Mota Collab

Blog for collaborative Masters of the Air fan works, currently hosting the 2025 MOTA Advent Calendar

[mota-collab]

✨️ Upcoming Events ✨️

Hi everyone, we are excited to return with new MOTA events after our break! More information about the events will be posted in due time, but for now, here's what you can look forward to on @mota-collab this year:

A.U.gust - 25-31 August ✅️ Masterpost

Whumpfest - 8-15 September ✅️ Masterpost

O.C.tober - every Friday in October ✅️ Masterpost

Mota Advent Calendar 2025 - 1-24 December ✅️ Masterpost

Mota Hope Weekend 24-26 July 2026

As usual, you will be able to participate with original works or recs. More to come soon!

[mota-collab]

MOTA Hope weekend 2026: Instructions

Welcome to MOTA Hope weekend: July 24-26 2026

This is for all MOTA creators and all characters, themes and ships! All forms of creative work are welcome - writing, physical or digital art, edits, collages, music etc. 

Be creative! Nothing is too hopeful or fluffy!

How do I participate?

The Hope weekend will consist of three days (friday-sunday), all of which have their own hope-set (much similar to the whump-sets during the MOTA whumpfest). These sets will contain different kinds of prompts and creative inspiration that you can use when creating your own fanwork. 

You decide yourself how you want to interpret and draw inspiration from each day’s set. You can base your work on one part of each set or all of it, whatever you prefer. 

The hope-sets will be posted soon! You can find them here.

To participate, you post your fanworks during the weekend the event happens. Add the #MOTA HOPE 2026 tag, and tag @mota-collab in the post so that we see it and can reblog it.

Alternative prompts?

If none of the hope-sets resonate with you but you still feel inspired and want to participate, feel free to participate with fanwork independent from the hope-sets. You can create something of your own personal choosing, inspired by the theme hope. 

If you want more ideas, check out this masterpost!

Recommending works

You can also recommend favourite fan works that correspond with the theme. Send us an ask via the Mota Collab page, and tell us:

The title of the fan work and what medium it is (fic, art, edit, etc.)

The link to the fan work and to the artist

What you like about it

Why you think it fits the theme hope

If you don't want to send it to us, you can post recs on your own blog of course, again using the #MOTA HOPE 2026 tag, and tag @mota-collab in the post so we can see it! (Don’t forget to tag the artist so they can see your recommendation!)

Where can I see the created fanworks/recs?

Follow the #MOTA HOPE 2026 tag! We’ll do a masterpost at the end of the event and there will be an AO3 collection for any fics posted or recommended on that platform. 

What about AI?

Note that no AI, of any kind, is allowed at this event.  This weekend aspires to focus on real people, human made art, and how we can make the world a better place through our creative expressions and outlets together.

Questions?

Ask below or drop us an ask!

Let's make some hopeful fanworks together!

[mota-collab]

Don’t forget the hope weekend! Send recs, create and enjoy all the hopefulness in this fandom!!

[mota-collab]

MOTA Hope weekend 2026: Hope-sets

Welcome to MOTA Hope weekend: July 24-26 2026!

This is for all MOTA creators and all characters, themes and ships! All forms of creative work are welcome, writing, art, edits, collages, music, etc. No AI is allowed.

Be creative! Nothing is too hopeful or fluffy!

Instructions for the hope weekend can be found here! The art was generously submitted by @mota-fanart-gallery and tumblr artists are tagged.

Hope weekend-sets

Friday July 24th

Art: The Sun - Edvard Munch (1911)

Thorpe Abbots - Shirt - A letter arrives

"I don't want this moment to end." - "I forgive you." - "How did you ...?"

Song: Miyazaki - Paris Paloma

Artwork 1 by @beepbeepcomeatmebruv

Artwork 2 by @swifty-fox

Artwork 3 by @sorgenfalter

Artwork 4 by @freebooter4ever

Saturday July 25th

Art: A Dove Has Spread Her Wings and Asks for Peace - Maria Primachenko (1982)

Street - Hug - Facing/Overcoming possible odds

"I pictured this in my mind." - "You can do this." - "Where is [insert name]?"

