I wanted to draw something autumny and I also just really, really love the idea of MCU Sam with an inexplicable affinity for birds.

(Riley would have noticed eventually, would have ribbed Sam about the sand-coloured finches that seemed to congregate the moment Sam sat down anywhere. “What are you, Snow White? We’re in the middle of the desert, how are there always so many of them? Honestly, Wilson, do you just carry them around in your pack?“ Sam would have laughed, shrugged, tossed them his last few sunflower seeds.)

[Image: Sam Wilson wearing street clothes; there are finches flying around him and leaves drifting on the wind.]

I know the roll in the field is the point but this gifset always makes me marvel at Sam's flying skills more than anything.

He flew under MOVING TRUCKS!!! THE STRENGTH. THE FORM. THE AGILITY.

so what will it take for y’all to post your unrelated challenge response fics in a series and not a single chapter fic on ao3 so that the tags won’t unnecessarily overlap?

like it’s cute that you’re working on a new challenge or a theme but i don’t need to run into every pairing on the planet when i search a particular tag. if you put it in a series on the other hand, the stories are treated as separate but related- instead of lump-tagged together.

and here is the thing, i sometimes even want to read those fics in your convolutedly tagged challenge response series… i just wish i could find it first.

you know what’s a great way to find things…TAGS.

but tags only work if they are used correctly.

when it looks like this…

i kinda just give up even when i’m interested in the potential treasure inside. i simply refuse to wade in the water to look for the one chapter in your story that is actually the one fic i’m interested in.

this goes double for authors i actually like. please stop. i love your work. make it easy to access.

post it in a series 2K18!

so what will it take for y’all to post your unrelated challenge response fics in a series and not a single chapter fic on ao3 so that the tags won’t overlap?

Oh god, please delete the extra spaces between paragraphs in your fics on AO3. Please. I know it takes ages and it’s really annoying to do, but it is an immediate backspace away from your story if I’m on mobile because I get one sentence per page and acres of white space.

I can help! There is an easy way to do this if you have a word processor! Instructions with screencaps follow:

1. Before you paste your text into the Ao3 text box, make sure “Rich Text” is clicked.

2. Paste your story into the Ao3 text box (like you usually do)

3. Instead of hitting post, go back and click “HTML.” Your story will suddenly show the HTML markup, including all those pesky extra spaces:

4. Open a new, blank document in your word processor. Copy all the text from the Ao3 window and paste it there.

5. Do a find / replace for all the lines that say “<p> </p>”, replacing them with nothing.

6. Now you have a document with HTML markup and no extra carriage returns.

7. Copy this and open up your Ao3 window again. MAKE SURE “HTML” IS CLICKED. Paste your nice new text into this window.

8. When you click “Rich Text” again, your story will look beautiful and have no extra spaces!!!!!!

9. Now you can post your story!

10. Congratulate yourself on your amazingness, win $100,000,000,000,000, become best friends with Idris Elba, roll around with a pile of happy puppies

oh look! @thepurrbutton i may be able to give you chapters with proper spacing again!

Also! You can stop it from doing this in the first place by using the right settings in your word processor. From the Rich Text Editor (RTE) help text (linked from the question mark next to “Type or paste formatted text.”):

In Google Docs, you can go to the “Format" menu, choose “Line spacing,” and then choose “Custom spacing.” It will let you set how much space you want before and after paragraphs.

In LibreOffice, go to the “Format” menu and choose “Paragraph.” Under the “Spacing” heading, there will be options for Above and Below paragraph.

Those are the only programs I have handy, but generally, you want to look in the formatting menu for something about either paragraphs or spacing, and you’ll find a similar option there. You can then use any amount of spacing that’s pleasing to your eye and it will still have AO3′s usual amount of spacing between paragraphs.

(I could teal deer about all the whys involved – why did fandom start hitting Enter twice, why do paragraphs on computers and paper have different amounts of vertical space, why does the RTE not know what to do when given text where someone hit enter twice, why don’t we we change the parser if we can’t change the RTE – but that’s probably a little more detail than necessary to be helpful.)

Also, there’s an easier step - if you go to your word processor document that the fic is written in, and go find>replace, replace ^p^p with ^p.  This replaces all double-paragraph-breaks with just one.  Boom you’re ready to cut and paste.

