Ratcest Secret Santa 2025

Sign-Ups are open for the 2025 Ratcest Secret Santa!

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About

This is a low-stakes, relaxed Secret Santa fic and art exchange centered on the Ratliffs—in any configuration you can imagine them, as long as it's with each other. The theme is winter, and we encourage works that tie into the season. This can include holiday festivities, wintry ambiance, or any creative way you interpret the theme.

Timeline

The season is upon us! The Ratcest Secret Santa posting period opens at midnight EST December 25 and lasts until midnight EST December 31.

To post, run to the Ratcest Secret Santa 2025 collection on AO3, log in, and click 'post to collection.' Please remember to tag your giftee!

All uploaded works will stay anonymous until midnight EST December 31st. If you'd like your work to stay anonymous after that date, get in touch with your mods at [email protected], and we'll make it happen!

-Participants must be 18+.

-Submissions must feature a relationship or relationships between members of the Ratliff family (threesomes/moresomes are welcome).

-Fic must be at least 300 words; art should demonstrate a similar level of effort. There is no max word count, but the fest is intended to be a fun, low-commitment exchange, so please don’t feel the need to create lengthy/complex works.

-Submissions must be complete, standalone works.

-Works cannot be a sequel/prequel/companion to another work unless it can be read as a standalone.

-An AO3 account is required to give/receive your gifts. If you need help creating an account, please reach out to the mods ([email protected])

-Works must meet AO3 Terms and Conditions and make applicable use of Archive Warnings (“choose not to warn” is also acceptable).

-All content is welcome, including darker tropes, as long as it is properly tagged.

-Failure to respect your recipient's noted dislikes/triggers will result in your work's removal from the AO3 collection.

-For all written works, we strongly encourage a beta reader.

-Works must be created specifically for this fest and cannot be not previously published/posted.

-Use of AI at any point in the creative process (ideation, creation, or beta/editing) is not allowed.

-Your work must be entirely created by you. Plagiarism will result in a ban from the fest.

Celebrate your winter holidays with Durham's premiere incest family!

This is a low-stakes, relaxed Secret Santa fic and art exchange centered on the Ratliffs—in any configuration you can imagine them, as long as it's with each other. The theme is winter, and we encourage works that tie into the season. This can include holiday festivities, wintry ambiance, or any creative way you interpret the theme.

We welcome flash fiction, as long as it meets the minimum 300 word requirement, and art that demonstrates a similar level of effort—this is meant to be chill!

Eligibility

Participants must be 18+ and have an active AO3 account to participate. Check out our Rules for more guidance.

Timeline

• Sign-ups open: NOW

• Sign-ups close: Fri. November 21, 11:59 EST

• Assignments sent: Tues. November 25

• Posting window: December 25–31

How Do I Sign Up?

Use our form!

Okay... Then What?

Your mods will reach out on Tues. November 25 with your giftee's AO3 handle and preferences via the email you share in the sign-up form. Then it's creating time!

Check out our Rules for more guidance. If you don't think you can make the deadline, please let the mods know! The sooner we hear from you, the more easily we can find you a pinch-hitter to fill in.

How Do I Share My Gift?

Once you've filled your giftee's request, you can share your work on AO3 any time during the posting window (December 25–31). • All works should be added to the AO3 Ratcest Secret Santa collection

•Upon uploading, add your Santa as gift recipient

•The collection will remain anonymous until December 31, when it will be de-anoned. If you'd like to stay anonymous beyond this date, email your mods (below)!

Wait, I Have Questions

Get in touch!