I wish I was a mermaid and was friends with all the fish

(This is still a slight work in progress. Please forgive me - I've been without internet access the better part of the last two weeks, and am desperately trying to cobble this together as quickly as possible!)

Dear author/vidder/artist:

Hi there! First of all, I'm so, so sorry this is going up late, and I hope it didn't cause you any stress - and if you've already started writing, or had an amazing idea, please feel free to go with that and not worry about my latter. If, on the other hand, you've been hanging out for some prompts, here they are!

In general: I love ensemble fics, banter, makeouts, unresolved (and resolved) sexual tension, romantic comedy, action/adventure, wacky hijinks, humour, crack, PWPs, apocafic, and ridiculous AUs. I'm not super into angst, and I prefer fics where characters interact with people and do things over introspective character studies. I really, really, love tropes and clichés, and totally ridiculous, over the top plots, the more shameless the better. I love first times, and secret relationships, and casual hookups, and ex-girlfriends and boyfriends, and rekindling old relationships. I love people being in love without having to say it, and people who are obviously in love but maybe don't realise it, and ridiculously overblown romantic gestures where one person completely embarrasses themselves, and small gestures that mean a whole lot more than they seem to. Most of all, I love characters who are genuinely really into each other. I'm happy to read any rating, and smut is welcome but absolutely not necessary. (Though if you're writing for Shipswap, please do have the characters actually hook up in some way in the story. Makeouts = <3).

You can find me on AO3 as Zhailei.

( Beyond Panels )

( Space Swap )

( Shipswap )

ladymercury_10 asked: How about top 5 comics?

I decided to go with my favourite titles running (not necessarily starting) in 2013, though this was a lot harder to narrow down. There are a lot of comics I love not on this list, and this is by no means a list of what I thought were the *best* comics of 2013; just the ones that, for whatever reason, I'm really, really glad existed this year.

5. Avengers Assemble. As much as I loved Jonathan Hickman's work on Fantastic Four, I found his Avengers really hard to follow, even before the Infinity crossover; it's all very cool, it's just not really my thing. Avengers Assemble, on the other hand, is exactly what I want from an Avengers comics; it's light-hearted and funny and has developed some amazing relationships between the cast members (Carol and Jess in particular, though I'll also never not love Hulk's crush on Jess), and it's just a consistently fun comic I look forward to every month.

4. FF. I love Fraction's Hawkeye as much as the next person (well, except for the people who hate it), but of his current comics, I think I love FF even more. The art is fantastic, the characters are adorable and their relationships really well-drawn, and it's just plain fun, which is apparently the theme I'm following with this list. Plus, it has She-Hulk, so really, what's not to love?

3. Fearless Defenders. Which, yes, had a tendency towards back-breaking art and a bit more fluff than content, but I just loved it so much. Women! Kicking ass! Having fun! Liking other women! I love that the cast was made up of some lesser-known Marvel characters, I love that it was fun and ridiculous and didn't take itself too seriously, and I hate that it was cancelled. (I am comforted by knowing that Marvel is launching a bunch of titles I'm super excited about in its place, but still.)

2. Rat Queens. Which has had all of three issues so far, but it's probably my favourite new comic of 2013, and one of my favourite things coming out this year, period. It follows an all-female group of adventurers in a D&D-style fantasy setting and it's funny and amazing, and if that's the kind of thing you like, you should check it out, because so far I love it to pieces.

1. My favourite comic not just in 2013, but of all time: Saga. I fell in love with it from the very first page, and everything it's done since then has only made me love it more. I love the characters and their relationships, I love the world, I love the art, I love that some worlds have pyramid-shaped suns and doughnut moons because Brian K. Vaughan may have been drunk that one time, I love Lying Cat and the Robot Kingdom and The Stalk (still!) and basically there's just nothing I don't love, so. Saga. Will always be my answer to this.

Honourable mentions: So many! In no particular order, Lazarus, Sex Criminals, The Private Eye, Red Sonja, Amazing X-Men, Captain Marvel, Hawkeye, Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man, X-Men, Young Avengers. And Batman: Li'l Gotham, aka. the only thing DC is currently putting out that I love (and which is ending soon, sigh).


You can still ask me my top 5 [anything] of 2013, here or on tumblr. Previously: Top 5 comics pages/panels of 2013 (and of all time).

Title: Hero For Hire
Fandom: Marvel 616
Character(s): Jessica, Luke, Carol, Clint
Word Count: 2586
Rating: PG-13

Summary: Jessica Jones: Avenger. Or, not quite. Jessica does the superhero thing, more or less. Also featuring Luke Cage, Stay-At-Home-Dad.

Notes: Set following Avengers v.4. Not compatible with current Avengers titles. Written for likeadeuce for rarecharacters.

( And other shocking events )

OMGWTF YULETIDE. But signups are open now, so hopefully we're through the worst of it. And Gwen Stacy I'm sorry, Clone Gwen Stacy made it in in the end, which I didn't actually expect to happen? So now I really want to request Ultimate Comics Spider-Man because I need ALL THE GWEN FIC, except I already have six requests and I love them all and don't want to drop them. Dilemmas! But at least this was the perfect time to be reading Maggie Fitzgerald and the Saltwater Drip, a fantastic Amazing Spider-Man fic where Gwen, not Peter, develops spidey superpowers, and that's exactly what I've been doing.

