spatz | Entries tagged with the untamed

Going out of town soon, so here's just a short list of my top three reads from last month:

cookin' up a storm, piece of cake (The Untamed) - charming modern cooking blog AU, told in epistolary style as Lan Wangji grinds his teeth into dust over his idiotic commenters (and one in particular who you can guess, hah).

The Virtue of Being True (Nine Worlds) - in which a spell backfires off Kip's magical protections and makes everyone AROUND him tell the truth. Hilarious, chaotic, fun inversion of the premise, and very soft in the end.

Lord of Misrule (Lord Peter) - in which Peter takes care of Bunter for once, after he's hurt helping a friend. Peter/Bunter is a hard ship to get right for me, to walk the line of their dynamic, but this one is so so good at it.

Quiet month for me, I was doing a lot of re-reading, so have a small random assortment of four stories!

Guanyin's Gift by Potboy/ @galadhir (Untamed/MDZS, JGY/LXC)

You can't build a goddess of mercy a large temple and pay for priests to worship her every day without earning at least some merit. Aka, by divine mercy, Jin Guangyao gets a chance to do his life all over again.

Excellent time-travel fix-it, JGY-style (so: subtlety and rumor and spycraft, with a side of making sure His People are all happy).

Reunion Dinner by vivisextion (Untamed/MDZS, gen)

Jiang Cheng realises that his own nephew has never tried his mother's signature dish, and takes it upon himself to rectify this.

Definitely a premise I've seen before, but his journey to re-creating the recipe draws in a lot of other characters in sweet ways - and also uses the author's own recipe/experience. Very satisfying.

Ready for Love by @idiopathicsmile (Singin' in the Rain, Cosmo/Don/Kathy)

Don and Kathy would move in together. They would have a dog or two and then inevitably, a small parade of adorable little brats who would call him Uncle Cosmo, and they would spend less and less time with him, not on purpose but busy with the rest of their lives, and ultimately Cosmo would learn to make his peace with it because he’d have no other choice and he would have to try to move on and not live too much in his memories. He could picture it so clearly, he figured if the songwriting gig with Monumental didn’t pan out, he could always return to the backwater circuit with a new act: The Amazing Cosmo of the Cosmos—ladies and gentlemen, he sees the future, he reads the stars, he silently pines for his best married pal and all the while tap dancing!
Don and Kathy inviting him along on their honeymoon, though—that part was a surprise.

Hilarious, darling post-movie get-together featuring note-perfect banter and pining ADHD Cosmo.

Running Behind by @asidian (Final Fantasy XV, gen)

There's a tag hanging on his storage pod, instead of the clipboard that documents his progress. On that tag, there's a single word stamped in red: defective. NH-01987's feet stick on the metal of the catwalk. Behind the ever-present metallic mask, his eyes grow huge.
He knows what that tag means. It means that, in the morning, while the other MT units are collected for training, a guard will come for him. He'll be restrained and escorted down the metal corridors toward the east wing, into the double-doors that house the correctional facility. But he won't be up for re-programming, not this time.
This time, they'll strap him down to a table for the last time ever. They'll pick him apart, to try and learn what caused his failures – and he has so very many of them, no matter how hard he's tried.
When they're finished, they'll take what's left to the crematory. That will be the end of him: a pile of ashes and a wisp of smoke.

I don't even go here, but I just could not resist a return to my fannish roots of reading fic about a fugitive child soldier with a barcode tattoo learning how to be a person - and it's a gorgeous h/c fic in its own right. 10/10 will comfort read again.

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 😘

*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.

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!) )

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

I’d like to say I was saving these recs for Thanksgiving - to read while digesting food, or while avoiding your family, or to recuperate afterward from all that socializing - but really I was just procrastinating as usual. Although I did sort them by length, to better select something for all the reasons above. Mostly comedy and almost entirely DCU fic again, except for one lone hilarious fic for The Untamed. Enjoy!

UNDER 5K

A Chips And Dip Kind Of Night by whaleofatime (1.8K, gen)

Bruce is working undercover at a 7/11.
Dick does not know this.

Short and funny and adorable.

Truth Serum is the Worst by JackHawksmoor (3K, gen)

Batman gets dosed with a truth serum and unexpectedly spends most of the time talking about how desperately he loves his children, how awesome they are, and how he wishes he was better at being a father.

Whumpy and skims across the surface of some serious trauma (ah, Bruce and his repression), but with a wonderful dynamic between Bruce and Dick.

5K-10K

Runaway by sardonic_sprite (6K, gen)

"There's easier ways to run away, y'know, kid."
"I don't know what you’re talking about."
"Really?" The boy raised an eyebrow, giving Damian a meaningful appraisal. "Rucksack, clothes that don't fit, no parents or anyone around, lying your way places?"

AU in which Damian runs away from the League and bumps in Tim in civilian guise. Kinda handwavey timeline-wise, but a fun alternate meeting.

In Case of Catastrophe by swampbebe (8.5K, gen)

Well, Tim is resourceful, even if he’s a cat now. Bruce is still on patrol and won’t be back for a while, but Dick and Damian are both at the manor. Tim will make his way there, tap out morse code to explain what happened, and then they’ll get him turned back into regular ol’ Tim.
All in all, this will just be a minor setback.
Tim gets turned into a cat by magic nonsense. His family doesn't figure it out as quickly as he'd like.

I'm weak for 'character gets turned into a cat' stories anyway, but this one is hilarious.

10K-20K

know your enemy by Valkirin (12K, gen)

Jason Todd thought he was ready for anything when he headed to Titans Tower to have a talk with Robin. He was not ready for Stephanie Brown.

