spatz | Recent Entries

I didn't read a ton in March -- between my birthday, attending SXSW Film (16 movies in one week!), and then getting over the cold I caught at SXSW -- and what I did read was mostly… Harry Potter fic? Yeah, I was surprised too. I've bookmarked only one fic in the last few years since JKR went off the transphobia cliff, so it was a bit strange, but I was pleased to see fandom is persisting in being aggressively queer and/or 'fuck canon' about it.

So I've got 1 Murderbot fic, 1 The Fugitive fic, and 5 Harry Potter fics, plus a handful more at Pinboard.

reasoning made lucid and cool by The_Onion (Murderbot, gen)

Iris is guest-teaching a PUMNT course, so it makes sense for Murderbot to go as her security. Yes, ART is doing most of the job, and yes, they are making Murderbot take a class, but it's still only there for work. It thinks? What do you mean it has to do a group project.
"Really, the longer I stayed here, the more it seemed like this was all a ploy to force me into an education module."

A++ Murderbot-ART dynamic, plus Murderbot blowing its cover to save lives, as per usual.

Wikipedia: List of notable manhunts by rastaban (The Fugitive, Sam/Richard)

Categories: Manhunts | US Marshal's Office | Overturned convictions in the United States | Withdrawn drugs | Gay & lesbian figures in the 1990s

Charmingly meta fic from the POV of someone editing the articles about Richard's story. I love the details filling in the case details, and every quote from Sam sounds just like him.

HARRY POTTER

Heal Thyself by astolat (Harry/Draco)

"Are you going for the course?" Lovegood asked. "You have the NEWTs.”
“What course?” Draco said, then, “No, don’t be ridiculous,” when he realized she meant the notice pinned up on the board he’d been staring at: Applicants To The Introductory Mediwizard Course For The Coming Term Shall Present Themselves In The Chief Mediwizard’s Office By August 24th.
“Oh, I thought you might,” she said. “Well, goodbye.” And off she wandered again in her addled way.

Great redemption arc for Draco with fascinating worldbuilding about magical healing. And competence porn, of course - astolat always excels at that!

the dogfather by hollimichele (gen, Remus/Sirius)

“I’m not a reverse werewolf either,” says the man. “I’m your godfather.”

Wonderful AU where Harry gets adopted by Muggles and Sirius escapes early that I started reading on Tumblr ages ago and finally got around to finishing on AO3 years later.

All Our Secrets Laid Bare by firethesound (Harry/Draco)

Over the six years Draco Malfoy has been an Auror, four of his partners have turned up dead. Harry Potter is assigned as his newest partner to investigate just what is going on.

Creative and engaging plot (mystery with intermittent work disasters), and VERY hot.

that’s the art of getting by by sarewolf (Remus/Sirius)

“What do you want me to do?” Remus says, tiredly. All he wants is to curl up on his bed. Smoke a pack of cigarettes. Get drunk. He can’t stop looking at Harry.
“Remus…” Dumbledore is gentle. Remus hates when he has that tone. Hates that he knows it will hurt. “There is no one else left.”
A bitter laugh escapes him. “So you’ll curse the poor thing with a werewolf for a guardian?”

Wrenching, gorgeously written AU that digs into Remus and Sirius's trauma, then patiently untangles their grief and betrayal and love so they can start to heal.

Lost and Found by rosie-writes (Remus/Sirius)

Imagine a universe in which Remus never went to Hogwarts. The Marauders never became Animagi, and so Peter had nowhere to run when Sirius cornered him after the Potters' deaths. Peter was the one who ended up in Azkaban, whilst Sirius was granted custody of Harry. Fast-forward six years or so, to a sunny day in April 1988….

Wistful but startlingly sweet AU.

All 9-1-1 this month (except for a handful of others over at Pinboard)! A mix of gen and Buck/Eddie sorted from shortest to longest, because why not.

Solid Ground by @kingreywrites (gen)

"Hey Buckaroo," she says conversationally, as if any of this is a common occurrence. "I'm glad to see you awake, but please, whatever you do, don't move, okay?"
(Or, Hen is here to catch Buck when he falls. Literally.)

Tightly written rope rescue, with a warm Hen-Buck relationship and Hen being a badass.

flutter in the dovecote by KiaraSayre (gen + Buck/Eddie)

Buck, Eddie, and Bobby quarantine from a bird flu exposure, and everything's fine. Totally fine. They're handling it just fine.

This felt SOOOO MUCH like an actual (bottle) episode and now I dearly wish it was.

things you don't say reach me somehow anyway by @sibylsleaves (Buck/Eddie)

He writes CHRISTOPHER at the top of the page in capital letters. Underneath it goes BUCK. Then PEPA, CARLA, CHIM, HEN and so on until he has fifteen names listed out. Fifteen people to show his appreciation for.
He starts with the easiest name first.
or, Eddie tells the family he chose how much they mean to him. All of them except one.

So sweet and affecting, with plenty of bonus Fire Fam feels while Eddie's therapy homework leads him to figure out the true shape of Buck in his life.

Winter Prayer by @cal-daisies-and-briars (gen)

When a work conflict prevents Athena from accompanying Bobby to Minnesota for the ten year anniversary of his family dying, Buck and May offer to go instead. Over the course of the trip, they all learn more about each other, and Bobby faces his grief.

Quiet and occasionally devastating, with a truckload of soft found family dynamics along for the roadtrip.

piece by piece, you filled the holes that were burned in me by polish_amber / @the-amber-raven (gen)

Buck didn’t see Hen and Chimney exchanging knowing smirks and he was still muffling his groans against the table when they went over to the kitchen to refill their coffee mugs and had a hushed conversation:
“Should we tell him that Bobby also asks for feedback?”
“Nah,” Hen replied mischievously. “I kind of want to hear what he’ll come up with on the spot.”
5 times Bobby has feedback for Buck during his annual review, and the one time Buck gets a perfect score and has some feedback of his own.

