate & clint ft. sam wilson, bucky barnes, yelena belova, thor odinson.| for [archiveofourown.org profile] endlesstwanted
    teen, 2.7k
    Kate integrates herself into the Avengers and gives Clint a headache in the process.

When I saw this come up as a pinch hit, all I had in my head was Kate on Twitter being a troll. This transformed into an ensemble piece that centred around Kate being obnoxious, overly friendly, and very much the glue tying our Avengers together. This was absolutely ridiculous and I had so much fun showing the progression of time and Kate's relationships, as well as her positive impact on Clint.

The ending is my favourite. Yes, I laughed at it. (I also learned a few things in Photoshop, which was cool!)


My gift:
    THIS WEEK IN PANDORA'S POCKET: SCANDAL IN SOUTHAMPTON?
    harry potter | hermione/sirus ft. andromeda tonks and teddy lupin | by [archiveofourown.org profile] avocadomoon
    teen, 29.8k
    Let us report events logically and without bias: on MONDAY AFTERNOON, the future HIGHBORN HEIR was witnessed escorting the temptress Muggleborn along the boardwalk, and with her own eyes, this reporter witnessed HAND HOLDING.

    On THURSDAY MORNING, the ladder-climbing lady was spotted at a local pub MAKING EYES at His Most Honorable over PANCAKES!

    And SATURDAY EVENING found the two UNACCOMPANIED sharing a meal at a Muggle restaurant (something called… "tie food?" The names those Muggles come up with!) SITTING CLOSELY and SPEAKING INTIMATELY. The licentious lady - for interested parties - was dressed in a dark maroon blouse and matching skirt - Muggle in style, naturally - and a pair of beautiful - as it pains this reporter to admit - Amina Arncliffe Spring '99 kitten heels, in off-white. The generous gentleman - TO MATCH! - was wearing a Muggle-style t-shirt proclaiming PRINCE AND THE REVOLUTION WORLD TOUR 1985 (how silly! Why on earth would the Prince be touring the entire world with a revolutionary sect? Those Muggles!) and a pair of denim trousers. And yes - to answer the many, many reader response owls - his hair is VERY SHORT INDEED now! (Miss Granger's influence? No doubt!)


THIS IS SO GOOD. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this. The articles were fantastic—the voices in this were superb. This features one of my favourite Black sisters in a prominent role that fleshes her out and lets her be her own person. It's delicious!

Sirius/Hermione is an old, nostalgic ship for me. I still read it from time to time as I love the stories and the chemistry, and this fic captured the dynamic I love so well with a more matured Sirius and Hermione. I loved the journalism meta that was also involved in this. I loved the friendships Hermione has in this and how each character who shows up is so mature and not a caricature as they were in both the books and movies.

I was so disappointed when it ended because it ended. I wanted it to go on forever.


Here are a few of the fics I enjoyed in the collection:
    An exchange that is both monstrous and scrupulously honest
    harry potter | bellatrix & andromeda | by [archiveofourown.org profile] vienna_salvatori
    teen, 6.1k
    On the evening of Beltane 1976, Bellatrix Lestrange née Black stood before the Dark Lord’s court and swore upon her magic to personally cleanse the Black family line of all those she found unworthy of the name.

    It was the greatest protection she could offer.

I thought this was so good and so funny. The Bellatrix voice is superb—I love that she's so biting and dry and she also is a little naive at times. Andromeda is morally ambiguous and it's great to see. This is a relationship that I'm fascinated by and it was great to read a more empathetic take on Bellatrix's perception of Andromeda's betrayal. Bellatrix is still "Pureblood strong!" but I appreciated seeing a more family-oriented Bellatrix, too. It added some great complications to the story.

I love the Black family and this was a good look into how fucked up they are.


    Hey, Susan
    original | lovesick fool & their high school crush's son who was dumped on them | by [archiveofourown.org profile] Casta_X
    mature, 1.6k
    Hey Susan,
    I’ve been meaning to call you since the grad party.

I didn't really know what to expect when I began reading this and it took me by surprise (in a really good way). This is a great exploration of a man's mature growth over the years and how he learns of and unlearns some of his own toxic habits. There is mature themes in this story, particularly about abuse, but it doesn't go into graphic detail about it. It's a fantastic look at empathy and how people can grow without you in their life, but you can still positively impact them.



