Uffish Thought

December was pretty busy with Yuletide - writing, and then reading, which I already recced some of here - and traveling, and holidays. So I am just reccing my five favorite non-Yuletide stories today.

a kind of dwell and welcome by @leupagus​  (Ted Lasso, Trent/Ted)

from: trent.crimm@theindependent.co.uk
to: lassoteed@yahoo.com
subject: Re: what the heck spell check

Coach Lasso,

I can assure you that my transfer has nothing to do with your club's relegation, nor is there anything that Richmond has done in error. Rather, I have spoken with my editors and we’ve agreed that this is the most appropriate course of action.

I wish you all the best in the season.

-Trent Crimm

I am late to catching up on Ted Lasso, so I suspect everyone has already read this - but if you haven’t, PLEASE DO. Leupagus has such a talent for writing these gorgeous soaring romances that are grounded in everyday things and humor. Also her voice for Ted is so perfect I could scream. (For more stories, go here)

trust and verify by mardia / @themardia (Ted Lasso, Trent/Ted)

“I’m sorry, you’re what?” Rebecca’s staring at him as though he’s announced his plans of robbing a bank. “You’re going out to dinner with Trent Crimm? Trent Crimm, formerly of The Independent? That Trent Crimm?”

In retrospect, sharing his dinner plans when Rebecca asked what he was doing tonight might have been a slight mistake on Ted's part.

Really great followup to the end of S2.

We'll All Be Fine (we will) by @rejectscanon (gen, BNHA)

Upon first glance, the park seems empty and devoid of any people whatsoever. Shouta walks through slowly, eyes open for anything out of place. It’s as he’s walking to the nearest bin that he sees movement out of the corner of his eye. There, laying on one of the benches deeper into the park, is a kid. A teenager, if the way they take up the whole bench is anything to go by. Shouta is a few feet away when the kid shifts, trying in vain to get their lanky form comfortable on the too-small bench, and the hood they have pulled over their head shifts, ever so slightly, revealing a shock of purple hair.

Or, Aizawa finds Shinsou sleeping in a park after getting locked out of his foster home. Aizawa takes issue with this.

Hellooooo, all of my favorite tropes! Soft and hopeful and good.

Think of me kindly by Shookspeare (gen, BNHA)

During the hellish first week of his final year of middle school, Hitoshi meets a green-haired boy who offers to buy him a coffee. He didn't think he'd gain a friend in the process.

Wonderful, heartwrenching AU where Izuku remains quirkless and befriends Shinsou as they both train for UA. REally lovely friendship, but strong trigger warnings for portrayal of a suicidal character and a suicide attempt. (everyone's okay, though)

For Want of a Bookman by phoenixflight (Band Sinister/Society of Gentlemen, genish)

“Lord Richard! Just the man I was hoping to see."

Richard turned. “Lord Corvin. To what do I owe the pleasure?” They had known each other their whole lives, moving in the same circles, and Richard had always disapproved intensely of the man.

Perching himself uninvited in the empty chair, Corvin said, "I wanted to inquire about your bookman."

“My bookman?” Richard raised his eyebrows. “Has that become a euphemism of which I am not aware?”

A fantastic idea for a crossover between these two KJ Charles crews! It’s hard to get anyone other than Silas across that social divide, but he’s a fun guest to the Murder. And then just perfectly executed, full of friendship and the canon relationships in lowkey appearance. The sequel is much more cracky - sex pollen orgy! - but also great if that’s your jam.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

After some feedback, I’ve decided to start limiting these to 5-10 fics, especially since I’m back at work full time now. This month, I present five 9-1-1 fics, one BNHA fic, and one CQL/The Untamed fic!

Midoriya Izuku is a normal, quirkless, college drop-out. He's not a vigilante. Everything he does is perfectly above board and totally legal -- He's double checked.

It would be nice if everyone else could see it that way, though.

(Izuku becomes an informant, sort of. Trouble follows.)

Fantastic casefile that does a heartbreaking job with Izuku's quirklessness and depression, while respecting his intelligence and unstoppable heart. I also loved this author's other quirkless!Izuku AU, The UA LARPing Club (in which Izuku, Shinsou, and other GenEd students use a LARPing club as cover for their Sports Festival training) but this one has a CASEFILE and good adult hero worldbuilding and I have a weakness for those things.