Such a fun use of that bit of canon, and great snapshots of their changing dynamic across the years.

I'll Scrawl it on Every Wall I See by @letmetellyouaboutmyfeels (Buck/Eddie)

When Eddie joins the 118, he and Buck don't exactly hit it off on the right foot. Or continue to walk on the right foot. In fact they kind of can't stand each other.
Good thing they each have a beloved anonymous pen pal to share their daily woes with, someone completely unlike their insufferable coworker.
Or, in which Buck and Eddie love each other before they know each other, and know each other before they love each other.

Delightful epistolary identity porn! Very very classic set up but the execution is *chefkiss* perfect.

Evan Buckley & The Coma-Verse of Madness by @cal-daisies-and-briars (Buck/Eddie)

After being struck by lightning on a call, Buck experiences a plethora of alternate realities showing him different directions his life could have taken. Fighting hard to get home, Buck learns what, or who, is important to him in every lifetime.

Great varation on 6x11 (the coma-dream episode), with gorgeous characterization. Emotionally devastating at times, but also devastatingly romantic.

Trying something new this month! I've got five top recs below (most of which are quite long, sorry not sorry), but in an attempt to keep my Pinboard more contemporary I've put all of my January bookmarks up at this tag if you're looking for more to read.

Below are recs for: 9-1-1, The Untamed, Game of Thrones, and The Hobbit. And at Pinboard are more recs for 9-1-1, The Untamed, & The Hobbit, plus Batman, Goblin Emperor, KJ Charles, and Star Wars!

Hot Ghost Problems by ebjameston (9-1-1, Buck/Eddie)

The ghost would prefer to go by Buck, if Eddie wouldn’t mind.
Eddie is the newest firefighter at the 118. Buck is the ghost haunting the 118. Unfortunately for both of them, Eddie's also a witch and needs to put Buck's spirit to rest, because that's what witches do.
Turns out, Buck's spirit? Super not interested in being put to rest. Very interested, however, in flirting with Firefighter Diaz, who is just trying to survive his candidate year.
(Also turns out, Buck? Super not dead.)

I adore this trope, but this one's got great worldbuilding around the magic, and the author is skilled at combining drama and humor. So you've got the emotions and pining but also Eddie's sisters roasting him via group chat, and so on.

Batting a Buck & Change by Daisies_and_Briars (9-1-1, Buck/Eddie)

“Do you remember that shift where Buck was off and Hen was on mandatory relaxation, and they both got drunk in Hen’s kitchen in the middle of the afternoon while we had to resuscitate a canine?”
Eddie nods vigorously. “Oh, Hoover. I remember Hoover.”
“Why have we never been drunk during a dog resuscitation, Eddie? Have you thought about that?”
“Well now I am.”
“We should call them and let them know that we can have fun on Dads’ Night Out.” Nothing could go wrong.
OR: Eddie and Chim embark on a “Dad’s night out” to watch baseball at a sports bar, and after a few too many, Eddie accidentally lets his feelings for Buck slip.

I am weak for shenanigans and Chimney's keeping-secrets fail - one of his panicked attempts to escape a conversation in this is HYSTERICAL, you'll know the one - and this fic has a top-tier assortment of both, plus a lovely Eddie-Chim friendship/baseball buddies/mutual dad admiration society.

The Pack Survives by astolat (GoT, Robb/everybody)

There is a land of the living and a land of the dead and the bridge is love, the only survival.
—Thornton Wilder

Sprawling AU where the South makes peace and Robb lives - but ends up having to deal with internal rebellion, polyamory negotiation, dragons, and of course, a terrifying army of the dead. Features Robb growing up and making fewer and better mistakes in addition to his usual tactical genius, plus a fantastically sharp Sansa.

Thicker Than Water by athena_crikey (The Untamed, Wangxian)

The Lans were one of the founding families of the Vancouver Guild; part of their legacy is to maintain their place in it for the benefit of all. Cultivation is important, essential, serious.
In the distance, something squeaks.
A disaster, is Lan Zhan’s first impression as the bike squeals to a halt on the far side of Song Lan’s car. The man riding it – and he’s tall, and lanky, and sure-footed – hops off and locks it to the car’s back door. The back door of a police vehicle. He pulls his helmet off to reveal long, sweat-soaked hair with a shaggy undercut, bright grey eyes, and a smile that launches like an arrow straight through Lan Zhan’s chest.
No, he thinks, watching this trainwreck of a man shimmy between the narrow space dividing Song Lan’s back bumper and the next car’s hood like he’s doing some kind of dance step. Absolutely not.

Excellent modern-with-cultivation AU with a gorgeously written Lan Zhan POV - both in terms of the prose and his deep-seated trauma that bubbles up along the way.

A Passion For Mushrooms by Chrononautical (The Hobbit, Bilbo/Thorin)

There are many trials for a hobbit attempting to make a life among dwarves. A hobbit wants a garden. A hobbit wants to eat regular meals. A hobbit wants friends, good books, and comfortable chairs. Bilbo does his best to carve out a little hobbit life for himself in the mountain. If only there were not one final obstacle. For a hobbit heart wants love, and among dwarves that is a sticky subject.

AKA the one with the mushroom mine, more feelings about guilds than I ever imagined having, and some epic cultural misunderstandings (both romantic and otherwise). I'm very much showing up to this widely recced story 6 years late with Starbucks, but it's got fantastic worldbuilding, humor, and romance.

