Forest_

PROPAGANDA:

Okay, inspired by a reply that I got a while ago from @bigtrashkidstudent, who asked me to rec them some bakudeku fics, I made my first fic rec list. I started this a while ago, but I didn’t finish it until recently. I honestly don’t know why I haven’t thought of doing this before. Just a note that it’s been a while since I’ve read some of these fics (especially the longer ones), so forgive the summaries being kinda vague. Also also READ THE TAGS of these fics before you read them. I gave some major triggers in my descriptions (most of them don’t have them), but if there’s anything more specific ALWAYS READ THE TAGS!!!

.

#. “Fic Title” - Author (Word Count / AO3 Rating / Completion Status)

Summary/What I like about it

Link

.

1. “Zero: The Birth of the World’s Best Hero Duo” - Toboe1087 (288k / T / Complete)

Oof, it’s been a while since I’ve read this, but I thought it was one of the most amazing canon rewrites EVER. I’m not ashamed to admit that I love canon rewrites (even though I will probably never write one myself), and this one tied in bkdk soulmates and made them super cute and I loved it. Bakudeku have a soulmate connection when they’re little. In the AU, soulmate connections are rare and mean that the pair is destined for greatness. They don’t fall out, Baku supports Deku being a quirkless hero, then Izu gets OFA, and they become great heros together while also deeply caring for and loving each other at first platonically, then eventually romantically. 

https://archiveofourown.org/works/18548689/chapters/43963657

2. “The Prettiest Hero” - SweetFictionalDreams (57k / E / Incomplete)

Ahh I don’t remember this being rated E, but whatever. This is also a canon rewrite (I tried not to have many but there’s like one or two more), but with cute, femboy Izuku. This is another one where bkdk don’t fall out, but it’s very cute and Katsuki is a simp and I have an addiction to boys in skirts and this fic ticks all those boxes. Inko gets a promotion at work so she spoils Izuku, and he decides to change his style. Eventually, Izuku gets OFA. One of the tags is eventual smut (though fic hasn’t gotten there yet that I remember), so if that isn’t for you then not this fic.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/28748850/chapters/70493247

3. “One more time with feeling, Prelude” - Infinity_Sansa (63k / T / Complete, but there is a sequel in progress)

This fic is a sort of pre-canon, sort of canon rewrite (I promise there’s some other stuff in this list), but more importantly…there is genderfluid rep! Yes, this fic is genderfluid Izuku and I absolutely LOVED this fic. Izuku gets a part-time job at a new fairy tale-themed park during his last year of middle school, but he gets hired to be a new princess for the park, which leads to an identity crisis on his part (which is handled very well <3). Katsuki and Izuku end up reconciling, and it’s very sweet.  I also really love that Izuku goes into management instead of support like he usually does when he’s quirkless. This fic goes up until they start UA, and the sequel continues from there.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/29044317/chapters/71288754

4. “Pastel Explosion Murder” - artindistress (9k / T / Complete)

This is a really cute one-shot where Katsuki likes pastels and cute clothes. At first he keeps it a secret because he’s insecure and he thinks people won’t take him seriously anymore if they knew, but with fem!Deku’s support he eventually ends up being more open about it. Cute Katsuki is one of my favorite tropes, but it is so hard to find it without cute Izuku attached. This fic is cute and fluffy and perfect because Izuku ventures more into the pastel cute stuff because she’s trying it for Katsuki. She’s lovely and supportive and this fic is so great. There is some homophobic/biphobic Mineta near the end, so if that’s a problem then skip this one. 

https://archiveofourown.org/works/20752004

5. “Runaway Matchmaker” - Anoksun (12k / T / Complete) 

I love how hilarious this fic is. Pro hero Izuku gets a cat from the shelter, but said cat always escapes to find Katsuki. This behavior worries Izuku to no end and annoys Katsuki; however, when Izuku gets incapacitated due to sickness, both of them are pretty happy that for some reason the cat always knows where exactly to find Katsuki. 

