Challenge 504: Second Chances
Jan. 20th, 2026 04:51 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
teaotter posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
fan_flashworksOur new challenge is:
As always, you can interpret the prompt literally or figuratively, in whatever way works for you.
Each work created for this challenge should be posted as a new entry to the comm. Posting starts now and continues up until the challenge ends at 4pm Pacific Time on Sunday, February 1st. No sign-up required.
Mods will tag your work for creator and fandom. When you've posted entries to three consecutive challenges, you will earn a name tag, and we'll go back and tag all your previous entries with your name.
All kinds of fanworks in all fandoms are welcome. Please have a look at our guidelines before you play. If you have any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to contact a mod. And if you have any suggestions for future challenges, you can leave them in the comments of this post.
You can view stats forfan_flashworks entries and search and filter them via the Community Report and Creator Report. See our FAQ post for more details.
Also, keep an eye out for the nextffw_social post, which will go up in the next couple of days. If you haven't joined the ffw_social comm, it's never too late to come and check it out. (Posts are locked, which means you have to join to see them.)
SECOND CHANCES
As always, you can interpret the prompt literally or figuratively, in whatever way works for you.
Each work created for this challenge should be posted as a new entry to the comm. Posting starts now and continues up until the challenge ends at 4pm Pacific Time on Sunday, February 1st. No sign-up required.
Mods will tag your work for creator and fandom. When you've posted entries to three consecutive challenges, you will earn a name tag, and we'll go back and tag all your previous entries with your name.
All kinds of fanworks in all fandoms are welcome. Please have a look at our guidelines before you play. If you have any questions or concerns, don't hesitate to contact a mod. And if you have any suggestions for future challenges, you can leave them in the comments of this post.
You can view stats for
fan_flashworks entries and search and filter them via the Community Report and Creator Report. See our FAQ post for more details.Also, keep an eye out for the next
ffw_social post, which will go up in the next couple of days. If you haven't joined the ffw_social comm, it's never too late to come and check it out. (Posts are locked, which means you have to join to see them.)Admin: Challenge closed
Jan. 20th, 2026 04:50 pmteaotter posting in fan_flashworksThe Sock challenge is now closed. Here are the entries:
子非鱼 (Zi Fei Yu): Fanfic: imagine a life (but surely hell), bybluedreaming
Torchwood: Fanfic: Return Of The Living Socks, bybadly_knitted
Spooks (MI5): Fanfic: Four Socks, bysmallhobbit
S.W.A.T.: Fan Fiction: Couldn't Wait, bydarkjediqueen
The Legend of Korra: Fanart: Put A Sock In It, byinfinitum_noctem
Torchwood: Fanfic: Bruised ego, bym_findlow
Due South: Fanfiction: The Mysterious Affair of the Missing Socks, bylucy_roman
Marvel Cinematic Universe: Fanfic: A Nice Pair of Socks, byalexcat
no fandom : icons : Dreamy Socks, byhighlander_ii
Guardian: meta: The SID as Sock Patterns, byteaotter
The Running Man: Fanfic: A Long Walk in Wet Socks, bysaxloch
Heated Rivalry: Fanfic: A Thousand Pairs of Socks, byseeyouontheice
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Fanfic: Mismatched, byveronyxk84
\o/ \o/ \o/
Thank you to everyone who participated! You're now free to post your entries to your journal or wherever else you'd like. If you're archiving on AO3, you can add your work to our fan_flashworks collection there.
The Community Report and Creator Report will be updated shortly with the entries from this round. See our FAQ for more details.
New challenge coming right up!
子非鱼 (Zi Fei Yu): Fanfic: imagine a life (but surely hell), by
bluedreamingTorchwood: Fanfic: Return Of The Living Socks, by
badly_knittedSpooks (MI5): Fanfic: Four Socks, by
smallhobbitS.W.A.T.: Fan Fiction: Couldn't Wait, by
darkjediqueenThe Legend of Korra: Fanart: Put A Sock In It, by
infinitum_noctemTorchwood: Fanfic: Bruised ego, by
m_findlowDue South: Fanfiction: The Mysterious Affair of the Missing Socks, by
lucy_romanMarvel Cinematic Universe: Fanfic: A Nice Pair of Socks, by
alexcatno fandom : icons : Dreamy Socks, by
highlander_iiGuardian: meta: The SID as Sock Patterns, by
teaotterThe Running Man: Fanfic: A Long Walk in Wet Socks, by
saxlochHeated Rivalry: Fanfic: A Thousand Pairs of Socks, by
seeyouontheiceBuffy the Vampire Slayer: Fanfic: Mismatched, by
veronyxk84\o/ \o/ \o/
Thank you to everyone who participated! You're now free to post your entries to your journal or wherever else you'd like. If you're archiving on AO3, you can add your work to our fan_flashworks collection there.