Enjoy the reads! I always like it when people tell me which ones they liked so feel free 😘

Whew, I read a lot of fic in December! My Yuletide recs are here and here, and I winnowed down the rest of them to a mere ten recs.

Click on for Batman, Murderbot, and Goblin Emperor fics!
( Read more... )

As always, I got so caught up in reccing things that I forgot to crosspost my own Yuletide fic! I wrote Goblin Emperor fic for

rosanicus, so it was doubly nice to write for a new acquaintance and for a long-time favorite fandom that I'd never written before!

An Unexpected Letter
Goblin Emperor
gen, 1400 words

“Celehar? What's the matter?” Velhiro craned her neck, but could only see a seal with an unfamiliar animal on it – a cat? no, a fish? some kind of mermaid? “It's not from the Archprelate, is it?”

“No,” Celehar said, cradling the letter warily. “It is from the Emperor.”

Snowflake Challenge promotional banner with image of igloo and northern lights. Text: Snowflake Challenge January 1-31.

I already did most of these two challenges as part of my end-of-year tidying, but here goes.

Challenge #1: Update your fandom information. Post your answer to today’s challenge in your own space and leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

I already keep a list of my social media platforms in my profile (and in my AO3 profile), but I did add a few things to my interests: more recent fandoms, some new practices. I did a minor clear-out in December of access/subscriptions - mostly to pare down my reading list, for I rarely post anything private locked. (I rarely post anything but recs these days at all! Working on changing that.)

Challenge #2: In your own space, set yourself some goals for the coming year. They can be fannish or not, public or private. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

Again, I did my New Years Resolutions list last month - mostly pulling things from last year's list to continue or try to do more consistently (like volunteering at the food bank). I did make a list of Small Adventures to go on, places nearby that I haven't visited in ages or always meant to go/do/see, which I will try to post about here (see: effort to post about my life and not just fandom; I do like seeing other people's, and should not listen to the part of my brain that tells me it's not interesting when it's me).

I didn't set any particular goals for writing, though it's generally on the list - I find the pressure counterproductive - but I did complete one of my bookmarking goals last year, to catch up through 2018, though I fell just short (5 fics!) of my stretch goal of 2019. I'm going to try and post things on Pinboard more concurrently with my monthly recs, but we'll see how that goes.

I hardly ever manage to do these before reveals, but I love the anonymous aspect of Yuletide, so I made an effort! Two prior recs here for Goblin Emperor and Nine Worlds, and these are in alphabetical order by fandom:

(Batman: WFA) It Takes a Village

Roy and Jason are pining from afar. Romantic strategery isn't Dick's forte. As per normal, it's a good thing the women are around.

Very cute WFA romcom. I especially enjoyed Lois's contribution.

(Breakfast Club) Mirror Mirror

In which Allison and Claire trade makeovers. Adorable!

(Biggles) In Step

Biggles and von Stalhein are taken prisoner together. Worse: they're handcuffed together.

Chock full of tropes: best enemies! handcuffed together! daring escape! adrenaline fueled sex! pining! Happy Yuletide to me!

(Jeeves & Wooster) Supporting Partner's Suit

Never let it be said that Bertie Wooster will abandon a pal in need, even if that pal is a woman who is temporarily in possession of his body and he doesn’t fully understand what’s going on.

In which Bertie bodyswaps with Honoria Glossop for maximum hilarity and inadvertent lesbian yentaing.

(Knives Out) the most riveting intermission

“Rough day, eh?” Phillip asked.
“Confounding. Absolutely confounding,” was how the man chose to answer. “The crux of the matter seems most certainly to be banquet, and yet not a hint of malice was cooked into any of the dishes. No poison in the duck, nothing slipped in the wine. For the life of me, I can’t parse it out.”
Phillip stared at him for a moment, before throwing out another handful of rice to the ducks. “I’m sorry, what?”

Adorkable first meeting.

(Princess Tutu) To Dream Upon Paper and Silk

While cleaning the practice rooms at the end of the day, Ahiru comes upon Rue preparing her pointe shoes for the week to come.

Vivid and wistful missing scene. Canon levels of pre-friendship - er, pining for friendship?

(Temeraire) Intercession

During the ragged flight from Istanbul, Granby and an injured Tharkay reach an understanding.

Lovely character piece.

Happy Yuletide, everyone!

My anonymous author wrote me Debris From Ancient Ruins, a fic for The Mummy about Ardeth during WWII. I was delighted they took up my prompt of Ardeth vs Nazis! Though it's more complex and bittersweet than my flippant prompt, dealing with changing times and the losses of the Medjai.

I haven't read a ton of fic yet, but two of the longer fics I've read turned out to be my favorites:

The Lost of Winter (Goblin Emperor, 20K) - in which a lost mongoose at the Vermilion Opera leads Thara and Tomasaran into a very true-to-canon casefile. With gorgeous writing and character voices, this feels like a little canon novella slipped in right after The Grief of Stones.

a key that winds through secret wards (Nine Worlds, 12K) - in the aftermath of the Emerald Conspiracy, Cliopher has to prove his innocence by magically sharing memories with His Radiancy. Great premise with lots of THEM feels.

Yuletide is coming - but this should tide you over until then!

IRIS Log #1548 by deadchannelradio (Batman, gen)

(01:25) Red Hood: (Mild static) (Out of breath, slurred) You motherfuckers. Put some fuckin-
(01:25) Batman: (Shaking) Red Hood-
(01:25) Red Hood: Shut up. Put some fucking respect. On my name. Start fucking copying me. I just got thrown fucking. Um. 40 feet. Into a fucking uh. What's it. Ditch. I'm still fucking conscious.
(01:25) Batman: Red Hood, do not move, we're en route-
(01:25) Red Hood: What'll I win if I stand up.
(01:25) Batman: (Loud) Do not stand up.