If you use gdocs, I highly recommend the gdocs AO3 posting script! It converts your gdocs styles (italics, spacing, etc) into HTML so that you can post straight into the HTML editor on AO3 instead of the Rich Text editor. I use it every time!

https://ao3commentoftheday.tumblr.com/post/187558714490/i-write-my-fics-out-in-google-docs-and-then-paste

Fantasy AU-verse Huge warning for repulsive fluff ahead HUGE So Prince Sam and his Hero/Arranged Husband, Steve, settle into Royal Married life and steadily fall in love- (but of course they never say so) One night Sam is so, so close to saying it- Looking down at Steve as he rides him— Steve’s long lashes fluttering.  Biting his lip and moaning and whimpering as he grips Sam’s hips.  And Sam kisses him hard and messy so he won’t say “I love you.” The very next day the army of the Red Skull attacks- Sam and Steve both ride into battle, but Steve is separated from the rest and carried far, far away- Sam must find Steve with the help of Redwing and the Mages Nicholas and Natasha– meeting friends (Bucky) and foes along the way, Sam searches for his lost love and sets right wrongs across the land. And when he does find Steve again nearly a year has passed- Steve looks harder, older– he’s grown broader and more muscular- he’s dressed in strange armor and he wears a short beard (perhaps taking a page from the Vikings who’ve taken him in) He looks like a completely different man, and Sam (also changed in the year since he’s seen Steve) for the first time fears their reunion and wonders if time could have come too much between them.   His heart squeezes painfully with the thought that he’s found Steve only to lose him again. But on seeing Sam, Steve’s warrior scowl drops off his face, replaced by wonderment, then disbelief, then joy. He drops the Shield to the ground and embraces him.   “Sam.”  He breathes. The Asgardians who have taken Steve in as one of their own welcome the great Prince Sam, whose exploits are legendary, and hold a great banquet for the reunited pair. Among a lot of bawdy jokes and good-natured back-slapping, Steve and Sam are shown to their rooms after a long night of revelry.  But once alone, they’re suddenly awkward- both fearing the same things. But they eventually tell eachother of all that’s happened in the past year-  Sam takes Steve’s hand and kisses his knuckles, saying that he never gave up hope because he had something he needed to say to Steve- he had to tell him he loves him. Steve kisses Sam and says he loves him too- And then like a day later big, beardy Steve picks Sam up and fucks him under a fucking waterfall with like a rainbow in the background aw yes

Literally though imagine rough, bearded Steve holding the reigns of Sam’s horse and covering the animal’s eyes to keep it from panicking, shushing it as he walks them through a dangerous passage. Sam is dressed in beautiful finery, jewels, all red and gold and silk embroidery-  Steve in simple armor emblazoned with Odinson’s family crest as well as Sam’s, to signify his allegiance.   Steve’s face is sunburnt and weather-beaten, and his hands are calloused when he helps Sam down from his horse at the end of the long day traveling- Sam reads aloud to Steve sometimes-  Steve never learned how to read, not many of his birth do, but he loves stories and poetry, and admires Sam’s knowledge and intelligence. Sam proving his own courage in an ambush on the road- he takes on two bandits at once and saves Steve’s life– Afterwards he has to bandage up Steve’s wounds and keep his head elevated while Redwing flies for help– – stranded alone with an injured Steve and patching him up while Steve dizzily insists he’s fine. Sam, trying to keep Steve talking, asking him about his life (the first time they’ve talked as one man to another and not employer/bodyguard) And he’s startled to learn that Steve is the same age as he is- he seems so much older than his years. After that it can’t go back to how it was, and the two of them are partners and friends first and foremost– –that is until Sam starts to stare too long at Steve’s broad shoulders and well-made limbs– starts to dream about Steve’s hands on him and his lips and beard down between his legs.

