Gryvon

Dear Yuletide Author 2025

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 23:19:24 GMT

GENERAL LIKES:

For Gen fics or any pairing:

kidnapping/bodyguard scenarios, hurt/comfort, domesticity and found-family, happy endings, snark, banter, witty dialogue, teasing, panic attacks/PTSD/anxiety and recovery, mysteries, fish out of water/diplomat in a strange land, stranded together, sickfic and general taking care of each other scenarios,

For relationships and sexy times:

getting together, mutual pining, meet-cutes and meet-uglies, porn with plot, porn without plot, explicit sexual content, friends with benefits, friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, threesomes/moresomes, arranged marriage, May/December, fake dating, courtship/mating rituals, soulmate au, A/B/O and mpreg

DO NOT WANTS:

Drug use, character death, cancer/terminal illness, slavery/forced servitude, murder husbands, dark fic, unhappy endings, genderswap, crackfic, character bashing, watersports/scat, body horror (except where it applies in canon), knifeplay/bloodplay, infantilism/littles, feeding/stuffing, inflation, omorashi/golden shower, muscle kink, enemas, pet play, gore/vore, lactation

Hellboy movies (2004-2008)

What is it:

Two movies directed by Guillermo del Toro. Hellboy (2004) features Ron Pearlman as Hellboy and Rupert Evans as John Myers, the new to everything boy scout FBI agent that's assigned as Hellboy's handler. Hellboy: The Golden Army (2008) continues the series with a war brewing from elven prince Nuada (played by Luke Goss) while his twin sister Nuala works with the BRPD to stop him. John is only a throwaway mention in the second movie as Hellboy had him shipped to Antarctica because he was too friendly with Hellboy's girlfriend Liz.

Where to Watch it:

Hellboy (2004) - Free on Tubi or Amazon Prime and Paramount+ with subscription.
Hellboy: The Golden Army (2008) - With subscription to Amazon Prime, Starz, Hulu, or Roku.

What I like about it:

I really loved John from the first movie. He's the wholesome Boy Scout with a heart of gold who brings a bit of hope to the horrors of the world. Despite them never meeting in cannon, there's a unique dynamic between John and Prince Nuada (2nd movie) that I love seeing explored. Their personalities are polar opposites and I love seeing how John lightens Nuada. (They're very grumpy/sunshine.)

I also love John shipped with Hellboy if that's your thing (with or without Liz). You don't have to be comics-compliant with Hellboy's character. This is the movie-verse after all, though I have read most of the comics. (And watched the cartoons.) In this aspect, John's the balancing force for Hellboy that keeps him reigned in and pulls him back from the darkness that people try to bring out of Hellboy.

Favorite Pairings: Gen focused on John, Nuada/John Myers, or Hellboy/John

Optional Prompts:
- What if John was around for the second movie?
- What if the supernatural world stayed in power instead of letting humanity rule?
- What if John and Nuada were BRPD coworkers or John was hired to be Nuada's handler?
- “Where did all those bruises come from?”

Favorite tropes: enemies to lovers, soulmate aus, A/B/O, kidnapping/bodyguard scenarios, magical AUs, arranged marriage AU, fish out of water, hurt/comfort, power dynamics, soulmates/soulbond

Slayers (Anime/Manga)

What Is It:

Just thinking of this fandom makes me feel old. (Back in my day....) This series started running in 1995 (which is around when I started watching it) and kept running until 2009 with various movies, OVA, and sequels. The story follows wandering genius sorceress Lina Inverse and her band of merry travellers, which includes the grumpy golem Zelgadis. Xellos is a demon that follows them in a later series. Is he here to help or hinder? It's a secret!

The Slayers universe includes:
Manga (English releases): Slayers: Medieval Mayhem, Special, Super-Explosive Demon Story, and Premium
Light Novels: Slayers Special, Delicious, Select, Anthology, and Spirit
Anime: Slayers, Next (this is where Xellos comes in), Try, and Revolution/Evolution-R

OVA: Slayers Special and Excellent
Movies: Slayers The Motion Picture, Return, Great, Gorgous, and Premium
Radio dramas
TTRPG
Card Game
Video games

Where to Watch It:
Unfortunately, since it's old it's not on streaming but there's a good wiki that's full of information and you can probably find bits on YouTube.

What I like about it:

This fandom/pairing have stuck with me for a long, long time. Partially it's the nostalgia of being one of the first anime I watched, I also love a good explosion via Dragon Slave. Zelgadis is the epitome of grump on the outside, cinamon roll on the inside, and Xellos is an awesome trickster. Most of their interactions involve Xellos teasing or annoying Zelgadis and I'm here for the pigtail-pulling dynamic.

Favorite Pairings: Gen with Zelgadis or Xellos/Zelgadis

Optional Prompts:
- What if Zelgadis finally found a cure (and it's not what he expected)?

- Zelgadis's quest to return human (and how that may or may not work out for him)

- Enemies to friends (to lovers?)

- More zany hijinks with Lina and Gourry

Favorite tropes: enemies-to-lovers, hurt/comfort, found family, stranded together, only one bed

Guardians of Camelot - Victoria Sue

What Is It:

A four-book urban fantasy MM romance by Victoria Sue. The first book, The Twelfth Knight, involves Mel (the reincarnation of Merlin) getting caught up in an ages-long battle between the immortal Knights of Camelot and Morgana's evil forces. The Knights are soulbound to their other half (Mel is Lancelot's other half) and the only way to kill one of the Knights is by killing their soulmate.

Where to Read It:
Amazon (Kindle or Print)

What I like about it:

I just read these earlier this year and I need so many stories with these characters. Mel is a delight, the sunshine to Lancelot's grumpy. Charles and Kay's story (book 3, though they're in all the books) is just tragic, but they manage to get together and thrive despite everything thrown at them.

Favorite Pairings: Lancelot/Mel and/or Charles/Kay

Optional Prompts:
- Modern/College AU (no magic)
- Anything set after the series with the characters living happily ever after
- Group laser tag
- Marriage proposals

Favorite tropes: hurt/comfort, sickfic, found family, domestic fluff, courting, soulmates

MADK

What Is It:
MADK is a 3 volume yaoi manga by Ryo Suzuri. The blurb from Sublime Manga:
Makoto has long been ostracized because of his odd hobbies and a sexual kink others see as disgusting. One day he summons Archduke J—a trickster demon from hell—and sells his soul to him, only to unknowingly end up reborn in hell…as J’s demon underling! As he learns and grows in his new role, his infatuation with J turns into an obsession—an obsession to surpass the very demon who birthed him.

Where to Read It:
Not available for free but available for sale at Barnes & Noble or a number of places online.

What I like about it:

This is one messed up story but I find the dynamic between the characters fascinating. Makoto is a flawed character and the juxtaposition with a literal demon (who's arguably more good). I would love something that explores more of the demon society that Makoto has found himself in.

Favorite Pairings: J/Makoto

Optional Prompts:
- Alternate Universe - bickering flirty assassins
- Alternate Universe - Author/Editor
- AU-A Was Child B's Closet Monster; Now Adult B Doesn't Recognize A Who Is Pretending To Be Human
- demonic courtship

Favorite tropes: hurt/comfort, enemies??-to-lovers, service kink, teasing/edging, aphrodisiacs, sensory deprivation, BDSM, possessiveness, fish-out-of-water/strange new world

Please keep it light on the vore/cannibalism.

バケモノとケダモノ | Bakemono to Kedamono | Monster and the Beast (Manga)

What Is It:
A 4 volume yaoi manga. Here's the blurb from Yen Press:
Solitary Cavo is a hideous monster with a pure heart. Liam, on the other hand, might look like a gentleman, but he's a beast on the inside, warped personality and all. When Liam ends up in an unfortunate situation in the haunted woods Cavo calls home, it's the monster to the rescue! After the close call, Liam extends a more-than-friendly hand to Cavo and leads the innocent monster out of the woods...and astray?!

Where to Read It:
Available for purchase from Barnes & Noble or many online retailers

What I like about it:

I read this series not that long ago. It's beautiful. I wish there was more to the story, so if this one interests you there's plenty of timeskips to work with. Maybe an in-between scene or something set after?