https://archiveofourown.org/works/31329185

6. “Little Sh*t (Kidfic)” (Series) - SaysiWrites (whole series: 88k, each part: 5k - 15k / T / Series: Incomplete, Currently Posted Parts: Complete)

This series is genius and I love it to death. If you love age regression/de-aging or just quirk shenanigans then you will love this series. Not to mention bakudeku becomes 1-A’s resident married couple, which is its own reason by itself. Each part of the series is just a different person (or people) getting de-aged by this annoying villain that keeps bothering UA, and they can all sort of stand independent of each other while also building on each other. I love how fluffy and funny this series is, and the bakudeku fluff is cute.

https://archiveofourown.org/series/1181930

7. “Deku’s Already Fucking Taken” - asdfjkl129 (20k / M / Complete)

Bakugou and Izuku are together, but apparently five people can’t see what’s directly in front of their face. A cute and hilarious 5+1 with possessive Katsuki and Izuku who has all eyes on Kacchan as always. The plus one is my favorite part though because I love old gays and the little old lady in the plus one is so spunky and fun. I love her. The mature rating is for language and PDA, this is all cute and funny bakudeku moments. 

https://archiveofourown.org/works/33354697

8. “What I Deserve” - s_the_queen (16k / T / Complete)

This is ANGSTYYYYYY, but I loved it. Basically Izuku gets into a relationship with a girl from Gen Studies, but then she cheats on him AND gaslights him into continuing the relationship because of his low self-esteem, and my sunshine child does not DESERVE this. BUT thankfully Katsuki is amazing and protective, and eventually after they find out the truth 1-A is a protective powerhouse too. This is sweet and angsty and vindictive and AMAZING. And of course it’s a happy ending. 

https://archiveofourown.org/works/30563303/chapters/75385271

.

TW!!!! These last two deal with child rape/child sexual abuse, so if that’s not your jam then skip them.

.

9. “The Unthinkable” - miraculousemily47 (111k / E / Complete)

The last canon divergent on this list, but it made quite the impression on me so I included it. Last warning on the rape trigger. This fic isn’t light on it…….This fic is very unique because of all the All Might bashing fics that I’ve read, he was never depraved enough to groom and rape a minor. This was very well-written and the plot was so heartbreaking, but All Might passed OFA to Izuku….but he also groomed and raped him during their training and throughout Izuku’s first year of UA. It was SO SAD and it made me so angry, but I feel like it did job with the overarching plot (and All Might gets his due at the end dw) and dealing with the issue of child rape and the aftermath. The ending is sweet and happy and hopeful and the bakudeku moments are cute (& there’s badass Inko which is always a plus). 

https://archiveofourown.org/works/29936460/chapters/73686246

10. “Save Me (I’m Trapped in a Vile World)” - miraculousemily47 (15k / M / Complete)

This last one I really like as well. It’s a good mix of quirk shenanigans and rape aftermath angst. Basically UA brings someone with a truth quirk in when they want to give the class sex-ed, that way they have and open path of communication and honest answers, but it inadvertantly causes Izuku and Katsuki to confront the childhood sexual abuse that they faced at the hands of Izuku’s father. This one is still angsty, but it is WAY less angsty than number nine and this one also has more bakudeku. In the end, both of these fics focus more on the themes than the relationship, which is admirable and something I really like about them. 

https://archiveofourown.org/works/25713175/chapters/62434513

.

.

.

So, some time ago you said Bill calling Dipper 'mason' was a massive jumpscare, so, would it work in reverse? Like- Dipper going 'Cipher' or 'William'

'Cipher' wouldn't be a jumpscare. 'William' isn't technically Bill's name, but it would certainly underscore how annoyed Dipper was at the time! Less a shock and more of an 'uh oh' for Bill.

so I did a thing.

Y'know how Tumblr and Ao3 got married? You know how it's a joke ship? Yeah so somehow my ADHD brain got so hyperfixated on it that somehow I made lore.

Basically, AO3 is known as archivist, but we'll call em AO3 for the sake of recognizability. AO3 was spawned in in this backrooms-like world that is his massive library of whatever-amount-of-books they said they had.

