#lightveils

*A FIC YOU LOVE WITHOUT KNOWING THE SOURCE MATERIAL*

✨ Beyond The Sea by @lemonoclefox ✨

Never played BioShock but the underwater city of Rapture was brought to life so vividly here, that it didn’t matter!   

*A FIC WITH A PREMISE THAT SHOULDN’T WORK BUT DOES*

✨ How Rare and Beautiful by @glorious-spoon ✨

Having 'our' Malec appear to TWI's Magnus worked wonderfully, thanks to some very clever writing!  

* A FIC YOU’VE RE-READ SEVERAL TIMES*

✨ Best Laid Plans by  @superficialpeasant  ✨

I'll always come back to this DEEPLY satisfying story of intrigue, authority, prejudice, support - and my favourite depiction of bad-ass, hot-as-hell Malec!

*A FIC YOU STILL REMEMBER YEARS LATER*  

✨ Home by @otppurefuckingmagic ✨

I read this gem three years ago now, but I still remember the chills I got when the emotional build-up led to a twist that blind-sided me - in the best of ways!

*A COMFORT FIC*

✨ Higher Than The Big Trees by  @carmenlire ✨

Getting updates for this lengthy tale, knowing it was only ever going to hit new heights of happiness each time, makes this a real heart-warmer!

*A CATHARTIC FIC*

✨Good Intentions by @alittlebriton ✨

There was only ever one contender for this - an alternative take on what happens after Malec's 3x18 break-up - because chapter 4 had me punching the air over both of them venting their shit!

*A FIC YOU’D PRINT AND PUT ON YOUR BOOKSHELF*

✨ Of Splendour In The Grass by @lecrit ✨

Prejudice, poetry, pining and period Malec, was captured so beautifully here that it deserves to be bound and displayed in pride of place imo!

*A FIC YOU ASSOCIATE WITH A SONG*

✨ Appassionato by @chonideno ✨

Thanks to this fic, I can't hear Liszt's Liebestrume No. 3 in A flat without thinking of Alec hitting all the right notes with his music-loving neighbour!

*A FIC THAT INSPIRES YOU*

✨Thousands Upon Thousands Made An Ocean by @ohlafraise✨

This emotional fic was a lesson in how to have a story pack a punch into less than 800 well-chosen words! Still hurts, even now!

*A FIC THAT BROUGHT YOU ON BOARD A NEW SHIP*

✨Lasă-mă să stau (Let Me Stay) by @superficialpeasant ✨

An absorbing one-shot relating to the writer’s Best Laid Plans fic, this unexpectedly charming love story between Underhill and Hawkstorm (HawkHill) is the canon I will cling to!

*A FIC YOU WISH COULD BE A MOVIE*

✨ A Dream Of Peace by @ketzwrites ✨

There are some fics too epic in scale and splendour for mere imagination to do them justice, and this historical tale of kingdoms and knights deserves to be watched in technicolor glory!

*A FIC THAT LED TO YOU MAKING FRIENDS WITH THE AUTHOR*

✨ Brooklyn Magic by @the-burning-tiger ✨

I've met so many through their work, but I'm singling out the brilliant,Tigs, here because of our ridiculous descent into poetical exchanges in the latter chapters of this fic - one of my earliest Malec reads! Sending cwtches, T! X

*FREE SPACE - A FIC THAT’S WORTH WAITING FOREVER FOR TO GET AN UPDATE - IT’S THAT GOOD!*

✨Working Hard/Hardly Working by @irisadler (on AO3) & @stupidnephilimlove ✨

I'm currently re-reading this sexually-charged getting-to-REALLY-know-you fic which includes relatable temptation, brilliant humour & a soft, sweet centre - believe it or not! Perfect title, btw!

*A FIC YOU’VE GUSHED ABOUT IN REAL LIFE*

✨Your Name For A Capital by @the-prophet-lemonade✨

This time-travelling tale of repeated love and loss was both rich in detail about Magnus' past and devastatingly bittersweet about what lay ahead in Magnus' future! His heartache made me cry!