In which Steph is still Robin during the Tower attack and things go VERY differently, and amusingly. Stephanie Brown: Sassmaster vs Jason's Overdramatic Schtick is only the beginning.

brilliant (like a confession) by kathkin (14K, Lois/Clark)

After years of pining after an alien demi-god who is, much as she hates to admit it, miles out of her league, Lois realises she's caught feelings for her co-worker. Unsure whether or not to tell him, she seeks advice from the most sensitive guy she knows - Superman. Things don't go as she expected...

I adored this Lois voice and all the identity mess, and admired how the fic manages to be both incredibly funny and genuinely tender.

Veritas by trickybonmot (19K, Wangxian)

Wei Ying needs a fake terrible date. Lan Zhan volunteers.

*wheezing with laughter* I can never go back to WWX as Troll Disaster Date for this trope again, Lan Zhan is CLEARLY the master. Ye gods, the shenanigans and horniness in this are amazing.

20K-30K

tell me your name, is it sweet by dexdefyingstunts (26K, Tim/Jason)

There's a pretty girl in this bar who won't stop looking at Jason.
Or: Jason meets med student Caroline Hill.

Normally I don't rec WIPs, but this one is pretty much pure porn with some genderfluid Tim, so while I am looking forward to the last chapter it's not gonna cliffhang you or anything.

Getting It Right by FabulaRasa (27K, Bruce/Hal)

Hal and Bruce spend an unexpected weekend together in Star City. Along they way they grapple with PTSD, internalized homophobia, financial instability, drug addiction, and physical abuse, but on the plus side they clean house at Blaster Bouncer.

Despite the summary's ominous (albeit accurate) listing, this is a shockingly soft story about Bruce having a panic attack at Ollie's birthday party, followed by an accidental sleepover with Hal, and then a sorta-accidental day-long date around town. So lovely.

OVER 60K

Proof by Westgate (66K, gen)

A Batfamily AU where Jason, Dick, Tim, and Damian meet first on the streets of Gotham, before they ever meet Bruce Wayne. Some details will feel familiar, and some will not. The end result, as it always should be, is family.

Mmm, found family + street kids + hurt/comfort. A cozy, tropey, hopeful read.

Under Vitrine Glass by galkyrie (67K, Tim/Jason)

Tim Drake is undercover investigating a potential serial killer who's using Gotham as their hunting ground when Jason returns from an off-planet mission with the Outlaws. The only problem? The investigation has put him thoroughly into The Red Hood's territory and blowing his cover or bringing him in this investigation is not worth the risk.
The last thing Tim expects after their first run-in with each other is Jason's interest in the person he's pretending to be.

I loved this as a casefile and as a slow burn romance.

Time Bomb Town by Moxibustion (112K, Tim/Jason)

In a world of scientifically proven psychic abilities, the practitioners - the so-called Talents - are called on to serve the public good. This is never more true than in Gotham, where the Wayne Parapsychic Institute works diligently for justice and peace in what is otherwise a mecca of rogue Talents. Bruce Wayne is one of the most powerful Talents on record; a Prime. So are all his children. All, that is, except for Tim Drake; a winged donkey to their high-flying Pegasus. Fed up with the constant reminders that he will never be able to catch up to their flight into the stars and beyond, he leaves.
Trying to put the shattered pieces of his life together, he comes across Jason Todd; former member of the Wayne Parapsychic Institute and a powerhouse in terms of Talent, alive in an asylum years after everyone assumed him dead.
Tim is determined to help Jason find a way back. Jason might end up teaching him a way forward.

Set in a world inspired by a series of Anne McCaffrey books, but you don't need to have read them (I haven't!) - it's a fun and plotty and angsty cyberpunk-ish adventure.

A bit late this month since I had to send my computer off for repairs (RIP my stickers, but at least it was mostly cosmetic damage), but I made it! I'm putting the 7 Star Wars fics of various pairings above the cut, and the 5 miscellaneous fandoms (Nirvana in Fire, Life 2005, Lord Peter, The Untamed, Our Flag Means Death) underneath.

STAR WARS

Cody/Obi-Wan

Worth a Thousand Words by @glimmerglanger

“You need to show him what you have to offer,” Fives said, which sounded shockingly like relevant advice. Cody blinked over at him.
“What?” he asked, because, honestly, he’d take any advice he could get, at this point. The war had been over for nearly six months, and he’d made no progress on his own.
Fives slammed back a shot of his own and then--kind of leered over. “You need to give him a look at the goods,” he said, and then, pointedly, dipped his gaze down.
OR, the one where Cody takes some very bad advice and has to deal with the consequences.

*wheezing with laughter* AKA the one where Cody sends a dick pic. Post-war, no Order 66, very funny and sweet. Also, it didn't really hit my embarrassment squick despite being tagged for that, because it's not mean-spirited about it, and has some good perspective about how there's a huge gap between the clones' life experience and their socialization for things outside of fighting a war.

Strong Bones by missmollyetc

We must all start as we mean to go on.

Triptych of stories about Obi-Wan and Cody set post-Order 66, with absolutely GORGEOUS prose. The first two will break your heart (especially #2, how DARE), but the last one will gently patch it.

Din/Luke

Blood Ties by scheidwrites

A few things are slightly different, which means everything is different. Boba and Fennec arrive just a bit later, Din takes his jetpack back up to the temple, and so he and the child are both taken prisoner by the Empire.

Fascinating AU and a lovely h/c series that deserves a lot more hits than it currently has.