Favorite Pairings: Kavo/Liam

Optional Prompts:
- Modern AU
- You're the monster in the woods that everyone's afraid of and I was left as a sacrifice/tribute, but you're actually really nice.
- Courtship rituals
- temporarily feral!Kavo just wants to cuddle

Favorite tropes: soulmates, weird together/found family, protectiveness, gentleness, size differences, road trips

Bedknobs and Broomsticks - Josh Lanyon

What Is It:
Three book (eventually 6 books) series of M/M mystery romance by Josh Lanyon. I'm current on this series and the side stories, so feel free to set the story at any point in the timeline.

From Josh's site:

Cosmo Saville guiltily hides a paranormal secret from his soon-to-be husband. Thanks to a powerful love spell, uncertainty threatens his nuptial magic. But when he’s arrested for allegedly killing a longtime rival, he could spend his honeymoon behind bars…

Police Commissioner John Joseph Galbraith never believed in Happily Ever After until Cosmo came along. Falling head over heels for the elegant antiques dealer is an enchantment he never wants to break. But when all fingers point to Cosmo’s guilt, John struggles to trust what his heart is telling him.

As Cosmo hunts for the real killer among the arcane aristocracy, John warns him to leave it to the police. But with an unseen enemy threatening to expose Cosmo’s true nature, the couple’s blissful future could shatter like a broken charm.

Where to Read It:
Amazon (Kindle, print, audiobook)

What I like about it:

John and Cosmo start off with a bit of a rocky relationship but it's obvious that they truly, deeply love each other. Cosmo's turned his back on magical society (mostly...) to be with John. John didn't realize he married a witch but he adores Cosmo, no love spells needed. This series is a straight kick in the feels sometimes but so good.

Favorite Pairings: John/Cosmo

Optional Prompts:
- Teaching Cosmo to swim
- Cosmo is the strange, cute mascot of John's precinct
- Cosmo loses his memory, including all his magical knowledge

Favorite tropes: domesticity, hurt/comfort, sickfic, protectiveness, sex magic, manhandling

Secrets and Scrabble - Josh Lanyon

What Is It:
An 8 book (so far) M/M cozy mystery series about a bookstore owner who loves Scrabble and the police chief who loves him. I'm current on this series and the side stories, so feel free to set the story at any point in the timeline.

The blurb from book 1:

Ellery Page, aspiring screenwriter, Scrabble champion and guy-with-worst-luck-in-the-world-when-it-comes-to-dating, is ready to make a change. So when he learns he's inherited both a failing bookstore and a falling-down mansion in the quaint seaside village of Pirate's Cove on Buck Island, Rhode Island, it's full steam ahead!

Sure enough, the village is charming, its residents amusingly eccentric, and widowed police chief Jack Carson is decidedly yummy (though probably as straight as he is stern). However, the bookstore is failing, the mansion is falling down, and there's that little drawback of finding rival bookseller--and head of the unwelcoming-committee--Trevor Maples dead during the annual Buccaneer Days celebration.

Still, it could be worse. And once Police Chief Carson learns Trevor was killed with the cutlass hanging over the door of Ellery's bookstore, it is.

Where to Read It:
Amazon (Kindle, paperback, or audiobook)

What I like about it:

This series is a sweet, wholesome take on Josh's usual murder mysteries. There's a large cast of side characters with their own quirks, but Watson shines as the best co-star. Jack and Ellery make such a good couple. Even the setting (Ellery's quirky house and the bookshop) have the presence of a character. This series is a nice low-angst read.

Favorite Pairings: Jack/Ellery

Optional Prompts:
- any kind of domestic fluff (bonus points for including Watson cuddles)
- Jack taking care of Ellery after he's injured or vice versa
- cuddling for warmth when the power goes out

Favorite tropes: domestic fluff, sickfic, hurt/comfort, injury recovery, courtship/marriage, slice of life

Harvestella

What Is It:
JRPG meets farm sim with an amazing plot. The amnesiac protagonist (Ein) joins forces with other skilled individuals to stop a calamity that's about to befall the world. There's magic and science mixed together with a wonderful twist on who Ein really is and what's going on behind the curtain.

Where to Play It:
Steam, Playstation, Nintendo Switch

What I like about it:

This game combines two of my favorite genres SquareEnix JRPGs + farming sims. The combat system is fun (you learn the fighting styles of your party members) and all the characters are interesting. It starts out like a simple farming sim in a magical world, then you meet the androids and go into the castle and next thing you know, you're in space and everything you thought you knew is a lie. Or something like that. ;)

Favorite Pairings: Brakka/Male!Ein
I prefer M/M pairings if there's any romance. While not nominated, I also like Heine, Asyl, Istina, and Emo as side characters.

Optional Prompts:
- Is this a date or a mercenary mission? Brakka is so stoic, it's hard to tell.
- Team bonding - viewing the cherry blossoms in spring, beach trip in summer, sipping cider and pumpkin-flavored things in fall, ice skating in winter.
- Ein comes up with flimsy excuses to hire Brakka

Favorite tropes: Found family, grumpy/sunshine, mission fic, sickfic, hurt/comfort, kidnapping/bodyguard scenarios

comments

Dear Yuletide Author 2024

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 23:18:24 GMT

LIKES:

kidnapping/bodyguard scenarios, hurt/comfort, domesticity and found-family, happy endings, snark, banter, witty dialogue, teasing, panic attacks/PTSD/anxiety and recovery, mysteries, fish out of water/diplomat in a strange land, stranded together, sickfic and general taking care of each other scenarios

getting together, mutual pining, meet-cutes and meet-uglies, porn with plot, porn without plot, explicit sexual content, friends with benefits, friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, threesomes/moresomes, arranged marriage, May/December, fake dating, courtship/mating rituals, soulmate au, A/B/O and mpreg

DO NOT WANTS:

Drug use, character death, cancer/terminal illness, slavery/forced servitude, murder husbands, dark fic, unhappy endings, genderswap, crackfic, character bashing, watersports/scat, body horror (except where it applies in canon), knifeplay/bloodplay, infantilism/littles, feeding/stuffing, inflation, omorashi/golden shower, muscle kink, enemas, pet play, gore/vore, lactation

Hellboy movies (2004-2008) - John Myers

I also love John shipped with Hellboy if that's your thing (with or without Liz). You don't have to be comics-compliant with Hellboy's character. This is the movie-verse after all and I've only read some of the comics. (Have seen the cartoons though.) In this aspect, John's the balancing force for Hellboy that keeps him reigned in and pulls him back from the darkness that people try to bring out of Hellboy.

AU ideas: what if John was around for the second movie? what if the supernatural world stayed in power instead of letting humanity rule? what if John and Nuada were BRPD coworkers or John was hired to be Nuada's handler?

Favorite tropes: enemies to lovers, soulmate aus, A/B/O, kidnapping/bodyguard scenarios, magical AUs

If you're new to the fandom, I recommend Beyond the Void by Kantayra, the fic that really kicked off this pairing (at least for me).

Valdemar by Mercedes Lackey - Tylendel, Vanyel

AU ideas: modern-day high school AU, coffee shop AU, harry potter au, pirate au

Favorite tropes: hurt/comfort, mutual pining, getting together, domesticity and found family

I adore AUs for this, where things don't go to hell in a handbasket and the boys end up in a happy relationship sans death. Or at least relatively happy. Vanyel will always find something to angst about, but please, please avoid character death.

Things from the novels that I love seeing explored: Vanyel escaping (or being rescued from) his abusive home life, Savil being a complete badass, Tylendel loving Vanyel for the broken boy that he is and filling in the cracks to make Vanyel whole again. We don't really see too much of Stefen over the course of the series so it'd be cool to see something that explores his character more.

Die Hard (movies) — John/Matt

I'm a fan of John/Matt or for non-slash, general John and Matt (and others) teaming up to take down the bad guy of the day.

AU ideas: superhero au, supernatural au, tie ins with Marvel and Teen Wolf are cool

Favorite tropes: BAMF couple, friends to lovers, domesticity and curtain fic, kidnapping/bodyguard scenarios

I'm open to pretty much anything here (as long as there's a happy ending). I like seeing John and Matt pick up the pieces of their lives after the firesale. I adore stories where they have to move in together for some reason, or where John rescues Matt from some new crisis, or Matt bringing John up to speed on the digital age.