I love stories about grief, and when I saw this in the collection, I was curious to see DCEU's Lois given the spotlight when I feel she's been shoved continuously into the shadows. This was a great look at Lois in the aftermath of Clark's death. I particularly liked how Lois used writing as her outlet of grief and to tell her truth (similarly to how she tells reveals the truth through her journalism). I really liked the characterisation of who Clark is to her throughout this; Lois' perspective on Clark is one of my favourite things, and while grief certainly clouds her perspective, the way Lois loves Clark for the man and hero he is rather than Superman for being Clark is fantastic. One of the reasons why I love Lois and Clark is that he may be some powerful almighty alien superhero, but to Lois, he's just a gentle man made of flesh and bone, and this captured that perfectly.


If you check out the collection, please leave the authors some love!
peaked: ELENA. (pic#15365934)
I ended up pinch hitting (and writing a pinch hitter treat) for [community profile] fffx! I enjoyed creating for this round because I do love writing longfic and these three stories were fun to write. I didn't expect to write so much, but I guess that's what happens when you're enjoying yourself!

I went through the entire collection and found some great fics that I really enjoyed. I've linked them below.

The fics I wrote:
i'll watch you come undone
the vampire diaries | klaus/elena | for [archiveofourown.org profile] symbioticdeath
explicit, 28,594
When Elena discovers Klaus shares a magical empathy bond with her, she learns more about the big bad wolf than she bargained for.

The prompts were perfect to explore Elena's grief, particularly the ugly side to it. I wanted to explore her self-destructing and shoving her head so deep within the river of denial and even learning that sometimes the best way to overpower the big bad wolf is to show it empathy. I was intending for this to be a lot darker than it was because the last thing I wanted to do was romanticise Klaus/Elena and disregard the trauma he's inflicted upon her, but I really like how this turned out. I think Elena started it off as drowning and then she finally rose to the surface by the end of it.

buried in sunlight
shadow and bone | alina; darkling/alina, inej & alina & nina | for [archiveofourown.org profile] Marenke
mature, 16,731
While Alina tries to settle into her new life in Ketterdam, she finds that Aleksander isn’t willing to let her go. The stag amplifier’s connected them together in a way neither of them had ever bargained for.

I've never written Darklina before but I found the dynamic super interesting, especially in its fucked-up capacity. I wanted to explore Alina in the aftermath of season one and show her coming into her own. She deserved to have closure with how the Darkling treated her, and I think Aleksander deserved to be shown a kind hand, too. I had a lot of fun writing this one and really went in hard on the light/shadow metaphor lmao.

mr & mrs rushman
mcu | steve/natasha; yelena & natasha | for [archiveofourown.org profile] Silvereye
mature, 13,093
When Natasha’s unable to contact Yelena, she and Steve put their plans to break the team out of the Raft on hold to find her.

I love writing Steve/Nat so I couldn't help myself when I saw a request for it on the pinch hitter post. This was meant to be a small one-shot that featured one scene, but it just grew and grew into an aftermath of Black Widow. I've been wanting to explore the trauma of the Red Room and felt like I had a chance to do that, especially since Natasha just took it down. How's she going to feel after that? It turned itself into a mission fic, and I really like how it came together.


Here's what I enjoyed in the collection:
the best fit
gilmore girls | rory/paris | by [archiveofourown.org profile] svgurl410
teen, 10,279
To avoid being set up, Rory blurts out that she's dating Paris. The only problem is that she definitely isn't, and now the whole town thinks she is.

This was a lot of fun and felt like it could seamlessly fit into a later season of the show. Rory's naivety is on full display and Paris' candor and appreciation for Rory is really enjoyable. This fic shows just how Rory and Paris work well together—Paris makes the decisions Rory's too insecure to make and Rory grounds Paris in a way she desperately needs. It's a great exploration of finding yourself. The Lorelai and Rory banter is spot-on. And it was nice to see some guest appearances from the kooky residents of Stars Hollow.

like a house on fire we’re up in flames
harry potter | blaise/cho | by [archiveofourown.org profile] kitsunerei88
teen, 10,655
Blaise Zabini keeps her from simplifying, from drawing easy lines and boundaries of good and bad, right and wrong, and she doesn’t like it. And it doesn’t help that Blaise Zabini is attractive, damn him, and while Cho thinks she doesn’t like him she’s also attracted to him, and Blaise Zabini is a Problem.