Song: Punkrocker - Teddybears

Artwork 1 by @m4n1festion

Artwork 2 by @thegrandpineapple

Artwork 3 by @sachart

Artwork 4 by @dustyjumpwjngs

Sunday July 26th

Art: Paradise - Mikalojus Konstantinas Ciurlionis (1909)

Jazzbar - Protest - A dream comes true

"Something's gonna happen." - "Knew you'd find me." - "Where are you going?"

Song: If You Wanna Love Somebody - Tom Odell

Artwork 1 by @suddenly-frankenstein

Artwork 2 by @moghraidhs

Artwork 3 by @kylaym

Artwork 4 by @callumslady

Alternative prompts and recs

None of the hope-sets resonate with you? Don’t worry. If you want to participate but have different ideas, feel free to do any fanwork of your personal choosing, in any medium, inspired by the theme hope.

You can also recommend works by sending us an ask and tell us:

The title of the fan work and what medium it is (fic, art, edit, etc.)

The link to the fan work and to the artist

What you like about it

Why you think it fits the theme hope

If you don't want to send it to us, you can post recs on your own blog of course, again using the #MOTA HOPE 2026 tag, and tag @mota-collab in the post so we can see it! (Don’t forget to tag the artist so they can see your recommendation!)

Questions?

Ask below or drop us an ask!

Don't forget to tag @mota-collab and follow and use the #MOTA HOPE 2026 tag! Remember to tag the artists if you use their art as inspo!

Let's make some hopeful fanworks together!

[mota-collab]

MOTA Hope weekend 2026: Instructions

Welcome to MOTA Hope weekend: July 24-26 2026

This is for all MOTA creators and all characters, themes and ships! All forms of creative work are welcome - writing, physical or digital art, edits, collages, music etc. 

Be creative! Nothing is too hopeful or fluffy!

How do I participate?

The Hope weekend will consist of three days (friday-sunday), all of which have their own hope-set (much similar to the whump-sets during the MOTA whumpfest). These sets will contain different kinds of prompts and creative inspiration that you can use when creating your own fanwork. 

You decide yourself how you want to interpret and draw inspiration from each day’s set. You can base your work on one part of each set or all of it, whatever you prefer. 

The hope-sets will be posted soon! You can find them here.

To participate, you post your fanworks during the weekend the event happens. Add the #MOTA HOPE 2026 tag, and tag @mota-collab in the post so that we see it and can reblog it.

Alternative prompts?

If none of the hope-sets resonate with you but you still feel inspired and want to participate, feel free to participate with fanwork independent from the hope-sets. You can create something of your own personal choosing, inspired by the theme hope. 

If you want more ideas, check out this masterpost!

Recommending works

You can also recommend favourite fan works that correspond with the theme. Send us an ask via the Mota Collab page, and tell us:

The title of the fan work and what medium it is (fic, art, edit, etc.)

The link to the fan work and to the artist

What you like about it

Why you think it fits the theme hope

If you don't want to send it to us, you can post recs on your own blog of course, again using the #MOTA HOPE 2026 tag, and tag @mota-collab in the post so we can see it! (Don’t forget to tag the artist so they can see your recommendation!)

Where can I see the created fanworks/recs?

Follow the #MOTA HOPE 2026 tag! We’ll do a masterpost at the end of the event and there will be an AO3 collection for any fics posted or recommended on that platform. 

What about AI?

Note that no AI, of any kind, is allowed at this event.  This weekend aspires to focus on real people, human made art, and how we can make the world a better place through our creative expressions and outlets together.

Questions?

Ask below or drop us an ask!

Let's make some hopeful fanworks together!

[shipstorms]

[mota-collab]

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Thanks to everyone who recommended, created, shared and otherwise took part in our 2025 MOTA Advent Event 🥳🥳

It was an incredible month of artwork both new and already much loved by the MOTA fandom.