Ocean's Eleven (Trilogy) - Rusty/Linus or Danny/Rusty/Linus

Ocean's Eleven is one of the snappiest movies I've ever watched. I love the character interactions - both the spoken dialogue and the unspoken ways they play off of each other. I love the way Linus is viewed as the rookie though he's actually pretty skilled. I like the way Danny and Rusty take Linus under their wing.

If slash isn't your interest, I love a good heist or just the crew being friends/found family together.

AU ideas: soulmark AU, A/B/O, different first meetings, sci fi AU

Favorite tropes: heists, found family, domesticity, getting together, panic attacks/PTSD/anxiety and recovery, sickfic

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen — Quartermain/Sawyer

For this pairing, I love explorations of the May/December romance between the two. Or if slash isn't your jam, just general mentor/mentee learning about the weird world that they're pitted against.

AU ideas: FBI au, soulmate au, harry potter au

Favorite tropes: case fic, getting together, found family, mysteries, recovering from grief/tragedy

Maybe Tom and Alan were sort of a thing during the movies, and then Alan dies and Tom is grieving, and then Alan comes back? Adventure fic with the League, complete AU, whatever strikes your fancy works for me. Side Dorian Grey/Huckleberry Finn would be amazeballs.

The Art of Murder by Josh Lanyon - Sam/Jason

I looooove Josh Lanyon's books, especially the way they intertwine, so feel free to bring in characters from any of the related series if that's your jam. (All's Fair, Winter Kill, etc)

Sam and Jason have an interesting relationship. Jason is so open and expressive, while Sam's neurodivergence makes him play close to the vest. Despite his seeming coldness, Sam is absolutely head over heels for Jason.

I'd be interested in seeing something set between the books or some canon divergence. Maybe their vacation at Sam's mother's ranch? Sam showing up at Jason's birthday party? Sam helping Jason through his panic/anxiety over being stalked? Really anything with these two will make me happy.

Favorite tropes: courtship, domesticity, hurt/comfort, sickfic, casefic, stranged together

comments

Marvelous Recs

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 04:47:48 GMT

Forged With Blood, Forged With Fire (91,279 words) by agentsimmons
Fandom: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Rating: Mature
Relationships: Bruce Banner/Tony Stark
Additional Tags: Science Boyfriends, Established Relationship, Post-Avengers (2012), Canon Divergence - Post-Avengers (2012), Fake Science, Comic Book Science, Past Child Abuse, Medical Trauma, Medical Experimentation, Medical Inaccuracies, POV Alternating, Past Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Not Beta Read, Not Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, Avengers Tower, Protective Avengers, Team Dynamics, Team Bonding, Teambuilding, Team Feels, Strike Team Delta, Drama & Romance, Protective Hulk, Hulk Feels, Bruce & Hulk Interaction, Hulk Talks, Extremis Tony Stark, Changing Tenses, Hopeful Ending, Happy Ending, No Arc Reactor

When Bruce looks over Tony's blood work he notices an anomaly that sets them both on a search for answers and shows them just how much they mean to one another in the process. But when the truth finally becomes clear, it's only the start of more obstacles and changes to come as they each find themselves facing new enemies and old.

Fractures (Filled With Liquid Gold) (63268 words) by itsallAvengers
Fandom: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark
Additional Tags: Angst, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Bucky Barnes Feels, Protective Bucky Barnes, Implied/Referenced Torture, Hurt Bucky Barnes, Hurt Tony Stark, These Boys Really Don't Look After Themselves, like at all, but it's okay because they look after one another, Rehabilitation, Protectiveness, Miscommunication, a LOT of self-doubt, and general self-esteem issues, Character Death, Steve is a bit of a dick in this just warning, but his intentions are Good he's Trying His Best, Getting Together

Ultron happened. The Avengers left.

Tony is fine with being alone again. He always worked better as a Lone Wolf than a team player anyway. He's not sleeping or eating or resting or... living, but it's fine. It's good. It's okay.

And then there's James.

Paved With Good Intentions (I'm on the road to hell) (194400 words) by itsallAvengers
Fandom: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Pre-Iron Man 1, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Steve Rogers Has Issues, Those Issues Being: In this au he Kills Many People, he's working on it okay, Assassins & Hitmen, Hurt Steve Rogers, Secret Identity, This Is like Identity Porn but with less porn and way more identity shenanigans, I've been working on this for so long oh god help me, Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, ...eventually, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Stony Trumps Hate 2017, Misunderstandings And Bad First Impressions, Falling In LoveWhen the mysterious group of vigilante assassins known only as 'The Avengers' are tipped off about the dirty secrets that lie within Stark Industries, Steve Rogers has his heart set on taking out Tony Stark for good in order to protect the rest of the world from his evil. He's seen the footage, after all- Stark is a man who fights only for himself. And of course, when a job arises as chief bodyguard for Stark, to protect him from the growing threat of an ominously infatuated stalker, the opportunity is way too good for him to miss out on. It's the perfect placement, and the perfect way to find out whether or not their tipoff is genuine.

But as Steve falls into rank as the new bodyguard for Mr. Stark and he spends time getting to know and protect him, his initial hatred begins to falter and merge into something different, something far more terrifying than the prospect of killing the face of Stark Industries.

Steve Rogers may just be falling in love with him instead.

Baby Won't You Come Home With Me? (12442 words) by InsaneJuliann
Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Rating: Not Rated
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, but like - only a little bit. Mostly as background., Slow Burn, i guess, Winteriron Holiday Exchange, Developing Relationship

AU where most everything post Captain America: The Winter Soldier never happened.

Tony's known for his one night stands, despite the way it does no good for his reputation. At one of the many parties he attends, he spots a figure in the crowd that shouldn't be there - James Buchanan Barnes, the Winter Soldier, Steve's old best friend. Curious, Tony pretends to have no idea who he is and treats him like he would any other good looking guest of the party. He flirts.

Surprisingly, Barnes flirts back. And while he doesn't go home with Tony, the next time they see each other they flirt again. And again.

It kind of becomes A Thing from there.

Hope for the Holidays (14690 words) by Reioka
Fandom: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Rating: General Audiences
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark
Additional Tags: Winteriron Holiday Exchange, Slow Burn, Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, Actually it hurts a little but like, It's a small hurt soothed almost immediately, Steve told Tony about his parents AU, Christmas Fluff, Jarvis and Ana continue to be part of Tony's life

Tony never expected to share Christmas with the man who killed his parents, but he's here now, so they should make the best of it.

comments

January Update: So Many Exchanges!

Thu, 09 Jan 2020 02:07:46 GMT

Hello, beautiful people!

I've been wanting to get back into blogging so what better time than now?

December was a busy month with the usual fiction exchanges. I participated in the usual five exchanges. Gift fics linked below.

I'm also working on three auction fics for Marvel Trumps Hate and Fandom Trumps Hate.

I'm halfway done with my MTH fic for Arboreal. The rest are in progress:

Altered Egos (12285 words) by gryvon
Chapters: 3/6
Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark
Additional Tags: Young Tony Stark, Identity Porn, Secret Identity, Protective Bucky Barnes, Mutual Pining, Kidnapped Tony Stark, Hurt/Comfort, Hurt Tony Stark, Team as Family, BAMF Tony Stark, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Bucky Barnes's Metal Arm

He turns and grabs the nearest potential weapon—a fairly hefty wrench—as he faces the beekeeper-lookalike goon. Said goon looks down at the slumped figures of Tony's guards and... chuckles? That's not the reaction Tony was expecting. It makes sense once the goon lifts off their helmet to reveal a familiar face.

Tony tosses the wrench aside and climbs back to his improvised bomb with a grin. "You're late."

"Had trouble finding the place." Natasha's voice is warm in a way Tony's missed the last few days. Her footsteps stop close by. There's a long pause, presumably while she studies the twenty-foot-tall robot. "Did they really...?"

"Yep," Tony says as he twists and slides down to the ground beside her. He pats the closest leg. "Meet my new best friend, Mr. Roboto. He's going to explode in ten minutes, so we should leave."