After they spawn in, they realize they have no memory of any past. The only thing they have is a bag and the orb of light that hangs above their head as a way to light up the area around them and see the fics. The orb of light isn't visible to other apps but others can see that light is emmited from the area surrounding AO3.

Anyways, enough about the light. The library is filled with "consumers" or "readers" but I think consumers sound scarier. We can call them readers when they acctually read.

When AO3 first comes across one of these "consumers" their first instinct is to protect themself by grabbing a book and threatening to hit the consumer.

However, instead of the consumer attacking AO3 like AO3 thought it would, AO3 discovers that the books-- or "fics" fascinate the consumers. The consumer, when faced with the fic, seemed to become much more docile.

Once the consumer comes in contact with the fic, the consumer turns into a more of a "character" which aligns with the fic. (Note: not any character from the fandom but just something that matches the fandoms world y'know what I mean? Like how people make personas yeah?)

How did AO3 know what the fic was about? Shhhh.... Don't question ao3. Maybe they mind read books.

Anywho, later, AO3 discovers that they were a bit off. In order to find keep the consumers/readers happy, he must find their fandoms fics and hand them some.

So, while doing this they're also on a search for an "everything fic" so they can keep themselves protected at all times, and keep the consumers satisfied until they find the right fic.

And yes.

They do find it.

Were pretending that exists for now because I don't know if it actually does. I don't think it does. But authors never fail to amaze me.

Anyways. When AO3 gets the hang of their job, they find that they enjoy doing it. They enjoy making these consumers-- no. readers-- happy. They enjoy making the readers happy.

And later on, after a long while, they stumble upon the edge of their library, and find that they can leave to other backrooms-like spaces. One being twitters.

Twitter though, in more current times, has been going through this-- corruption. It has AO3 and other apps concerned, and ready to distance themselves. But mostly, they miss who Twitter used to be, or atleast-- some of who they used to be.

Once AO3 enters, they stumble across someone already with Twitter. Someone... Familiar. Someone they feel like they know from somewhere, but they're not sure where...

Tumblr?

Here's my character designs for them btw :3

So, your landlord/parents/home inspector/favorite movie star is dropping by, and your place is a disaster. You don’t have much time to clean it up. You’re in emergency mode. Let’s get started.

Don’t panic. Panic leads to fear, fear leads to procrastination, procrastination leads to the dark side. You can do this, but you have to stay calm.

Unlike maintenance cleaning, we’re not looking to completely unfuck one space at a time. Instead, we want to decrease the overall mess in stages, spread evenly across the whole area that we’re concerned about. If you think your home is at Level 10 filth, we want to bring the whole thing down to a Level 9, and then down from there. One really clean spot in an otherwise messy home is not going to be helpful here.

Get prepared. You’ll want to shut the computer down (or turn the modem off if you need your computer to play music). Trust me. Get your music going. Gather up trash bags, your vacuum and mop, some rags or paper towel, sponges, and other cleaning supplies. Use what you have on hand. Don’t get distracted running to the store and spending an hour browsing cleaning supplies. A multi-purpose cleaning concentrate or a jug of vinegar will be just fine.

Breaks are very important. Depending on your time constraints, work in 20/10s (20 minutes working, 10-minute break) or 45/15s. But take breaks because otherwise you’re marathoning, and marathon cleaning is no one’s friend. Keep hydrated, don’t forget to eat, and check in with yourself frequently to make sure you’re physically doing OK.

Make your bed. This will be your home base if you get overwhelmed or need somewhere clear to take a break.

Start with the garbage. Going from room to room, throw out anything that is obvious trash. Once you fill a bag, take it out. Repeat as many times as necessary.

Move on to dishes. Gather the dishes from all over your house and bring them to the kitchen. If you can, start them soaking in a sink of hot, soapy water or start loading the dishwasher. After the dishes are all in one place, spend one 20/10 getting started getting them under control.

