does anyone know what happened to Ralsts Passion and perfection site? I can’t seem to find it anywhere
Thank you for the ask.
I don't know. But it sure looks like http://ralst.com is dead.
The Wayback Machine's last capture of the landing page is from May 2026.
The last update was apparently in April 2023, announcing that that "Passion and Perfection is now closed to new submissions."
The last two reblogs on @ralst's tumblr were from December 2023 and December 2022.
The is a fanlore page, but it is relatively short.
I an sad that this site is gone. I have a lot of fond memories and am very grateful that ralst maintained the site for so long. It was one of my main fic sources before AO3.
I hope ralst is OK.
If anyone has any information, please feel free to share in the comments, ask, etc.
A question from a tumblr user inspired me to write this guide, how to mass download fic from AO3.
To be clear, with mass download I mean a scenario in which you want to download your bookmarks, or all 30 fics from an author or similar, not something like ‘I want to download all of AO3’.
I will explain two methods that I have both used successfully (there are of course other options that I have not used).
Content:
Method 1: Flamebyrd's bookmarklet plus a Download Manager
Method 2: nianeyna's AO3 Downloader
Method 1 - How does it work, step by step
Known issues and limitations
And a big thank you to the authors of these tools!
Disclaimers:
To achieve the full benefit of method 1 and for method 2 to work at all you will need to use a PC. I have used both methods on Windows and method 1 also on a Mac.
Both methods used to work perfectly for me. After AO3 started using Cloudflare (I think after a bot attack) they still work but I have experienced more issues and a decrease in reliability (correlation/causation, who knows).
Always be vigilant what you install on your computer. And probably consider using separate browsers for your work/banking and for your fandom activities.
This information is current in February 2026.
This was cross-posted on tumblr and my WordPress blog
1) Method 1
Scope: adding a bookmarklet (1a) and a browser extension (1b).
Note that these tools are provided by different people. This option is completely usable with a graphical user interface. This is the method that I am currently using.
1a) Flamebyrd's bookmarklet
AO3 Ebook Download Helper (link)
This bookmarklet creates a floating window that contains the links to download the ebook versions of all works on an AO3 page (be it author, search, series, etc).
How to install: Go to Flamebyrd's page (link) and follow the instruction to 'install' it in your browser.
Note that this bookmarklet does not automatically queue up fics for downloads. This is where 1b) comes in. However, you can of course use the bookmarklet on its own.
Notes: Flamebyrd has a lot of other useful tools for AO3
This bookmarklet is on AO3’s ‘Unofficial Browser Tools’ list (however the link they have on the page is broken 😊)
1b) A Mass Downloader / Download Manager
I use DownThemAll! (link to website) which is a free and open-source extension for Firefox, Chrome and Edge. (I use it with Firefox).
This is a great extension that is useful for any kind of mass download use case - not just for AO3.
How to install: Go to where your browser manages extensions, search for DownThemAll and install it.
How to use it: There is a step by step guide how I use method 1a) + 1b) below in this post (after the cut).
2) Method 2 - nianeyna's AO3 Downloader
Links: github link; Tumblr link
A python command line interface tool. This is the more technical and powerfull method. This means that you need to install Python (looks like the newer version of the tool does that for you).
I've used this method for several years and loved it, but have not used it for a while.
How to install it / how hoes it work: Follow the links and read the author’s documentation and FAQs.
3) Method 1 - How it works, step by step
Note: this was created with Firefox on Windows (and checked to work the same with Firefox on Mac)
Step 1: Go to any AO3 page that shows a list of fics (series, works by author, bookmarks, searches) and click on the bookmarklet.
Step 2:
The bookmarklet creates a flying window with all the fics and format options.
Select the fics you want to download (incl. the mobi epub pdf...) part on the right
Right click and then select ‘DownThemAll’ > ‘Save selection with DownThemAll’
Step 3:
DownThemAll shows a list of all the selected fics and formats.
Select the fics / formats you actually want to download. In the example screenshot I have selected all epub files.
Then click ‘Download’ to start the download
Step 4: the downloads start
Step 5:
Change options by clicking the cog wheel in the lower right corner.
The default setting are a bit aggressive for AO3’s rate limiting and I’d suggest reducing the ‘concurrent downloads’ to 1.
Note: the tool remembers these settings, thus you need to do it only once
Step 6:
Nevertheless, after some time AO3’s rate limit will kick in.
The tool will recognize this and pause downloads for a few minutes (you can adjust this time in the settings). After the pause, they will resume automatically. See the blue lines / files in the screenshot.
This will inevitably also cause a few downloads to “fail”, see red lines / files in the screenshot.
Step 7: Resume / retry the failed downloads: when all blue downloads are completed after one or more pauses, you can select the failed red downloads and press “resume” to retry them.
4) Known issues and limitations
General download issues
a) Fics keep failing to download. This is probably a temporary Cloudflare or AO3 server issue.
Workaround: try again later
b) Very large fics do not download reliably or not at all (in some formats). I have seen this rarely but reproducibly in certain fics.
Workaround: sometimes another format works
Known issues and limitations of method 1 (1a+1b)
c) Max 20 fics in one go. This is an AO3 limitation as this is the maximum number of fics AO3 displays on one page.
Workaround: select and queue up fics from several pages, one after the other.
d) A fic does not correctly download (infrequent)
Sometimes a fic does not download correctly. You can notice this when you look at the file names of the downloaded files and it is not the title of the fic but a number.