WinterIron Holiday Exchange

keep you safe (6145 words) by drunkonwriting
Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Rating: General Audiences
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark
Additional Tags: Bodyguard Romance

tony gets another stalker in a long line of stalkers. the avengers finally put their foot down and assign bucky as his bodyguard.

Steter Secret Santa

What the Water Gave Me (7104 words) by DiscontentedWinter
Fandom: Teen Wolf (TV)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Relationships: Peter Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Additional Tags: Sheriff Stilinski's Name is John, Deputy Stiles Stilinski, Lawyer Peter Hale, Alternate Universe - Werewolves Are Known, Kidnapped Stiles Stilinski, hydrophobia, dry drowning, Happy Ending

A run in with a rusalka leaves Detective Stiles Stilinski with a crippling fear of the water. And help comes from an unexpected quarter.
Or, that time Stiles hates Peter Hale, right up until he doesn't.

Yuletide

Your Answers, Please (13035 words) by katherine_tag
Fandom: Die Hard (Movies)
Rating: Explicit
Relationships: Matt Farrell/John McClane
Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Age Difference, Epistolary, epistolary-ish anyway

“Come on, kid,” McClane said gruffly. “This place is fucking depressing. You’re coming to stay with me.”

Sterek Secret Santa

Get your FEET off the Dash it's LEATHER (6127 words) by lonechicken
Fandom: Teen Wolf (TV)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Additional Tags: Getting Together, Canon Compliant, as much as the canon is compliant with itself, FBI Agent Stiles Stilinski, the gang is all there, but they dont have any dialogue, Canon-Typical Violence, stiles loses a toe, it's not really that graphic

After Kate steals the yellow wolfsbane and nearly shoots him in the head, she slips away, again. Derek manages to track down her accomplices, but at the same time, the FBI catches up to him, again, and Derek figures he’ll kill two birds with one stone: get himself off the hook and the hunters arrested for their crimes in Brazil. What he doesn’t figure on is Stiles being part of the raid — Stiles, who he didn’t even know was interested in joining the FBI, has it really been that long since he talked to anyone from Beacon Hills? Turns out Stiles is even more out of the loop than Derek is, in terms of what’s going on back in their hometown, and they decide to make the trip back together while Stiles has a few days off from his internship to recover. Probably not the best idea to recover from a bullet wound with a road trip across the country to go join a war, but this is Derek and Stiles. Neither of them is known for making the best decisions when it comes to protecting the people they care about.

Captain America/Iron Man Holiday Exchange

In the Comfort of Your Arms (0 words) by Anonymous
Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Captain America (Movies)
Rating: General Audiences
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Hurt Tony Stark, Tony Stark Gets a Hug, Domestic Fluff, Injury Recovery, Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff, Happy Tony Stark, Happy Steve Rogers, Protective Steve Rogers

Steve and Tony take a few days to themselves after a hard battle.

comments

January Update: So Many Exchanges, Part Two!

Thu, 09 Jan 2020 01:43:20 GMT

Hello, wonderful people!

Now that reveals are out, here's the fic I wrote for my usual holiday exchanges. I've also made some progress on the remaining auction fics I'm working on!

Marvel Trumps Hate

Altered Egos (16,736 words)

Chapters: 4/6

Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark

WinterIron Holiday Exchange

hide your love away (3182 words)
Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Rating: General Audiences
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark
Additional Tags: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Getting Together, Alpha Bucky Barnes, Omega Tony Stark, Omega Verse

Tony was unprepared to fall in love with Bucky Barnes.

Steter Secret Santa

A Fitting Arrangement (1336 words)
Chapters: 1/?
Fandom: Teen Wolf (TV)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Relationships: Peter Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Alternate Universe - Werewolves Are Known, Arranged Marriage, Courtship, Werewolf Courting, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha Peter Hale, Omega Stiles Stilinski, BAMF Stiles, Murder Husbands

Peter can’t look away from the pale beauty that stands in the doorway. “Mieczyslaw Stilinski,” the young man says, pronouncing his name carefully. “But, really, I prefer Stiles.”

So, this is his Omega bride. Suddenly Peter can’t think of a single reason why he objected to their arrangement.

let me give you my life (3800 words)
Fandom: Teen Wolf (TV)
Rating: Explicit
Relationships: Peter Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Additional Tags: Neckz 'n' Throats, Camboy Stiles Stilinski, Porn Star Peter Hale, Model Peter Hale, Model Stiles Stilinski, Photo Shoots, Alpha Peter Hale, Emissary Stiles Stilinski, Alternate Universe - Werewolves Are Known, Everyone Is Alive, The Hale Family (Teen Wolf) Lives

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Stiles,” he says. He even means it. Stiles is a lovely young thing and he loves when people can keep up with his attitude. “As far as stage names go, you could do better.”

Stiles huffs, but Boyd speaks up before Stiles can respond. “That’s his nickname. His real name is much worse and his cam name is stupid. Now can we get on with it?”

Stiles mutters, “It’s not stupid.”

“I’m sure it’s perfectly fine.” Peter takes Stiles’s hand and bows over it to press a kiss against Stiles’s knuckles. “A pleasure to meet you, my dear. I look forward to ravishing you in today’s shoot.”

Yuletide

Black, White, and Red All Over (1873 words)
Fandom: Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Relationships: Harry Lockhart/Perry van Shrike
Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Injury, Hospitals, Family Feels

An injury on a case makes Harry realize what he's really sticking around for.

Sterek Secret Santa

Lost and Found (2005 words)
Fandom: Teen Wolf (TV)
Rating: General Audiences
Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Additional Tags: Magical Stiles Stilinski, College Student Stiles Stilinski, Protective Derek, Panic Attacks, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Spark Stiles Stilinski, Stiles Stilinski Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Alternate Universe - Werewolves Are Known, Robbery

Stiles suffers a panic attack after being robbed at gunpoint. Officer Hale is there to help him out of it.

Captain America/Iron Man Holiday Exchange

Where Your Heart Is (2582 words)
Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - High School, Injury Recovery, Christmas Fluff, School Dances
Steve has an instant crush on the new kid.

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Smut-Swap Dear Author Letter

Tue, 20 Feb 2018 14:45:40 GMT

Hello, wonderful author!

First off, thank you for whatever lovely fic you write for me. I know I'll love it!

Consider all tags optional. I don't expect you to try to work all of them into one fic, so pick and choose from those that interest you. If a tag isn't to your taste, ignore it.

Some general preferences that apply to all requests:

For most of the requested fandoms, there's one "bottom" character that I love and would read paired with most anyone. Namely, these are Stiles, Tony Stark, John Myers, and Will Graham.

In terms of plot, I'm a sucker for stories where the bottom character is kidnapped and his partner(s) save him. For a BAMF twist, have the kidnapped character save himself just before his partners arrive.

I love Hurt/Comfort, especially when a good portion of the story focuses on the "comfort" part. (The "hurt" can be on-screen or off-screen. I'm good either way.) This goes along with PTSD, Panic Attacks, Lazy/Gentle Sex, Aftercare tags.

I love the different variations on soulmates, whether it's names/words/icons on skin or first touch or red strings.

I like ABO stories, particularly when the normal ABO tropes are subverted. I like pushy/strong Omegas and the Alphas that love them. MPreg is A-OK, as is Knotting.

I also like fics that mix media, though I know that's harder than just writing. If you're feeling adventurous, check out I Wasn't Built for Small Talk (NSFW images), You're Welcome In My Inbox, or Always At Night.

General Kinks: Anal Sex, Anal Fingering, Blow Jobs, Barebacking, Begging, Biting, Dirty Talk, Manhandling/Shows of Athleticism During Sex, Possessive Behavior, Orgasm Control, light Dom/sub, AFtercare, Tenderness

General Optional Tags: Kidnapping, Panic Attacks, PTSD, Hurt/Comfort, Domesticity

Teen Wolf:

I prefer Stiles as the bottom.

