the "r" is interdental

full time job; on call mother; tries to write, attempts to art; at least my partner accepts my weirdness; sisterhood of the scythe

[sahdah]

Operation Mr. Neck-Neck

Fandom: Game Changers Series - Rachel Reid

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Relationships: Troy Barrett/Harris Drover

Characters: Troy Barrett, Harris Drover, Mr. Neck-Neck, Ilya Rozanov, Shane Hollander

Additional Tags: Short & Sweet, One Shot, Spice

Summary: Troy absconds to London with Mr. Neck-Neck, did he do something sweet or is Harris going to hate him.

[sahdah]

I got to read an ARC for Ice Ice Babygirl by Ashlyn Kane and Morgan James!

My review is located: HERE

[worldismyne]

Soul Eater Fanfic Awards 2025

Together we wrote a total of 852 fics! That's a 15% increase from last year.

What were the most popular ships to for write in 2025?

#1 SoMa (138 fics, 7% more than last year)

#2 MaStar (40 fics, 48% more than last year)

#3 TsuLiz (39 fics, 62% more than last year)

#4 CroMa (35 fics, 16% more than last year)

#5 DeathStar (30 fics, 12% more than last year)

[Disclaimer - Ship stats were collected by checking the number of times the tag was used. Ex - a DeathStar fic with SoMa tagged as a side pairing would count for both ships]

Our Favorite Fics this year!

Thank you to all who nominated fics of all kinds. There wasn't enough fic recs this year to need to vote, but I'd love to do it again for 2026

Favorite Updating Fics

One for the Road by silluuu [SoMa, Rated M]

The yearning. THE YEARNING. Silly is such a talented writer and she's so good at capturing the messy, soft moments that characterize falling in love with someone - her writing is just gorgeous. Also, second-chance-romance is my absolute jam and I definitely feel like it's an underrepresented trope in this fandom.

floating souls by jirousan [SoMa, Rated T]

It's usual canonverse Albarn and Evans family drama and I think the only one created this year specifically dealing with the topic

King of My heart by chickycherrycoke [SoMa, Rated M}

I eat up everything cherry writes and this one is no different. We love the fake dating, the pining, and cherry's characterization is always spot on!

Taming of the Shrew by sahdah [MaStar, Rated M]

A master class in writing rom-com/modern AUs and it's not afraid to give Maka flaws to overcome.

Favorite One-Shot

what anyone else can see (in anyone else but you) by cuppajoewrites [SoMa, Rated M]

Extremely wholesome and very in-character SoMa marriage proposal fic - literally could have been a canon addition to the manga. Made me giggle and squee and kick my feet the way any good proper fanfic should.

It's Been A Long, Long Time by nanasversion [SoMa, Rated G]

It's just so cute and adorable and pure, very well written too

so please, go easy on my baby by hexxstrap [CroMa, Rated G]

I really enjoyed the musical references in this fic. I also really enjoyed how wholesome and nice it was to see Maka and Crona bond, I also found the end pretty funny.

Ievan Polkka by L0chn3ss [MaStar, Rated T, locked for Ao3 users only]

Black Star would be all over looksmaxxing, and it's high time someone was brave enough to say it.

Favorite Fics that Finished this Year

Queen of the Night by worldismyne [MaStar, Rated E]

I liked the premise of an arranged-marriage-but-actually-she-wants-to-kill-him a lot, it was a refreshing take on the forced marriage trope. Also turned me on more to the MaStar ship and I enjoyed the smutty parts! ;)

Crona's First Halloween by fern717 [CroMa, Rated T]

It's a really cute story, and got me into the Halloween spirit. I was also really glad the author finished it this year!

After the Fact by Purplefirepit [Marie/Stein, TsuStar, Soul x OC]

This fic is really long, but I enjoyed the author's take on what they think would happen after the manga. I also liked how the author integrated their ocs into their story with the main cast. (This fic was recommended while updating, but finished before the awards!)

Heaven on Hold by chickycherrycola [SoMa, Rated E]

It's a lovely AU that uses angels and demons to explore desire and self loathing.

Self Promo

Heaven on Hold by chickycherrycola [SoMa, Rated E]

It was my Resbang! And I really enjoyed the opportunity to expand upon a one-shot I had previously written about and play around in a Fantasy AU. It was a good exercise for me and I definitely think it helped me grow in a lot of areas as a writer (world-building, character development and voice, fleshing out side characters, etc.). Plus, I love any fic in which I get to tie in smut to the plot :P

Fallout by worldismyne [MaStar, SoPat, Soul and Maka]

This was an emotionally difficult piece to put together for a variety of irl reasons. It's the most vulnerable I've been with readers, and I think I managed to succeed in crafting a dramatic story with no 'villains'. (I was torn between this and another fic, but this one took the most out of me)

Honorable Mentions

This Time by Lydia_D - [SoMa, Rated E]

Very good build up of the unresolved sexual tension

plans never work out by lisp [SoMa, rated T]

It's got very anime-esque action, angst, soul is a potty mouth, and love wins in the end - everything a girl could want!

