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Tumblr recs 2017
A Big Deal in the Resistance by @igrockspock (Star Wars, Finn/Poe)
Within a month of officially joining the Resistance, Finn accidentally initiates an epic prank war with his roommates, receives a medal he doesn’t want, and starts falling in love with his best friend.OMG, prank wars and culture shock and so many Finn feels. I love this fic like pie.
Motion Parallax by laughalot3412 (Leverage, gen)
So, apparently Amy’s boss was part of a criminal gang.The ultimate post-canon Amy-the-brewpub-waitress fic I have been yearning for, starting with Leverage taking down some internet trolls harassing her family, followed by Amy navigating a friendship with Parker with confusion and affection, and taking care of the trio like a boss.
YULETIDE, CONTINUED
An Unquiet Beast by bigsunglasses (Goblin Emperor, gen)
She had burned with love. It was a fire that had lasted over twenty years. Well, all fires ran out of fuel in the end.Yuletide had an amazing slew of TGE fics this year, but this one stood out. An unflinching look at Hesero dealing with the fallout, beautifully written, and featuring a view on Csethiro that finally made me understand why she was a court leader before Maia.
A study of Hesero Nelaran and Setheris Nelar, in the first spring after their reunion.
peace and quiet by alessandriana (Vorkosigan Saga, gen)
Light and genteel laughter spilled out of the foyer. A large group of Barrayar’s high society had just arrived, clustering in small groups as they waited to be greeted by the Emperor. Ivan hesitated on the edge of the group, mind racing in circles as he scanned the crowd. He resisted the urge to rub at the spreading patches of red on his hands. I don’t want anything to do with this.Ivan averts an unusual attack on Gregor. A tightly written plot, a great dollop of h/c, and a fantastic look at their relationship.
all the words that ever were or ever will be by Tequila_Mockingbird (Curse of Chalion, gen)
“The gods held mountains in their minds, and all else besides, all at once.” -Curse of ChalionDreamy, gorgeous telling of the book from the viewpoint of the Daughter. I was surprised in the best way by how well it worked.
YURI ON ICE
Right Off His Feet by EmilianaDarling (Yuri on Ice, Victor/Yuuri)
One of Yuuri’s hands is sliding around his waist, guiding him effortlessly until they’re dancing together. Really dancing together, and Viktor forgets to think, to breathe. Yuuri’s so close that Viktor can feel the heat of his breath against the back of his neck, the warmth of his skin through his clothes.Fantastic Victor POV on the banquet, saturated with canonical detail that I didn’t even notice until rewatching after reading the story. Headcanon accepted.
icebreaker by Cesare (Yuri on Ice, Victor/Yuuri)
Weeks after anyone could possibly want it, a post-skating-retirement college scenario based on skygemspeaks’ idea about Yuuri’s college classmates learning about his figure skating career. I wrote a variation on the idea mostly because I just really wanted to include Victor in the mix.I’ve read a few variations on this Tumblr post and this is definitely the best, with a hilarious OC outsider POV, pitch-perfect dialogue, and exactly the shenanigans you’d want from the premise.
vids: The Rules For Lovers by @paradotsdraws
Never Look Away by @helcinda
I CAN’T STOP WATCHING EITHER OF THESE, and they both reduce me to a teary puddle of feels about these two dumbasses is different ways.
OTHER
I glanced in the mirror on my way out, and blanched a little. That guy looked like he’d gotten less than three hours of shitty sleep on his dad’s shitty sofa, and then had only the latest in a long, shitty line of long, shitty days.Wrenching but romantic futurefic, wherein Peter struggles with the death of a parent and the beginnings of a relationship with Nightingale. Ugh, her portrayal of grief tangled up in life as it goes on is so great, and so beautifully linked up with who these characters are, I’m torn being writerly jealousy and collapsing into a pool of feelings.
“Yeah,” I said to my reflection, “I’d hit that.”
Mother May I by esama (Fantastic Beasts, gen)
In which Newt can recognize an Obscurial by sight.A lovely, cuddly fix-it AU for the Barebone children, with Newt awkwardly adopting the lot of them because he clearly has never met a stray he didn’t immediately take in, bless his heart.