Favorite Pairings: Peter/Stiles (with Chris, Derek, Deucalion) and Derek/Stiles (with Peter or Derek's pack)

Specific Kinks: Loss of Virginity, Werewolf Mating, Spanking, Sugar Daddy, Webcam/Video Chat Sex

Specific Optional Tags: Alive Hale Family, Alive Erica & Boyd, Good Alpha Derek Hale, Alpha Peter Hale, Pack Dynamics, Pack Bonding, Magical Stiles Stilinski, AU - Werewolves are Known, Pack Mother Stiles Stilinski

Prompts:

1) Stiles is a Cam Boy/Sugar Baby with Peter (or Derek or others) as his benefactors/Sugar Daddies. For a tame twist, Stiles is doing this to fund college and he's brand new to the scene but his daddies talk him through it. (Some examples of this trope are Ain't Saying He's a Golddigger and BestBoy.)

2) Stiles writes supernatural novels under a penname. He's surprised when he finds out his packmates read his books. Similarly, this can also work with Stiles as a supernatural blogger.

3) Stiles is surprised to find himself mates with one of the famous Hale Alphas. He's pulled into the high-powered world of supernatural celebrities and has to learn how to integrate with his new pack. But, Stiles brings something unexpected to the pack that's of great benefit. Alternately, Stiles is aware of and somewhat of an expert on supernatural culture, much to his new pack's surprise.

Marvel Cinematic Universe:

I prefer Tony as the bottom.

Favorite Pairings: T'Challa/Tony, Bucky/Tony, Steve/Tony, Steve/Bucky/Tony, Bruce Banner/Clint Barton/Steve Rogers/Natasha Romanov/Tony Stark/Thor, Peter Quill/Tony

Specific Optional Tags: Everyone is Poly Because Avengers, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Howard Stark's A++ Parenting, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark Has a Heart, Bodyguard Romance, Alternate Universe - High School/College, Domestic Avengers

Specific Kinks: The Entire Team/Group is in a Poly Relationship, Fighting as Foreplay, Marathon Sex, Praise Kink, Tenderness, Accidental Stimulation

Tony Stark is a great character with a lot of potential, who keeps making dumb-ass mistakes (Sokovia, Ultron, etc). I hate the Civil War plotline since all of that could have been solved by Steve and Tony dropping their egos and having a civilized conversation. Feel free to ignore anything after Winter Soldier, or just re-write canon.

I enjoy stories that focus on Tony not being OK like everyone assumes. His childhood is full of negligence/emotional abuse in canon, but feel free to add to that if it's your bag. Add to that a long string of failed relationships and the inability to emotionally connect/trust anyone, along with the trauma from Afghanistan and the Chitauri invasion, and Stark's bound to have some PTSD going. I'd love to see an explanation of why Tony doesn't like to be handed things. I've always assumed it was because he didn't trust anyone but Pepper and Rhodey.

1) Tony gets kidnapped. This group knows more than they should about Tony's past, including his aversion to water (Afghanistan) and sensory deprivation (space). After being rescued, Tony pretends to be fine but he's really, really not.

2) High-School/College AUs. I love school AUs for this fandom, with or without powers. Tony's the nerd much younger than his peers with an abusive father. Steve, Bucky, etc are popular jocks with a secret infatuation. They find out that Tony's life isn't as perfect as everyone assumes and try to help him.

3) Tony invites the Avengers to live in his tower because he's lonely but doesn't want to admit it. It's just him and his bots but Tony craves a real family, something he's never had. The Avengers move in and pull Tony into their domesticity.

Hellboy:

I prefer John as the bottom.

Favorite Pairings: Nuada/Myers, Hellboy/Myers, Nuada/Hellboy/Myers

Specific Optional Tags: Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Magical Tattoos, Magical Artifacts, Mythology References, Celtic Mythology & Folklore

Specific Kinks: Accidental Soulbond

I like Myers because he's the good-hearted Boy Scout that tempers the rough edges of his partner. He's new to the Supernatural world but eager to learn.

1) AU where Nuada and Myers meet, either during the events of Hellboy II or in Antartica. Myers somehow stops Nuada from trying to end the world or rehabilitates Nuada afterward (Nuada doesn't die).

2) The Elves never gave up control and instead run the world. John joins the police force and works for/with Nuada and/or Hellboy.

3) The magical world and the human world are still separated and mostly unaware of each other. The Elves run the magical world and are incredibly powerful/influential. John is sent as a human envoy to Prince Nuada.

Hannibal:

I prefer Will as the bottom.

Favorite Pairings: Hannibal/Will (also Wendigo/Will)

Specific Optional Tags: Serial Killer Husbands, Will Graham's Dogs, Someone Help Will Graham, Murder Family, Domestic Bliss

Specific Kinks: Tenderness, Seduction, Mind Games

1) I'd love to see a version of canon events where Will runs away with Hannibal and Abigail to be a family. Serial killing optional. Where would they go? What/who would they pretend to be? How does Hannibal temper his cannibalism? (Or does he let it run wild?)

2) AU where Hannibal helps Will catch serial killers. Hannibal is either not a serial killer or so good at hiding it, he's never caught.

3) Supernatural Creatures AU! What if Hannibal's a wendigo? Is Will aware of the supernatural? Is Will supernatural himself?

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Rare Ship Swap: Dear Author Letter

Tue, 19 Jan 2016 19:03:43 GMT

Hello, author and thank you for writing for me. Please know that I will like pretty much anything you write simply because you wrote it for me. ^_^

In general, I like: snark, banter, teasing dialogue, witty humor, domesticity, geeks, sex with plot, sex with only vague plot, sex without plot, plot without sex, threesomes, moresomes, kink, angst, "damsels" in distress, hurt/comfort

I do not like: Drug use. Watersports. Scat.

Teen Wolf
Peter/Stiles or Derek/Stiles
(I also like Chris Argent/Peter Hale/Stiles Stilinski threesomes if you want to throw that in)

I prefer Bottom Stiles. I'm a big fan of Alive Hale Family, Searching Ceremonies, or Werewolves are Known universes. I love hurt/comfort, especially if Stiles is the one getting hurt. If you need some prompts:

1) Peter lost his soulmate in the fire set by Kate Argent, which is why he's surprised to find the mark on his wrist - the mark that constantly reminded him of his dead wife (or husband) - matches the sheriff's son, one Stiles Stilinski, an annoying but intelligent brat who knows nothing about werewolves and is way to young for Peter to even consider, especially when the very thought of having a second mate seems like betraying his lost love.

2) Stiles's mom taught him more than just cooking, she taught him the superstitions and hedge magic that has been in her family for generations. His magic didn't go away with her death but rather has been growing stronger, almost too strong for him to control. He has trouble keeping it under wraps, especially around Cora Hale's older brother Derek. There's something about the Hales that just makes his magic want to curl up around them, but if there's one thing his mother taught him, it's that secrets like his are best kept hidden.

Original Work

I really like seeing academic or diplomatic characters discovering/exploring new worlds or new creatures. Some prompts:

1) The nerdy bookworm accidentally hooks up with an incubus (or other supernatural creature) and is amazed that all of the mythology he's been hooked on is actually real. The incubus just wants to bask in the afterglow of sex but bookworm has a million questions. Round two shuts him up.

2) Diplomatic character is sent to arrange a trade agreement, peace treaty, etc with an alien race. He finds himself fascinated by this new species and their world. Alien character gives him a reason to stay on that world.

Hannibal
Hannibal/Will

I really, really want to see an AU where Will actually goes off with Hannibal and Abigail and they're one big happy family together.

Grimm
Sean/Nick or Juliette/Sean/Nick

Things I love to see: Renard in charge, other characters giving Nick an unexpected helping hand when he needs it the most.

I love (LOVE) fairy tales and fairy tales mixed with the real world and the gritty realness of this show. I love that each episode is based on a specific fairy tale. Some of my favorite fairy tales if you need inspiration and want to go the Grimm retelling route: Rumpelstiltskin, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, The Wolf and the Seven Young Kids (Not really good fic/episode material but I really like it for some reason), The Elves and the Shoemaker, Briar Rose, The Water Nixie, Twelve Dancing Princesses, Bluebeard, Six Swans

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It's that time of year again!

Mon, 10 Nov 2014 16:47:30 GMT

Holiday cards! Who wants one? Comments are screened so please include your address. Will ship internationally.