Buck's Lack of Baby Steps by knittersrevolt (9-1-1, Buck/Eddie)

For Buck realizing he's Bisexual in his 30s sucks. Realizing he's bi and hopelessly attracted to his straight single dad best friend? Reeaally sucks.

Buck has some self reflection to do and some hard realizations to face. He's also trying to get better at taking care of himself. He's not great at it.

A little rough in spots but with an effervescently charming ADHD Buck POV, occasionally laugh-out-loud funny, and great use of his therapy sessions with Dr. Copeland.

tell the whole wide world and this room by @hattalove​ (9-1-1, Buck/Eddie)

"I talk a lot. It’s probably not fun to sit through for something you’ll just instantly forget."

Eddie tilts his head. “Who’s forgetting?”

In which we learn about fermented milk products, discover that dolphins are sex fiends, and realize that sometimes, it really is all about knowing and being known.

I'm still slowly working my way through hattalove's backlog, but she's so good at capturing this sense of tender romantic domesticity between the boys, with pitch-perfect characterization. This one won my heart a little more than the others I've read, with its focus on Buck's trivia spirals, but honorable mention to i don't swim and you're not in love (the surpassing rare jealousy fic that worked for me) and your summer sun forever (food feels!).

a little less war torn by @renecdote​ (9-1-1, pre-slash Buck/Eddie)

“I gotta be honest,” Eddie says quietly, “you’re not really reassuring me here, Buck.”
Buck bites his lip hard. He can’t tell the truth. He can’t. Christopher is here, and Eddie will probably leave, and then he’ll be alone again, again, again. Tears blur his eyes and he blinks quickly, trying to hold them at bay.
“Hey.” Hand on Buck’s shoulder now, squeezing just a little too tight. “I’m serious—do I need to take you to a hospital right now?”

Set right after 5x06 ends. In which Buck is all kinds of not okay but Eddie helps.

Gorgeous piece of hurt/comfort, with a lot of things unsaid but felt very strongly.

you're my whole house by hammersmiths / @henswilsons​ (9-1-1, Buck/Eddie)

Eddie shrugs. “Christopher mentioned to Daniel that Buck and I are partners. I mean, sure, it’s a little weird that she invited him over as well, but—”
“Partners,” Hen interrupts, “like work partners?”
Eddie and Buck glance at each other. “Uh, yeah?” Eddie says. “What other type of partner?”
Hen stares at them for a moment, before she bursts out laughing. “You dumbasses. She thinks you’re together.”

or, Eddie joins the PTA.

This is one of those fics where I was a little dubious and then it completely turned me around on the concept. Of COURSE Eddie gets suckered into the PTA via advocating for accessibility. Of course he makes a nemesis. Of course he and Buck are super married and everyone else on the planet are facepalming about their obliviousness. <3

Full Hearts by @not-really-a-guest​ (9-1-1, Buck/Eddie)

“Every year LAFD and LAPD have a flag football game.” Bobby explains. “The past few years we’ve been either on shift or coming right off of it, but this year the A shift is free. Firefighters from every house sign up, and it’s a nice Saturday afternoon.”

In which Maddie reveals a hidden talent of Buck’s and Eddie decides he will spend the rest of his life cheering his boyfriend on.

Takes that throwaway mention of Buck playing football in high school and (hah) runs with it. Fun, immensely cute and a little feels-y, especially about family.

inevitably, indubitably by friedkiki (The Untamed, Wangxian)

For as long as he can remember, Lan Wangji has been cursed to die at the hands of someone who loves him. Enter Wei Wuxian, rogue sorcerer, who a desperate Lan Xichen has hired to save his brother.

Charming and sweet fairytale/royalty AU, good curse mystery. I always like it when someone nails that specific mix of competence and chaotic-mischief for Wei Wuxian, and this story does.

Bit of a sparse set this month (but full of longfic!), as I went down a nostalgia and fandoms-I-don’t-bother-with-canon-for and re-reading binge. 3 for The Untamed, 2 Boku no Hero Academia, 1 Nirvana in Fire, 1 Chronicles of Narnia, and 1 DCU/Batfamily fic.

THE UNTAMED

Stay With Me by Toshokanin

Lan Zhan has been working at the public library for three years the first time he meets the most beautiful man he has ever seen.

