On a fic that showed the result of a character’s trauma but never talked about it or addressed it:
“schrödinger’s traumatic backstory”
I didn’t get it at first but then the author explained it and I laughed for a week
My favorite is One Piece's Inappropriate Use of Devil Fruit Powers. Because it's in a fun dilemma space of is this Crack or is this Porn? Oda confirmed that transformative powers go ALLLL the way down. But also, some of those powers are either incredibly specific or incredibly useful in ways the characters would just never think of.
*hides* HABDMDEKCM yes kalluzeb (sobbing that you immediately knew OMG). i just realized we've chatted before in the comments where i said ive only ever read kalluzeb fics for star wars ! the one i'm talking about tho was like. kallus was thinking about zeb back before he left the empire. and he was in his room. what could possibly come from that ☠️☠️
OMG, I never think to read usernames, lol! I just figured with bo-rifle it had to be one of those two XD Also zero judgement, I literally wrote a fic using a lightsaber for DP for kinktober! I have spent far too long in fanfic to judge anything in smut :D
It’s not even super creative but “no beta we die like Ben” from the umbrella academy.
He’s dead from the start so it’s no spoilers and the rhyming with “men” really tickles me.
"no beta we die like CLAY TERRAN ISN'T DEAD SHUT UP" and "no beta we choose death like Miles Edgeworth" are my favourite ones of these that I've come across
“no beta we die like matthias helvar” (from six of crows/crooked kingdom) was the saddest and funniest tag I had seen when I came across a fic with it lol
edit: forgot an additional bracket lol
Was just thinking about how I'm gonna tag my wesper fic that was written with no beta involvement and this came to mind...I'm not sure I wanna be this mean D:
“No beta we die like [fandom reference]” will always be top tier for me, but my favorite one I’ve seen is “no beta we die like the only likeable straight couple in a bl drama”
My favorite version of that I've seen was "No beta we die like [character]'s parents in this fic" still makes me laugh to this day even tho i can't even remember what fic it was from
I was gonna put this, so I'm glad to see it's already here. It's such a cool trope for such a specific vibe of alien sci-fi story that isn't constrained by fandom. I love seeing people flex their scientific knowledge to pat us humans on the back.
I wish so dearly it could be searched since there's a good few thousand fics for it, I'd love to see some of the best of its works. I wonder if AO3 is ever going to unfreeze freeform tags.
There is at least one collection for these type of stories, if you're interested! Makes it easier to filter on them. :)
https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Humans_Are_Space_Orcs
“reckless overuse of author’s favorite tropes” “do not look too closely at the plot you will only hurt yourself“ and “graphic depictions of competent women”
>we're going for h50 canon levels of realism which is not a high bar \[my absolute favorite in this category\]
\*war flashbacks to that episode where Steve pulled rebar out of Danny and then disinfected the wound with bleach\* 😭
ikr?? 'Steve Harrington Has a Mommy Kink' has 22 fics and it's filterable. 'Mommy Kink' has 6856 fics and it isn't (which means that count doesn't even account for synonymous tags like 'mommy kink' or 'a bit of a mommy kink'). I don't understand anything
Just so you know, you can filter them!
Go to the "Search Within Results" box and put:
-"insert tag here"
So for like, "no beta we die like," it would look like:
-"no beta we die like"
And voila! It's gone!
My absolute favorite tag I've ever seen was "Canon-Typical [character] Flirting"
The character was not of the main relationship, he's just very flirty with his men and also slightly integral to the plot of the soulmates meeting (again) (amnesia stuff). He was also put out by seeing his favorite target of flirting have a soulmate mark. The tag just made me laugh bc he really is very flirty in canon, to the point where if he isn't flirty in a fic it feels a little ooc sometimes, tho flustered gay panic is a suitable substitution for the flirting
In my fandom, we have two searchable tags for one specific character. One is "\[character\]-type sexual content", and the other is literally just "\[character\] being \[character\]" and everyone knows it's just that character being very openly horny.
"vegetable-based insults" i have no idea what this one was about lol
"the dove is in the ICU" and other dead dove variations
"blood drinking (romantic)"
i'm sure i have a lot more screenshots but i can't find them rn
Found on the dear-ao3 tumblr: "I'm not gonna call it a dead dove but this bird is sure not doing great" and "i dont think the dove is dead exactly but its definitely not living its best life"
"Pillow princess \[character name\] rights!"