Now it’s time for your flat surfaces. Countertops, tables, dresser tops, etc. Clear them off and wipe them down. Don’t get distracted in too much sorting and organizing. We’re in crisis mode here. There will be time to get in-depth once this is all done. The same applies to cabinets and closets. Unless you have reason to believe people will be opening closed doors, leave these alone for now.

Attack the floordrobe and shoe pile. Get your clothes either put away or in the hamper. Start a load of laundry if you need to, but keep in mind that laundry and dishes have three steps: wash, dry, and put it away, goddammit!

Get random stuff up off the floors. If something is trash-worthy, throw it away now rather than just move it around a bunch of times. Otherwise, put stuff where it belongs.

Take another 20/10 or 45/15 to catch up on more dishes, if needed.

Head into the bathroom. Pour some cleaner in the toilet bowl, fill the sink with hot water and cleaner, and either spray the tub and shower with cleaner, or fill the tub up with some hot water and add cleaner and let it soak. Put everything away that’s out and shouldn’t be, clean the mirror, counters, and toilet seat. Sweep or dry mop the floor. Wipe down the sink and tub/shower, and give the toilet bowl a scrub. Mop the floor.

Sweep and mop the kitchen floor.

Vacuum everything you can, and sweep everything you can’t.

Walk outside of your house (don’t lock yourself out, please). Walk back in and see what catches your eye first. Go and deal with that.

If you’re being inspected or your landlord is coming in for repairs, spend time on whatever area they’ll be focusing on.

Give the whole place one more once-over and pay attention to anything you’ve missed so far.

It’s an old trick, but if your place is a little funky-smelling, put a pan of water on the stove on low heat and add some citrus or cinnamon or vanilla. Don’t leave it unattended or forget about it.

Take a shower, put on something clean, and eat something.

You can do this. It’s overwhelming, yes, but it is not impossible. You just need to do it. You have a list. You have directions. You have a whole bunch of Internet strangers who have been there before and who are cheering you on. You can do this, but you need to get started.

I am Arran, god of the most important thing

TMA AND WTNV IS LIKE A NEW BORN CHILD TO ME

This is a modern riso ink swatch, but still you find a similar and limited selection of colors to mix with. (Mixing digitally as to emulate the layering of ink riso would be coloring on Multiply, and layering on top of eachother 👉)

If you find some old prints, take a closer look and see if you can tell what colors they used and which ones they layered... a lot of the time you'll find yellow as a base!

Misprints can really reveal what colors were used and where, I love misprints...

Something else I keep in the back of my mind is: how the human eye perceives color on paper vs. a screen. Ink and paint soaks into paper, it bleeds, stains, fades over time, smears, ect... the history of a piece can show in physical wear. What kind of history do you want to emulate? Misprinted? Stained? Kept as clean as possible, but unable to escape the bluing damages of the sun? It's one of my favorite things about making vintage art. Making it imperfect!

You can see the bleed, the wobble of the lines on the rug, the fading, the dirt... beautiful!!

Thinking in terms of traditional-method art while drawing digital can help open avenues to achieving that genuine, vintage look!

YELLOWING!! Digital art is very blue-light based. Cold, clean, flat. But traditional art has warmth to it. Why?

Over time, paper gets yellowed with dust, oil, dirt, and nicotine from cigarettes! So colors got warmer. This makes art look pretty aged, on top of the slight toned papers and hand made/factory made inks they printed with.

YES! YES!! THANK YOU FOR THE SCIENCE!

A lot of knowing your traditional materials goes into making digital art, too!

Well, it was a different context back then. A different internet. Mind you, I wrote in Portuguese (my native tongue) and posted on fanfiction.net. There was no ao3, only fanfic forums, livejournal and the big one, ff.net. Back in the 2000s, before tumblr exploded and concentrated fandom in its trenches, fanfic itself wasn’t a very known concept. In a way, the Harry Potter series really helped develop the genre and put it on the map in a way that previous fandoms — Buffy, LotR, Star Trek and others — hadn’t. The moment was very auspicious; HP was a global phenomenon and the internet was rising faster than ever. The months, years between the release of the final four books also helped: restless, hundreds of thousands of fans started writing their own versions of the story. I remember when a newspaper in my country published an article about Harry Potter fans and fanfics. They even mentioned Drarry! A breach between “fandom world” and the “real world”. Nowadays “fanfic” is used a slang in my culture (to mean lie, fabricated tale) by people who have no idea where the term came from. Fandom is a known thing and its members are taken seriously as consumers. Entertainment companies are aware of ships, of tropes, even of old men yaoi.

