August recs

[spatz]

August was far too hot, so I stayed inside and read fanfic! I’m too tired to pick out my favorites, but I’ve got The Untamed up front, then recs for Guardian, Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty, KJ Charles’ Society of Gentlemen, and a Leverage crossover under the cut. Enjoy!

THE UNTAMED

CANON & CANON AUS

in this place where we don't have a prayer by Cerusee & Mikkeneko - REALLY interesting Qiongqi Pass AU where Wei Wuxian actually gets killed - but doesn’t stay that way for long. Very innovative, with an absolutely wild Jin Guangshan showdown, occasionally emotional gutting but ultimately happy. (gen+Wangxian)

Better, Greater, or Otherwise Different by ChloeBYoung - darling outsider POV from a teenaged visiting disciple who runs into a friendly weirdo in the back hills and makes friends with him, not realizing he’s the Yiling Patriarch. A great OC and outsider POV, plus some interesting stuff dealing with WWX’s depression post-canon. (gen, background Wangxian)

to each their own road (a lost sheep goes rogue) by yesterdaychild - fantastic Mianmian fic following her from leaving the Jin Sect through her daughter’s birth. Grounded and lovely, with just the right mix of happiness and regret. (gen)

A Purrfect Day in Gusu by DrJLecter - I am eternally weak for the ‘character [LWJ in this case] gets turned into a cat’ trope and this is a very fun one, combining lectures-era Wei Wuxian mischief and some neat casefile work. (Wangxian)

go where the stolen roses grow by @stratisphyre - in which Lan Qiren realizes that his brother’s wife is not in Cloud Recesses or married or having children willingly, and helps her escape with Cangse Sanren’s help. Definitely takes the worst scenario for that problematic marriage, so fair warning. Also this ship is totally out of left field but weirdly great. (Lan Qiren/Cangse Sanren/Wei Changze)

The First Siege | Safe & Sound by dangocheeked - oh boy, wanna be emotionally devastated by an animatic about Wei Wuxian hiding A-Yuan at the Seige of the Burial Mounds and then growing up as a Lan? Just click on this link! (vid, gen)

MODERN+OTHER AUS

The Right to Care by travelingneuritis - In which musician Lan Wangji and nanny Wei Wuxian fall in love but hit some major roadbumps on the way. This modern AU is just jam packed with tropey goodness, and it’s the rare story where a misunderstandings plot really worked for me. Be warned that A-Yuan does have a rough time on the way to the happy ending, if child harm is a no for you. (Wangxian)

Want the Lights On by Pip (Moirail) - hysterical funny and very thirsty modern AU where Jiang Yanli manuevers Meng Yao into Lan Xichen’s line of sight, Lan Xichen immediately calls his husband Nie Mingjue to alert him to a potential threesome sex partner, and Meng Yao demands a notarized waiver to ensure  that this insanely hot married man’s spouse isn’t being cheated on. And that’s just the OPENING. (Meng Yao/Lan Xichen/Nie Mingjue)

the place where you are by BlackWiresOnHerHead - space AU! In order to take on a time-urgent research mission, Lan Wangji’s team is forced to travel on Nie Huaisang’s beat-up deathtrap of a spaceship. Featuring Wei Wuxian as the brilliant but not very reassuring mechanic, tons of found family, lots of competence, and a dash of wonder. (Wangxian)

GUARDIAN

Sartorial Splendour by Elenothar - “Five times Zhao Yunlan was surprised by Shen Wei's clothing choices and one time he had a hand in them.” A really fun spread with adorably domestic thirst.

so I live to know by Elenothar - in which Zhao Yunlan attempts to rectify Shen Wei’s touch starvation. Awww.

SLEUTH OF THE MING DYNASTY

The hard edges of night by Hope - super long AU where Li Zilong doesn’t release Tang Fan and his captivity gets pretty disturbing. Heavier on the mindgames than physical hurt, but very classic hurt/comfort with a lot of time spent on his recovery after being rescued. (Sui Zhou/Tang Fan)

OTHER

Bring me my Bow of burning gold by @sea-changed (Society of Gentlemen, gen) - quiet little gem of a story I found while clearing out last year’s Yuletide to-be-reads, set during Silas’s time at Arrandene.

The Future is Always Changing by jedibuttercup (Leverage/Push, gen) - ahhh, this author’s always packs so much potential into such short fics. In this case, Parker takes a job during the S1 hiatus but ends up deciding to help Cassie (her target) with Division. Some good stuff around Parker starting to embrace being a ‘good guy’ on her own and how Cassie’s Watcher skills interact with Parker.