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Interactive Fiction for Yuletide

Thu, 30 Oct 2014 12:17:57 GMT

*flail*

There's a group of people doing Interactive Fiction (text-based games and choose your own adventure) for Yuletide. I wanna do one so go post here or comment below with prompts and I'll pick one to do. (Because I'm insane and moving/three challenges due in december isn't enough for me).

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Dear Yuletide Writer

Mon, 20 Oct 2014 13:41:17 GMT

Grimm
I'd love to see either Monroe/Nick, Sean/Nick, or Monroe/Nick/Sean. If that's not your cup of tea, just a general case fic will do. Things I love to see: Monroe being all wolfy, Renard in charge, other characters giving Nick an unexpected helping hand when he needs it the most.

I love (LOVE) fairy tales and fairy tales mixed with the real world and the gritty realness of this show. I love that each episode is based on a specific fairy tale. I love the Big Bad Wolf and all the possibilities that are written into Monroe's character in terms of how he would deal with Nick. Also, the obsession with red and red capes are kinda neat. I could see him go all grr in a horny way if Nick forgot one day and wore a red hoodie. Or red underwear. So much could be done with the werewolf - biting, marking, animalistic urges, all sorts of fun times. Plus the snark. Snark is love. There's a total possibility of 'this is my human' possessiveness.

Some of my favorite fairy tales if you need inspiration and want to go the Grimm retelling route: Rumpelstiltskin, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, The Wolf and the Seven Young Kids (Not really good fic/episode material but I really like it for some reason), The Elves and the Shoemaker, Briar Rose, The Water Nixie, Twelve Dancing Princesses, Bluebeard, Six Swans

Hellboy
Anything at all with Myers and Nuada will make my day. How do they meet? How do they get along? What makes Nuada fall for Myers? I love AUs where the elves and humans never separated or stories where Nuada magically comes back from the dead.

Maybe something with John getting into trouble and needing rescued, either from some big bad monster or maybe Nuada "kidnaps" him and Hellboy and the group come to the rescue? Or maybe John's sent away as the ambassador to deal with the elves after a peace treaty is formed? Anything involving magic is bonus points.

John's my favorite character. Hands down. I really love Nuada and his angsty brooding fierceness. John and Nuada are such a niche pairing, that I'd love to see more with them. I'd be totally good with an AU for this (since, well it has to be at least a little altered from the cannon to work at all) so if AUs are your thing, go wild, though I'd like it if at least a little of Nuada's divinity/elfiness stuck around. I really like the fact that he's a Celtic god wandering around in the human world. The whole mythology with the Tuatha de Danna and Nuada and all of that is fascinating, so if you want to work that in, feel free. We haven't seen much with Nuada's elf magic either so there's a lot that can be explored there as well. Pretty much anything goes with this prompt.

The Flash
Wells is obsessed with Barry, but how far will that obsession take him and how far will Barry let it go? Alternately, something with Barry training with Oliver or a crossover with the Flash crew working with the Arrow crew.

I'd like to see Barry becoming a stronger fighter, maybe bonding with the gang since he seems to hold himself back from socializing a lot.

Twelfth Night
What if Viola was always Cesario? Give me a genderbent Twelfth Night where the twins were always a pair of male twins instead of male and female.

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Anime North, Charity Fic, Collossalcon

Thu, 29 May 2014 18:39:11 GMT

Anime North

Anime North went well. There was some snafu with the AV setup and all the showing DVDs not being burned properly but we worked around those and made it work. All in all, everyone seemed to have a really good time. Our guests - slashreport and Storm Moon Press - were awesome and it was so cool having them attend. I'm eager to get started on plotting and planning for next year. We're hoping to make Yaoi/Yuri North even bigger and better next year.

Charity Fic

I have a charity auction up for the Big 24 (HIV/AIDS charity) over here. It's a very lonely auction right now with no bids. For the price of a cup of coffee I'll write you pretty much anything you want. Anything. You know you want to bid.

Collossalcon

I'll be at Collossalcon June 6-8 in Sandusky, Ohio. I'll be doing a panel on How Not to Write Badfic on Saturday at 6pm so come by and see me.

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Charity Auction Fic

Wed, 21 May 2014 14:54:58 GMT

I have an offering of fic up for the Big 24, which is raising money to fight HIV/AIDS, here: http://thebig24.livejournal.com/9202.html?thread=77554#t77554

I am offering: Fanfiction of at least 1,500 words (probably longer)
Fandoms:
Teen Wolf (Any)
Supernatural (Destiel)
Naruto (KakaIru)
Original fic
Psych (Lassiter/Shawn)
Elementary
Arrow
Sherlock
Welcome to Night Vale
+ Any fandom that's on my website (http://www.gryvon.com). There's a lot.
Additional Info: I will write anything. Really.
Starting Bid: $5

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More to Love Anthology Call

Sun, 18 May 2014 10:52:53 GMT

I have my first ever call up for Storm Moon Press! Details below:

Genres: Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
Theme: General
Pairings: Bisexual
Submission Deadline: December 31, 2014
Required Word Count: 8,000 - 20,000
HEA or HFN Ending Required? Yes

Dark creatures lurk in the shadows, myths and monsters that hunt the unaware. But even creatures of the night need love now and then. For some, it's not a matter of gender but of the person inside. Do vampires care what gender their food is, especially when they can have a little fun while drinking? Do werewolves view packs as a loving commune instead of having singular mates? Does heartbreak send a lonely wizard from women to men? Give us your tales of bisexual vampires, werewolves, ghosts, and wizards. Any type of paranormal will do. Menages, threesomes, and moresomes welcome.

Payment is $60 and up depending on word count ($0.0075 per word). More details can be found at http://www.stormmoonpress.com/anthologies.aspx

Anyone interested?

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9 Days Until Anime North

Wed, 14 May 2014 14:02:32 GMT

Like the title says, it's 9 days until Anime North and I'm mostly prepared. I've got notes for half my panels. Still need to make up notes for the rest but I've got this weekend to do it. Not that I can't wing most of the panels off the top of my head, but I like being prepared... and making powerpoints. So far my schedule is:

Yaoi Fans Might Like...
Friday at 1800 (6:00 pm) in Algonquin (Sheraton)
Recommendations for other books, TV shows, comics, etc with LGBTQ content.

Writing Sex (18+)
Friday at 1900 (7:00 pm) in Algonquin (Sheraton)
How to write gripping sex scenes and work with plot in your porn.

How To Not Write Badfic
Saturday at 1900 (7:00 pm) in Algonquin (Sheraton)
A discussion of common errors in yaoi/slash fanfiction and how to avoid them. Questions welcome!

The Alpha and the Omega
Saturday at 2000 (8:00 pm) in Algonquin (Sheraton)
Delving into the subgenre that is Alpha/Beta/Omega alternate universes.

Teen Wolf Slash
Sunday at 1200 (12:00 pm) in Collingwood (Sheraton)
Discussion of slash pairings and recs for Teen Wolf.

I think the panel I'm most looking forward to is the Alpha and the Omega. I love ABO AUs. This panel almost didn't run cause we only have two people on it and we're low on space but it made it in and I'm super excited.

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Diabetes Dieting with Friends

Wed, 07 May 2014 13:57:13 GMT

I don't have diabetes (a fact which constantly seems to astound my doctors) but my fiance was recently diagnosed with adult onset type 2 diabetes (and high cholesterol) so we've had to make some drastic changes to our diet to accommodate. He's been better sticking with it than I have. What can I say, I love me some carbs, especially a good alfredo pasta and I had some reaaally good alfredo over the past weekend.

I've done low carb before. I lost fifty pounds on South Beach and then gained it back a year later when I went back to a diet of heavy carbs. Now I don't have a choice in the matter (well, I do, but I hate cooking separate meals) so I've started shedding a little bit of weight again, much slower this time since I'm not the one going whole hog low carb. I still have my sugary granola bars every morning for breakfast because they're something I can keep in my desk at work.

The downside to low carb eating is that you end up cooking the vast majority of your meals, and if you forget to take something out of the freezer to dethaw, like I did this morning, you're kind of fucked for that day and then you have to go to the store even though there's all that perfectly good meat RIGHT THERE, it's just frozen blah blah blah.