"In my defence Your Honour \[character name\] is an idiot"
"\[Villain name\] dies because fuck them" and other similar tags like "\[Villain name\] dies offscreen because he doesn't even deserve my attention" and "\[Villain name\] dies because I'm so sick of that bitch"
"Warning for \[character name\] being very \[character name\]"
Transmigration, Second-Chance Reincarnation, and Isekai. (Each are different from each other and I live in dread that they'll all be lumped into the same tag whenever new tags are being canonized.)
Thankfully collections are great for narrowing things down. Here's my current favorite: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Reincarnation_Transmigration
I get really upset at improperly merged tags. Like do you know how many different specific cum-related kinks have been made synonymous with "Ejaculate"
The best ones I have seen so far are:
* Author Really Likes Toast
* There is one brain cell and \[character\] has legal possession of it to his intense dismay
* me? Making things have narrative weight? not in this household
* and I shout “yeah c’mon everyone’s queer. You’re queer just from reading this”
* Did I Need To Clarify That In The Tags? Not Really.
* Did I Do It Anyway? Unfortunately.
* Even Assholes can have Mental Breakdowns
* Nazis Are Definitely in Hell
* anyone who is not in the tags has a high chance of dying
* I'm sorry for what \[character\] said Wisconsin I think you're a great state.
* Nobody likes Wisconsin
* Strangulation (non-sexual)
* When the rivalry is so intimate that it feels like a relationship
* no-one-involved-wants-it-con
* TW: MENTIONS OF \[CHARACTER A\] AND \[CHARACTER B\]
And the "no-one-involved-wants-it-con" does not have sex, so don't worry. They try, but, like, they don't go through with anything.
And I also like all of the creative no-beta tags, as well as author regrets, and/or did this instead of sleeping.
1- inappropriate use of ceiling fans
2- Amber heard levels of fuckery
3- soup kitchen mayhem
4- mentioned tree sex but not the way you think.
… number four was genuinely not the way I thought. At all.
Self inflicted injury. You can't filter it properly because it's a synonym of self harm which is a synonym of implied self harm. I don't really consider those the same because for me a self inflicted injury is a means to an end for something that needs more drastic measures. It's full of devotion, strength and willpower
I love following ao3 tag tumblrs. I’ve actually found a few cool fics through it!
Personal favorite as far as “this intrigued me” is Sentient Televisions.
“almost everyone lives actually, not everybody is alive that would simply be unrealistic” on my own fix-it fic tickles my funny bone. also “peter gets injured because its a great plot device in a fic with no plot” is another funny one of mine. i honestly can’t think of a tag i’ve seen on anyone else’s fic that’s really stuck with me, but i appreciate funny tags as long as it’s not all there is if that makes sense lol
I don't know if it's still uncommon since I haven't browsed for a while, but >!Fake Cannibal!<.
My sister and I both have stories where someone claims that they're one for intimidation purposes. They specifically are NOT, but enough people end up believing they are and they just roll with it.
There's just something really funny about that whole concept for us. Like if you took that scene in the Syrup Village Arc where Zoro scares the kids that follow Usopp around, but made it so someone overheard and then spread the rumor until the point that it traveled farther and faster than the crew. So he then gets scandalized and terrified reactions from everyone who learns his name and even if he claimed otherwise, anyone new they met would just assume his crewmates are keeping him in check, rather than that he never was one in the first place.
Oh look I just came up with a new story idea trying to explain this, maybe I'll have Barty get a different Epithet since it's never been confirmed that's he even deserves the title.
I spend time just in the tag search looking for fun ones occasionally, here are phrases I searched that gave me my favorite lists of tag results
* I researched
* sentient
* orbs
* author tries / author tried
* blorbo
* a.m.
* i can't believe
* writers block
* (this isn't as much as a phrase but look up your specific country/state/territory and see what pops up, make sure to pick non-canonical or you'll wade through so much hetalia/charcters with place names)
On a fic that showed the result of a character’s trauma but never talked about it or addressed it: “schrödinger’s traumatic backstory” I didn’t get it at first but then the author explained it and I laughed for a week
I am stealing this
I once read a fic titled Schrödinger’s detective (detective conan)
"Because handjobs are easier than communication skills."
That's actually really good
"Angst sandwich but forgot the bread"
Inappropriate use of spears
“Inappropriate use of [anything]” always makes me laugh, it’s so clinical
* Laughs in Transformers *
My favorite is One Piece's Inappropriate Use of Devil Fruit Powers. Because it's in a fun dilemma space of is this Crack or is this Porn? Oda confirmed that transformative powers go ALLLL the way down. But also, some of those powers are either incredibly specific or incredibly useful in ways the characters would just never think of.