During the 2025 MOTA Advent, we received 59 amazing treats: 26 creations and 33 recs (not counting themes of the day, answers to asks and our various games). A big thank you to the 13 people who participated in the 2025 MOTA Advent! 🎉

We hope all of you have a wonderful holiday time and we'll see you all in the new year for more community events!

In the meantime, if you want to revisit treats from our advent event, check out our masterposts:

Day 1 - Day 2 - Day 3 - Day 4 - Day 5 - Day 6 - Day 7 - Day 8 - Day 9 - Day 10 - Day 11 - Day 12 - Day 13 - Day 14 - Day 15 - Day 16 - Day 17 - Day 18 - Day 19 - Day 20 - Day 21 - Day 22 - Day 23 - Day 24

🎄 Merry Christmas from the MOTA Collab Advent team 🎄

@onyxsboxes @avonne-writes @middlingmay @emmaannaelisabeth

Previous events

[mota-collab]

2025 MOTA Advent Day 24 Masterpost

Today's theme of the day was love, and we were gifted an art rec by @onyxsboxes, a fic rec by @amiserableseriesofevents and a fic rec by @middlingmay. You can find them here.

We hope you all enjoyed the treats we shared today.🎄

🎁 Would you like to revisit treats from earlier days? Check out our previous masterposts:

Day 1 - Day 2 - Day 3 - Day 4 - Day 5 - Day 6 - Day 7 - Day 8 - Day 9 - Day 10 - Day 11 - Day 12 - Day 13 - Day 14 - Day 15 - Day 16 - Day 17 - Day 18 - Day 19 - Day 20 - Day 21 - Day 22 - Day 23

[mota-collab]

Fic rec

Stolen Hearts by EternallyTired17, @eternallytired17 [Fic, 11k, Gale "Buck" Cleven/John "Bucky" Egan] New York City, 1998. This new guy’s been showing up to the bar where Gale works who insists on calling him Buck despite knowing his name. Gale supposes he should be grateful for the distraction of the patron’s crooked smile and obviously fake New York accent, especially considering all the strange happenings going on lately. He keeps missing his mom's calls, a moustachioed cop keeps tailing him around town, and a week ago, two Brits beat him up for no reason outside his apartment. To make matters worse, he’s been tasked with taking care of his neighbour’s destructive husky named Meatball for God knows how long. Surely this handsome stranger is the least of his worries... right?

@middlingmay rec: Clegan Caught Stealing AU! Another great work in progress that I'm excited to keep up with, and I'm loving how the author is weaving the mota world through this AU. Excited to see where it goes!

[mota-collab]

Fic rec

So Tonight That I Might See by obsidianrituals, @shinigamidreams [Fic, 53.5k, Gale "Buck" Cleven/John "Bucky" Egan] Gale suffers a life-altering injury only steps from the place where he’s finally meant to be safe. He and John build a new home together, filling in the cracks of their previous life with gold.

@amiserableseriesofevents rec: I cried. Heartbreaking and sweet at the same time, filled with golden pure hope even in the darkest of times. Post-war Buckies always have a special place in my heart and these two, and their cat, and their bulbs, deserve the whole world.

[mota-collab]

Art rec

✨John “Bucky” Egan✨ by @wecomrades [Art, John "Bucky" Egan]

@onyxsboxes rec: Linda's artwork is stunning; it's like looking at a photograph of Bucky. The details make him seem so real, and the shading is superb. I could stare at it for hours.

[mota-collab]

Theme of the Day: Love

🌼 Reflect on something or someone you love.

You can use the daily theme as inspiration to create new fanwork, or simply enjoy the activity as a chance to reflect on your fandom and personal experiences. The only rule is to be kind to each other.

[mota-collab]

2025 MOTA Advent Day 23 Masterpost

Today's theme of the day was anticipation, and we were gifted an art rec by @mota-fanart-gallery, a moodboard by @avonne-writes and a drabble by @onyxsboxes. You can find them here.