I've been scouring the internet for new recipes since most of my staples are high carb, but if anyone has any good low carb recipes that they're fond of, feel free to share.

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Howler Con

Tue, 06 May 2014 19:10:11 GMT

Yesterday I learned about a new convention for Teen Wolf fans on the East Coast, Howler Con. There's not a lot of info up so far, just a date and a location but I'm super stoked about the fact that the convention is happening. I'm low on vacation days so I can't afford to take the Friday off to go, but I'll definitely be there for Saturday and Sunday's content. It's only a 6 hour drive. Ah! I can't wait!

Anyone interested can back their IndieGoGo campaign here. I backed for the t-shirt but I may back for one of the attendance packages if I have money after buying all the gardening supplies I need this weekend.

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Nauticon 2014

Mon, 05 May 2014 15:28:35 GMT

Well, Nauticon was a complete bust, but at least the food was good.

We drove out Thursday night, stopping for the night in a small town near the Massachusetts border and then finishing off the drive Friday morning with an hour or two detour to the coast to enjoy the view of the seashore. We got out and walked around a bit at one of the lookout points on the coast, though my asthma was acting up so I didn't get to do too much walking. We stopped for lunch at Moby Dick's where I had a delicious scallop sandwich.

We arrived at the Provincetown Inn a little early to find we'd been assigned a King bed for the three of us. We made it work but it would have been nice to have the option of a double bed. The artists alley for Nauticon was run out of the artists' hotel rooms, which was a little awkward for everyone involved. It made taking naps impossible but it did mean we could set our own hours for the shop. My roommates Erin and Tim made use of that to go hiking Saturday morning.

I went to the yaoi panel "Anime is so gay" on Friday night. It was a general introduction panel with a whole five people in the audience. Well organized but a rehash of information I already knew. Overall a good panel.

Provincetown is a lovely area with HORRIBLE driving conditions. There's very little parking at the restaurants so you either have to get there early or find one of the few public parking lots and walk. Also the majority of the streets are narrow one lane roads, some of which are labeled one way and some of which are not which caused a few hair raising moments on the way in.

That being said, I LOVED the atmosphere of Provincetown. It's very queer-friendly. One of the restaurants we went to, Victor's (fabulous raw bar, slow service) was described as being gayer than Christmas, but I found it was Bayside Betsey's that had the best gay atmosphere and amazing service, plus the best alfredo I've had in my life and delicious eggplant fries. If you go to Provincetown, you have to try Betsey's.

The rest of Nauticon was a bust. I sold nothing. Not a thing. There was barely anyone in attendance. We got maybe 20 people to stop into our room to check out wares. There wasn't a lot of content that interested me (besides the yaoi panel and the Voltaire concert). It's mostly a drinking and party convention, which while I like those in small doses, wasn't really my thing.

Not a con I'll be back to, but Provincetown is on my list of places I'd like to vacation to. It'd make a good writing retreat on the beach.

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Book Recommendation: Witch Eyes, Demon Eyes, Phantom Eyes by Scott Tracey

Thu, 24 Apr 2014 16:56:20 GMT

I just finished this trilogy and despite a brief stint near the end of the third book that made me want to throw the book (stick with it, it's worth it) it's a wonderful series. It's a sort of gay Romeo and Juliet story with witches. Here's the Amazon blurb:

A boy who can see the world's secrets and unravel spells with just a glance.

Braden's witch eyes give him an enormous power. A mere look causes a kaleidoscopic explosion of emotions, memories, darkness, and magic. But this rare gift is also his biggest curse.

Compelled to learn about his shadowed past and the family he never knew, Braden is drawn to the city of Belle Dam, where he is soon caught between two feuding witch dynasties. Sworn rivals Catherine Lansing and Jason Thorpe will use anything--lies, manipulation, illusion, and even murder--to seize control of Braden's powers. To stop an ancient evil from destroying the town, Braden must master his gift, even through the shocking discovery that Jason is his father. While his feelings for an enigmatic boy named Trey grow deeper, Braden realizes a terrible truth: Trey is Catherine Lansing's son . . . and Braden may be destined to kill him.

I devoured each book pretty quick. I like how Braden and Trey's relationship develops slowly with plot complications getting in the way. I absolutely loved the side character Drew. In fact all of the side characters are pretty well done. By the third book Braden's father had turned from this distant asshole to a character that had really grown on me.

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RainbowCon 2014 - Part 2: Recs

Wed, 23 Apr 2014 15:47:46 GMT

For those that missed the con but want to live vicariously, Aidee Ladnier storified her wonderful live tweeting of the event here.

Despite being an awkward turtle, I actually managed to meet some people and talk to them. For an introvert like me the sheer amount of people I met is impressive. I wasn't out and about as much as I probably should have been (see: awkward introvert turtle) but for the little that I was, it was definitely worth it. I think for next year, I need a series of T-shirts or a sign that says "I'm shy. Talk to me."

An incomplete list of people I met who were awesome:

Obviously, the wonderful organizers of SMP: Kris, Saundra, and Roger who are all amazingly awesome. It was so cool meeting them in person.

Kassa of Three AM Reviews - One of my two wonderful roomies! I had a great time rooming with her.

Ann Anderson - My other wonderful roomie, and probably the person I spent the most time hanging out with during the con. It was great to spend time with her and I'm looking forward to sharing a room again next year.

Cari Z - I'm in the middle of reading her book Changing Worlds from Storm Moon Press right now and loving it. Aliens! Yay!

Aidee Ladnier - Check out her blog or twitter for an awesome recap of what happened at the con.

Kindle Alexander - I met both halves of this writing duo and they are such sweethearts! I had to pick up one of their books, Texas Pride, when I ordered from Amazon today.

Sue Brown - It was great meeting Sue. She was one of the first people I got to talk to at the convention. I picked up her book, Final Admission, off of Amazon today.

Amanda Ching - Amanda's one of the editor's at Storm Moon Press. She's lovely to work with and she also does freelance editing, so if you're looking for an editor, I can't recommend her enough.

Kathleen Tudor - Another SMP editor, who worked with me on the Tall, Dark, and Wriggly edits. She's a wonderful person and also freelances so if you need editing work done, I also recommend her.

Caethes Faron - She was fun to talk to and a great dinner companion on Thursday when we all went out for Greek. I really need to pick up one of her books.

David Berger - I was on a panel with him and very narrowly beat him at a game of Cards Against Humanity. He probably remembers me as the girl who never left con suite because we always ended up there at the same time.

I'm probably forgetting people so I may add to this list as I remember others...

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RainbowCon 2014

Tue, 22 Apr 2014 16:07:34 GMT

I had a blast being a volunteer and attendee of RainbowCon 2014 this past weekend. It was so much fun I wished I didn't have to go home, but at the same time I was really happy to see my bed and my boy and my cats.

I flew down Wednesday, going from Buffalo to Philly to Miami to Tampa since they oversold the Philly to Tampa flight and I had time to kill so I figured what the hell, I'll be a good Samaritan and take a different flight. I am sooo out of shape. Walking all over the airports plus my asthma was killer, but I made it just in time to wait three hours for a room to be ready. Let me just say, the Embassy Suites near USF is soooo not recommended. Thankfully the con isn't there next year. They tried to give me a king room for three people, when my reservation was for a double. That was on top of waiting two and a half hours past when check in was supposed to start to even get a room. I got upgraded to a "premium" room (not much premium about it) for free so there was at least that.

My roomies were awesome, however. I had the best luck ever with random draw of rooming with people I'd never met before. Ann Anderson, Lor Rose, and Kassa were all sweethearts and we got along great.

Thursday started with working the reg line. Sorry to the people whose badges I couldn't find on the first try. The boxes got a little unorganized once we started digging in for name tags. I think everyone got their printed badges in the end, or at least got a badge so it all worked out.

My first panel of the weekend was Beginner's Guide to Con Going with Lori Toland and Roger Armstrong. We had a small but enthusiastic audience and it was a good panel overall. We talked about the 6/3/1 rule (6 hours of sleep, 3 meals, 1 shower, every day) and general tips on how to survive the con (lots of water, have a buddy, make a plan).