The Community Report and Creator Report will be updated shortly with the entries from this round. See our FAQ for more details.
New challenge coming right up!
[ SECRET POST #6955 ]
Jan. 20th, 2026 06:57 pmcase posting in fandomsecrets⌈ Secret Post #6955 ⌋
Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.
01.
( More! )
Notes:
Secrets Left to Post: 01 pages, 23 secrets from Secret Submission Post #993.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.
Prompt 2734: Food
Jan. 20th, 2026 08:49 pmimmortalje posting in dailyiconsToday's prompt is: food
• You have 2 days time to submit an icon for this prompt (in other words, until prompt 2736 gets posted)!
• Prompt 2732 has been closed.
• If you have any questions regarding the prompt, feel free to ask in a comment.
• To submit an icon you simply reply to this post with the following information:
Icon:
Claim: (only necessary if it's a specific claim)
Status: (e.g. #1/10 - number of icon completed/table size)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Fanfic: Mismatched
Jan. 20th, 2026 08:47 pmveronyxk84 posting in fan_flashworksTitle: Mismatched
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Author:veronyxk84
Characters/Pairing: Spike, Giles
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: some coarse language
Word count: 200 (Google Docs)
Spoilers/Setting: Set in S4, between eps. 4x09 “Something Blue” and 4x10 “Hush”.
Summary: Spike pranks Giles out of boredom.
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction created for fun and no profit has been made. All rights belong to the respective owners.
Challenge: #503 - Sock
—
( READ: Mismatched/Double drabble )
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Author:
veronyxk84Characters/Pairing: Spike, Giles
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: some coarse language
Word count: 200 (Google Docs)
Spoilers/Setting: Set in S4, between eps. 4x09 “Something Blue” and 4x10 “Hush”.
Summary: Spike pranks Giles out of boredom.
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction created for fun and no profit has been made. All rights belong to the respective owners.
Challenge: #503 - Sock
—
( READ: Mismatched/Double drabble )
TV Tuesday: Well, I Didn't Know That
Jan. 20th, 2026 11:42 amyourlibrarian posting in tv_talk
Do you watch educational TV shows or documentaries? What makes these shows watchable or interesting to you? Are there particular ones that spoke to you?
Heated Rivalry: Fanfic: A Thousand Pairs of Socks
Jan. 20th, 2026 04:58 pmseeyouontheice posting in fan_flashworksTitle: A Thousand Pairs of Socks
Fandom: Heated Rivalry (TV)
Length: 450 words
Author notes: fluff in a flash (busy week so about 40 mins!)
Summary: Shane learns something new
( A Thousand Pairs of Socks )
Fandom: Heated Rivalry (TV)
Length: 450 words
Author notes: fluff in a flash (busy week so about 40 mins!)
Summary: Shane learns something new
( A Thousand Pairs of Socks )
Snowflake challenge '26 #5 (Recs wishlist)
Jan. 20th, 2026 08:14 ambrightknightiesnowflake_challenge: Wishlist: "Create a list of at least three things you'd love to receive, a wishlist of sorts."Years ago, I mentioned that I would love to read a thoughtful Rurouni Kenshin/Highlander crossover, and
skieswideopen recommended one from FFnet -- indeed, a substantial one with a substantial sequel. That happy memory, plus several folks setting good examples, reminded me that the comfortable thing for me to do with this prompt is to ask to receive recommendations, if you happen to have some. Here are a few:I'd enjoy some recommendations of really well-written and thoughtful gen The Legend of Zelda stories, any game. More specifically, stories that dig into some aspect of the lore/worldbuilding/themes of their game society, along with strong characterizations -- probably, but certainly not necessarily, starring NPCs. (Favorite approaches to Link can differ so. Some are brilliant; some are not.) No villain stories, of course, including Tingle, please: good guys and ordinary folks and tragic failures preferred. (And possibly redeemed monsters, where relevant. What does it mean in Twilight Princess that the King Bulblin chooses Link over Ganondorf at the last and appears in the end credits?)