Hand in Hand by testosterdile [SoMa, rated T]

As someone who doesn't 'get' SoMa within the canon series, this character study is the best examination of how they could get there.

[firstprinced]

[sahdah]

Current art obsession

[sahdah]

From the looks of it, that realization hit like a six-five defenseman twelve inches from the boards. Armstrong flushed an unfortunately attractive red from the apples of his cheeks down to his collarbones, lovingly displayed in the slutty V-neck T-shirt he was wearing. Damn, he’d dressed to impress in that shirt—Max wanted to put his hands all over him. Mouth too, if Armstrong was amenable.

Excerpt from Unrivaled by Ashlyn Kane and Morgan James book 3 from the Hockey Ever After series.

[erisenyo]

I'm thinking about that moment in TLG when Ilya asks if Shane would choose him over hockey and Shane hesitates. Obviously there's a lot going on there and that's been discussed elsewhere in terms of Shane's fears of being outed/losing control, the way their long distance relationship means they're not communicating well enough for him to fully understand Ilya's insecurities, Shane's relationship with media scrutiny, the reality of this creature of habit suddenly confronting a decade-long habit of mutual secrecy changing...

But I've been thinking about it specifically through the lens of choosing *between* Ilya and hockey. Of divorcing Ilya from hockey, specifically, when hockey is what brought them together and is the thing they built their relationship around. When hockey is what makes Shane exciting and interesting and impressive for adrenaline-junkie Ilya...

...and when non-hockey Shane is *boring*, even according to Ilya.

When hockey defines Shane's sense of value and worth to basically everyone in his life outside of his parents (and questionable whether he truly feels that parental exception in his heart of hearts) and when hockey has *been* his entire life, his entire life's work, when his life outside of hockey is...nothing because he's never wanted or allowed himself to want anything else.

And arguably his life outside of hockey is *Ilya*...

...except hockey is the ground where he and Ilya are equals, the only true equal Shane's ever had on the ice. And it's only in front of someone who is his equal to that Shane has ever allowed himself to stop being a Good Canadian Boy and be himself. And it's only Ilya, his equal, who has *appreciated* Shane as himself. (Contrast: his teammates' reactions to his sexuality, and while I do think Hayden gets the short end of the stick there considering how much he supports Shane, its a reality that at this point in time, Shane as himself is someone who loves Ilya, which even Hayden only begrudgingly accepts.)

So when Shane struggles so much to see himself how others see him (as a total babe, admirable, aspirational) and to recognize his own worth in general to the point of undervaluing his own contributions as a hockey player when he's one of the best 2-3 in the league (because Good Canadian Boys aren't *cocky*, they're humble and bow down before the honor of having the immense pressure of embodying their national hopes and expectations), and when Shane sees so *much* of what he feels he lacks in Ilya (attractiveness, social confidence, self-confidence, self-assurance)...

...What does it *mean* to divorce Ilya and hockey? When hockey is what brought him Ilya, when hockey is what made Shane *worth Ilya's attention*, when hockey is what makes them equals.

Without hockey, Shane is...just boring, polite, awkward, no fun, a wet blanket. Without hockey he and Ilya as *unequal.* And what would that even look like for them, when their entire relationship is based on the way equality allows Shane to be himself and be appreciated for it, and as a result allows Shane to see and interact with the soft romantic Ilya beneath the cocksure attitude? How would they *be*?

Obviously there's answers to those questions, and they'll have to deal with them eventually. But I am not at all surprised Shane hesitated.

[sahdah]

It's interesting reading the books then listening to the audio books. Because I was just re-listening to this scene and it hurts. In the re-listen Shane has a very human Anxiety ball Shane reaction but the scent is pivotal for them both because Shane wants it fixed now and Ilya asks for space which leads Shane to really listen to what Ilya was actually saying, that he traded his entire life for Shane and felt that Shane really hadn't given up much. Which by the end of the book is flipped on its head with how much Shane loses but Ilya and the people he surrounds himself with were there to give Shane a safe landing.

And I completely agree with you, because hockey brought them together their relationship is inescapably tied to hockey and it's like asking either of the guys to give up a limb. I read Ilya wanting that reassurance that he hadn't given everything up in vain. And Shane's hesitation hurt him.

For me it's about how they repair after this moment that just hits me in the feels. Because they both begin to see the bigger picture outside of just hockey.