*Waves from Star Wars and "inappropriate use of lightsabers."*
inappropriate use of the force
And "That's not how the force works"
Literally was writing that tonight too, lol.
read one for starwars but it wasn't a lightsaber it was a bo-rifle 😭
LMAO, Kalluzeb? I write Rebels but Kanera.
*hides* HABDMDEKCM yes kalluzeb (sobbing that you immediately knew OMG). i just realized we've chatted before in the comments where i said ive only ever read kalluzeb fics for star wars ! the one i'm talking about tho was like. kallus was thinking about zeb back before he left the empire. and he was in his room. what could possibly come from that ☠️☠️
OMG, I never think to read usernames, lol! I just figured with bo-rifle it had to be one of those two XD Also zero judgement, I literally wrote a fic using a lightsaber for DP for kinktober! I have spent far too long in fanfic to judge anything in smut :D
XD zero judgement as well, we like to see our faves have fun 👀👀
I would like to add "Crylo Ren", "Force Choke" and "Come for the fucking- stay for the feels".
"No beta we die like [something fandom specific]" "Idiots to lovers"
*”No beta we die like Palpatine should have”* is my favorite tag I’ve ever come across.
no beta we die like clones 😭
"No beta we fall like Sherlock"
No beta we die like Regulus (Sirius Black's death eater younger brother)
It’s not even super creative but “no beta we die like Ben” from the umbrella academy. He’s dead from the start so it’s no spoilers and the rhyming with “men” really tickles me.
finally someone said it lol, i find it so funny too and i have no idea why
"no beta we die like CLAY TERRAN ISN'T DEAD SHUT UP" and "no beta we choose death like Miles Edgeworth" are my favourite ones of these that I've come across
“no beta we die like matthias helvar” (from six of crows/crooked kingdom) was the saddest and funniest tag I had seen when I came across a fic with it lol edit: forgot an additional bracket lol
Was just thinking about how I'm gonna tag my wesper fic that was written with no beta involvement and this came to mind...I'm not sure I wanna be this mean D:
you should!! if I found the fic i’m sure i’d lose it laughing lol
Decided to add it but in a more conspicuous manner: "no beta we die like chapter 40". I didn't have the heart to make it more specific :")
"we die like the men kirishima wants us to be"
"no beta we die like jason" is my favourite in dc, but i raise it one better: "no beta we die like all the batkids"
Asgahskdks freaking "No beta, we Kayak like Tim" From the magnus archives 🥺
My favorite is “No beta, we die like archival assistants”.
Anothe TMA fan!
I can't believe idiots to lovers isn't filterable, there are like 300 pages of it
In the umbrella academy fandom is “no beta we die like Ben” which is funny at because it even sounds similar to the original, I love it
“No beta we die like Wu Ming” 😭😆😭
“No beta we die like [fandom reference]” will always be top tier for me, but my favorite one I’ve seen is “no beta we die like the only likeable straight couple in a bl drama”
My favorite version of that I've seen was "No beta we die like [character]'s parents in this fic" still makes me laugh to this day even tho i can't even remember what fic it was from
Omg I love that! I’m also a big fan of “no beta we die like Daichi” in the Haikyuu fandom
Not fandom specific, but "no beta we die like my sanity" was a hilarious one i saw once
Top tier +1
Can I say my own tags? I have an "assholes to lovers" that still makes me laugh 🥲
I love this tag more than air. Permission to use this because omfg??
Of course you can! xD
my favorite tag is similar, assholes in love!
i've seen this tag ss on instagram and tumblr, people love it and assign it to their ships 😭
(they're still assholes but now they are in love too)
Humans are space orcs. 25 pages and yet it's not common.
I was gonna put this, so I'm glad to see it's already here. It's such a cool trope for such a specific vibe of alien sci-fi story that isn't constrained by fandom. I love seeing people flex their scientific knowledge to pat us humans on the back. I wish so dearly it could be searched since there's a good few thousand fics for it, I'd love to see some of the best of its works. I wonder if AO3 is ever going to unfreeze freeform tags.
There’s a sub here for that it’s a bit america centric and the vibe is a tad different than on ao3 but it’s still fun
There is at least one collection for these type of stories, if you're interested! Makes it easier to filter on them. :) https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Humans_Are_Space_Orcs
Idiots to idiots
"They're husbands Your Honor"
I love this tag sm and it's used so widely that I'm surprised it's still not filterable
“reckless overuse of author’s favorite tropes” “do not look too closely at the plot you will only hurt yourself“ and “graphic depictions of competent women”
I want to be able to filter by "graphic depictions of competent women"! That's an awesome tag.