We hope you all enjoyed the treats we shared today. More amazing gifts to come tomorrow!🎄

🎁 Would you like to revisit treats from earlier days? Check out our previous masterposts:

Day 1 - Day 2 - Day 3 - Day 4 - Day 5 - Day 6 - Day 7 - Day 8 - Day 9 - Day 10 - Day 11 - Day 12 - Day 13 - Day 14 - Day 15 - Day 16 - Day 17 - Day 18 - Day 19 - Day 20 - Day 21 - Day 22

[mota-collab]

I need you to know (Gale)

Artist: @onyxsboxes

Artist note: Crank makes Gale's gift. (Drabble 7/7) Thank you so much for following this wee series. I really enjoyed exploring Crank's POV, and i hope i gave him justice (even though I must admit that it was a pretty self-indulgent writing 🤭).

Word count: 470

Finding a good gift for Buck is always tricky. The Major is very down-to-earth and will not accept anything that could have been used for something more useful particularely if it could have been use by someone else. That's why Charles's first idea was to make toothpicks for his Major. Everyone had seen the Major with a toothpick in his mouth at least once, playing with the thin piece of wood, and seeing him in the stalag without one of his famous toothpicks between his teeth was somehow out of place.

He thought about using scraps from his other projects to make the little sticks. He had never done this before, and it would have been a great challenge to make them thin enough to be useful without them being too fragile and breaking at the first touch.

That was before he saw his major and Alex interacting. Watching them discuss airplanes, maneuvers, and the various things they had built during their youth gave him another idea.

He could build a B-17 for Buck. Moreover, if the other man objected to receiving something that could have been used for other purposes, Charles could always tell him it was to have a model for the class he teaches.

Buck's love of aircraft was well known, as were his impossible maneuvers, it would be nice to have a plane figurine to explain them better to the new commers. Charles always found it amusing that people thought Bucky is the crazier of the two, when it is obvious that they are both as crazy as each other. They are definitely a good match for each other.

Sculpting a B-17 is much more enjoyable than Charles could have imagined. It's nice to look back on memories of the plane without thinking about those last moments before the crash, to instead remember his first moments in the cockpit of a flying fortress, to remember this unique sensation of freedom. The wind beneath the wings of the fuselage, the horizon stretching as far as the eye can see, the feeling of finally touching the clouds—it's truly magical.

Sculpting this figurine is really therapeutic for him, allowing him to remember his first flights before all this happened, reminding him why he's fighting. And he wouldn't change a thing if he had to do it all over again. Although maybe he would wear thicker clothes under his outfit because it's really cold at hundreds of feet above the ground.

He can't say he would change much, because this hell has given him his crew, his brothers, his family. He loves them so much and is so grateful for them. They are always there for him, taking care of him, he wouldn't have made it through without them at his side.

He needs them to know how much they mean to him.

[mota-collab]

Meant to be

Artist: @avonne-writes

Author's Note: moodboard for my HS AU - the boys spending Christmas together in Milwaukee in their junior year of high school

[mota-collab]

Art rec

Gale Cleven portrait by @artisttess [Art, Gale "Buck" Cleven]

@mota-fanart-gallery rec: Artisttess makes beautiful art with gorgeous colours and depth, and they have a fun mafia au too. I love coming across their art on my dash. I linked one of their less known pieces because I think it deserves so much more love! But all of their work is amazing.

[mota-collab]

Theme of the Day: Anticipation

🌼 What are you most looking forward to in the new year?

You can use the daily theme as inspiration to create new fanwork, or simply enjoy the activity as a chance to reflect on your fandom and personal experiences. The only rule is to be kind to each other.

[mota-collab]

2025 MOTA Advent Day 22 Masterpost

Today's theme of the day was support, and we were gifted a fic rec by Anon, and a drabble and a real MOTA research rec by @onyxsboxes. You can find them here.

We hope you all enjoyed the treats we shared today. More amazing gifts to come tomorrow!🎄

🎁 Would you like to revisit treats from earlier days? Check out our previous masterposts:

Day 1 - Day 2 - Day 3 - Day 4 - Day 5 - Day 6 - Day 7 - Day 8 - Day 9 - Day 10 - Day 11 - Day 12 - Day 13 - Day 14 - Day 15 - Day 16 - Day 17 - Day 18 - Day 19 - Day 20 - Day 21