Mock the Meat it Feeds on by xzombiexkittenx (Hannibal, Will/Hannibal)
Murder husbands in Argentina - neither is quite sure where the physical side of their relationship is going until Will gets picked up by a woman at one of their parties. Unsurprisingly, it doesn’t go well for anyone.Absolutely nails their dangerous balancing act of a relationship *and* the darkly comedic tone of the show.
Call Everything on the Ice… by @shysweetthing (Victor/Yuuri, explicit)
Victor learns Japanese while in Hasetsu. He doesn’t tell Yuuri, and things get dicey when he overhears Yuuri and Mari talking about him in Japanese. Repeatedly.This is hands down my favorite YOI fic now, a fantastic slow burn Victor POV from his arrival in Hasetsu to the end of the show, and beyond. In my comment, I told the author that it felt like the perfect mirror to Yuuri’s arc in the show, with Victor’s path to love grounding him into a sense of home and family. His relationship with Yakov is particularly amazing and unique.
Imagery by Cesare (Victor/Yuuri, pre-slash)
Because Yuuri is never, ever lucky, of course Victor finds his poster stash.This story seemed like it was going to be anxiety-inducing-oh-god-fanboy-past shenanigans, but immediately turned out to be a startlingly sweet and thoughtful look at Victor’s relationship with his media image.
I Will Always Say Thank You by perpetfic (Victor/Yuuri, shameless romance)
Yuuri and Viktor prep for the banquet after Yuuri takes silver at GPF.Just pure romantic delight, with perpetfic’s usual perfect ear for dialogue. Bonus points for some hilarious background Otabek/Yuri.
VOLTRON (all gen)
Routine Maintenance by @velkynkarma
Being an amputee with a prosthetic limb is difficult enough. Having a solid metal alien prosthetic forced on you by another species entirely is even worse.This story combines my favorite things in this fandom: Shiro h/c, great worldbuilding, some serious team feels, and multiple excellent action set-pieces. Highly recommended, and wonderfully long.
OR: Five times Shiro’s Galra arm caused him trouble in some way and another member of the team helped him out with it, and the one time the same arm is the only reason any of them survive.
sleep-deprived Shiro by @kiaxet
By the fourth night Shiro came by, Pidge was starting to notice a pattern. By the ninth, she was starting to get worried.Written for a piece of @pentapoda‘s art, this is an adorable snippet in which Pidge and Hunk manipulate Shiro into taking a nap. I literally cooed out loud; great characterization all around.
Your Princess Is In Another Castle by @velkynkarma
Part of the paladin’s mission is to spread peace and diplomacy. Allura has trained for years to be exceptional at it, in all situations.In which Allura does diplomacy and kicks ass, with Shiro being adorably impressed in the background. God, what I wouldn’t give for the show to give her half this much backstory development….
piling sandbags on parapets by alessandriana
“It’s really not that bad,” Shiro said.Tag scene for 1x04, with Keith taking care of Shiro’s injuries. (is anyone sensing a theme yet?)
Keith shot him a look of raging disbelief. “Pidge said you got tortured.”
A bit short this time, since I was reading books more than fic last month.
The Throne in the Hall by @butteredonions (Voltron, gen)The only way to save this planet, and his friends, is to fight. It’s not the same; it’s close enough. Shiro doesn’t have a choice.Action-packed nailbiter that reads like an episode, and really maxes out the Shiro feels, aka exactly everything I want in this fandom.
comfort food by @lightshesaid (Voltron, gen)
“Popcorn,” Lance says. “Like, movie theatre popcorn. With extra butter.”The team discusses comfort food, and Keith’s tragic backstory rears its head. Fluffy and feelsy and TEAM.
“Gross,” Keith says, shuddering.
“Oh yeah? What’s your comfort food then, mullet man?”
“Don’t call me that.” Keith crosses his arms, considering the question seriously before he answers. “Hot chocolate, maybe.”
“That’s a drink,” Pidge says, pointing at him. “Doesn’t count.”
makes no sense to fall by @codenamecesare (Yuri on Ice, Victor/Yuuri)
“If you’re not serious about Yuuri, you need to back off. You have no idea how many times I watched your programs with him and listened to him rave about you. He’s memorized interviews of yours that you forgot you ever gave.”Takes the shovel talk trope, turns it inside out, and twists the knife. JFC, Cesare could have just literally stabbed me and saved me some pain. Sooo good.