Absolutely hilarious slice-of-patrol-life story, featuring a VERY concussed Jason.

Easy as Pie by Ptelea (Batman, gen)

Five times Jason baked something for or with his siblings, and one time they baked for him. A drabble sequence of triple drabbles written for the Seasons of Drabbles Summer 2023 challenge emuxchange.

Soft Batsiblings story, with a lot of feels packed into a small space.

Cinema Verite by BoldlyNo (Murderbot, gen)

"Someday, Ratthi hopes, he’s going to run out of things to learn about Secunit that break his heart."
Making a documentary in five hours flat is an experience in and of itself, but making a documentary with some of your friend's worst memories as footage is something else altogether.

Will I ever be over them making a documentary FOR GREAT JUSTICE? Definitely not. This is a great Ratthi POV on it.

Reformation by LocalCryptid7 (BNHA, Midoriya/Todoroki/Shinsou)

After a failed suicide attempt, years of bullying, and his mother's death, Izuku Midoriya doesn't think he has any option besides joining the League of Villains. After all, foster care is no place for a quirkless kid like him. Plus, working as a hacker and analyst for the League doesn't sound like it would be too bad. But, after meeting a hurt little girl in Overhaul's headquarters, Toga and Izuku can't just sit back and take orders from Shigaraki anymore. With some careful consideration, Izuku figures a villain reformation program at UA doesn't sound horrible, even if it means having to put up with Bakugou.

Villain!Izuku is usually a hard sell for me, but this works! Mostly because it shows both how Izuku ended up isolated and needing, AND he immediately turns tail once a kid is in danger. And then good followup on the consequences.

The Warlock's Cat by Marchling (Shadowhunters, Magnus/Alec)

Pain raced up his arm. It was a sharp throb that radiated out. More than a broken bone. When Alec went to flex his hand to see how bad it was he couldn’t. His eyes snapped to his own hand and there was no hand.
A mission gone wrong leads to Alec being turned into a cat. Alone. Hurt. No one aware of what's happened to him.
If only there was a cat-loving warlock nearby to save him.

Hello, I am a sucker for turned-into-a-cat-&-taken-in-by-my-enemy-who-turns-out-to-be-loveable stories - which is a very specific trope, but thankfully people keep writing it! This is a fun exemplar and an interesting AU.

Burgeoning by Owlship (Mad Max, Max/Furiosa)

He smiles a little, an uptick of his mouth, plush lips exposed where he's shaved the mangy beard off in the process of cleaning off the wasteland. "Here," Max says, and nudges into her space, arranges the plant carefully so the roots are properly covered, the leaves brushed free of dirt.
Furiosa doesn't realize she's going to move until she does, leaning across the slight distance between them and pressing her lips to his.

Max-returns-to-the-Citadel PWP, featuring poor gardening etiquette and a lovely vulnerable Furiosa.

1) I posted my Yuletide story! Every year I swear I'm not going to procrastinate and then I do - but I always make the deadline.

2) I have bookmarked all of my old saved fic up through 2018! This officially makes me the MOST caught up on bookmarking that I have ever been - at slightly under 5 years, and close to 4 since I only have 6 left from 2018 - since I started reading fic in 2000 and started bookmarking on Delicious in 2006. No one's excited about this except me, but you're gonna get a treatise about my bookmarking process anyway.

( into the arcane depths of my bookmarking process )

A meme, for I am sick and bored with everything.

1. Three ships: first three that came to mind are Tim/Kon, Dean/Cas, and Bruce/Diana. Feeling nostalgic!

2. First ship: Max/Logan from Dark Angel. My teenage ass had ALL the feelings.

3. Last song: Out loud? The Christmas carols I got stuck in my head from Love Actually and sang all the way home from the party Saturday night to keep myself awake, before waking up sick. :(

4. Last film: the collected Max Fleischer Superman shorts, which I had out from the library and watched while folding laundry. Brilliant animation, really before its time, and I enjoyed the documentary extra where Paul Dini and Bruce Timm talked about its influence on B:TAS. However, for all the fun mad scientist episodes and gorgeous pre-noir visuals, there were some appallingly racist episodes that I had to watch on fast forward: mostly Japanese and German caricatures starting after Pearl Harbor, but also some native Africans, and just for funsies, a Native American villain who was ALSO a mad scientist. *facepalm* Lois was unsurprisingly The Damsel on repeat, totally insane reckless (that's pretty canon at least), but she did have a few fun badass moments - my favorite being when she knocks out a train robber and then grabs his machine gun to fire at a chasing car. *chef kiss*

5. Currently reading: nothing new, just old fanfic re-reads. My brain is mush. Though I did finish the newest Murderbot a few days before getting sick! So great.

6. Currently watching: Batman: The Animated Series. Predictable!

7. Currently consuming: Thai delivery. Mmm, tom kha, defeater of clogged sinuses AND delicious.

8. Currently craving: not being sick anymore

*squeezes in at the last minute* Don't mind me, November was terribly busy and also I sprained my ankle - but here's some recs from before all that!

Galagar Gallivant by Quasar (Nine Worlds, genish)

His Radiancy devises a way to fix an anomaly in time. No priest-wizards were severely harmed in the making of this fic.

Completely delightful pre-canon romp, featuring HR being whimsical in response to magical weirdness, Kip being oblivious but also trusting HR to the nth degree (*heartclutch*), and just general charming shenanigans.

