#category 12

Y'all SHOWED UP for this category and I am LOVING IT. You submitted 27 fics that deserve more love to highlight, and I am honoured to hold them up before you and say LOOKIT THESE TASTY MORSELS. They may have under 1,000 hits now, but I'm sure they won't for long!

I think this is one of the most varied lists so far -- we've got a handful of rarepairs including Zouis, Gryles, and OT5, as well as genfic, and there are half a dozen girl direction fics as well. And of course there are fics of all kinds of lengths, from under a thousand words to tens of thousands of words.

As always, please enjoy, read, kudos, comment, reblog, etc! New rec category coming soon :)

The Full English by albatross1013 (2985, Explicit, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson)

HSLOT has ended. FITFUS is wrapping up in NYC. Louis is waiting for his boy.

Reccer says: I had fun writing it.

HALLOWEENTOWN by justahappycloud (28700, General, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

Harry gets stuck in a town full of monsters, and Louis helps him escape. they run all over town while encountering the rest of the boys and different monsters

Reccer says: The way harry charms the entire town, and how the other boys are introduced is so fun!

i'll follow you til there's no tomorrow by liberty_barnes (12000, General, none) – fic post Warnings: depression and anxiety

the story of how a stray puppy saved Niall's life

Reccer says: Niall and the fans being inspired by each other for their own mental health journeys

(not) driving home for christmas by BeautifulWisdom (3461, Teen, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

Harry hits a dog while driving in a blizzard. Colour him surprised and woefully unprepared when said dog turns into a very bloody and very naked man.

Treat me like a queen, now you got me feelin' thrown, oh by LouisThiccSexyGlitteryAss (1765, Explicit, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson)

After a photography project leads her to the supposedly empty house of a beautiful woman, Harry learns that vampires are real... And devilishly good with their tongues.

Reccer says: Lesbians! Vampires!

Only for the Brave by Huggieshalo (990, Teen, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post Warnings: feelings of imposter syndrome/ internalized homophobia

Louis dealing with big feelings through the process of writing OTB

You Can Let It Go by Huggieshalo (8600, Mature, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post Warnings: There are multiple scenes and implications of an unhealthy/toxic family dynamic.

Harry as matilda if she followed her family and never stayed with Ms Honey

I'll knock on your door, it will save me from calling by hl-obsessed (RozaDhampir) (5790, Not Rated, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik & Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

Louis hears "Good Years" for the first time. Harry is there to pick up the pieces.

Reccer says: Love all the emotions in this fic. Very well written!

Remember Me As A Time Of Day by justanothershadeofblue (zjofierose) (67393, Explicit, Niall Horan/Zayn Malik/Liam Payne/Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson)

It's the 20th anniversary of the One Direction hiatus, and the powers that be have decided that it's time for a reunion tour. 5 middle aged lads have to face each other and reconnect

Reccer says: Fabulous look at regrets, angst, smut and love

Peculiar Ugly Duckling by LadyLondonderry (3789, General, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

Loowee is a fish born to a family of FOUS fish. You’ve heard of FOUS fish, haven’t you, reader? Yes, of course you have. Fish Of Unusual Size Fish, of course.

Reccer says: I adore this fic so much. It's a very creative, humorous, and genuine story set in Eroda..

molecular by sarcangel (3862, Teen, Zayn Malik/Louis Tomlinson)

OT5 try to survive a zombie apocalypse.

Reccer says: This fic is intense from the start and tells an entire novel of an epic story in under 4000 words.

last call by neptune rising (thelesserneptune) (666, Not Rated, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) Warnings: Implied/Referenced Character Death

Harry is a cheeky ground operator at NASA with a slight crush on astronaut Louis Tomlinson. On one late, calm night, they share their most personal conversation yet.

Reccer says: This ficlet pulled me in and then broke my heart (in the best way). The end packs an angsty punch that I didn't see coming.

The In-Between by LadyAJ_13 (2422, General, None) – fic post

“You wake up in a desert with an angel, a demon and a grim reaper-” “-and the accounts manager!” “-yes, alright Liam, and the accounts manager - and you haven’t realised you’re dead?”