*A FIC YOU ASSOCIATE WITH A PLACE*

✨Two Halves Of The End Of The World by @la-muerta✨

Batavia was finally brought to life for me, thanks to @tethysea's enviable talent for world-building, with all the scenic detail and historical references that help enrich the story itself!

*A FIC THAT MADE YOU GASP OUT LOUD*

✨The Right Kind Of Love by @onyxmoon (on AO3)✨

I thought the 'betrayal' at the beginning of this fic was hard to take, but Magnus dealing with the aftermath and his own insecurities was even tougher! Malec learning to communicate is always a balm though!

*A FIC YOU FOUND AT THE RIGHT TIME*

✨Free Of Charge by @lorenzobane✨

Magnus being appreciated and protected by his dedicated and devoted Shadowhunter in this short but seriously sweet fic was precisely what I needed after S1!

*A FIC THAT YOU WOULD READ FIC OF*

✨Lead The Way by @clockworkswans✨

Like a black hole, this Doctor/Companion AU sucked me in, and just like the Tenth Doctor, I didn't want to leave! Such a moving and fantastical journey - I'd love to hear more of their adventures!

*A FIC THAT MADE YOU LAUGH OUT LOUD*

✨Don’t You Wanna Stay by @AlxSteele (on AO3)✨

Enemies to Lovers is a fave trope of mine, and when the stubborn denial and seething dislike is burned away with sexy humour and telling gestures, as in this gem, it's great fun to read!

*A FIC WITH A LINE OR TWO YOU’VE MEMORISED BY HEART*

✨You Who Have Come From My Old Country by @poemsfromthealley✨

"Even so, Magnus loved him, loved him, loved him" - very few writers could persuade me to endure a Malec fic that tells of unbearable loss and suffering - but the touching celebration of their legacy is what I take away from this!

*A FIC THAT GAVE YOU BUTTERFLIES*

✨Body Of Memory by @glorious-spoon✨

This memorable fic about amnesia effectively had S1 Alec being confronted with S3 Alec's reality - and I STILL feel Magnus' fear and Alec's confusion in my bones!

*A FIC THAT EMBODIES SOMETHING YOU VALUE IN LIFE*

✨ Magnus Bane’s School For Young Warlocks by @Miasunrise (on AO3)✨

Alec doing whatever it takes to protect his children is definitely something I can relate to, and this cleverly-crafted fic of finding new family gives depth and character to Max and Raphael!

*A FAVOURITE AU*

✨Walkers Of The Winding Path by @poemsfromthealley​

The bewitching combination of mythical monsters, supernatural hunters and  this writer’s distinctive way with words means I'm completely under this story's spell! I'll walk this path many times, I think!

*A FIC YOU STAYED UP TOO LATE TO FINISH READING*

✨My Body Is A Cage by @unrestrainedlyexcessive​✨

This was me dipping my toe into an AU I wasn't convinced I'd enjoy, but thanks to this writer’s compellingly-quirky storytelling, I couldn't rest before knowing what befell these fated lovers!

*A FIC THAT MADE YOU FEEL SEEN*

✨Beautiful Distraction by @unending-happiness​✨

Who better to colour my bespoke fic with every shade of me there is, than my parabatai, Brit! Welcome to my favourite pairing - Malec & Pandemonium! LY, B! ❤😘

a fic you love without knowing the source material (for a different fandom or original work)

the liar and the thief by @idnis​

amazing original work! i loved this so much, it’s a fun, entertaining, and insightful fantasy short story

a fic with a premise that shouldn’t work but does

sweet squid o’mine [series] by wishopenastar

this is a super cute series with andrew as the giant squid from hogwarts. it is so fun to read and i have fallen in love with squiddrew

a fic you’ve reread several times

tenuous by undertow

this is definitely one of my most reread fics, i can’t get enough of it. every sentence is a masterpiece

a fic you still remember many years later

a change in perspective by roozette

haha throwback to long time ago when i used fanfiction.net to read harry potter fanfiction

a comfort fic

paper skies by @allforthebee​

this is a fic that will make you feel like you’re wrapped up in the coziest blanket with a warm mug of hot chocolate while it’s raining outside.