Pragmatics by Derkish

Admittedly, this is not the first time Luke has wound up at someone else’s kitchen table in someone else’s clothes. But it’s not breakfast, Luke’s not an undergrad scarfing down bacon and eggs to cure the common hangover, and Din doesn’t strike him as the kind of guy he’d meet at a house party. The baby is definitely a first.
Luke is a grad student trying to finish his linguistics PhD after an unexpected leave of absence. His neighbor, Din, is a single dad and delivery guy at Pizza Parsec. (Actually, Pizza Parsec is just a front for the bounty hunters' guild. But Luke doesn't need to know that.)

Fantastic modernish AU that hit the sweet spot for me regarding Luke being a emotional mess with disaster family issues but ALSO a very smart and competent person in his field. I also really enjoyed how the Skywalker family drama was translated into this setting.

A Warrior Dance by twoseas

Luke reacts strangely to Din’s bared face and an overheard conversation leads the Mandalorian to believe the Jedi thinks he’s ugly. Things spiral out of control from there.
Featuring Mandalorian combat without armor, Han and Leia being a little into Din, and Luke being so much into Din he accidentally makes him think he’s unattractive.

This one has been widley recced already, but I finally read it and it's just as charming as promised without the secondhand-embarrassment I feared.

Obi-Wan/Anakin

if i only knew by wanderlove

Newly knighted Obi-Wan Kenobi and his padawan, Anakin Skywalker, have been sent to Ryloth on a simple diplomatic envoy. While there, an unsettling incident causes Obi-Wan to look at Anakin in a new light and re-evaluate...everything.
The Galaxy will never be the same.
aka: "come for the obikin, stay for the tzai and deep emotional discussions that dismantle every single misunderstanding in the prequels."

Very satisfying fix-it AU on many levels, with lots of time and detailed work on building their relationship in a healthier way.

More recs below!

( Read more... )

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!

Just a Concerned Citizen by @domoz (BNHA, Midoriya/Shinsou)

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.

Snowflake Challenge promotional banner featuring an image of a chubby brown and red bird surrounded by falling snow. Text: Snowflake Challenge January 1-31.

( Challenge #7: Fandom resources )

( Challenge #8: Personal win (plus poll about recs!) )

I'm going to claim #11 Interact With Someone as done, since I've been commenting more, and #12 Fancast Someone as done with my imagining Element of Fire's Thomas Boniface as Diego Luna.

In what's starting to be an annual tradition, I got into a new fandom fic-first while procrastinating on Yuletide. But unlike last year, I didn't stop at reading fic, but actually ended up binge-watching all five seasons of 9-1-1! We're gonna be in firefighter found family land for a spell now, ya'll.

I've got a lot this month, so we're back to my five favorites up top, and the rest under the cut. In total, there's sixteen 9-1-1 fics (all Buck/Eddie), plus a handful of fics from ATLA, The Untamed, The Witcher, and Murderbot.

Leave the Light On (I'll Be Coming Home) by @hmslusitania

“We’re here for our grandson,” Helena says.
“Chris is still sleeping,” Buck says.
“I meant, we’re here to take him back to Texas,” Helena clarifies.
“Yeah,” Buck says. He’s too tired, way too tired to be tactful. “Over my dead body.”
An accident on a call leaves Buck with custody of Chris after Eddie is... missing presumed. While they navigate their new family circumstances -- and fight to stay together, despite Eddie's parents' best efforts -- a John Doe wakes up in a coma ward with no memory of his own life beyond the knowledge he has a son named Christopher and, somehow, he needs to get home.

This story came for me personally with a fatal two-hit combination of my beloved amnesia and presumed-dead tropes, and the author absolutely destroyed me with both sides of the story - Buck and Christopher grieving and figuring out their new life together, and amnesiac!Eddie managing to pine without remembering what he's longing for. Heartbreaking, romantic, beautifully written. I've already read it twice!

too many heartbeats for one ribcage by @lamardeuse

Eddie's not queer.

It's always fun running into lamardeuse in a new fandom, because they have been wrecking me emotionally with their fic since...2006? When I found Due South fandom? Good times. This one's a beautiful queer character study of Eddie growing up and growing into himself and falling in love.

all that we need by not1_2write

When Buck buys a Powerball lottery ticket he doesn't think much beyond his need for change to air up his tire. He forgets all about the ticket until word spreads that the winning ticket was sold in LA and hasn't been claimed yet and pretty much dismisses it. After all, there's no way he won the lottery.
Turns out no, he really did win the Powerball, to the tune of 295 million dollars and just in time for Christmas. He's going to make sure the 118 has the best Christmas of their lives. And just maybe he'll have a good one too.

Pure fluffy wish-fulfillment of the highest quality, featuring Buck's enormous heart and love for his family. (Am I weak for thoughtful gift-giving? Yes, yes I am.)

Don't Take the Money by @hmslusitania

“You know, being stuck here isn’t actually the end of the world,” Chimney says, coming up to the table and picking up one of the smoke detectors. “It just feels like it, Buck. Trust me, I know.”
“I’m pretty sure it might actually be the end of the world,” Buck says. “Considering this is the sixth time I’ve lived this day.”
Chimney stares at him for a beat and then his eyebrows lift. “Wait, are you like – dude, are you in Groundhog Day?”
OR: The post-lawsuit time-loop AU literally no one asked for.