Workaround: manually redownload the fic
e) An older version of the fic is downloaded
I experienced this when I downloaded an incomplete fic with method 1a)+1b) and some month later when I tried to download the now completed fic, I got an older incomplete version in the download.
This one is harder to notice as the fic does successfully download and the file name looks correct.
I have noticed this relatively recently and this issue does cause me some grief. This looks like a caching issue, but I've cleared the cache of Firefox and that did not help. I have no idea what the root cause is.
My current workaround (that may or may not be suitable for you): I do a mass download. I subscribe to incomplete fics that I want to come back to later. I do a manual download once I get the e-mail that the fic was updated / completed.
I will update this post if I find a better solution.
---
I also have a an older guide How to download fic from FFN
Hey I just came upon your post about saving fandom stuff and I wanted to know if you knew of a way to mass-download fics? I have over 300 bookmarks on a03 any I think I have some downloaded, but unfortunately I do not have the spoons to go through all of them individually. The ship tag I follow has a few thousands too and while I think a good percentage has been saved I don't think any of the newer stuff in the past few years has and I wish there was a less tedious was to do back stuff up. Thx.
Thank you for this ask.
It took a while and then I might have overdone it.
I wrote a lengthy guide How to Mass Download Fic from AO3 and have published it just now. link
💬 0 🔁 0 ❤️ 2 · How to Mass Download Fic from AO3 · A question from a tumblr user inspired me to write this guide, how to mass download fic
Hello! I was hoping you can help me find a supercorp fic?
Metallo!Lena comes to Kara and Lena's universe and Kara eventually falls for her.
I can't remember much apart from Metallo!Lena eventually becomes nicer and Kara gave her a different name instead of just calling her "other Lena" or Metallo!Lena
Thanks for the ask.
I haven’t really read a lot of Metallo!Lena fic and have no idea.
Let’s give it a go: Does anybody know this Supercorp fic ?
If so, please let us know by reblogging and @ me and I will reblog it here. (preferred option 😊)
Or you an anon ask is also fine and I will share it.
If this does not work, anon, I’d suggest you try the wonderful @ao3fics-lost-and-found
Hi, this may be weird, but do you have recs for fics where Lena gets hurt? I love the angst :D any femlash with Lena is fine. Thank you so much!
Fics in which Lena gets hurt
Thank you for the ask. Not weird at all.
I have 2 Lena centric Supercorp fics for you that I have not recced before. Both are quite angsty and intense and great fics. (Read the tags and warnings). And more below.
1) In this one Lena is a vigilante (Kara can no longer be Supergirl), she gets beaten up quite a bit and the fic is definitely angsty and violent. The fic has not been updated in a while and as far as I remember the most recent chapter is nowhere near a happy ending.
would you be willing by AssumingMinds19
https://archiveofourown.org/works/18535024
Summary: Lena Luthor has spent the past few years transforming herself.
Ever since the woman she loved disappeared from her life, trying to recover what Lena's own brother stole from her. Moulded by the darkness that has always shadowed her life, Lena made the choice to wrap herself in its armour. Now the bane of National City's criminals, the night has become her battlefield.
But when a new organisation rises at the same time Kara returns fleeing from something unknown, bringing with her a child that Lena never knew existed, Lena has to decide whether letting love back into her life is worth trading the vendetta she now dedicates her life to.
Is keeping it, worth the risk of losing them forever to the enemies that want her dead?
A tale of conspiracy, love, crime, family and Lena Luthor being the biggest badass in every way possible. Because frankly, Lena would make an awesome Batman :D
2) This one is a long WIP. I have read several chapters and the beginning of the fic is definitely angsty. Here it is more Lena being hurt and letting herself get hurt / hurting herself. The fic gets happier after a while (I have not caught up to the more recently published chapters)
Non Disclosure by BlueJay1984
https://archiveofourown.org/works/32078302
Summary: She hadn’t meant to move into her office, but one night had turned to two, then three, then weeks. She couldn’t go home. She had been there. She had been there as a friend. But of course, she had been to the office too. But even so, this was Lena’s space, and she had been an interloper. People respected her here, feared her here, prostrated themselves for her here, on the other side of her desk. So Lena felt she needed to be here, in this place where she had complete control, where she was the one who had power, where she was a Luthor.
3) You might also enjoy this fic:
Something to Be Earned by Evilsnowswan (AO3 log in required)
https://archiveofourown.org/works/27008092
This one is SuperRojasCorp and the POV is more evenly split between the three of them. In this one Lena gets spanked and unrelated to that also hurt (assassination attempts etc).
I have recced this fic before here
4) In case you have not already, also check out my Angsty Femslash Fanfic Recs (multi fandom, multi ship) [here]. There are 2 angsty SuperCorp fics.
Okay, so. How come I'm finding this blog just now?? That's not my ask, btw haha. No, I just came to personally thank you because you gave me the link to the Buffy/Faith CV story! I still haven't explored much around your tumblr, but browsing through some posts is a blast from the past. From websites to author names. Xena, Buffy, Birds of Prey, Kigo! It's all fantastic and I'm excited about it, thank you! :)
Oh my, CV. An amazing story. Read it quite a while ago.
Thank you so much for the ask & feedback. This means a lot to me. Especially now that I am not very active as I have some issues. (Hope I can do more again sometime soon).
I hope you continue to enjoy the blog and find something new (or old) to read.