[erisenyo]

What To Read After Heated Rivalry

Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid has had me in its grips for 5+ years now, and I am finally seeing some mutuals spiraling as well, so in the interest of spreading the love, here are some of my recs for what to read next:

Other books by Rachel Reid! Kind of an obvious answer, but she writes a broad range of stories and tones and I enjoyed Role Model, The Long Game, and Time to Shine most of her other works.

Sticking to m/m hockey, Avi Baran's Penalty Box series is awesome. He brings the enemies to lovers vibe, the friends to lovers, the hockey player/hockey player, and balances the romance and the sport so well. He also has extras on his website, like AUs of his stories, short stories in the universe, follow-up novellas, etc.

The Superstition Hockey series by Superstition_hockey! It's on AO3 but its original fiction and its fabulous. I read the whole series + extras at least twice per year, it's amazing, I cannot recommend it enough.

Unrivaled by Ashlyn Kane and Morgan James also delivers on that rivals to lovers, do I want to punch you or kiss you vibe and it's very, very satisfying. There's others in the series but that's my favorite.

Sarina Bowen also has awesome m/m hockey romances. Him and Us (written with Elle Kennedy) are wonderful, The Understatement of the Year is fabulous, and I'm Your Guy was also a fun read. For non-hockey but that enemies-to-lovers, gay-awakening type story, Top Secret is also great. And if you're willing to dip your tie into m/f romance, The Year We Fell Down is super well done: two hockey players, the aftermath of injury, friends-to-lovers, exploration of adjusting to disability.

Speaking of f/m college-set hockey romances, Elle Kennedy's Off-Campus series is great. The balance of athletics and romance is on point, and if you like it there are two spin-off series also focused on hockey romances.

Branching out from hockey into baseball, KD Casey's Unwritten Rules series is great. M/m stories, great characters, great writing, and the romance and the athletics are worked balanced really well.

Swinging into football, if you're open to m/f stories, Kristen Callihan's Game On series is super fun.

This post is also a question: what did I miss? What are your recs? Please help me, I am spiraling, I am Consumed, I have been chasing the Heated Rivalry high since 2019, halp.

[sahdah]

[sahdah]

If you haven't read Winging It by Ashlyn Kane and Morgan James you're missing out. I binged the entire Hockey Ever After series in one week.

[sahdah]

Has anyone else read Winging It by Ashlyn Kane and Morgan James?

[worldismyne]

Racing thoughts at the disco...

Gave a hand at make a gif. Also first time freehanding in clip. Not too shabby when paired with the trad ink drawing.

Inspired by @sahdah's fic Taming of the Shrew. Reg images under the cut

[sahdah]

!!!! This is amazing!!! No way this is your first time-- this looks so cool!!!! @worldismyne you spoil me so much 💖💖💖💖

[alcruid]

SoMa week day 1: Saints

@sahdah occasionally sends me some really cool stuff with Angel imagery and naturally I had to find the opportunity to draw it in some way ✨

This was the only prompt for which I had (have?) an idea, so now to think of what to draw for charm.

@soulxmakaweek

[reverbmod]

That’s right, Soul Eater fandom! We're back at it again and so excited to present this year's theme for Reverb 2025: Worlds Collide!

Sign-ups open this Friday, May 23rd at 12:01am EST and will stay open until Friday, June, 6th 11:59pm EST.

Before you sign up - Whether you have been with us for years or you're just stumbling upon us now, please, please, please make sure you hop on over to the GW Forum BEFORE you sign up to read through the Official Rules and get familiar with the Schedule.

✨There will be a Quiz✨

If you have any questions or just want to get in on the hype, we highly encourage all of our participants to join the GW Server on Discord.

If Tumblr is more your speed, please don't hesitate to drop us an Ask

Or contact us via email at [email protected].

We're so excited to see what wonderful things you all will create~

Happy Reverbing

[worldismyne]

Day 5 - Fate

Lil marriage interview stuff.

Famous Last Words

Rating: G

Summary: "Choose another witch to make your death scythe, or this will be the rest of your life."

Maka's mother did the unthinkable, and let the witch go. Now Maka has to suffer the consequences.

[holydrakes]

Had been seeing this talked about in JP SEtwt lately about Maka's supposed fears. Maka can have two prominent fears, both relating to loss:

1.) Fearing that she will not be strong enough to protect what matters (clown arc)

2.) That she isn't perfect or mattering enough for people that she's worth ditching for/be replaced (salvage)

All these fears made sense when you consider her upbringing.

Though, considering it's very common for children of divorce to blame themselves for their parents' separation, I wonder if Maka felt that way too, that even her blaming Spirit is also a form of her coping that it might actually be her fault (that she was an accident and her mother wasn't ready to take that responsibility)

If this was the case this page did hit different

[sahdah]

Did I finally survive writers block? It's feeling more hopeful.

Decided to make some art for chapter 17 😏 which I have not posted yet. Thanks for supporting the story 💖💖💖