Reccer says: I love the banter between the boys as they try to figure out the mystery of why Louis is stuck in The In-Between. The way they all argue and joke around with each other is great.

Chase by wabadabadaba (1900, Explicit, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson)

Louis and Harry play a game of chase during the full moon. A girl direction omegaverse fic.

Reccer says: There are not enough femslash omegaverse fics out there, and this is proof of how incredible they could be.

Remember Me (When I'm With You) by liberty_barnes (1441, Teen, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post Warnings: Depression, suicidal thoughts, body dysmorphic disorder

Fallen angel Louis was cast out and angel Harry just wants him to be happy.

Reccer says: It's incredible the amount of emotion and hurt (and world building) come through in such a short fic. But there is hope and comfort to be had from angel Harry even if Louis doesn't always remember him.

The Sweet Yoke by little_obelia/littleobelia (1700, Teen, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

Harry is a nun who looks after her convent's chickens and Louis is the new vet who comes to help care for them.

Reccer says: It's so quirky and funny and completely charming!

close enough to touch, but I never cared for love by femstyles (759, Teen, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson)

Harry and Louis are best friends with benefits and Harry wants more but Louis (thinks) he's not interested in love. A tiny slice of a soft morning.

Reccer says: A perfect, tiny peek - soft and sweet

Stay by Maelstrom_Roots (5000, Mature, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson)

In the months before Louis shows up at the rink, Harry has been considering giving skating up altogether. Then, Louis comes to IceSheffield, his heart so obviously full of love for the sport, for simply being on the ice, that Harry can’t help but fall in love with it too. | Harry and Louis are competitive ice skaters who grow up together at the same rink.

Reccer says: Somehow it feels like 100k fic when it's only 5 - there's so much emotion and story packed in. Absolutely beautifully written, too.

The Doppel Effect by yeah_alright/uhohmorshedios (6500, Teen, Harry Styles & Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

Future Dystopia AU where rich people use lifelike android doppelgangers to be able to do more and get even richer and criminals have stolen the technology to create a sub-class of doppelgangers called Forgeries.Harry lives what he believes to be a simple life, until a mysterious stranger shows up and turns it upside down.

Reccer says: Fascinating story with great tension and well executed surprises. Great worldbuilding! This was probably my favorite fic from 2023. I love love love sci-fi, and this was brilliant and mysterious and creepy and I am absolutely holding out hope that the author will write a longer au of this world.

like sun on the rise by disgruntledkittenface (9000, Mature, Nick Grimshaw/Harry Styles) – fic post

Harry shows up at the coffee shop Nick works at and insists they've known each other in previous lives. Nick doesn't know what to make of her, but luckily, she goes with it.

Reccer says: Characterizations are flawless, the relationship dynamic is wonderful - sweet and funny and flirty and comfortable - and the smut is SO SO HOT

Eyes so blue, Shorts so red by nonsensedarling/absoloutenonsense (2600, General, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

Harry isn’t like any roommate Louis has had before. For one, he doesn’t know what a poem is (or skee-ball, for that matter), but luckily for him, Louis doesn’t mind answering any and all of his questions.

Reccer says: Could not be more charming! Sweet and funny and clever. This Alien!Harry is so earnest and adorable I love him so much.

Hold Steady by abrighteryellow/a-brighter-yellow (3000, Teen, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

Harry can never get his winged eyeliner right so he finally goes to Sephora where Louis helps him.

Reccer says: Wonderful writing! I love this Harry so much and everything about his interactions with Louis are just perfect. Such a sweet, funny, engaging story.

Behind Nowhere by 4ureyesonly28/evilovesyou (3500, General, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

It's the September of 1967 and Harry is curious to find out what the Summer of Love brought to San Francisco.

Reccer says: It's a sweet, tender exploration and the writer captures the atmosphere and Harry's thoughts wonderfully.

{the hs1 collection} 5 fics. 5 songs. 5 decades. by zita17/louisandtheaquarian (28263, Explicit, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

Five unrelated fics, each set in a different decade, from the 1950s through the 1990s, and inspired by a different unreleased HS1 song.