This was such a great take on the war and how it impacted two characters we don't know much about. Cho gets the treatment she deserves and is fleshed out and celebrated as a Chinese woman (the author actually goes into her heritage, which is fantastic) who made mistakes as a young girl and is still paying for them. Cho grieving Cedric was a great character choice in this. (She also got to be more than "Cedric Diggory's girlfriend" which was so great!) Blaise's characterisation fit how I love seeing him presented—he defies the Slytherin and Death Eater ways but still falls prey to playing in that circle. He's a great foe for how we usually see Slytherins depicted in canon. This was a great Cho-centric piece that gives her the story and hopeful ending she deserved in canon.

children of the wild ones
mcu | alexei/melina; alexi & melina & natasha & yelena | by [archiveofourown.org profile] Heather
teen, 5,527

This was such a great exploration of Melina as a woman and a Widow and really delved into how her playing house impacted her and gave her a sense of freedom and relief from the Red Room. The budding relationship between Melina and Alexei is brilliant, and I really enjoyed Melina coming into her own as Natasha and Yelena's mother. (Melina isn't characterised by who she is in relation to any of the other three characters—her Red Room trauma is on full display and she is explored as a well-rounded character.)

Fixer Upper
original | teenage heiress/the haunted house she inherited | by [archiveofourown.org profile] schnuffleluv
gen, 5,020
Bea loved the house, even if the house didn't immediately love her back.

The summary and tags on this fic intrigued me so much and I was not disappointed when I read it. It is such a great fic that explores how love and kindness can go such a long way. The characterisation of the house turns the "haunted house" trope on its head in such a lovely way all the while not losing its hauntedness.

The Cottage
bridget jones's diary | ensemble | by [archiveofourown.org profile] Jen_814
teen, 13,849
Bridget’s diary, Friday 20th August, 6:58pm
Why do we force ourselves into experiences which we’ve a) never enjoyed, and are b) never likely to enjoy, just because society slams us into a hodge-podge of picture-perfect expectations of strong winds and ruddy cheeks, and attractively ruffled hairstyles, in manner of royal family on a walk in Balmoral? I do not like the countryside. Jude, similarly, does not like the countryside. Shazzer herself has once referred to a country walk as a ‘shit-strewn misery where it’s odds-on pissing it down’. So why, in the name of arse, are we spending our weekend here?

Sharon’s diary, Friday 20th August, 7:06pm
Why the bloody fuck are we doing this again?

--

Shazzer has a hen do at a cottage in the quiet countryside. Needless to say, shit goes down.


I am canon blind to the books of BJD. I only know the movies and from those movies I only remember Renee, Colin and Hugh. But my lack of familiarity with the book canon did not stop me from enjoying this. This is an epistolary fic written in diary entries and every single bloody diary entry is so perfectly different based on the character who is writing. I was sucked in by the pacing and character voices and found myself enjoying the representation of the friendship amongst our diarists. This was so enjoyable for someone who was canon blind that I can only imagine how enjoyable this is for someone who knows the books inside and out.


There are over 200 works in the collection. Check it out! I can't wait to participate in [community profile] fffx again for round three.
peaked: CINDY. (Default)
I'm so behind on doing my exchange wraps, so I figured that there was no better way to kick my ass into gear than to start with [community profile] seasonsofdrabbles' Winter round!

This exchange is so much fun. I love being challenged to convey an idea and character and/or relationship in a small amount of words. I also really, really love seeing what others come up with. I do hope for the next round that I try and do some more drabble sequences/series (are they the same thing?) because I find them the most challenging.

These are the drabbles I wrote:
braid
mcu | yelena/kate
teen, 600 | for [archiveofourown.org profile] lionessvalenti
Kate braids Yelena’s hair.

I wanted to experiment with a drabble sequence and try and paint a full picture by switching between Kate and Yelena's POV. This was a lot of fun—my approach with Kate was to have her drabbles focus on emotion while I wanted Yelena's to appear more calculating. I won't lie, I love writing from each character's POV, which was the main reason why I chose to do alternating POV with this.

hickey
mcu | sarah/bucky
teen, 300 | for [archiveofourown.org profile] lionessvalenti
Bucky’s determined to give Sarah a hickey.