“I’m very serious about Yuuri.“
“Are you very enough, though? Because Yuuri’s idolized you forever.”
Well, yes. That’s the idea. If Victor bought into his own press, he’d idolize him too.
Shelter in a Hopeless Place by @igrockspock (Rogue One, Galen/Bodhi)
Bodhi Rook was a local boy from Jedha. He’d kept dozens of trivial secrets for Galen and twice betrayed anti-Imperial sentiments. He was perfect for the mission. There was just one problem: Galen didn’t want him to leave.Ugh, BODHI. I love him so much. I love how this doesn’t shy away from the fact that Galen is using him, but they find something human and heartbreaking between them anyway.
There were many rumours about the Black Widow, some of which might even have been true. The most reliable of these were presented to Clint in maybe the sketchiest mission briefing he’d ever received, full of words like ‘allegedly’ and 'probably’ and 'although it seems unlikely’ which seemed out of place in a SHIELD file. There was only one piece of information that truly surprised him.An ongoing daemons AU, but the two stories are complete as-is. Really intriguing take on Clint and Natasha’s first meeting as well as Laura and Clint’s relationship.
إن سرقت، اسرق جمل، وإن عشقت، اعشق قمر by @growingintheweeds (The Mummy, Evie/Rick)
The first thing that Evy does, upon coming out of the desert, is sleep for what feels like a week. The second thing she does is get married.Excellent look at their marriage over the years. <3
Take That, Bembridge Scholars! by seren_ccd (The Mummy, Evie/Rick)
The world has been saved and there’s really only one thing left to do. Evy writes a strongly worded letter to the Bembridge Scholars. Oh, she gets married, too.
The ending of this is just…100% my headcanon now. *laughs*
A Year in Toussaint by @astolat (Witcher, Geralt/Emhyr)Geralt had no damn idea what to do with a vineyard when Anna Henrietta gave him Corvo Bianco, but he figured it couldn’t be that bad.If, like me, you have no familiarity with canon, you should STILL definitely enjoy this high fantasy screwball comedy about an emperor and a monster hunter who end up neighbors in retirement, get dangerously bored, and start adventuring together. Hilarious and plotty.
Friendship!!! is Magic by @bravecows (YOI/Ouran crossover, gen + canon pairings)
Haruhi said to the stranger, “The food’s good, isn’t it? Have you tried the small quiches?”YES PERFECT. These canons pair surprisingly well together, and everyone is adorably in character.
She’d spoken English on the assumption that most people in the room would likely understand it, but when the man turned it became apparent that he was Japanese. Haruhi knew this because she recognised his face. It was the face of Japan’s ace skater, Katsuki Yuuri.
“K-K-Katsuki Yuuri-senshu!” Haruhi clapped her hand over her mouth, feeling the blood rise to her face.
“Ah,” said Katsuki. He was different off the ice. His spectacles reduced the impact of his eyes, and the shape of his face was somehow softer, less distinctive. “Do I know you?”
gold mines glisten in the sun by @pageleaf (Queen’s Thief series, Costis/Kamet)
Kamet settles into his new life, and picks up a few skills along the way.This is so lovely and fluffy, I just want to turn it into a pillow and sleep on it.
June recs
Another slow month for me – this is what happens when you marathon three seasons of Great British Bake-Off while waiting for your skinned hands to heal in lieu of resting your palms on a laptop.
Hope is a Feathered Thing by sholio (Guardians of the Galaxy 2, gen)
Lonely children want pets. And Yondu has a certain amount of experience with small, cute things following him home. Not that he’d admit it.
Ack, tiny Peter and stealth marshmallow Yondu! So lovely.
The Way Out is the Way Down by @cesperanza (MCU, Steve/Bucky)
“We’re alive in defiance of the law, now,” Natasha said bitterly.
“Well,” Steve said, and pushed his plate away. “We’ll just have to break in and get them.”
“Right, let’s take it from the top,” Natasha said wearily. “The Raft is a fully submersible supermax prison—“
“We can do it,” Steve said.
I waited far too long to read this, and now I’m just like: Yes, good, I’m not sure I need any more post-CACW fic because this one hit all the notes I wanted. Bonus points for a wonderful scene-stealing T’Challa.