Wonderfully romantic and tropey - librarian AU! homeless WWX! fandom-related identity porn! and they were roommates! - but grounded in a realistic portrayal of modern libraries and their initial friendship. A really lovely read.

Half Agony, Half Hope by @queenklu​

Wei Wuxian examined his jittering nerves and admonished himself to feel less. Five years, five years had passed since all had been given up: engagement, relationship, friendship, acquaintance, all severed, all carved away and discarded. How absurd to be once more wracked with emotions which should never have been nurtured in the first place!

A Persuasion/Jane Austen AU - five years after their broken engagement, now widowed with a child, Wei Wuxian must navigate the re-entry of Captain Lan Wangji into his life.

I'm sure no one is surprised that I would be into a regency AU with strong pining and a side of espionage, but I would like you all to enjoy it with me! Who doesn't love a good Persuasion AU? The fic doesn’t quite reach the pining heights of the original, but it makes up for it with plot.

a series of firsts by Pip (Moirail)

It should be said that Nie Huaisang really shouldn't be trusted to do anything, but it can't be denied that he really gets results where they count.

An extremely pure and well-executed dose of fluff in series form, starting with a Wangxian blind date and proceeding through their relationship landmarks. I really cannot overstate how cute they are in this, oh my god.

BNHA

How to Win the Sports Festival: A Step by Step Guide by mhwright (gen)

Short re-imagining of the Sports Festival Arc if Shinso had planned a little better and worked a little harder to win the Sports Festival and if the match-ups had been slightly different. Self-indulgent fic of watching him succeed.

Mmmm, competence porn and BAMF Shinsou. I'm also super enjoying the sequel where Shinsou interns with Aizawa, which is a WIP but has cool worldbuilding around hero work & Shinsou's quirk and more great action writing.

Razzmatazz by xylophones / @xyloophones​​ (gen)

Izuku has plans for everything.

He plans out what to say to the cashier when ordering coffee, he plans out his homework before even opening his textbook. He has a whole ten-year plan for how he’s going to get into UA’s hero course and get his hero license fully quirkless. He plans for every wild, unlikely scenario he can think of because his anxiety gets so bad if he doesn’t go through every possible outcome, every way his life could landslide into disaster–– but Izuku never planned for this.

Izuku doesn’t think. He just moves.

(Or: Izuku saves the number one hero, gets a hero license way earlier than anyone wanted, realizes that maybe hero society isn’t as great as he thought it was, and everything just kind of falls apart from there.)

Fantastically original revisioning of canon, where Izuku meets Yagi and starts on his path earlier. I loved how the author hit a lot of the big setpieces and emotional arcs but shuffled and reimagined them into completely new things, AND jam-packed them with friendship and banter and frank discussion of the flaws of heroes/media/society and cool worldbuilding for how the hero business works. Very long and very satisfying.

OTHER

Venenum ex machina by @nemainofthewater (NIF, gen)

The Poison of the Bitter Flame is the most mysterious poison in the world.

Or five times that Mei Changsu got poisoned (and one time he didn't).

Come for Mei Changsu trolling people with his poison resistance, stay for the angst and historical poison nerdery.

Carpetbaggers by cofax (Narnia, gen)

The day after Aslan left, taking the magic with him, just about everyone else left, too.

After the coronation festivities, the real work begins.

Holy shit, this fic is so epic and good: following the Pevensies as they roll from one crisis to the next in the early weeks of their reign, confronting the realities of Narnia and the Winter they ended and their role as leaders, while still holding onto their family and the magic of their story. I've literally had this in my TBR pile for a decade, I'm kicking myself for taking so long, but it is still amazing.

Reconciliation by @envysparkler​ (Batman, gen)

You cannot restore what was never there.

OOF. Emotionally brutal fic where Tim doesn't (can't) forgive Jason for attacking him, and Jason has to face and live with that.

Managed to post these on Tumblr just under the wire (despite Tumblr's best attempts to eat my post), but I’m a bit late crossposting this month. March started with binge-watching The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty with @inmyriadbits, so there’s ten recs for that, seven for The Untamed, and four miscellaneous (Supernatural, Star Wars, Avatar, and BNHA), all under the cut because I couldn’t be bothered sorting them a second time.