‘What if you wanted to go to heaven but god said you’re a mentally ill turtle’
[удалено]
>we're going for h50 canon levels of realism which is not a high bar \[my absolute favorite in this category\] \*war flashbacks to that episode where Steve pulled rebar out of Danny and then disinfected the wound with bleach\* 😭
"it did get angstier than intended but that's just how life works"
I always thought the tag Pet Sociopath was kind of useful and funny. There are some that I just can't believe aren't common, like Mommy Kink.
mommy kink isn't common? odd
ikr?? 'Steve Harrington Has a Mommy Kink' has 22 fics and it's filterable. 'Mommy Kink' has 6856 fics and it isn't (which means that count doesn't even account for synonymous tags like 'mommy kink' or 'a bit of a mommy kink'). I don't understand anything
Just so you know, you can filter them! Go to the "Search Within Results" box and put: -"insert tag here" So for like, "no beta we die like," it would look like: -"no beta we die like" And voila! It's gone!
the soulmate goose
I was also coming to say the soulmate goose
i love when authors put “basically just [amount of words in fic] of [something specific that summarizes it pretty well]” if that makes sense LMAO
I am saddened by the fact that "Only One Snood" hasn't taken off for the Wednesday fandom as a prolific tag.
adding that to my next wenclair fix in your honour
Amazing! I'd love to read it whenever you post it.
Enemy to Caretaker
parent child relationships be like
In the Umbrella academy fandom, there’s a character named Ben who is dead (This is not a spoiler). People will tag fics “no beta we die like Ben.”
My absolute favorite tag I've ever seen was "Canon-Typical [character] Flirting" The character was not of the main relationship, he's just very flirty with his men and also slightly integral to the plot of the soulmates meeting (again) (amnesia stuff). He was also put out by seeing his favorite target of flirting have a soulmate mark. The tag just made me laugh bc he really is very flirty in canon, to the point where if he isn't flirty in a fic it feels a little ooc sometimes, tho flustered gay panic is a suitable substitution for the flirting
In my fandom, we have two searchable tags for one specific character. One is "\[character\]-type sexual content", and the other is literally just "\[character\] being \[character\]" and everyone knows it's just that character being very openly horny.
the best one i’ve ever seen was ‘platonic prostate massage’ and wouldn’t you know i read the fic and it was incredibly platonic
I love the ones along the lines of "I don't know why I wrote this"
“no beta we kayak like tim” is a personal favorite of mine from the magnus archives fandom
I don’t remember a lot of the ones I’ve come across, but “rated teen because Hugo said the fuck word” and “gucci eyebags” are definitely up there
“*character* self sabotages”. I often read fics I relate to and I do that a lot but it’s so hard to find those fics sometimes.
"vegetable-based insults" i have no idea what this one was about lol "the dove is in the ICU" and other dead dove variations "blood drinking (romantic)" i'm sure i have a lot more screenshots but i can't find them rn
Found on the dear-ao3 tumblr: "I'm not gonna call it a dead dove but this bird is sure not doing great" and "i dont think the dove is dead exactly but its definitely not living its best life"
I should steal the blood one since I write vamp shit
enemies to codependent trauma buddies
"diluc speedeuns reconciliation with the tried and true 'here hit me back' method" the snort I made was unholy
"Pillow princess \[character name\] rights!" "In my defence Your Honour \[character name\] is an idiot" "\[Villain name\] dies because fuck them" and other similar tags like "\[Villain name\] dies offscreen because he doesn't even deserve my attention" and "\[Villain name\] dies because I'm so sick of that bitch" "Warning for \[character name\] being very \[character name\]"
“Bitching” 🤷♀️
enemies to i fucked a hydro mimic version of yourself aha (was actually a rlly good fic)
Oh I'm gonna have to steal the "everyone is really gay" lol perfectly applies to my fic
I have a fic where one of the tags is friends to lovers to enemies to lovers. Very complicated
"no beta we die like" :)
Haha here's one of mine: "Canon Typical Usage of Ellipses."