Not Your Kind of People by waketosleep (Six of Crows, Inej/Kaz)
I don’t usually rec WIPs, which this story technically is, but it’s a series of relatively standalone vignettes tracking Inej and Kaz’s growing intimacy post-series. I’ve struggled to find stories in this fandom that are sufficiently slow-burn enough for my tastes, given the massive trauma levels inherent in the pairing, but this one hit just right. Hot and inventive, too! Which is very in-character. :)Inej knows that eventually, she and Kaz will figure out how to be intimate without someone having a panic attack. She knows this because she also knows that Kaz is constitutionally incapable of backing down from a challenge.
Souvenir by Island_of_Reil (Goblin Emperor, gen)
Csevet’s first thought is, I was right.
This is a great, razor-sharp moment set just after Tethimar’s death.
Toto, Too by ErinPtah (Wizard of Oz, gen + Dorothy/Ozma UST)
Everyone thinks Toto can’t talk…and that’s just the way he likes it.
His second fairy adventure is much safer than the first, and his little mistress more adept at all kinds of queer travel; but Toto intends to keep to his old habits as long as possible, just in case.
Spot-on voices for the book canon, and I appreciate how Toto ships Dorothy and Ozma as much as I do.
Dry Bones by Parhelion (original slash)
Joss got them the job rather than Ox, even though Ox was the one with book-learning about giant lizards…
I can’t even remember where I stumbled across this (Pinboard popular, maybe?), but it’s an engaging and short Western romance set during the Bone Wars period, between two cowboys who are friends, partners, and a definite odd couple.
Second Chances by rootbeer (Teen Wolf, Derek/Stiles)
“A lot of times the ‘markings’ were common, simple things you said to strangers all the time. ‘Excuse me’; 'thank you’; 'hello’. Some got extremely romantic things like 'it’s you isn’t it? I’ve been waiting for you’ or 'Wow you’re really pretty’. And they were always the first words their soulmate would ever say to them.
Of course, having 'You are the fucking worst kind of person in the world’ tattooed down your side, didn’t bode well. How fucked up was Stiles Stilinski that even his fucking Soulmate hated him? High School had been a special kind of hell when all the kids learned what his tattoo said—despite his best efforts to keep it a secret.”
A sweet variation on the soulmarks AU.
Mouth to Mouth by iesika (Hannibal, gen)
In the immediate aftermath.
This post-series ficlet is just so viscerally horrible and sharply observed through Will’s eyes (much like the show). I love it.
The Bingo Book by flailinginlove (Naruto, Kakashi/Iruka)
Kakashi avoided relationships. He didn’t want to put others in danger. So he couldn’t understand why there was a face staring back at him, as a sub-entry to his own, in this Bingo Book. Umino Iruka (lover) the caption read. It didn’t matter that it wasn’t true. The Book was fact, and to Kakashi’s enemies, Iruka had just become a weakness they could exploit.
So great! Although it did send me off into my biennial Naruto spiral (thanks @rageprufrock), so fair warning if you are prone to that as well.
Needs by paxnirvana (Naruto, Kakashi/Iruka)
A healthy body has needs that can’t always be satisfied alone.
Despite the completely unhelpful summary, I liked this so much I bookmarked it immediately instead of stashing it like I normally do. Iruka picks up Kakashi at a bar, and their fuck-buddies relationship slowly turns into something more intimate. The story does a really lovely job of building their relationship through gestures, things carefully unsaid, and some really hot sex. [note: marked as first in an incomplete series, but it stands alone]
The Yeast We Could Brew by @theladyragnell (Leverage, OT3)
OT3 domesticity, puns, and Amy the waitress: this is short, sweet, and charming as hell.Amy spends a lot of time around the brewpub, and guesses a thing or two while her bosses argue about what to name a new beer.
The Pinocchio Fallacy by Toft (Mythbusters RPF, Jamie/Adam)
Sci-fi AU. Adam is a sexbot on the lam with a developing personality. Grant and Tory dreamed of changing the world, but sold out to the man. Kari works in robot rights activism in her off-hours. Jamie specializes in making things do what they weren’t supposed to.
I remember @thefourthvine recced this ages ago, and I passed it up because I don’t go here, but AS ALWAYS I should have listened to her, because this was delightful and can be read without knowing anything and is funny, genuinely interesting scifi about robot sentience.