Reccer says: historical fiction, musician and famous/not famous au's, inspired by music + films. This whole series is INCREDIBLE, but the 1978 one is my favorite—the vulnerability, the pining, the musings on self vs. performance are impeccable. Plus, Harry as a mermaid/alien/glam-rock god and Louis as a leather-pants-and-platform-boots punk are genius!

Secrets I Have Held by QuickedWeen (4000, Mature, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson ) – fic post Warnings: Mentions of violence and guns

Peaky Blinders AU with gangster Louis

Reccer says: It's very atmospheric in the time period and world

I See You Shiver With Antici— (SAY IT, SAY IT) by homosociallyyours (666, General, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

Harry has elaborate costumes planned for each night of The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Reccer says: The author packed SO MUCH into 666 words! Gender exploration + euphoria, flirting, and RHPS!

My Kind of Trouble by Homosociallyyours (1800, General, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

Harry is a waitress at Waffle House, Louis stops by for a visit

Hello! Sorry this is a touch delayed; I had some personal things keeping me busy, but our next category is here -- hidden gems! In this case, I'm defining that as fics that have under 1,000 hits at the time of submitting. I picked this cutoff somewhat arbitrarily; by my estimate around one third of fics in the One Direction tag fall under this threshold. In future if I repeat this category, I may sort it by kudos or by some other metric.

I do want to remind everyone that as much as we writers may look at the numbers of hits and kudos and comments and bookmarks as a form of feedback, they are by no means a measure of the quality of a work, or of how much of an impact they may leave on the people who do read it. So many things outside your control can affect those numbers -- the activity level of the fandom, particular tropes popping off unexpectedly, a fic post getting reblogged by the right person, how saturated and busy the fic space was that week, etc. But your work is valuable by virtue of it being uniquely yours.

If you have an old favorite story that you think hasn't gotten enough love, please send it in so that can hopefully be rectified! Maybe it's a rare pair that doesn't get as much attention -- but is adored by the readers who love that ship. Maybe it's a story you were really proud of, but that just didn't find its audience -- that audience is out there.

The 2019 Galiano #Wine & #Beer Tasting Festival on August 10 2019 @galianowinefest #GalianoIsland @driftwoodbeer @nicholvineyard @KrazeLegzWine

Have you ever been to Galiano Island or needed an excuse to go to Galiano Island?  Reading my posts, I assume you are a wine lover.  On August 10 you can go to Galiano Island to celebrate their Wine & Beer tasting festival.  Below is the announcement from the Festival.  Enjoy!

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THE 2019 GALIANO WINE & BEER TASTING FESTIVAL ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 10 2019  1 – 4 PM.  

Venue: Lion’s Field on Burrill…

Category 12 Brewing – Raw Ale West Coast Farmhouse Ale

Category 12 Brewing – Raw Ale West Coast Farmhouse Ale Review Category 12 Brewing has released a wild fermented Farmhouse Ale called the Raw Ale. Brewed with Brettanomyces and Red Cedar this is a west coast twist on a classic style beer. From the 750ml bottle the beer pours a hazy golden-straw colour with three full fingers of head that leave lacing behind on the glass. The aroma is thick with…

Category 12 Brewing – Anomaly Bourbon Barrel Aged Belgian Ale

Category 12 Brewing – Anomaly Bourbon Barrel Aged Belgian Ale Review From Category 12 Brewing comes a beer in their Barrel Holder line of beers called the Anomaly. This Bourbon Barrel Aged Belgian Ale is 8.7% alcohol and the IBUs are labelled as being “?”. Pouring this wax dipped beer it is dark burgundy-brown in colour and has nearly three fingers of dense and lacing head on top. The aroma is a…

Category 12 Brewing Co. – Excitation Cacao Nib Espresso Stout Review Vancouver Island’s chem lab brewery, Category 12, has concocted  a beer using cold pressed, organic espresso and raw cocoa nibs. This beer is called the Excitation Cacao Nib Espresso Stout. From the bomber bottle this beer is a deep and dark brown colour and is topped with two fingers of lacing head. On the nose comes a rich and…