I'd enjoy recommendations of well-written Dungeons & Dragons (cartoon, 1983) stories that I have not already read, or perhaps have not read for a long time. There are not that many on the AO3. While I'd prefer gen or canon ships, I'll happily read well-written romance, including non-canon ships, as long as they do not pair any of our heroes with villains, and as long as they are age-appropriate and era-aware (our gang are adolescents or teenagers in the '80s and in their 50s today). I think I'd particularly enjoy "returned from the Realm" or "grew up in the Realm," but canon-like adventures are always most welcome.
And while the Rurouni Kenshin/Highlander crossover that
skieswideopen recommended years ago was very good, I still wish to read one focusing more on Kenshin's decision never to kill again, and how that moral direction intersects not only with HL's game's imperatives, but how it intersects with the moral imperatives of HL characters like Darius, Grace, the false Methos, Richie, and Duncan.What recommendations might you like that I can supply?
The Pitt: i want to be the one patrolling your border by Lirazel
Jan. 20th, 2026 12:50 pmfalena posting in fancakeThis is my first time posting here, hope I'm doing it right
Fandom: The Pitt
Pairings/Characters: Mel King/Frank Langdon
Rating: Explicit
Length: 15,986
Creator Links: Lirazel on Ao3, lirazel
Theme: Crack treated seriously, (not really) unrequited love, (something) made them do it, sex pollen
Summary:
There are all kinds of protocols in place to prevent this sort of thing, but of course they mean exactly nothing when faced with the reality of emergency medicine.
Frank and Trinity both complain that Mel has no sense of self-preservation, but she’s actually a very careful and responsible person. Despite what they say, she never puts herself in danger if she can help it, she feels that she makes level-headed decisions even under pressure, and even if she usually finds people hard to read, she’s read The Gift of Fear and is pretty sure she can tell when someone has actually malicious intent.
Pretty sure until, with no warning at all, a patient—Griffin Jackson, white male, 27, complaining of chest pains—pulls out a tiny jar of neon-yellow powder and pops off the top.
Reccer's note: This is a classic fandom trope (sex pollen) treated seriously. Mel and Frank are just co-workers in canon, but in canon it's obvious they have a connection and this fic explores how much they might grow to mean to each other, and it does so while keeping them (and all other characters that appear) tremendously in character. The sex is, of course, very hot too. :D And the fic also does consent right!
Fanwork Links: i want to be the one patrolling your border
Mods, we need a tag for The Pitt and the pairing too maybe, please? Thank you.
Guess I can't complain about this trip anymore...
Jan. 20th, 2026 09:47 amgoodbyebird
The oddest thing is, usually I take pictures of the Northern Lights and they turn out so disappointing compared to the actual thing I saw; yesterday all I could see were faint white lights, and the colors only came up through my camera. No clue what would cause that. Still, a good time was had oooo'ing and aaahhhh'ing.
Things are happening at full speed this trip lol. I haven't even had time to look at my second batch of orca pictures from yesterday (we've left them behind now).
Heated Rivalry: All I Do is Stay Winning by Ragazza_Guasto
Jan. 20th, 2026 06:46 pmmific posting in fancakeFandom: Heated Rivalry
Characters/Pairings: Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov, Cliff Marleau, Connors
Rating: Mature
Length: 5144
Content Notes: no AO3 warnings apply. Descriptions of illness, choking, vomiting.
Creator Links: Ragazza_Guasto on AO3
Themes: Crack treated seriously, Pining, Getting back together, Canon LGBTQ+ characters, Angst with a happy ending
Summary: “Can you believe it? How the hell did he end up bagging her?”
Ilya stared, brain not comprehending what his body already seemed to, that Hollander was dating-
“Rose fuckin’ Landry! How does the lamest guy in the League-”
He knew that smile. He thought it was for him, just for him. But it wasn't.
“No,” he whispered. His stomach spasmed.
“You good, Roz?”
Why would he- How could he-
They were holding hands…
“Rozanov? What the fuck?”
He jumped up from the table and stumbled for the front door, just barely making it through before the first mass of petals came up. He heaved as he ran, trying desperately to get away from the pavement, somewhere he could hide what was happening.
Unfortunately, his teammates had followed, because of course they would. He saw a photo of Shane Hollander holding hands with a movie star and promptly threw up.
Who wouldn't be curious?