Time loop fic set during 3x06 Monsters. Sheer delight, great characterization, and a clever exemplar of the genre - plus the character-dies-repeatedly-in-weird-ways trope is especially apt given 9-1-1 in general and Bobby's fears about Buck in particular.

things we shouldn't do by @ingu

“Why is everybody taking my relationship status so personally? Can’t I be fine with being single?” Buck said.
“Hey, you don’t have to say yes, be sad and alone if that’s what you want,” Josh replied. “But, I’m just saying. I’ve seen photos and this guy is volcanic levels of hot. Also, single dad, super cute kid. Saves lives for a living like you. I think you should give it a go.”
(the one where Buck and Eddie accidentally get set up on a blind date with each other, and everything snowballs from there)

I love fake-dating fic, but I have gotten very picky about it after all these years in fandom. This one is fresh and funny, from the setup to the fake-dating-for-discounts through the denouement, and just the right amount of angst to balance the sweetness.

Many more recs under the cut!

( 9-1-1, ATLA, Witcher, Murderbot, Untamed )

Booting this out the door before Yuletide hits! Quite a hodgepodge of fandoms from November: three fics from Nirvana in Fire out of the annual NIF fic exchange, plus fic from The Mandalorian, The Witcher (no S2 spoilers), DCU, Supernatural, The Untamed, and an original superheroes fic.

NIRVANA IN FIRE

with honor by tciddaemina (Lie Zhanying/Jingyan)

For seven months, Zhanying watched his mother grow more thin and gaunt, watched his brothers grow more brittle, the bags beneath their eyes deepening with every long night spent in the workshop. For seven months, Zhanying watched his youngest siblings smile and laugh and try to pretend their stomachs weren't still rumbling when they went to bed, growing thinner every day, and in the eighth month Zhanying said no more and joined the army.

Not my usual pairing, but this slow burn backstory romance was fantastic, following Zhanying through his service in Prince Jing’s army and their changing relationship over the years. Fealty and pining and wordless chemistry, oh my!

Blackbirds by sandalwoodbox (vid, gen)

Cai Quan and Shen Zhui have been waiting for this moment.

This is a great vid for anyone who has feelings about our favorite ministers finding someone worthy to follow, and their friendship.

Lilies That Bloom by circumference (gen)

Liyang, after the trial.

Sweet short piece about Liyang getting some answers re: MCS, and starting to spread her wings again.

OTHER

Crash and Burn by Aureutr_Accoredge (The Mandalorian, Din/Luke)

There had been no Seeing Stone on Tython that Grogu could use to call for a Jedi. They had survived Gideon's light cruiser mostly by luck. And now Din Djarin is trapped between trying to resume his old life with Grogu in tow or facing what wielding the Darksaber truly means for him and his people. Mostly he just wants a nap.
Luke Skywalker is looking for Jedi artifacts he can use to help build a curriculum for the school he seeks to create. Not that he knows where it will be. Or how to find pupils. But then he runs into a shiny stranger whose beskar armor makes him a null space in the Force. And he doesn't know who Luke is.
Intrigued (and in need of parts to repair his ship), he Skywalkers his way into tagging along on the latest bounty.

I LOVED this: it’s very long and plotty dealing with Din becoming Manda’lor, with a great meet-cute to slow burn romance, but mostly this author gets Luke Skywalker in all his dorky-epic glory. Really interesting treatment of Luke’s trauma from his fight with the Emperor and the war generally, and the rare Din/Luke fic that really showcases Leia.

Silver and Copper by Heronfem (Witcher, Geralt/Jaskier)

Geralt is just supposed to pass through the quiet Lettenhove area. He's not anticipating being begged by its people to help save their viscount from a curse that keeps him from daylight. Lord Jaskier, they call him, and he's likely dying.
As Geralt struggles to untangle the ugly web of history that has lead to the increasingly complicated curse, he finds himself spending more and more time with the strange young viscount and wondering just what he might have been before the curse, and who he might be after. But things are not always as they seem, and as the curse tightens its grip on Jaskier, Geralt is forced to face the fear of failing yet another person whose choices were stolen from them.

Very AU, but a gorgeous dark fairytale with a strong backbone of hope and community. Mind the warnings - Jaskier’s father is a definite monster in this.

Exit Strategy by smilebackwards (DCU/Batfamily, gen)

Batman needs a Robin and Batman has a Robin. Tim is just extraneous now, vestigial. He’s a bandage over a healed wound. He doesn’t know what he’s hanging on to.
Or: Tim didn’t expect his exit strategy from the Batfamily to involve quite so much bonding time with Damian over Wayne Enterprises bureaucracy.

*rolls around in the Tim feels* *and the Tim-Damien brotherly feels* Mmm, delicious.

and you can use my skin by unicornpoe (Supernatural, Dean/Cas)

Cas comes back. Dean can’t stop touching him.

This doesn’t break any new ground plotwise for a S15 fixit, but it’s beautifully written: immensely tender and healing and romantic.

Revenge is a Side Dish Best Served With Tea by merakily (The Untamed, Wangxian)

Despite popular opinion, Lan Wangji is actually:
1. Terrible at diplomacy
2. Surprisingly vengeful
3. A master of holding grudges
Five times Lan Wangji gets his petty revenge + one time Wei Wuxian calls him out.

Very fun! Like the summary says, it’s tea-based petty bitch LWJ revenge fluff, with a nice underlying thread of affectionate-and-protective Wangxian.

His Greatest Adversary Yet by architeuthis (original superheroes, slash)

Doctor Nowhere doesn't do the nemesis thing. But the Blue Beacon hasn't been seen in a while, and the more he learns about why, the more it haunts him.

Wonderful mad scientist/superhero piece - Max is such a distinctive and hilarious narrator right from the start, the older-person-figuring-out-they’re-queer feelings are strong, and there’s a lot of deft worldbuilding in the background. [For a little bonus fic-of-fic porn, please enjoy All Along The Watchtower (Or At Least Against The Men's Room Door) by PersianPenName as well, which is very hot and funny.]