I wanted to write Bucky and Sarah carefree and having a moment to themselves. I focus so much on the angst and trauma with Bucky that it was just nice to write something light.

not you
mcu | natasha/steve
gen, 100 | for [archiveofourown.org profile] lionessvalenti
Natasha doesn’t understand why Steve’s so picky with his dates.

I've converted myself into a Steve/Natasha shipper since doing exchanges and I wanted to see if I could capture their dynamic, unique character traits, and a scenario of Natasha being able to read everyone but Steve correctly in just a few words.

family keepsake
mcu | natasha/bucky
teen, 200 | for [archiveofourown.org profile] Ultra
When Natasha and Bucky get ready for a dress up party, Natasha encourages Bucky to wear something from his past.

I really wanted to write some light BuckyNat and thought showing Bucky accepting himself for who he was and who he is and having Natasha admire him for the man that he chooses to be was light and fluffy. I love writing Bucky simping for Natasha.

shiver
mcu | natasha/bucky
mature, 300 | for [archiveofourown.org profile] schifaroo
Natasha thinks Bucky’s very nice to look at.

I enjoy trying to write porn in drabble form, and this is my entry for this round. I really wanted to focus on the physical and hands/arms in particular and the way that Natasha accepts Bucky for who he is.

red orchid
mcu | elektra/matt
teen, 200 | for [archiveofourown.org profile] alchemise
Elektra makes herself known to Matthew.

I really wanted to capture Matt's grief and patience for Elektra, and Elektra's loss of self in this. I challenged myself with trying to establish a connection between them using the colour red and tying it into Matt's keen senses. Red represents passion, love, blood, hurt, and their uniforms, and I really wanted to make this an intimate piece as much as possible.

husband and wife
the witcher (netflix) | yennefer/jaskier + geralt
teen, 200 | for [archiveofourown.org profile] kingstoken
Geralt stares after Jaskier and Yennefer. "What the fuck?"

I just wanted to write something fun for Jaskier/Yennefer. Getting to write this from Geralt's POV where he's not privy to what they went through in season two was a lot of fun.

marry me
gilmore girls | rory/jess, lane/dave, lorelai/luke + paris, kirk and taylor
gen, 1800 | for [archiveofourown.org profile] svgurl410
Five times Jess tried to propose to Rory and the one time someone else proposed for him.

I've never written a 5+1 fic before, so I thought that I would give it a shot with another ridiculous GG fic. I'm not too sure what inspired this other than I love writing GG for [personal profile] svgurl and trying to showcase just how Jess is the straight man amongst such dynamic and eccentric personalities. This was a lot of fun to try and craft. All I knew was that I wanted [redacted] to be the one who proposed for him, and built it around that scene.


These are my lovely gifts!:
A Weird Kind of Sense
mcu | natasha/bucky
teen, 300 | by [archiveofourown.org profile] Ultra
Bucky, Nat, and a surprising amount of domestic bliss.

I love that this triple drabble captures how BuckyNat simply work even when they're not out fighting aliens and saving the world. Who are Natasha and James when their guns are in their holsters? This is it. The dialogue at the end is my absolute favourite bit—it really captures their easy domestic vibe.

a memory worth keeping
mcu | natasha/bucky
gen, 300 | by [archiveofourown.org profile] svgurl410
He remembered her too.

One of my favourite things about BuckyNat is their shared Red Room history, and this triple drabble captures the aftermath of Bucky remembering his life in the Red Room. I love the distant voice of Bucky—he's still learning who he is—which I feel is really effective (I absolutely love the opening) and Natasha's characterisation is really subtle and rings true to her complex character.

Avalanche
atla | toph/zuko
mature (underage), 200 | by [archiveofourown.org profile] exceptionallyunfortunate
Even the earth bows to the blind Beifong girl, and the banished prince is no exception.

I have loved Toph/Zuko for years, and I never, ever expected anyone to ever write it for me when I requested ATLA. This double drabble is so sensual and so intimate. [archiveofourown.org profile] exceptionallyunfortunate wove firebending and earthbending so intimately together to create this sensual connection between Zuko and Toph. This double drabble captures everything I love about this pairing.

It is tagged with "underage", though I think it can work even if you prefer adult characters.