The first panel I attended was Author Etiquette with Amanda Ching, Martin Delacroix, Sandrine Gasq-Dion, Shae Connor, Anastasia Vitsky, and Kathleen Tudor. It was full of useful information, like avoiding GoodReads (at least for your own stuff) as an author and how not to get a bad reputation with readers. There was discussion on how to work with editors (Amanda and Kathleen are both editors with Storm Moon Press) and Twitter etiquette. All around a good panel and I wish I'd taken better notes to share with you all.

One of the things I really liked that the con did was schedule breaks for lunch and dinner were there wasn't content going on. For a smaller con like this, I think it was important because it gave us all time to socialize and get food without having to miss out on content. I have to say the content overall was stellar. There were times when there were two or three panels scheduled at the same time and I had a hard time choosing what to go to.

Another thing that was really cool was the con suite. There was free food (lunch meats, cheese and crackers, veggie trays, cookies, fruit, candy) and drinks (coffee, water, juice, soda/pop) available to con goers from 10am to 10pm the entirety of con. I never paid for lunch because I kept going up to the con suite and nibbling on the free food. Usually while I was there I got a chance to talk to other authors so it was a two for one deal with free food and great conversation. I met a lot of people just by being in the con suite.

Thursday night (and most nights) I crashed early, so I didn't get to see how the Relay Naughty Jeopardy turned out but I heard people had fun and were cursing me a little bit for the hard questions I put together. There was a low turnout so the questions will probably reappear next year with some tweaks.

Friday started off with a double panel header. First I was on Trends in Young Adult Fiction with Allison Cassatta, Beau Schemery (who wears awesome kilts), Cody Stanford, and David Berger. Our host was a no-show so we winged it but it turned out pretty good. We talked about the slow increase in trans and bi stories, though there's still a need for more of them. David Berger actually teaches high school so he was able to provide perspective on what teens are actually reading, which is generally above their grade level so most of the teens he knew were actually reading adult books in preparation for college.

After that, I was hosting Fifty Shades of WTF? talking about BDSM in fiction with Amelia C. Gormley, Andrew Grey, Michael Murphy, Vicktor Alexander, and VJ Summers. We talked about the kinds of things that throw us out of stories, examples of good and bad BSDM fiction, and about how realistic an author needs to be to both tell a good story and be authentic to real life BDSM relationships.

Then, later in the day, I was on Bisexual Mythbusters: Dispelling Bisexual Myths with Anel Viz, CR Guiliano, Grace R. Duncan, Sue Brown, Roger Armstrong, and K. Piet. Everyone on the panel was a bisexual and we talked a lot about bi erasure. Part of the problem is that it's not visible when someone is bi (unless they're poly) because they're usually either in a "straight" relationship or a "gay" relationship. We talked a bit about the stigma of being bi in gay communities and how it's hard for a bi person to attract a same-sex partner because of the fear that the bi partner will eventually end the relationship or cheat on their partner for an opposite sex relationship.

I ended off Friday by running Euphemism Bingo, which was a blast. I think people got a kick out of my dry pronunciation of each new euphemism. We had such wonders as "punching the starfish", "whore pipe", "jizz", and more. I learned a few new terms like clicket and crumpet.

Saturday I was working, so I didn't make it to any panels but there were several I wished I could go to like Writing Trans* and Genderqueer Characters, This is the Story that Never Ends: Series and Serials, Fade to Black? Erotic Content in QUILTBAG Young Adult Fiction, Won't Someone Please Think of the Children? QUILTBAG Young Adult Fiction, Appropriation and Fetishization, Worldbuilding Workshop, Behind the Curtain: An Inside Look at Publishing, and Handling Criticism.

Saturday ended with a con floor pizza party with rainbow jello shots and it was awesome. I ended up crashing early, but there were people in the con suite having a blast until 2am. Plus we had cake for Becky Condit's birthday.

Sunday I ran a game of Munchkin which only one person showed up to, so it was a short game. I ran Cards Against Humanity a little after that, which was much better attended and we had a blast. I won by one point. Then it was time for the closing ceremonies and the charity raffle. The con raised over $1000 for Equality Florida.

I'm hoping RainbowCon 2015 has an even bigger turnout. The details, for those interested are:

RainbowCon 2015
July 16-19, 2015
Holiday Inn Westshore
Tampa, Fl

General Registration is $75 and opens (iirc) in May 2014.

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Three New Fics

Tue, 01 Apr 2014 02:09:11 GMT

From the doctor_tailor Valentine's Day exchange:

Valentine's Day
Fandom: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Pairing: Garak/Bashir
Recipient: jenni_snake
Rating: R
Word Count: 1400
Disclaimer: Characters used without permission.
Summary: Bashir introduces Garak to Valentine's Day.

Next, two from the latest round of smut_fest:

Mated
Fandom: Original Fic
Recipient: txilar
Pairing: m/m/m
Warnings: None
Content Notes: Double penetration
Word Count: 4,600
Beta'd by: covarla
Summary: The worst thing that could possibly happen to Sydney does - he's bonded.

The Alpha and the Omega
Fandom: Original Fic
Recipient: miri_thompson
Pairing: m/m
Warnings: None
Content Notes: D/s themes, spanking
Word Count: 2,300
Beta'd by: covarla
Summary: Alex always dreamed of finding his mate.

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Conventions

Mon, 10 Mar 2014 16:28:33 GMT

It's starting to get to be con season again. These are the conventions I'm going to (below). Anyone going to any fun conventions?

UBCon
April 11-13
Buffalo, NY
(Vending as WarMaidens)

RainbowCon
April 17-20
Tampa, FL
(Volunteering)

Nauticon (maybe)
May 2-4
Provincetown, MA
(Possibly vending as WarMaidens/selling books)

Anime North
May 23-25
Toronto, ON
(Staffing Yaoi North)

Colossalcon
June 6-8
Sandusky, OH

NijiCon
October 18 & 19
Philadelphia, PA

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Ms. Marvel, True Detective, Kittens, and Writing

Mon, 17 Feb 2014 03:48:22 GMT

Ms. Marvel

So I picked up the first issue of the new Ms. Marvel after hearing a bunch of good press about it. A female Muslim superhero? I'm down. It's as good as I expected. The main character is adorbs and she writes Avengers fanfic. She has a hedgehog sidekick. Definitely going to be making the weekly pilgrimage to the comic store for more of this.

True Detective

Started watching True Detective on HBO tonight. It's a crime procedural with a Lovecraftian twist. Only got through the first two episodes so far, where the King in Yellow is just a passing mention. Episode three is supposed to start the really freaky stuff so I'm hoping to watch more of it soonish.

Kitties

My Valentine's Day present was a kitten! She's super sweet and adorable, loves everyone she comes across. We're not sure yet if she's going to get along with our existing cat. She's confined to the spare bedroom for now while we do the slow introduction. Going to start trying to integrate the cats over next weekend, and hope they get along. If they don't, I have a friend prepared to take the new kitty off our hands.

Writing

Seasonal Affective Disorder and depression have been kicking my ass. I've got a ton of stuff in the works, but I can't seem to go anywhere with them. It's like the part of my brain that comes up with plot just shut off. Like, I can write if I know where I'm going, but once I hit the end of what I've pre-plotted it's just like deeerrrr, what are words? Now would be a great time for some editing but I don't have much that needs editing.

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Looking for Panelists

Fri, 31 Jan 2014 00:11:40 GMT

We're currently seeking panelists for Anime North, specifically I'm looking for three other people who want to talk about Teen Wolf Slash with me. Other open panels are listed here.

If you have any suggestions for panels, feel free to leave them in the comments. I'm always looking for new ideas.

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Two New Fanfics

Sun, 12 Jan 2014 10:37:59 GMT

Naruto

What Brings Us Together
Pairing: Kakashi/Iruka
Recipient: blackmorghann
Rating: PG
Summary: Iruka wakes up married to Kakashi, which wouldn't be a problem if they hadn't broken up five years ago.

Teen Wolf

From My Heart to Yours
Pairing: Derek/Stiles
Rating: PG
Summary: When Laura Hale dies in a car crash, her heart ends up in Stiles Stilinski. Stiles can't help but look up the family of his supposedly anonymous donor, which gets more complicated when he starts dreaming about the dead woman who gave him his heart.

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