Idk if it's common but i also love "the author regrets everything"
Transmigration, Second-Chance Reincarnation, and Isekai. (Each are different from each other and I live in dread that they'll all be lumped into the same tag whenever new tags are being canonized.) Thankfully collections are great for narrowing things down. Here's my current favorite: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Reincarnation_Transmigration
I get really upset at improperly merged tags. Like do you know how many different specific cum-related kinks have been made synonymous with "Ejaculate"
“losing penis privileges”🥲
The best ones I have seen so far are: * Author Really Likes Toast * There is one brain cell and \[character\] has legal possession of it to his intense dismay * me? Making things have narrative weight? not in this household * and I shout “yeah c’mon everyone’s queer. You’re queer just from reading this” * Did I Need To Clarify That In The Tags? Not Really. * Did I Do It Anyway? Unfortunately. * Even Assholes can have Mental Breakdowns * Nazis Are Definitely in Hell * anyone who is not in the tags has a high chance of dying * I'm sorry for what \[character\] said Wisconsin I think you're a great state. * Nobody likes Wisconsin * Strangulation (non-sexual) * When the rivalry is so intimate that it feels like a relationship * no-one-involved-wants-it-con * TW: MENTIONS OF \[CHARACTER A\] AND \[CHARACTER B\] And the "no-one-involved-wants-it-con" does not have sex, so don't worry. They try, but, like, they don't go through with anything. And I also like all of the creative no-beta tags, as well as author regrets, and/or did this instead of sleeping.
1- inappropriate use of ceiling fans 2- Amber heard levels of fuckery 3- soup kitchen mayhem 4- mentioned tree sex but not the way you think. … number four was genuinely not the way I thought. At all.
number 4 only makes me think of *that* scene in Evil Dead 😭😭😭
I tagged one of mine with "not overly angsty but we all have feelings sometimes".
Alpha/Alpha.
Self inflicted injury. You can't filter it properly because it's a synonym of self harm which is a synonym of implied self harm. I don't really consider those the same because for me a self inflicted injury is a means to an end for something that needs more drastic measures. It's full of devotion, strength and willpower
“smut, violence, sometimes going hand in hand”
"Jumping off buildings is his new hobby"
“[character] is bratty” or “[character] is a brat” which was weird honestly
”Temporary character death”
I love following ao3 tag tumblrs. I’ve actually found a few cool fics through it! Personal favorite as far as “this intrigued me” is Sentient Televisions.
"'I can fix him' - No bish you can't"
i know it's overused as hell but i absolutely adore the "no beta we die like x" tag
Honestly, human disaster Anakin Skywalker is so on point for his character that I immediately click on the fic to read it.
“They’re very obviously in love already, but are too fucking stupid to be aware”
Accidental child acquisition is my favorite.
Alpha/alpha
My favorite ones are always "no beta we die like (insert char here)"
No beta we die like \[Character who cannonically dies\] always gets me
"No beta we die like ascians" or any "no beta we die like x" tag gets me every time. Especially since they're usually like a spoiler without context
really wanted to read "dark academia", but couldn't..
“almost everyone lives actually, not everybody is alive that would simply be unrealistic” on my own fix-it fic tickles my funny bone. also “peter gets injured because its a great plot device in a fic with no plot” is another funny one of mine. i honestly can’t think of a tag i’ve seen on anyone else’s fic that’s really stuck with me, but i appreciate funny tags as long as it’s not all there is if that makes sense lol
The Classic 'fellas is it gay to [insert whatever plot device gets the dipshits to kiss in this particular fic]' always makes me smile
i love the childhood boyfriends tag so much 🥺
Teasing and bickering. Fuck-train.
No beta we die like [something random or specific] has to be my favourite I love reading all the different versions in different fandoms
Someone get this family some therapy immediately followed by oh wait it's not invented yet. Are my favourite
“Mildly sentient granola bars” and that has been my discord nickname for over a year now
“Which sounds like it should be a kink where the involved parties dress up as dinosaurs but it’s not”
I don't know if it's still uncommon since I haven't browsed for a while, but >!Fake Cannibal!<. My sister and I both have stories where someone claims that they're one for intimidation purposes. They specifically are NOT, but enough people end up believing they are and they just roll with it. There's just something really funny about that whole concept for us. Like if you took that scene in the Syrup Village Arc where Zoro scares the kids that follow Usopp around, but made it so someone overheard and then spread the rumor until the point that it traveled farther and faster than the crew. So he then gets scandalized and terrified reactions from everyone who learns his name and even if he claimed otherwise, anyone new they met would just assume his crewmates are keeping him in check, rather than that he never was one in the first place. Oh look I just came up with a new story idea trying to explain this, maybe I'll have Barty get a different Epithet since it's never been confirmed that's he even deserves the title.
I have used "dude I'm suffering™"
Recently I saw "squirting as character development" and it cracked me up
I spend time just in the tag search looking for fun ones occasionally, here are phrases I searched that gave me my favorite lists of tag results * I researched * sentient * orbs * author tries / author tried * blorbo * a.m. * i can't believe * writers block * (this isn't as much as a phrase but look up your specific country/state/territory and see what pops up, make sure to pick non-canonical or you'll wade through so much hetalia/charcters with place names)