I apparently had two reading settings in October: gen family fic and (mostly polyamorous) porn. Triads were in the air? So today I have 7 Batman/Batfamily fics, 1 Batman/Leverage crossover, 1 for The Untamed, and then three miscellaneous polyamory fics for Singin' in the Rain, comics Spider-Man/Fantastic Four, and Love & Friendship (in addition to the one DCU poly fic). Mostly gen except for the ones that are VERY not, I've marked pairings where needed.

DCU (in order from shortest to longest)

Clockwork by @heartslogos

“Do you even hear yourself when you talk?” Tim wrinkles his nose. “Also stop trying to hide the coffee. I’ll always find it. You just put it out of reach or opposite the peanut butter. I am on to you.”

Charming and detail-driven fic about Bruce and Tim, that really drives home how well and closely they know each other. (Also that they’re a couple of weirdos.)

sweet child o' mine by Nokomis/ @nokomiss

Steph said cheerfully, “Bruce, from now on, consider yourself in possession of one Steph-mom.”
“Absolutely not,” Bruce said.
Steph took a bite of her cake, undeterred.

I was howling with laughter reading this. Nokomis always writes Steph and pranking and comedy so well, and this one lands perfectly. Mom notes! Playdates! Snacks! So adorable and funny.

World’s Saddest Breakfast Club by @motleyfam

Following a couple of Very Bad Weeks™ (which may or may not have involved being kidnapped and mildly tortured), Jason decides the best way to cheer himself up is to break into the Manor for a 3 a.m. snack.
Turns out he isn’t the only one awake.

Chaotic and sweet, highly recommended to anyone who has feelings about food and family.

The Rule of Three by Zoeleo (Jason/Tim/Stephanie)

“Yeah. Um. Thanks, but I don’t wanna interrupt you guys or third-wheel you or anything so I’m just going to—” Jason tries to shrug on his jacket but one of the sleeves is turned inside out and his arm gets stuck.
“Well, technically you would be a third wheel. But like a structurally integral third wheel, one that’s an intentional part of the design. Like on a Polaris Slingshot or a—” Tim rambles until Stephanie smacks him again.
Jason loses the battle with the jacket. It drops to the floor with a heavy thump from too many gadgets hidden in secret pockets. Is Tim really proposing what he thinks he’s proposing?
Jason came for the pizza and MST3K, he may just stay for the face-sitting and multiple orgasms.

Pure threesome porn on the way to a relationship, plus great banter. Fittingly in a trilogy format.

The Last Someone by FabulaRasa/ @fabula-unica (Hal Jordan/Bruce Wayne)

I decided that what the fandom really needed was yet another object of Pussygate 2021 discourse, so here is my contribution, in which Bruce gets humiliated, Hal gets curious, and they both get what they're looking for.
In case you were (blessedly) living under a rock the last few weeks and don't know what any of this is about, here is your starter kit.

The first chapter of this is hysterical - Batman is ranked last on an internet article rating superheroes by how good they are at oral, and Green Lantern first, and then MORE shenanigans ensue - and then it takes a sharp swerve into feelings and some moderate angst. So ideal, really!

best laid plans by Valkirin

Tim Drake knows that Batman needs a Robin. When Bruce and Dick aren't interested in what he has to say, Tim makes his way to the cemetery to say a few words to the boy he's trying to replace.
Tim has the chance to say far more than he expected when Jason digs himself out of his grave that night. Tim does his best to get Jason home to Bruce. The League of Assassins finds them first.

Lovely hurt/comfort-y AU where Tim gets kidnapped along with Jason, and all the complications of that.

Recollect, re-collect by Ptelea

A spell gone wrong leads to Jason hashing some things out--with himself, with Dick, and with the rest of the Batfam. Featuring: rather a lot of thoughts and conversations about memory, change, damage, love and trust, accountability, family, hurt, lies, death, Spyral, pedestals, cases, memorials, stories, and Robin.

I am a sucker for amnesia fic, and this one is a terrifying variant where a spell makes people start to forget Jason. The resolution involves a truckload of feelings about Robin and Jason's place in his family, especially his relationship with Dick.

MISCELLANEOUS

The Gotham Job by Hinn_Raven/ @secretlystephaniebrown (Batman/Leverage, gen)

Generally, thieves of their caliber avoid Gotham. There are always exceptions that prove the rule, however.
(Or: five times that a member of Leverage met a member of the Batfamily, and one time that they teamed up.)

Fantastic read, with a creative set of character intersections and friendships between the two fandoms.

Knight Hunt! Phoenix Mountain by travelingneuritis (The Untamed, Wangxian)

"Contestants get paid by the week. The longer you stay in the running and the more you charm the fans, the bigger your paycheck after the season wraps. People compete on Knight Hunt for fame, fortune and love. In that order."

I know, getting Lan Wangji onto a reality show convincingly is a big buy, but this one manages it, AND has peak Wei Wuxian gremlin action, modern cultivation, and a lovely romance. The author tagged it ‘low stakes pining’ and it’s just that - an engaging and emotional but easy read.

The Lockwoods & Mr Brown by @onlythegeste (Singin' in the Rain, Kathy/Don/Cosmo)

The continuing adventures of Kathy, Don and Cosmo in their house on Sunset and Camden.
Involving a camera, several pianos, scheming, dancing, and a magic trick.

Adorable look at their queer household and growing family across the decades. Well-written and perfectly satisfying.