A Contract's a Contract, No Matter How Small by @PenAndInkPrincess (Witcher, genish)

Unexpected side effect of Jaskier praising witchers far and wide: children making the logical jump that witchers can handle ALL monsters. Including such subspecies as the under-the-bed variety.
And, well, what are you supposed to say to a child who asks you to fight a monster for them?

Technically this is a WIP, but the chapters are pretty standalone and SO CUTE.

A Dangerous Game by @fabula-unica (DCU, Bruce/Hal)

"You know what I think," Jordan said. "I think you’re one of those people who think they can’t be pranked. That’s what I think.”
“Jordan. There is no conceivable universe in which you could ever successfully prank me – not in your wildest, most attention-deficit-disordered imaginings is that a thing that could possibly occur.”
Jordan gave a quiet laugh. “You wanna bet?”

I am weak for prank wars and this is an excellent one!

The Long Con by @acornsontheground (DCU, Bruce/Hal)

Hal is adamant that he's not going to spend Bruce's money. Bruce intends to change his mind about that. (A sort-of 5+1 fic)

*facepalm* Bruce why are you like this. But at least he's using his powers for good? Very domestic and funny.

Duty of Care by allonym (Harry Potter, gen)

Megwin is two-thirds done with roll call when she stumbles over a familiar name. Harry Potter. Strange coincidence. There’s a student in her muggle primary classroom with the same name as The-Boy-Who-Lived?
A canon-divergent AU in which Somebody Helps Harry Potter.

Creative and satisfying, though it does take Dumbledore's puppeteer tendencies to the worst conclusion, so maybe don't read if you're a Dumbledore stan.

If It's Me You Need To Turn To, We'll Get By by Linxcat (The Untamed, gen)

Zixuan would like to be closer with his half-brother. He would like to skip all the awkward fumbly beginning bit where they don't know each other and just magically arrive at fraternal harmony, where they can joke around like the Jiangs and look out for each other like the Nies and have that spooky synchronicity like the Lans, but the truth is that he's never had a sibling, and he has no script or example for what you're meant to do when you discover one as an adult. They don't have years of in-jokes and growing pains to fall back on, they're basically just strangers who happen to share a parent.
the sickfic fixit in which JGY discovers the Mortifying Ordeal Of Being Known and Zixuan discovers the Mortifying Ordeal of Getting To Know Other People

Really great characterization, and I like how narrow of an escape the last scene is - JGY's damage goes very deep and I like how this author gets that.

Get in, bitches, we've got small fandoms this month! Murderbot, Nine Worlds, and KJ Charles' Band Sinister for your reading pleasure. It just got cold here, so curl up with a hot drink and enjoy!

[note: the last Nine Worlds rec has SPOILERS for At the Feet of the Sun, so don't read it yet inmyriadbits! I stuck it down at the bottom so they're more avoidable.]

After Hacking by gamebird (Murderbot, gen)

Murderbot is not paid enough to deal with this shit. (It's not paid at all, which is definitely not enough.)

Series of short works at the period between Murderbot hacking its governor module and the first book. Varying quality, but a great look at its developing personality and sneaky skillset, and a number of sharp, painful dilemmas of the 'do I help and maybe blow my cover or do I let this shitty corporate thing happen' variety.

The mysteries of a marriage by scintilla10 (Band Sinister, David/Amanda)

Five times David consulted in a medical capacity on Amanda's gothic novels.

Adorable look at their marriage.

Variations on George Penn by beautifulduckweed (Band Sinister, George/Ned)

George Penn and Ned Caulfield: their lives and love viewed through a glass, darkly.

Lovely glimpse of a background couple from the book, with excellent use of outsider POV by way of fake excerpts.

Emerald Truth, Three Ways by toffeecape (Nine Worlds, Fitzroy/Kip)

Three ways truth serum could have been deployed during the Emerald Conspiracy case.

Very fun trifecta of scenes, and a mix of funny, tropey, canon-typical pining, and competence. Delicious!

Tell me what your heart's been through by alfgifu (Nine Worlds, Fitzroy/Kip)

The spear butt struck the side of his face, knocking him to the smooth marble floor. He was tired enough to lie there, gasping, until one of the guards hooked their hand into the loop of his arms where they were bound behind him, and hauled him back to his knees.
“We will try that again,” said his interrogator. The man was wearing the full panoply of the Imperial guard and an incongruously friendly smile. “What is your name, barbarian?”

Truth serum AND time travel AND hurt/comfort AND Kip being a fucking badass AND fanoa feels to the max! I adored this.

Dear Yuletide Author,

Hooray! It's that time again! Thank you for writing a story for me, and for loving the same tiny fandoms that I do. If you'd like additional prompts, thoughts, and/or flailing about my requested fandoms and general preferences, please read on - but of course you're welcome to just use the baseline requests if that's not helpful.

To anyone wandering by looking to write treats - I am delighted by them and have my AO3 settings set to accept gifts. \o/!

( General Likes & Dislikes )

( Fandoms & Prompts: After the Storm, Goblin Emperor, Nine Worlds (spoilers!), The Mummy )

Okay, I've got a handful of miscellaneous recs, and then ten recs for Victoria Goddard's Nine Worlds series, which I'm putting under a cut because at least two of you I know are still reading and the recs are full of spoilers for At the Feet of the Sun. Enjoy!

MISC

The Long Way Home by itsnatalie (DCU, gen)

With Jason tentatively back in the Batfamily, things are going pretty well for him--except for the whole thing with Tim. But who gives a shit about Tim Drake?
But when Jason and Tim are pulled into a frightening race for their lives inside a labyrinth that's out to kill them, they may have to look past their differences just to stay alive. Maybe along the way, they'll discover they aren't as different as they thought, and family comes in many different forms.