Like As The Hart by Persiflager (Lord Peter, Harriet/Peter)
7 September - Peter wires that he will be back next week.
A lovely, bubbly bit of pining set during the first bit of Busman’s Honeymoon when they are separated before the wedding. *happy sigh* Lushly romantic.
Doubt by @pentapoda (Books of the Raksura, Chime/Jade/Moon)
Jades notices something is off with Moon, but she can’t panic because Chime is already doing that.
Insightful and inventive piece that puts together Moon’s mental health issues and his and the queens’ connection to the colony and does cool things with them.
Five Goats by josselin (Captive Prince, Damen/Laurent)
In which Laurent runs away from Arles, hides out in Vask, encounters some goats, tries to regain his throne, and is wooed by the prince of Akielos, not precisely in that order.
A very satisfying and original AU. With crossdressing! And the promised goats do not disappoint!
My Immortal Sanctuary Moon by st_aurafina (Murderbot Diaries, gen)
In which Murderbot discovers fandom. *cries laughing*The shock cancellation of Sanctuary Moon leads the Murderbot to seek new forms of entertainment.
Audience: 822,000 and Homeland Security by @werewolves-are-real (Leverage, gen/OT3)
Hardison starts a live-stream for Dragon Age to show off his new mods. And he kicks ass. But his viewers are actually a bit more concerned about the angry guy in the background of his videos, and the blond chick who keeps peering through his windows.
“Is this some kind of performance art,” asks peskytroll341.
*laughs endlessly* I love a good outsider POV, especially when there are bonus ninjas.
Stuck on the Puzzle by thespectaclesofthor (Dragon Age, Iron Bull/Cullen)
Once, back in Kirkwall, Cullen had an arrangement with a member of the city guard that satisfied his needs. But time changed all things, and he despaired of ever finding a similar arrangement again - that was, until he met The Iron Bull. Problem being that Bull seemed to care far more about sorting out the nitty-gritty of such an arrangement than Cullen ever has.
I don’t even go here, but how could I resist such a long, well-written h/c BDSM epic? Highly recommended for a day-long read in bad weather with hot chocolate (and it probably will take at least a day, because it’s 235K long!).
And Then One Fine Morning by missbecky (Kingsman, Harry/Eggsy)
Eggsy isn’t doing too badly, considering the hand he’s been dealt in life. He’s got a job working nights and he’s doing his best to take care of his mum and sister. And then one morning he meets a stranger at the bus stop, a handsome man named Harry who offers to share his umbrella when it starts to rain. Before the day is through, Eggsy is head over heels in love.
What’s even more amazing, Harry seems to be falling for him, too. Right up until the day he sees the medal around Eggsy’s neck.
Yesss, the romcom AU based on the Hollies’ “Bus Stop” that I’ve always wanted. Terribly charming, and eventually dovetails into the events of the first movie.
Obscura by @manic-intent (Magnificent Seven, Goodnight/Billy)
I’m weak for how-they-met stories, and this one was extremely satisfying. They are THE MOST married, good lord.Goodnight tended to lie about how he met Billy. It was a tiny lie, by any measure of the word. In the Texan saloon, the fistfight was bare-knuckled for only a minute, right until Billy smashed the nose of his first opponent with the heel of his palm and cracked the skull of the next against a pillar. After that, in fine Texan tradition, everyone, including the whores and the piano player, had drawn their guns.
Ice Cream Social (Stranger Things, gen) by @sholiofic
Steve shows up to pick up Dustin after the Snow Ball, and ends up with a car full of kids.
Funny and adorable, with a very well-written Steve and just a touch of heartbreak, on its way to healing.
Survival Skills (Stranger Things, gen) by @sholiofic
This wasn’t how Hopper planned to spend his Saturdays in the winter of 84/85. But he couldn’t just let these idiot kids get themselves killed without teaching them at least a few minimal self-defense tactics.
Hopper reluctantly and grumpily dad-ing the whole gang is my favorite thing, and his observations on the kids are entertaining af.
an unexpected party (Stranger Things, gen) by TolkienGirl
Steve doesn’t have plans for his birthday. Dustin isn’t about to let that slide.
*coos* This is just so Dustin and so sweet. Even the grenades. No, especially the grenades.