Reccer's Notes: Hanahaki disease, where a sufferer of unrequited love starts bringing up flowers, has to be one of the crackiest tropes ever. In this story Ilya develops Hanahaki after seeing the pics of Shane going out with Rose Landry. But it's not some gently romantic fluttering of petals from his lips, it's bloodily bringing up a hard, painful tulip bulb, then more flowers, more bulbs. I guess the trope always has a potentially serious outcome (death vs requited love) but to me the "treated seriously" aspects here are the medical details and treatment, the painful and unromantic way the disease affects Ilya, and the way the fic cleverly incorporates his family history, via his mother. Ilya gets very sick indeed before Shane finds out, with inevitable results. Well written, and a great read.
Fanwork Links: All I Do is Stay Winning
All I Do is Stay Winning (podfic by sd_ryan)
Characters/Pairings: Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov, Cliff Marleau, Connors
Rating: Mature
Length: 5144
Content Notes: no AO3 warnings apply. Descriptions of illness, choking, vomiting.
Creator Links: Ragazza_Guasto on AO3
Themes: Crack treated seriously, Pining, Getting back together, Canon LGBTQ+ characters, Angst with a happy ending
Summary: “Can you believe it? How the hell did he end up bagging her?”
Ilya stared, brain not comprehending what his body already seemed to, that Hollander was dating-
“Rose fuckin’ Landry! How does the lamest guy in the League-”
He knew that smile. He thought it was for him, just for him. But it wasn't.
“No,” he whispered. His stomach spasmed.
“You good, Roz?”
Why would he- How could he-
They were holding hands…
“Rozanov? What the fuck?”
He jumped up from the table and stumbled for the front door, just barely making it through before the first mass of petals came up. He heaved as he ran, trying desperately to get away from the pavement, somewhere he could hide what was happening.
Unfortunately, his teammates had followed, because of course they would. He saw a photo of Shane Hollander holding hands with a movie star and promptly threw up.
Who wouldn't be curious?
Reccer's Notes: Hanahaki disease, where a sufferer of unrequited love starts bringing up flowers, has to be one of the crackiest tropes ever. In this story Ilya develops Hanahaki after seeing the pics of Shane going out with Rose Landry. But it's not some gently romantic fluttering of petals from his lips, it's bloodily bringing up a hard, painful tulip bulb, then more flowers, more bulbs. I guess the trope always has a potentially serious outcome (death vs requited love) but to me the "treated seriously" aspects here are the medical details and treatment, the painful and unromantic way the disease affects Ilya, and the way the fic cleverly incorporates his family history, via his mother. Ilya gets very sick indeed before Shane finds out, with inevitable results. Well written, and a great read.
Fanwork Links: All I Do is Stay Winning
All I Do is Stay Winning (podfic by sd_ryan)
Tags:
Transformers (Bay Movies): WHAT. WHAT., by crimsonclad.
Jan. 20th, 2026 12:17 amfull_metal_ox posting in fancakeFandom: Transformers (Bay Movies)
Pairings/Characters: Bumblebee/Ironhide
Rating: Not Rated (I’m going to say Teen And Up; this is brazen steaming erotica, but performed in terms that circumvent meat-centric censorship laws.)
Length: ~800
Content Notes: Alien biology, fusion as relationship, Pervy Human Fancying, size difference, transformation kink
Creator Links: (AO3)![[archiveofourown.org profile]](https://p2.dreamwidth.org/b164c54b26e4/-/archiveofourown.org/favicon.ico)
crimsonclad; (LJ) ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
crimsonclad
Theme: Crack Treated Seriously, Pre-AO3 Works, Rare Pairings, Robots, Androids & AI, Worldbuilding, Xeno/Alien Biology
Summary: It was many years since Bumblebee had taken a lover, and as he looked up at Ironhide, he could feel his body trembling. "What do you think we will become?"
Ironhide smiled, and the familiar metallic sound of that motion made Bumblebee shiver. "I don't know, 'Bee. But I can't wait to find out."
Author’s Notes: Perhaps I am more comfortable writing porn with no recognizable gonads????
Reccer's Notes:
Bumblebee's first partner-- so long ago-- had been a sweet thing, and the result of their coupling-- a windmill, turning lazily in the winds of Cybertron-- had been as gentle and solid as their relationship. Once, in the later days of the war, Bumblebee had thrown caution to the wind and mated with an old friend turned traitor, temporary truce formed through their mutual desperation. The result had been a ravenous sawmill, capable of churning through any kind of metal. The sheer power had been intoxicating, but afterward, Bumblebee had felt empty, used. Lonely.