Spectacular in every aspect: the horror, the action, the hurt/comfort, the brotherly devotion underlying their swarm of issues, and the ending. I really can't rec this one highly enough.

Late Night, North Station by raitala (Untamed, Wangxian)

Lan Zhan finds A-Yuan lost in the railway station. He maybe finds more than he bargained for. Some mornings you leave for the office and come back with a son (and possibly a husband too).

Sooooo sweet, with a lovely autistic LWJ POV. The sequel is still a WIP but is great so far.

Beginning at the End by WerewolvesAreReal (Temeraire, Granby/Little)

In many ways it seems that John's life revolves around William Laurence.

Lovely character study trilogy with Granby sorting out his unrequited thing for Laurence and his ongoing thing with Little.

thou, who art victory and law by The_Apocryphal_One (Goblin Emperor, Csethiro/Maia)

He couldn’t help his unintelligence, any more than she could help her father. And he was kind. She should try to remember that.
(Or: Csethiro Ceredin goes into her betrothal to Emperor Edrehasivar VII with assumptions, and has every one of them challenged.)

Great Csethiro POV as she works through her pride and preconceptions.

( plus ten Nine Worlds fics (spoilers!) )

It might be the very last day of the month, but that means I'm not late! Five Sandman recs, and one each for Batman, Murderbot, and Biggles.

SANDMAN

What Manner Of Creature by @ro-moray (Dream/Hob)

Hob’s had a number of theories about his strange friend over the years. They are all, of course, completely incorrect.

Great through-the-years look at Hob and Dream, with humor and understanding.

to dream you was remembering by @cuubism (Dream/Hob)

Hob understands now both why Dream created this nightmare, as well as why doing so was an unconscious rather than conscious act, and the thought hurts more than the nightmare itself. After all, Hob has had four hundred years to grapple with his own loss. He’s not sure that, even after so much time, Dream has grappled with his.

Short scene with Hob and Dream and a baby nightmare, but it packs a hell of an emotional punch.

The Dread and Fear of Kings by @maybemalapert (gen)

“I’m afraid I’m not much into charcoal sketches,” Hob said, taking in the crude rendition of himself and his Stranger that he’d last seen in the hands of Johanna Constantine. “Now, oil paintings on the other hand–”
“Mr. Gadlen,” the man interrupted. “I have gone to great lengths to find you and to confirm that it was indeed you who met with Dream of the Endless in 1889 and every century prior. Let me assure you, I do not make a habit of kidnapping people on a whim.”

Deliciously whumpy fishbowl rescue with Burgess being a real bastard (what else). Happy ending, but mind the tags.

Yours for the Taking by @signiorbenedickofpadua (Calliope/Dream/Hob)

When Hob spots a sad woman in white through a window of a famous author’s house, he gets a bad feeling. Further investigation reveals that she’s in need of rescue, but what Hob isn’t prepared for is the fact that the woman he sets out to save turns out to be a literal Greek goddess, the ex-wife of the Stranger he keeps waiting for, and a rather lovely person to boot.

SUCH a good and satisfying read, with a skillful build to the three-way romance.

more sky comes and more days by Chrome/@catalists (Calliope/Dream/Hob)

In the aftermath of her imprisonment, Calliope is determined to learn to trust humans again, so she finds a roommate and settles in the mortal world. Meanwhile, her former husband has been on another quest that ended in grief, and he seeks her out for solace. What could possibly go wrong?
or,
“Hey, Zed,” Hob answered. “Something the matter?”
“Yes,” she said. “Calliope’s ex showed up and he’s fucking terrifying.”

Really enjoyed this way of them all colliding - funny and bittersweet at turns - and the resolution.

MISC

Birdwatch11 by @smilebackwards (Batman, gen)

Tim hadn’t actually meant to start a popular Batwatch blog.

He hadn’t meant to start a blog at all honestly but by the time he turned eleven he’d accumulated hundreds of pictures of Batman and Robin on his Nikon DSLR and it had just seemed inefficient to go through the trouble of printing them and storing them in a box under his bed when BlogSphere had a perfectly adequate platform.

Short, funny, sweet story about someone trying to claim credit for Tim’s pre-Robin photo habit, and his A+++ response.

in recognition by isilee (Murderbot, gen)

Volescu’s first communication from SecUnit, once it had pieced together its brain again and settled into Preservation a little more, appeared in his feed inbox right as he took a sip of his morning coffee.

*dies laughing* In which Murderbot recognizes Volescu for having the sense to retire. Cute look at the friendship of the whole survey group.

Biggles in Sarawak by @philomytha (Biggles/von Stalhein)

Biggles is asked to help the CIA transport a Soviet spy they’ve captured in a remote jungle location. The trouble is, the spy is Erich von Stalhein. And that’s only the first problem.

Excellent adventure jam-packed with tropes from hurt/comfort to teaming-up-with-your-nemesis to sex pollen (with said nemesis, of course).

June was full of Neil Gaiman fandoms: first I rewatched Good Omens S1 (S2 on Friday!!!) and then plowed through my backlog of fic to read, and then I watched The Sandman. So there's six Good Omens recs, two Sandman recs, and one lone but lovely Goblin Emperor rec.

GOOD OMENS

Demonology and the Tri-Phasic Model of Trauma: An Integrative Approach by Nnm / @mouseonamoose
Amazing story about Crowley going to therapy, from his therapist's POV. The author clearly knows their stuff and Aubrey is a vivid character in her own right with her own journey to go on. This one's been recced all over, but it really is that good.

dearly departed by attheborder / @areyougonnabe
In which Crowley gets discorporated and many shenanigans ensue - the London occultist underworld, lust-demons, Hell bureaucracy, Aziraphale vs loopholes, fake marriage, and of course, a happy ending. Slightly morbid at times but a fun hilarious romp.