A House in the Hills by @traincat (Spider-Man comics, Peter/Mary Jane/Johnny Storm)

“Anyway, did you ever think I might want to sleep with him?”
Peter sat straight up in bed and turned on the bedside light. Mary Jane was still sitting up, her arms crossed defiantly over her chest, staring straight ahead at a spot on the wall, twin angry spots of color in her cheeks.
“You want to sleep with another man?” he demanded.
“Well, ideally you’d be there, too,” she said, scowling.
Johnny is getting married. Peter is having a problem. Mary Jane has the solution. (Or, the Watson-Parkers homewreck their way to Johnny's happiness.)

I'm normally not a fan of any form of infidelity, but I'll make an exception for this situation (read the a/n for a brief overview), absolutely. Funny, sexy, and actually terribly romantic.

A Divinely Attractive Arrangement by @fahye (Love & Friendship, Lady Susan/Sir James/Manwaring)

A selection from the Private Diary of Sir James Martin of Martindale. Concerning Peas, Friendship, the state of Blessed Matrimony, and several wonders of Modern Medicine.

I’d argue that you don't even need to have seen the movie to enjoy this fic about the absolute dumbest golden retriever of a himbo to ever marry a manipulative woman so she might have cover to carry on with her lover, except since it's Fahye so of course things go poly instead in the FUNNIEST way possible. Bless his heart, I'd say Sir James has a pea brain but he doesn't even understand how peas work.

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.

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, Sleuth, SoG, Leverage/Push )

Hello, I’m back on my Untamed streak again! I’ve got 8 Untamed recs, 1 Word of Honor rec, and 1 Nirvana in Fire vid rec. I’m putting my four favorites above the cut and everything else under, because everybody went in for extra long summaries this month for some reason.

THE UNTAMED

Always Light My Way by cqlorphan / @jingyismom

Lan Wangji looks down at his own hands, steadying himself. It is easier to think clearly when he is not looking into Wei Wuxian’s eyes. He takes the scroll from his pouch.
“Research has uncovered a method,” he says. He does not mention the forbidden nature of said research, nor does he elaborate on the method itself. He will not venture to speak it aloud. He hands the scroll over.
Wei Wuxian looks at him for a long moment as he takes it, and Lan Wangji holds his breath, waiting for him to decide. Waiting to see if he is at least interested enough in the possibility of a new core to read it.
Lan Wangji offers to help Wei Wuxian develop a new golden core via dual cultivation. He struggles to keep his feelings in check.

Exceedingly good pining-while-fucking post-canon CQL story, with some travelling battle couple action (feat. archer!WWX) in addition to some very hot smut. I’m very picky about this trope because it can easily tip into frustration with the characters being oblivious, but the author tuned this story beautifully, with LWJ’s determination not to hold on too tightly balancing against WWX’s fears of not being wanted or belonging, and the phantom of LWJ’s 16-year grief very much present.

Walking Back to You by mrsronweasley

They bring him in just before dawn. Wei Wuxian does not remember it, not really. He remembers nothing but pain.

Just some very very tasty post-canon hurt/comfort and get-together, featuring WWX’s trauma around obligation and debt and feeling useless. Mmmm, good stuff.

places under the sky by narie

Wei Wuxian braces himself for what might come next, the story of how this man died by the Yiling Patriarch's hand—at Nightless City, at the Burial Mounds, as the rest of the sects tried to bring that great villain to account. "What was his name?"
Uncle Gan sits back, twiddles his thumbs as he thinks. "Well, it'd be Wei something, of course."
"Wei Changze, wasn't it?" chimes in a new person, and if anyone agrees or disagrees, Wei Wuxian does not hear them. His wine bowl slips from his grip and the sudden clatter of it barely registers over the unexpected sounds of his father's name. Wei Changze, slipping so careless from a stranger's mouth here in small Taozi, here of all places under the open sky.
Wei Wuxian meets his grandmother. No, not the immortal one. The other one.

Wonderful WWX characterization and bittersweet in the best way, with lush and vivid prose.

hold your tongue and let me love by ilgaksu (Jin Guangyao/Lan Xichen)

There are a lot of things people don’t know about Lan Xichen. At least half of them, in Jin Guangyao’s estimation, hide in plain sight. He, as the focus of Lan Xichen’s sole and long-standing regard, is one of them. Zewu-jun’s honest opinions of his fellow gentry are another.

The joy and humor and trust of this scene in bed together, taking off their masks, becomes absolutely gutting when you think about canon, so enjoy that! But seriously, it’s a pleasure to read, to see this playful side of both of them - especially Lan Xichen.

( more recs this way )

Top five recs above the cut, with lots more Word of Honor after, plus one rec each for The Untamed, Nirvana in Fire, and The Old Guard.

A Good Bargain by Neery (Word of Honor, Wen Kexing/Zhou Zishu)

The Window of Heaven captures the Ghost Valley's master. Zhou Zishu is put in charge of interrogating him.
But Wen Kexing has a plan of his own…

Full disclosure, I finished the series and then immediately beta’d this for @this-is-neery, and it was an absolutely amazing experience, A+++ would read five more times again! Both of them are trapped in their roles and meeting in the worst way, yet there’s still that bright spark of connection and understanding, and a hopeful ending.

you're the trouble that i always find by sundiscus (WOH, Wen Kexing/Zhou Zishu)

“Do you know him?” Jin Wang asks.
The ringing in Zhou Zishu's ears gets louder. “No, Wangye,” he says.
At Zhou Zishu’s voice, the prisoner freezes.
Or: Jin Wang tries another way to get Zhou Zishu back.

Yesssss, magical dreamsharing with serious feels. (Or more precisely, how to fall in love with your zhiji all over again while killing him repeatedly in your involuntarily drugged dreams.)