The Naming of Hobbits (The Hobbit, Bilbo/Thorin) by Margot_Kim
There’s a certain point where you can no longer ask someone what their name is. Thorin isn’t sure exactly when that point is, but he knows that it’s probably some time before the person in question saves your life. On the far side of the Misty Mountains, Thorin realizes that he never quite caught the first part of Mr. Baggins’ name, and he finds that it’s astonishingly harder to learn than he would have thought. Fili, Kili, and Dwalin are no help whatsoever.
*wheezes with laughter* This is just…so bizarrely in-character? And hilarious, omg.
Words and Not Deeds (Walking Dead, Rick/Daryl) by lettered
Ugh, yes, alllll the Daryl self-worth issues and internalized homophobia and some found family feels to top it all off. <3The apocalypse didn’t happen, and so Carol remains in an abusive relationship. When Daryl meets her, he finds himself in a position to help her. Wanting to help Carol also, Rick enlists Daryl’s aid. Sophia just wants to be a normal twelve-year-old.
But first, an insta-rec, because I spent all day reading this and it was SO GREAT:
The Winter Emperor by Island_of_Reil (The Goblin Emperor, Maia/Csevet)
The Princess Sheveän does not heed Maia’s demand to bring Idra to him, but instead has Maia rendered unconscious and taken to the monastery in the north. He has no way of knowing that Csevet is coming to break him out of it. Neither of them have any way of knowing the rigors and dangers and griefs — and joys and pleasures — that lie ahead of them as they, and the allies they find and those they re-encounter, struggle to restore him to the throne of the Ethuveraz.
This is an incredible AU - the writing, the worldbuilding, the exquisite slow burn romance, the intrigue and adventure, the ensemble and all the excellent OCs. Highly, highly recommended. Definitely some trigger warnings surrounding Tethimar and his whole (*waves hand*) disgusting, sadistic, rapist inclinations, but it stays mostly implied, in line with the novel.
YULETIDE
I have not read very deeply in this year’s bounty yet, so this is mostly Temeraire fic.
First Blood by brutti_ma_buoni (Temeraire, gen)
In which Lady Allendale is set a challenge by the Admiral, and proves herself an able lieutenant.
My Yuletide present!!! In which two very different but very awesome ladies plan a ball, and it is absolutely hysterical – with a touch of heartclutching over seeing Lady Allendale blossom in her new society, just like her son did. Also, the title makes me crack up EVERY TIME.
all flowers in time by lastwingedthing (Temeraire, Laurence/Tharkay)
The consolations of possession.
A really lovely post-canon Tharkay POV and a nice inversion of their usual dynamic.
Forget and Forgive by alltoseek (Temeraire, gen)
Tharkay and Arkady avoid being captured on their way to deliver the crucial message regarding Napoleon’s imminent invasion of Russia.
Then Tharkay encounters a Captain Laurence still bereft of his memory.
In which they manage to start off on the wrong foot AGAIN, bless their hearts. Luckily, Laurence is still quite changed, under the amnesia.
Or Don’t by coricomile (The Breakfast Club, Bender/Brian)
“I should have let you fucking get pounded, you shit,” Bill gasps on the ground.
“Should have,” John agrees. He grabs the hood of Brian’s coat and drags him away toward the parking lot. The school day isn’t over, but fuck it. It’s not like one more day out of classes is going to hurt him, and Brian has enough smarts to go around.
Ugh, this is just Bender all over: 4K of posturing annoyance and reluctant fondness and genuine friendship, and then that heartbreaking, barely-hopeful tenderness.
MISC
And finally, a couple of stories that most people have probably already read, but I only just got around to:
this has been a public service announcement by Nokomis (MCU, gen)
Peter’s first post-mission Avengers hang out goes about as well as one would expect.
In which Peter spills the beans about Steve’s Cap PSAs. *dies laughing* I am a sucker for a good prank war, and this is a FANTASTIC one.
Pre-Existing Condition by @helenish (Die Hard, John/Matt)
Excuse me for a moment while I am blazingly jealous of helenish and her immense talent for taking the tropiest of concepts (fake-dating – in this case for the healthcare benefits) and write them with exquisite delicacy and feels. And hilarity, because John McClane fake-dating Matt, lol forever.“Anyway, he’s staying with me for a while,” John says.
“My place got firebombed,” Matt says, reflexively.