a cathartic fic

under the kitchen lights (you still look like dynamite) by @nakasomethingkun​​

this fic is so soft and wonderful with a good amount of angst to satisfy me. i looove the google search parts

a fic you’d print and put on your bookshelf

yeah sorry i’m going to choose two fics: the wonders i’ve seen and no mourners no funerals which are both by @gluupor​

these fics are so astonishingly good that they need to be displayed. also they are some of the few long fics that i can read in one sitting!

a fic you associate with a song

you used to call me on my cell phone by @thepalmtoptiger

there was a period of time i heard this song on the radio a bunch and i always immediately thought of this fic

a fic that inspires you

rainy day daydream by @rooftop-kisses​​

this fic reminded me that i want to volunteer at a local animal shelter in the future! also i just really want to own a cat

a fic that brought you on board a new ship

thick skin, an elastic heart by @badacts​​

this was the first jerejean fics i read where i really got to learn more about their relationship! so good.

a fic you wish could be a movie

sorry this is the one i really couldn’t place. even though i love movies, i feel like the things i like the best in a fic gets lost when it’s converted into a movie

a fic that led to you making friends with the author

the bokeh effect by @fuzzballsheltiepants​

this fic was such a great mixture of humour and angst that i finally got over my fear of talking to people online and contacted one of the sweetest people ever

free space

pick up all the pieces (and what’s left of my pride) by @poikas​

this is an absolutely fantastic and amazing fic that deals with andrew’s relationship with robin!! also you have to check out this amazing art by the author

a fic you’ve gushed about irl

no place like home by @gluupor​​ and @annawrites​​

it’s a you’ve got mail! aftg fanfic by two of my favourite authors, how could i not gush abt it to someone irl?

a fic you associate with a place

the real folk blues by @annawrites​

if you consider the place being on a bus where i read this fic and couldn’t stop even though i know i get motion sickness.

a fic that made you gasp out loud

it suits you by @lolainslackss​​

if you have read this fic you know exactly what i’m talking about. just pure shock when you read the last line of the first chapter! i’m in love with this fic

a fic you found at the right time

nine weddings and no funerals by @gluupor​​

reread this fic to calm my nerves before a job interview and i couldn’t focus on anything else... i think it worked because i got the job! (technically i ‘found’ this fic before then though)

a fic that you would read fic of

curiosity killed the cat by @idnis​​

wrote a review of this fic and within it i even said something along the lines of ‘i’d love to read a fanfic of this where *this thing* happens instead of *this thing*

a fic that made you laugh out loud

i just had a growth spurt (took so long my tippy toes hurt) by @tallsinspace​​

okay but if you’ve read this fic then you know you can’t read it without laughing. it’s fun and cute and so good

a fic with a line (or two) that you’ve memorised by heart

kairos by @redketchup​​

i chose this one because i feel like i’ve memorised the whole fic? every sentence is familiar and yet i continue to reread it

a fic that gave you butterflies

raspberry friands by @jemejem​​

this was such an adorable fic, sweet and such a fun take on a harry potter au.

a fic that embodies everything you value in life

all for the jokes by @leahlisabeth​

this prompt is very deep, but this fic is so nice, it’s just the foxes trying to make neil happy and have fun! i want to spread laughter too

a favourite au - sorry, this one gets 3! can’t not mention all of these aus

time will tell by @unkingly​​

the way into my heart is a kidfic and this is one of the best i’ve read!!

faking it by @wilsherejack​​

if it’s not obvious from the title, the au is fake dating! no matter what’s going on this fic captures all of my attention and i can’t stop reading it 

also gluupor gets honourable mention because she has contributed countless fics to this au within the aftg fandom

atlas by @pipedream-truths​

i cannot resist any fic that contains shapeshifting and this one is no exception

a fic you stayed up too late to finish reading

this one was hard to choose, because somehow fanfics are the best when it’s 2am and you’re supposed to be sleeping

pause and restart my heart [series] by @sunshine-knox​​

there is nothing like an angsty injury fic (or two) that will pique my interest and force me to stay up and finish it all in one go

a fic that made you feel seen

one way or another (or maybe neither) by @nakasomethingkun​