It was different back then. Even within that huge fandom Voldemort/Harry or TomHarry was a small, almost inexistent ship. We didn’t know yet that Harry was Voldemort’s Horcrux — although some fans had already come up with the theory. There was a lot of crack involving Voldemort. Noseless, bald, snake-like Voldy. He was far from the sex symbol he is today. I remember when Ralph Fiennes was cast to play him…

Tom Riddle, on the other hand, was a bit more palatable. If I remember correctly he was shipped mostly with Ginny. A lot of fans were intrigued by him. But many couldn’t see past the unsexy villain he’d become. A lack of handsomeness — that was unforgivable. Especially in an age where Japanese Animation was also a growing hype — compare Voldemort to the bishonen that treaded gracefully the western screens: Itachi, Sesshoumaru, Light Yagami, all those svelte, long-haired beauties. Even Orochimaru, Voldemort’s most obvious anime double, had more style.

I’ve always liked villains. I read the first Harry Potter when I was six or seven and I already liked Voldemort then. Even as a shade, a shape on the back of Quirrell’s head. When he was re-introduced as Tom Riddle in the Chamber of Secrets I knew he would be my favourite ever. Like many other kids I grew up with Harry. But Voldemort was my son, my love, my darling. I started reading fanfic when I was twelve but most of it was anime’s. When I came across Harry Potter fanfic my focus was the Marauders. We had a very thriving community writing in Brazilian Portuguese before we were all colonised by the internet’s Lingua Franca. Both in English (which I started to learn when I was ten) and Portuguese Voldemort/Tom Riddle was a usually side character. Ginny, Bellatrix, obvious self-inserts OCs, Lucius — those were his most common partners.

TomHarry/Harrymort started to appear more, I think, after the release of the fifth book. That connection, that dream sharing, is hard to ignore. I recall an author who’d put Harry through hell through Voldemort’s hands (he was quite the sadist in their depiction). Others wrote him as the tender violator. Some of the tropes that are now popular began to be formed: Dark!Harry, Dumbledore bashing, Light Bashing. A lot of fics depicted Voldemort “rescuing” Harry from the Dursleys, horrified by the abused he suffered.

Not many explored Harry and Tom, but some did. Time travel fics were almost unheard of. A few gems attempted that glorious hardship: Voldemort and Harry being together while staying true to their morals and beliefs. Those were very hard to find and I treasured them.

I think something shifted in the late 2000s/early 2010s. We now knew Harry was Voldemort’s Horcrux. And we had Flayu. Flayu was the first popular, Japanese fanartist to draw TomHarry/Harrymort. We didn’t have the incomparable @shelter-maki0 but we had drawings like this and this and this.

I stayed away from the fandom and from Voldemort/Harry for a long time. After Voldemort died in the seventh book I renounced Harry Potter……my baby was gone and I felt that he was done very dirty in the end. He went out like a Disney villain. No depth. So I don’t know how we moved from a very niche pairing with few fanfics and only one big fanartist to 16,120 fics as I’m writing this. I missed that bridge. The fandom annoys me nowadays because so many works are more of the same. I feel like we used to be more daring back in my day. But that could be just me being a 30+ old man yelling at a cloud. But also:

For all the annoyance the overuse of that trope (and others) causes me, I’m happy this fandom is so much bigger now and so many people enjoy this pairing. When I stumbled on them, many, many years ago, it was like a switch turned on in my brain. Voldemort/Harry makes so much sense it’s insane. I’m glad more people see it, write about it, love them like me.

This reddit user took a poll of 3,500 people and went really in depth with asking their favorite terminology, along with actual pie charts on what the readers preferred to see in their smut.