A More Dangerous Unknown by ivyspinners (WOH, Wen Kexing/Zhou Zishu)

Zhou Zishu hid on rooftops like someone with a great deal of practice. Wen Kexing sympathized. He also had experience in this, for what were probably equally murderous reasons.
Four things that are best done on rooftops, with beautiful company. (And one that isn't.)

Lush and sharply perceptive series of moments set during the early part of their courtship.

替我踏遍天涯; walk the edge of the sky for me by yiqie (WOH, Wen Kexing/Zhou Zishu)

“We’re going home,” Zhou Zishu huffs when he pulls Wen Kexing’s arms over his shoulders, then hitches his legs around his waist. He hops in place to get a good grip under the bends of his knees, then makes sure his robe is covering as much of Wen Kexing as it can. “If you die before we get there, the first thing Shixiong will do when we see each other on Naihe Bridge is hit you.”

Gorgeous post-canon story.

Oh No!!! by findmeinthealps (Nirvana in Fire, fanvid, gen)

Old man trouble back again / Fuckin’ up my plans, like oh no, oh no
I’m back to the black again / Gettin' fucked up again, oh no, oh no

Fantastic Prince Yu character study vid, featuring Mei Changsu fucking up his plans repeatedly. I just really admire how this vid takes on his perspective on the events of canon, and that way he’s allllmost sympathetic, except in all the ways he’s a terrible person. Great editing.

( Read more... )

I received not one but THREE podfics from the wonderful Thimblerig this week!

THE UNTAMED

dreamed this would be held a crime - a wonderfully creepy reading (with sound effects!) of my ficlet about Wei Wuxian surviving and making Chenqing in the Burial Mounds.

TEMERAIRE

balm of hurt minds - Tharkay’s POV on being tortured and rescued in Blood of Tyrants

tête-à-tête - Tharkay meeting Lady Allendale over tea post-canon, a Yuletide gift for @20thcenturyvole

Go listen and enjoy!

Alright, from my May reading, we've got a selection of recs: 5 Murderbot recs, 4 Untamed, and 3 miscellaneous fandoms (original slash, Supernatural, Wizard of Oz).

MURDERBOT

Demo and Inspection by lick / @indigo

There are a number of things to do, and a number of arguments to be had, before a group can go on a survey trip. Dr. Mensah and Pin-Lee were running out of time to hammer out a deal with the bond company, and the required rental SecUnit had become the sticking point.
Or: Dr. Mensah "meets" Murderbot for the first time.

The first story in an ongoing series following the events of canon from Mensah's POV. The author is SO GOOD at writing Mensah, oh my god, with her compassion and intelligence and carefully stifled fears.

Full Disk Burn by @fallintosanity

While touring the soundstage of one of its favorite serials, Murderbot saves a human from being jumped by thugs. But the human is more than he seems, and Murderbot finds itself entangled in a bigger mess than it had planned.

Immensely fun 'Murderbot gets into trouble because it can't resist helping people, pretends not to care' premise, with a great OC, some nifty worldbuilding around the Corporate Rim media industry, and pitch-perfect bickering with ART.

Not Angry, Just Disappointed by lick

Seth said sternly, “Perihelion, you need to tell us the truth. We can’t leave the home system until we find out what happened. If you’re hiding something—”
Peri cut him off. I am not hiding anything.
Peri might be able to lie astonishingly well to a corporate representative, even impersonate a human over the feed, but it couldn’t lie to Iris. “Yes, you are,” she said.

Great look at how that reveal about "Peri's SecUnit" happened. Iris is also my favorite now as well as obviously being ART's.

In Control by Mayasynth / @bumblebeebats

Four times having a governor module fucking sucked, plus one time [REDACTED: FILE MISSING]. (Or: Murderbot has Emotions for 8,000 words. ART tries to help. So does Dr. Mensah, but like, in a decidedly less assholish way.)

Great/agonizing flashbacks, great/hilarious friendship and boundary negotiations with ART, and a great/emotional punch to the gut.

Threat as Greeting by FlipSpring

I pull close to it in the feed, and say, “You were lucky."
The rogue SecUnit reacts, physically and in the feed. It sits bolt upright, and a wave of fear ripples off of it like a [cloud of micro-debris], or like an [emergency evasive maneuver that grinds a planet’s upper atmosphere]. It’s unpleasant. It’s unfamiliar. I capture the data, store it, and start chewing on it immediately.
ART meets Murderbot, from ART's POV.

This whole series of outsider POVS is fantastic, but this one does some particularly cool things with ART's perspective and the multitasking cranky vastness of its mind.

THE UNTAMED

This was a GREAT month for stories featuring the Untamed ladies. So great that I don’t have any Wangxian recs this month. Yeah, I was surprised too.

Tether by @withbroombefore (gen, minor Wangxian and Yanli/NHS)

It is unexpectedly easy; he does not even need to lie outright, just let them follow his gaze to where Wen Zhuliu's body sprawls on the floor. “They caught me in Yiling,” he says, and holds out one hand to each of them.
Wei Wuxian tells the truth, sort of. AU diverging when Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji find Wei Wuxian in episode 20.

From the description and the first scene, I thought this was going to be a Wei Wuxian story, but it is NOT, it is a fabulous Jiang Yanli story, where she steps up to cover some of WWX's duties and finds her strength. The subtle fallout from that makes for a great alternate universe fix-it.

Zephyrs Blowing Below the Violet by Comfect (gen)

Yú Zǐyuān realizes that Wang Lingjiao's flare, not Wen Zhuliu's hands, are the greatest danger in Lotus Pier, and acts accordingly.
As a result, everything changes, and she eventually realizes that she does, in fact, have three children.