Temptation by out_there / @out-there-tmblr
Lovely look at Crowley tempting Christ (as he mentions to Aziraphale), and the lasting effect it has on him.

the deft, sweet gesture of your hand by deadgreeks / @mortuarybees
Post-S1, Crowley turns up injured at the bookshop and Aziraphale takes care of him. Such a tender romance, such warm h/c. Poetry! Knitting! Pining! Ferociously protective Aziraphale!

Hell to Pay by battle_cat / @fuckyeahisawthat
"In the midst of the Great Fire of London, Crowley does an emergency good deed too undemonic for Hell to ignore." Wistful h/c.

Lead me to the banquet hall by obstinatrix & wishwellingtons
In which Crowley doesn't eat around Aziraphale because he has too many Feelings about it - and then Aziraphale finds out. Creative, delightful, hot, and well-characterized!

You can also find my older Good Omens recs on Pinboard!

SANDMAN

Spite (Is As Good A Reason As Any) by Blue_Sunshine
In which Hob doesn't just build an inn and pine after 1989, but hires Johanna Constantine to help him track down Dream. Great AU in many directions, and the Hob-Johanna friendship is a complete scene-stealing delight. (If you like them as much as I did, there's another WIP that just finished: Totus Mundus Agit Histrionem, which kicks off with Johanna rescuing Hob from a demonic possession.)

Passing the Time by Anonymous
Dream passes time in the fishbowl by quietly terrorizing his guards. (The author tagged this 'Dream is petty and terrifying' and I couldn't agree more.) Viciously funny but also a little heartbreaking.

GOBLIN EMPEROR

Between the Grave and the Well by Sphragis
"In which Iäna Pel-Thenhior catches a fever and Thara Celehar catches feelings." Gorgeous hurt/comfort-y get-together that really captures the characters and the world.

endotwracism posted: Reminder: Register by June 30th

Eligibility to vote in the upcoming OTW elections is determined by membership. Due to legal requirements, the OTW restricts membership to those who have made a minimum donation. Read more about that here and if you are comfortable, donate by June 30th so you can Vote in this year’s Board Elections.

Voting is only one way to make a difference, however, and we fully support those who are not comfortable donating (or are unable to). Follow us and look at our Call to Action for other ways you can help support change at the OTW and end racism within our fannish spaces!

If, like me, you're just catching up on things:

endotwracism kicked off a protest in late May regarding the lack of action from the OTW/AO3 on their promises to address racism in their fandom spaces; the OTW responded June 12th with additional information, and so

endotwracism made a new call to action (linked above) to make the issue central to the upcoming OTW board elections in August.

Additional resources:
2023 OTW Election timeline
board candidate platforms and bios
@end-otw-racism's Call to Action re: voting if you prefer to signal boost on Tumblr

Family Photos by KelpieCodyne (DCU, gen)

“I thought you quit your photo stalking?”
“In my defence, I never said I was quitting, and you never asked if I would,” Tim immediately counters. “So really, this is kind of on you.”
Just because Tim became a bat, doesn’t mean he stopped taking photos of bats. Several times Tim took photos of the batfamily, and one time they took photos of him.

This delightful fic features my OTPs of Tim/the batfam, Tim/photography, and Tim/being a little weirdo.

In Service by @smilebackwards (DCU, gen)

Tim rings the doorbell of Wayne Manor for the third time in as many days, and for the third time, Mr. Pennyworth opens the heavy oak door. He looks tired and careworn and Tim knows for certain that he’s choosing the right thing now. Mr. Wayne isn’t going to let him anywhere near the Robin suit, but maybe Tim doesn’t need it. There’s another tack he can try.
Or: When Bruce refuses to accept Tim as the new Robin, Tim takes the next best option. He apprentices to Alfred.

Such a clever premise, and a sweet execution!

To Preserve the Life of Others by romantic_drift (Nirvana in Fire, gen)

Lin Jingyi has always been a doctor.
"Her heart stutters. She thinks for one wild second of just breaking into a mad dash, running out of this accursed palace, Jinling, Da Liang itself. She is insignificant, an orphan, a wandering doctor. They would never chase after her, surely.
But there is her family."

Consort Jing's backstory is only glancingly described on the show, and this fic does a brilliant job of putting all the odd fragments together into a complex whole with great characterization.

Zeitnot by decayaslife / @the-ronan-cycle (Captive Prince, Laurent/Damen)

"Zeitnot (chess): German for time trouble. Zeitnot occurs when a player needs to play several moves in a very short period of time in order to reach the time control defined for the game."
When twenty-three-year-old Laurent wakes up on the morning of the Battle of Marlas in his adolescent body, he has to figure out how to keep Auguste and Damianos alive through the end of the day.

Ooh, very fun and well done time-travel fix-it.

Su She Eats his Heart Out by @KizuKatana (Untamed/MDZS, Wangxian)

The (bitter) third party pov of the epic college romance between Wei Ying and Lan Zhan, as told from the pettiest NPC to ever exist.

Extremely funny use of an unreliable narrator, and the sequel/companion from Lan Wangji's POV is hilariously horny and smitten - so very in character!

Current Mood: hot

In a shocking turn of events, I'm posting my recs EARLY this month instead of procrastinating! May the Fourth be with you!

About half the stories in this set are Star Wars, because I finally watched Andor and it was AMAZING; the other half are DCU, because I am predictable when sick (Tim + Batfamily h/c my beloved). Plus a Leverage/Old Guard crossover!