I've also been adding download links to the Miss Match fandom primer in the vague hopes that anybody anywhere will ever want to watch it. I don't even need yuletide fics that I've requested six years in a row! I'd settle for being able to squee about it with other people (*hint* you should totally go watch Miss Match it's adorable the links are right there). The first seven episodes are up so far, and I'm hoping to get the rest up before signups close.

Dear femslashex author:

Thank you so much for making me something! I'm sure I'll love whatever you end up creating, but in general: I love ensemble fics, banter, makeouts, unresolved (and resolved) sexual tension, romantic comedy, action/adventure, wacky hijinks, humour, crack, PWPs, apocafic, and ridiculous AUs. I'm not super into angst, and I prefer fics where characters interact with people and do things over introspective character studies. I really, really, love tropes and clichés, and totally ridiculous, over the top plots, the more shameless the better. I love first times, and secret relationships, and casual hookups, and partners, and ex-girlfriends and boyfriends, and rekindling old relationships. I love people being in love without having to say it, and people who are obviously in love but maybe don't realise it, and ridiculously overblown romantic gestures where one person completely embarrasses themselves, and small gestures that mean a whole lot more than they seem to. Most of all, I love characters who are genuinely really into each other. I'm happy to read any rating, and smut is welcome but absolutely not necessary, though I would prefer having the characters actually hook up in some way in the story (makeouts = <3).

( Marvel 616 )

( Actor RPF )

( Sonny With a Chance )

( Princess Protection Program )

( Once Upon a Time )

Title: Women In Garbage
Fandom: Marvel 616
Pairing(s): Clint/Kate
Word Count: 2164
Rating: PG-13

Summary: Kate and Clint go 'undercover.' (It's Clint's plan, okay?)

Notes: Written for naushika for shipswap. Set during the current Hawkeye run.

( Something's rotten in the state of Bed-Stuy )

Dear rarepairfest author:

Thank you so much for making me something! I'm sure I'll love whatever you end up creating, but in general: I love ensemble fics, banter, makeouts, unresolved (and resolved) sexual tension, romantic comedy, action/adventure, wacky hijinks, humour, crack, PWPs, apocafic, and ridiculous AUs. I'm not super into angst, and I prefer fics where characters interact with people and do things over introspective character studies. I really, really, love tropes and clichés, and totally ridiculous, over the top plots, the more shameless the better. I love first times, and secret relationships, and casual hookups, and partners, and ex-girlfriends and boyfriends, and rekindling old relationships. I love people being in love without having to say it, and people who are obviously in love but maybe don't realise it, and ridiculously overblown romantic gestures where one person completely embarrasses themselves, and small gestures that mean a whole lot more than they seem to. Most of all, I love characters who are genuinely really into each other. I'm happy to read any rating, and smut is welcome but absolutely not necessary.

I've also included a couple of 'wild card' crossover requests, just in case one of them catches your eye - these are, obviously, totally optional, and I'm not expecting you to write them at all, but if you happen to feel like it, then go ahead.

( Batgirl (Comics) )

( Teen Titans (Comics) )

( Marvel 616 )

Or, the worst thing Marvel has done recently is way worse than any of the terrible things DC has done recently. Vague spoilers, mostly for the general premise of Avengers Arena.

[insert perfect red lantern-themed macro here that I swear I saw once but can't remember where, I legit just spent an hour looking for that, whatever]

( But this one works too )

Dear shipswap creator:

Thank you so much for making me something! I'm sure I'll love whatever you end up creating, but in general: I love ensemble fics, banter, makeouts, unresolved (and resolved) sexual tension, romantic comedy, action/adventure, wacky hijinks, humour, crack, PWPs, apocafic, and ridiculous AUs. I'm not super into angst. I really, really, love tropes and clichés, and totally ridiculous, over the top plots, the more shameless the better. I love first times, and secret relationships, and casual hookups, and ex-girlfriends and boyfriends, and rekindling old relationships. I love people being in love without having to say it, and people who are obviously in love but maybe don't realise it, and ridiculously overblown romantic gestures where one person completely embarrasses themselves, and small gestures that mean a whole lot more than they seem to. Most of all, I love characters who are genuinely really into each other. I'm happy to read any rating, and smut is welcome but absolutely not necessary.

( DCU - Comicverse )

( Once Upon a Time )

( Doom )

( Big Time Rush )

( Crossovers )

More birthdays! Happy actual, belated, or upcoming birthday to fan_eunice, malicat, and irishmizzy!


Also, reading the solicitation for last month's Hawkeye (yes, I was reading old solicitations, so what?), I'm now convinced that Hawkeye is the Marvel universe's Gossip Girl:

Valentine’s Day with THE heartthrob of the Marvel Universe?
This will be… confusing.
Xoxo, Hawkeye

Somebody write me that fic? (And yes, that's the solicitation in full. Hawkeye has some of my favourite solicitations.)

Speaking of Gossip Girl: YAY DAN IS WINNING HIS BRACKET. OBVS, THOUGH. So is Scott, which I'm super happy about, even though I voted for Jade (I HAD TO SHE'S MY FAVE, I CAN STAN FOR SCOTT NEXT ROUND.) And Artemis is losing, sad forever. Those are kind of the only races I care about though? OH WELL GOING TO LOOK FOR MORE DAN HUMPHREY GIFS. (I DON'T EVEN HAVE ANY DAN ICONS HOW OH RIGHT BECAUSE I HATE HIM BUT I DO HAVE MY FOREVER FAVOURITE RUFUS ICON.)