But imagine that in this Medieval AU scenario, Sam is falling harder and harder for Steve- -And one day he can’t help himself, he thinks for a moment that he sees a reflection of how he’s feeling in Steve’s face, and he puts his hand on Steve’s… Steve just looks down at Sam’s hand on his.  Sam’s skin smooth and only slightly calloused from horseback riding and fencing, jeweled rings on his fingers, where Steve’s are rough and plain, with short, bitten-off nails- After that Steve is scrupulously proper with Sam- still friendly, but he makes it quite clear, without actually addressing the “incident,” that he doesn’t feel anything warmer than close friendship for his employer. Sam tries not to take it too hard- he is quick to stifle the double shot of longing and humiliation whenever he and Steve have a moment together, and to simply enjoy Steve’s camaraderie and friendship. That is until there’s a raid on their camp and Sam is separated from his guards- he defends himself with his scimitar and with his falcon, Redwing, flying in his assailants’ eyes, and he survives with only a few minor cuts and scrapes. When he makes his way back, he’s met by a wild-eyed and frantic Steve taking one look at him and crying out with joy- throwing propriety out the window and running to strongly embrace him.   Steve’s hands can’t seem to stop running up and down Sam’s back, like he wants to make sure he’s really there.  It’s unlike any embrace Sam has ever felt, and between the day’s events and this, he’s bewildered and off his head, and when Steve whispers “I thought I had lost you,” Sam tangles his hands in Steve’s hair and kisses his temple, his forehead, his jaw- and Steve is kissing him back- wherever he can, kissing Sam’s cheek and his nose and his eyebrow and the lobe of his ear- Resting their foreheads together as Steve caresses his face, smiling, eyes wet.   “Are you hurt?”  Sam asks, clearing his throat and managing to contain himself a little.  He doesn’t want to- he wants this frenzy to last forever.  Never wants Steve to close himself off from him like before. Steve shakes his head and leans in, wordlessly asking Sam’s permission.   Their first kiss is deliberate and sweet, Sam opening up to Steve’s tongue as fireworks go off in his head- a dizzy rush of Steve’s taste and scent, and his blood still pounding in his ears from battle.

prince sam au’s tho

prince sam au where he is travelling through a strange kingdom and gets kidnapped by robinhood!steve and his merry men after his entourage is confused for evil prince rumlows crew and he’s impressed by steve and his right hand man bucky and they bone.. err fight for the freedom of the land and steve and bucky swear fealty to prince sam of love and sunshine and justice and fairness

prince sam au where he is hopelessly in love with his bodyguard(s), can be steve or bucky or both, and they are hopelessly in love with him too but it is FORBIDDEN and his dad King Fury doesn’t trust these pale dudes to do anything except guard him except then he does because they prove themselves and sam defends them to his dad and everything is amazing and peace reigns in the kingdom forever

prince sam au where he is reluctantly betrothed to king steve and omg king steve’s first knight james is pretty hot oh wow this is actually a really good deal never mind they can marry and it’s all love and peace forever again

prince sam with amnesia au where he is lost in a foreign land and king fury sends his best knights led by lord steve to find his birb prince meanwhile sam has come along mercenary wanderer but noble james call me bucky barnes who saves him from some thieves on a forest path and steve finds him and tries to remind him about his prince birbness and steve’s love for him but sam isn’t sure he wants to leave his noble not a knight but should be a knight james and steve is like what he’s hot and knows about justice he can come too i’m sure king fury won’t mind and oh

prince sam au feels for days y’all

Prince Sam in his bath, with an hour or so to himself, running his hands over his own body and wondering what Steve sees when he looks at him.   Does he feel the same rush of desire Sam does when he looks at Steve? - He feels suddenly an acute sense of injustice and outrage that he looks so good- he feels so beautiful and sexy, but with no one to appreciate it- Sam sighs audibly (almost a moan) as he indulges in running his hands over his own thighs- undulating a little and allowing himself to picture how he must look, naked and submersed in his bath, chest pooling water, shoulders dripping.  And then he thinks about Steve pushing aside the door and coming into the bath chamber, perhaps with some news for his prince, and stopping in his tracks, overcome by awe and lust. Sam licks his lips and lets his hand trail down lower as he pictures Steve making some kind of excuse to “assist” Sam at his bath, and… 

OKAY but the shield-fief of Fury’s kingdom (a kingdom in the Wakandan empire) having Turkish baths common from the northeastern portion of Wakanda’s empire, an bathing often. Steve thinks Sam smells absolutely divine, and he takes up the bathing practices, but usually with the other guards, because he’s wholly aware of how he has a stench of earth and dust to him while Sam often smells like spices and sandalwood. And maybe if he indulges in leaning close to catch his warm skin in the breeze, well that’s just between himself and his gods.

Fuck both youuuuuu

#Oh Shitttttttt#YES#Sam and Steve in a public bath#now normally Sam wouldn’t be bathing with the guards of course#but for some reason he and Steve end up bathing together#maybe a hot spring on their journey#and Steve has to keep watch while Sam bathes#unf#fantasy AU#sex cw  - via kissingcullens

Steve keeps an eye on Sam and the rest of the guards keep an eye on Steve.

They disapprove of the hungry wolf-like stares the foreigner has for their precious lamb-eyed prince. He would devour him if they weren’t so vigilant.