But so many years later, curving up against Ironhide's warm bulk, he knew this would be different. He knew they couldn't help but become something wonderful.
This is another fandom where I scarcely go (and therefore don’t know how common this trope is), but transformation and fusion here become an ecstatic discovery in ways that anticipate Steven Universe. (And don’t miss the avalanche of gleeful bawdy squee in the comments!)
Fanwork Links: WHAT. WHAT., bycrimsonclad on LiveJournal.
Pairings/Characters: Bumblebee/Ironhide
Rating: Not Rated (I’m going to say Teen And Up; this is brazen steaming erotica, but performed in terms that circumvent meat-centric censorship laws.)
Length: ~800
Content Notes: Alien biology, fusion as relationship, Pervy Human Fancying, size difference, transformation kink
Creator Links: (AO3)
crimsoncladTheme: Crack Treated Seriously, Pre-AO3 Works, Rare Pairings, Robots, Androids & AI, Worldbuilding, Xeno/Alien Biology
Summary: It was many years since Bumblebee had taken a lover, and as he looked up at Ironhide, he could feel his body trembling. "What do you think we will become?"
Ironhide smiled, and the familiar metallic sound of that motion made Bumblebee shiver. "I don't know, 'Bee. But I can't wait to find out."
Author’s Notes: Perhaps I am more comfortable writing porn with no recognizable gonads????
Reccer's Notes:
Bumblebee's first partner-- so long ago-- had been a sweet thing, and the result of their coupling-- a windmill, turning lazily in the winds of Cybertron-- had been as gentle and solid as their relationship. Once, in the later days of the war, Bumblebee had thrown caution to the wind and mated with an old friend turned traitor, temporary truce formed through their mutual desperation. The result had been a ravenous sawmill, capable of churning through any kind of metal. The sheer power had been intoxicating, but afterward, Bumblebee had felt empty, used. Lonely.
But so many years later, curving up against Ironhide's warm bulk, he knew this would be different. He knew they couldn't help but become something wonderful.
This is another fandom where I scarcely go (and therefore don’t know how common this trope is), but transformation and fusion here become an ecstatic discovery in ways that anticipate Steven Universe. (And don’t miss the avalanche of gleeful bawdy squee in the comments!)
Fanwork Links: WHAT. WHAT., by
crimsonclad on LiveJournal.[#287 | Hot Water] Voting Post
Jan. 19th, 2026 11:26 pmfanweeklymod posting in fandomweeklyHere are the entries for this week's challenge:
( List of entries )
In order to vote, please reply to this post using the form provided. All comments are screened, and entries are listed in the order they were submitted. For your vote to qualify, you must fill out your entire voting card (all three spots) in order to be counted. First place votes are worth 3 points, second place votes are worth 2 points, and third place votes are worth 1 point. Meeting the bonus goal on an entry gets an extra point for that submission.
When voting, please copy/paste the ENTRY NUMBER and the FIC TITLE from the list above into the spot you're voting for (this prevents accidentally mis-numbering a vote and casting it for the wrong entry). It should look like this:
First Place: 61. Fic Title Here
Second Place: 88. Another Fic Title
Third Place: 47. Finally a third fic title goes here
Please note that you cannot vote for your own entry, and that votes cannot be made anonymously. You do not have to be a member of the community in order to vote, nor have submitted an entry for this week; everyone is welcome to participate in the voting. IP addresses are logged to prevent duplicate voting.
Voting closes Wednesday, January 21, at 9:00PM EST.
( List of entries )
In order to vote, please reply to this post using the form provided. All comments are screened, and entries are listed in the order they were submitted. For your vote to qualify, you must fill out your entire voting card (all three spots) in order to be counted. First place votes are worth 3 points, second place votes are worth 2 points, and third place votes are worth 1 point. Meeting the bonus goal on an entry gets an extra point for that submission.
When voting, please copy/paste the ENTRY NUMBER and the FIC TITLE from the list above into the spot you're voting for (this prevents accidentally mis-numbering a vote and casting it for the wrong entry). It should look like this:
First Place: 61. Fic Title Here
Second Place: 88. Another Fic Title
Third Place: 47. Finally a third fic title goes here
Please note that you cannot vote for your own entry, and that votes cannot be made anonymously. You do not have to be a member of the community in order to vote, nor have submitted an entry for this week; everyone is welcome to participate in the voting. IP addresses are logged to prevent duplicate voting.
Voting closes Wednesday, January 21, at 9:00PM EST.