STAR WARS

To Climb by Nock_and_Bolt

“Climb,” Kino urged others to escape a prison he never would.
“Climb!” Nemik screamed past multicolored explosions and his own crushed spine.
“Climb!” K-2SO’s voice juddered out over the intercom, punched from mechanical lungs by blaster fire.
And what else could Cassian do but be borne up by the bodies of those that had gone before him?

Brutally good, full of the parallels and motifs in from Andor, all woven into Cassian's final climb in the tower at Scarif. It WILL make you cry in the best way.

Coping Mechanisms by mosylu (Cassian/Jyn)

It takes a heat wave for Jyn to notice that Cassian never, ever goes barefoot.

Intimate and sweet if-they-had-lived look at Cassian's trauma from the Narkina 5 prison.

Kino Lives by ad_asterism

Set at the end of Andor Episode 10: "One Way Out". Kino fucking gets to live.

Look, a girl has needs, and those needs include reading every single Kino fix-it for Episode 10 on AO3. This was my favorite by far, I think maybe because it *doesn't* involve Cassian? The episode ending was the right ending for that arc in Cassian's story, but this fic picks up the thematic threads and weaves them into off a very Star Wars escape for Kino. It could use some more love - possibly the very basic title and summary kept people away - so don't forget to comment!

No Survivors by elwenyere (Cassian/Melshi)

It had been three standard years, two months, and twenty-five days since Melshi had made himself walk away from the man he’d known as Keef Girgo.

Great mid-mission reunion for Cassian and Melshi, their slowly growing attachment and exploration of Cassian's trauma are beautifully written, and the plot starts to poke at the roots of Rogue One.

Personal Effects by mosylu

Spies travel light. Even so, Cassian Andor left things behind.

A neatly drawn outsider-POV character study, as the Rebels clear out the belongings of the Death Star's dead. This fic's older, but felt very matched in tone with Andor.

A Proud, Unpleasant Sort of Man by angel_deux (Han/Leia, Cassian/Jyn)

It takes Cassian Andor and Han Solo an embarrassingly long time to realize that they aren't each other's rivals.

Funny and sweet post-Rogue One everybody-lives AU.

DCU

Inscribed on Body & Soul by drowningfire

Jason Todd died knowing he was loved. His resurrection took even that from him. Turns out he came back to life needing saving just as much as he did when he left it. Thankfully the Bats and Birds have always specialised in impossible rescues. And while love can't fix everything having proof of it can't hurt.
AKA In a world where the names of those who love you inscribe themselves upon your skin, Jason's resurrection plays out a little differently.

Lovely platonic soulmates AU with lots of feelings and angst for everyone in the family, just the way I like it.

of crime lords and literature by adelfie

Gloved fingers close over Tim’s throat and slowly begin to squeeze.
“Jason!” he gasps, choking. “Have you ever read Macbeth?”
The Red Hood stares at him like Tim just slapped him with a fish.
With his grades slipping, Tim worries Bruce will take Robin away. So when the Red Hood breaks into his room with the intent to kill him, Tim decides it's a good idea to ask him for help on his English homework. It works. And then it doesn't. And then Tim solves a mystery and almost dies anyway.

The summary makes this sound kinda cracky but I actually loved the plot. (Tim, how is your life just SO disaster? It's really a talent.)

Little Red and the Big Bad Hood by CrzyFun

Olivia Draper had been a good idea at first. She could pass for older than Tim could pull off while masculine and women really could get into places easier if they had a pretty face. With makeup and some stylish-yet-inexpensive clothes, Olivia could pull off most undercover ops. She was Tim’s Matches Malone.
Then Hood had shown up on the scene.

Charming AU with tons of identity porn as Jason grudgingly big-brother-adopts genderfluid Tim while he's undercover.

For the Sick and Dying by GoAwayOlivia

It’s been a while since Jason has felt this bad. He’s used to being bruised and aching, used to broken bones and lacerations of all sizes and depths, but it’s been a hell of a long time since he’s been sick, and he’d honestly forgotten how much it sucks. His family isn't exactly helping matters.

In which Jason is hilariously dramatic about being sick. I enjoyed the hell out of this while actually sick, but I think the appeal is universal.

The last (but certainly not least) story I have for you is a delightful Leverage/The Old Guard crossover, which was the funniest thing I read all month.

The Fountain of Youth Job by BazinMousqueton

The Leverage: Redemption team are hired to investigate Merrick Pharmaceuticals following a suspicious death in South Sudan. They embark on a con, infiltrate Merrick’s HQ… and find some unexpected prisoners in his research lab.

This one is more accessible for Leverage-only fans than TOG-only fans, I think, but it has a pitch-perfect grasp on the Leverage crew (Redemption era) and a great con setup - which gets partially and hilariously derailed when they find Joe and Nicky.

Profile

spatz

AO3

Page Summary

Active Entries

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags

September 2025

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
	1	2	3	4	5	6
7	8	9	10	11	12	13
14	15	16	17	18	19	20
21	22	23	24	25	26	27
28	29	30

Uffish Thought

Recent Entries

March recs

February recs

February recs

December recs

FIC: An Unexpected Letter (Goblin Emperor)

Snowflake #1 & #2

pre-reveals YT recs

yuletide treasure

November recs

triumphs!

Meme of the moment

October recs

September recs

Dear Yuletide Author

August recs

July recs

June recs

Signal Boost: Reminder: Register by June 30th

May recs

April recs

Profile

Page Summary

Active Entries

Expand Cut Tags

September 2025

Most Popular Tags