These are drabbles in the collection I really, really enjoyed, in no particular order:
the hunter gets captured by the game
mcu | natasha & clint
teen, 300 | by [archiveofourown.org profile] cravetherose
"I'm really glad you didn't shoot me, Barton," Natasha said gravely.
"I'm really glad I didn't shoot you, too, Tasha. Maybe you could get me an annual thanks-for-not-shooting-me card."


Fantastic in-character banter. This triple drabble really shows how Clint and Natasha are truly a well-oiled machine.

Family
mcu | peter parker & morgan stark
gen, 300 | by [archiveofourown.org profile] alchemise
Peter meets Morgan.

Fantastic Peter voice that captures his insecurities regarding meeting Morgan Stark and her importance to him. It also explores the Tony/Peter father/son dynamic really well.

Mother Knows Best
original | cats
gen, 100 | by [archiveofourown.org profile] sweetcarolanne
The Queen of the Cats has an important life-lesson for her little daughter!

You just have to read it. This is so sweet it'll make your teeth ache. The ending is very IC for cats!

Soup for a Winter's Day
original | soup cook
gen, 300 | by [archiveofourown.org profile] Zdenka
A cook in a restaurant makes a pot of soup for customers.

A really effective triple drabble that humanises a soup chef and takes you on the journey of preparing soup. I really love the choice of language in this. Be warned: you'll be very hungry by the end of reading this.

Fall Into Your Gravity
twilight | bella/jasper
gen, 300 | by [archiveofourown.org profile] TonicHoliday
He can barely look at Bella, as though her pulse alone threatens his resolve—how can he protect her?

I have a confession… I used to ship Jasper/Bella back when Twilight was hot. I was so surprised to see this rarepair in here and I was not disappointed at all! This triple drabble is a fantastic exploration of Jasper's relationship with control and blood and gives Bella the agency she deserved.

When the Fiction Is True
original | prince/imposter princess
teen, 200 | by [archiveofourown.org profile] snowynight
The Royal heir is cursed to marry the first person he first meets. That person happens to be Princess Helen.

This is so good and has such a fun twist and is a great exploration of agency. That's all I'll say. 🤐

Bones And Depths
original | merperson
gen, 100 | by [archiveofourown.org profile] Andian
When she was younger, she had asked her mother where their kind had come from.

So effective in capturing the romance and freedom of childhood and the maturity and jaded acceptance of adulthood.

Four Nocturnes
original | cat, monster under the bed, florist, magic tattoo artist, talking dragon
gen, 800 | by [archiveofourown.org profile] larissabernstein
A sequence or chain of four double drabbles, linked by the theme of night and specific motifs that lead from one drabble to the next.

This is absolutely fantastic. So detailed, so poignant—each character is so rich in personality in such a short amount of words.

At the End of the Longest Night
original | santa/mrs claus
gen, 100 | by [archiveofourown.org profile] karameiwaku
After a long shift, it's nice to come home and relax.

Ever wondered how Santa felt after a full night of work? This is it. Fantastic voices for such iconic characters.

Roo Goes Ice Skating
winnie the pooh | roo, kanga, tigger, rabbit
gen, 200 | by [archiveofourown.org profile] Casta_Y

This captures the Winnie the Pooh narration voice so well.

The Blacksmith and the Dragon
original | dragon, blacksmith
gen, 900 | by [archiveofourown.org profile] Isis
A tale about a dragon with a problem, and the clever blacksmith who solved it. Told in the form of a pyramid drabble sequence.

Such a rich fairytale that humanises a dragon and gives a blacksmith the chance to prove he's the hero of the story. The narrative voice is fantastic and so reminiscent of wry fairytales.

Got Milk?
gilmore girls | lorelai, michel, sookie
gen, 200 | by [archiveofourown.org profile] Ultra
Michel is not welcome in Sookie's kitchen if he's going to be so picky about what he eats. Lorelai referees.

Fantastic character dynamics and an amazing Michel voice. It felt like a scene from an episode.


There are over 270 works in this collection. I highly recommend checking them out and seeing if you can find something in a fandom you love.

Profile

peaked: CINDY. (Default)
💯

June 2025

S M T W T F S
12345 67
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
2930     

Style Credit

Page generated Jun. 20th, 2025 07:45 am
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios
OSZAR »