LOLOLOL or that’s how the guards view it, anyway– – they don’t see the other side of things, where Sam is batting his lovely dark eyes invitingly in Steve’s direction when their backs are turned.   How for every hungry stare Steve directs at the prince, there was first a sultry smile from Sam.   How every time they intervene to prevent an improper meeting between them (Prince Sam is oddly prone to Accidentally walking into Steve’s quarters instead of his own) the prince is more visibly disappointed than Steve. No.  They must protect the innocence of their precious Bird Prince.

Sam, who can leap atop his horse while it’s running a trot, for some reason always requires Steve’s assistance into and out of his sedan. And if he wears fewer rings and lets his palm linger just a bit longer than neccesary, well his guards entirely miss it because they’re so busy glaring down Steve. Also, though Steve cannot write, he is a talented artist, since you do not need school to copy shapes with a stick in the ground. Sam splurges to buy him lambskin and inks to draw on, though he usually uses parchment and wax tablets.

PRAISE PRAISE PRAISE

just read a fic that was apparently set right after steve breaks sam out of the raft prison and somehow the whole thing is about sam providing steve with comfort and care?!!?!

like why did you even bother? you could have just not.

i can't stand y'all.

honestly if this were just set at literally any other point in their time together i would have sighed, rolled my eyes and thought never again about your little fic but you really picked a time where the only reasonable choice is to have sam be taken care of and you straight said fuck it he's fine now take care of my yt woobie!

With every episode it becomes more and more clear that people are just...fundamentally incapable of empathizing with Black people. It doesn't matter what's going on, people just absolutely refuse to consider Sam and his feelings. Every episode it's "poor Bucky :(" and "he's going though so much" and excusing his behavior, but none of that gets extended to Sam.

It's so tiring to see how general audiences are literally incapable of viewing Black people as human beings with actual emotions. We're always just what we can be for other people, how strong we are. We can never just fucking exist and I'm so tired of it

[image: Sam Wilson, wearing a red tunic emblazoned with a medieval winged coat-of-arms, stands looking heroically off to his left.  He wears a billowing red cape and leather gloves.  His falcon, Redwing, perches on his hand with wings outspread.] Bird Prince Sam Wilson!

you ever just click on a fanfic and read the first word and go “shut up” and exit

#yes#furthermore this is a skill#you need to cultivate this skill to survive fandom (dsudis)

Fic authors who take on first person are brave because the way so many of us in fandom will not even try to read that!!?

Also formatting issues and ooc nicknames quickly tell me nothing is going right or write in the fic and I gotta go.

you ever just click on a fanfic and read the first word and go “shut up” and exit

#yes#furthermore this is a skill#you need to cultivate this skill to survive fandom (dsudis)

Fic authors who take on first person are brave because the way so many of us in fandom will not even try to read that!!?

full offense but none of you would have ever survived fanfiction.net in 2009

remember when writers had to be all like: “omg omg lemon starts HERE” y’all are lucky that ao3 has tags and filters you can set

Sometimes shit was marked “lemon” and it’d just be them making out, and sometimes they’d just start pissing on each other

No rules, no laws, you took your life into your hands opening fics

A/N: this contains SLASH, that means TWO MEN, if that makes you uncomfy, DON’T READ!

A/N: please don’t sue me, o anime overlords, I’m not making any money off of this! I’m just a broke student! I don’t have any money!

A/N: I totally wrote this while high off 10 Red Bulls wheeeeeee!!!!!

A/N: COMMENT if you want me to continue the next chappy!!!

No, no, no

remember when there’d be interactions with the author and the characters?

InuYasha: I don’t get why I have to be here for this

A/N: Because it was in your contract!!1!1 *revs chainsaw*

god those were lawless times. 

…I’m fucking SWEATING

this is literally giving me flashbacks

I may have participated in some of this nonsense.

Hmmm I wonder how a King Sam/Kingsguard Steve story would work 🤔 Because of course Steve would be very honor bound. Imagine the line of succession passed the crown to Sam from his uncle because Sam was the only suitable heir and he’s trying to fix a lot of the kingdom’s past mistakes and poor image with the people. So, it’s an uphill battle and maybe Steve had previously gained a reputation for speaking out against the kingdom’s injustices - and been punished for it because he’s just a civilian.

Imagine Sam making him a knight because he is Brave, honorable and actually wants the same things for the kingdom that Sam wants. But in making Steve the kings guard, Sam made himself an enemy of other people in the castle.

I need this like oxygen