I'm not a fan of Yu Ziyuan in general, but this fic uses some great unreliable narratation and captures all of her flaws and all of her love and all of her badassery and made me like her, dammit. Most characters wouldn't fight a war and come out the other side more emotionally healthy, but honestly it suits her. Fascinating look at how the war might have gone differently with more experienced sect leaders, as well.

chances are by @wildehacked (Wen Qing/Jiang Cheng)

Five bad ideas and one good one.
or: "Please let me help you,” he tells her, sick with guilt and rage that can’t go anywhere.
She laughs wildly. “I don’t need any more of your help, Jiang-zongzhu.”

Brutally good set of five AUs where things went worse for Wen Qing, plus one fix-it.

alright, I think I’ve found the saddest timeline by @tanoraqui

This ficlet is so short and sharp that any summary or excerpt would spoil it, but it's really hard to argue with that description. Oof.

MISC

(original) Follow the River Down by @sassysnowperson

"Am I cancelled?" David asked. He didn't know exactly what it meant to be cancelled, but it seemed like the sort of thing that would come with a lot of notifications.
There was an ugly snort on the other side of the phone. "No, Dad, kinda the opposite," Nicole said patiently. "Jonathan Vane said you were his favorite artist!"

Lovely "Older Little-Known Rock Singer/His Younger #1 Fan who is a Famous Actor" romance. If you don't fall in love with David at his very first dad joke and affectionate banter with his daughter, then you will over his deep kindness and compassion towards Jonathan. Also: very hot. Extra recommended for ex-bandom peeps.

(Supernatural) phone calls and photo albums by @bundibird

Sammy is 18, and off at college. John is 43, and in the wind, chasing whispers. Dean is 22, and alone.
And Adam Milligan is 16, and fighting with his mom, and wants to come and stay with his dad for a while.
Too bad John left his phone with Dean before he fucked off into the sunset.

Fascinating AU. While I would definitely read the 100K epic version of this, it hits the emotional high points and Dean's wounded big brother instincts reactivating despite his shock is always good for me.

(Wizard of Oz) Five Earth Gifts Dorothy Brought Home by ErinPtah

Although Dorothy has lived full-time in Oz for many years (she’s even been promoted to Princess Consort), she pays the occasional visit to America.
And when she returns, she always brings Ozma a fantastical – well, by fairyland standards – souvenir.

*snorts* Come for the talking cat on the Roomba, stay for the adorably married Dorothy/Ozma.

Alright, here we go! I’ve got seven recs for The Untamed and two for BNHA this month.

THE UNTAMED

Starting with some Nie Huaisang content today, an imperial-with-magic AU, a couple of Wangxian fairytales in very different flavors, a WWX-adopted-by-someone-else AU (eventually Wangxian, but not the focus), and a postcanon Wangxian casefile.

here's to upright men by @isozyme

It had been shaping up to be a really lovely party, and honestly, quite a nice cultivation conference in general. Instead, his last surviving brother was exchanging polite bows with Jin Rulan, and Nie Huaisang was going to spend four days on edge.

Fantastic NHS characterization in this, messy and traumatized and angry and a little hopeful.

The sparrow's curious song by @mhalachai

One day in Lanling, a little blind beggar picks Nie Huaisang’s pocket, which is the most interesting thing to happen to him in months. (AKA the one where Nie Huaisang adopts A-Qing.)

I am here for all A-Qing AU happy endings, of course, but Nie Huaisang is very compelling in this: the contrast between his perceptiveness and his ditzy act, struggling with his grief and vengeance, and A-Qing’s presence reminding him that he’s forgotten about his future.

The Concubine Mo Chronicles by EnigmaTree

An AU where the Lan Xichen is the Emperor; Lan Wangji is the Crown Prince; the Jin, Jiang, and Nie are Dukedoms; and even 13 years dead, Wei Wuxian is still the most feared man in all of China. Newly resurrected, Wei Wuxian would love nothing more than to cultivate a core and go become a rogue cultivator.
Except, there's something very suspicious going on in the Imperial Palace, and while Wei Wuxian might not be able to help Lan Wangji in solving it, the unassuming and soft-spoken "Prince-Concubine Mo" sure can.

I very rarely recs WIPs - the first two stories in the series are complete, but the overall plot is not - but I’m enjoying this story so much and I wanna drag more people in with me. Basically, imagine if instead of a murder mystery roadtrip, you get an inner-palace murder mystery intrigue fest, with all the additional dangers of playing on JGY’s turf? A WWX who is both fully a gremlin and also very very dangerous, and written that way? Delightful.

Restoration by @jelenedra

They say he was thrown into Luanzang Gang by the man who killed his parents; they say that he is an immortal cultivator who had been in a deep trance until the Wen sect disturbed his rest and incurred his wrath; they say that he is the fierce corpse of a cultivator who had somehow regained his mind and his spiritual powers.
When Lan Wangji sees him for the first time, he understands why people talk.
Meng Yao wants safety. Xue Yang wants vengeance. The Sunshot Campaign wants victory. Yiling Laozu provides, for a price.

This has such a gorgeous fairytale feeling to it - but one where you're not sure if there's going to be a happy ending or someone's going to die gruesomely until the very end. (Or both!) Lots of weird eerie Burial Mounds in this one, lots of fix-its for various characters, and a very different but still epic Wangxian romance.

Winter Bloom by Niitza / @princessniitza

When lotuses bloom in Wei Ying’s pond in the middle of winter, he recognizes them at once for what they really are: an auspicious sign. It cannot be meant for him, though. He is nothing but a modest farmer. Such a miracle has to have appeared for someone else: a cultivator, a nobleman, a king.

So lovely, in a more classically fairytale way than Restoration. A little magical, a little romance, and a lot of just rewards.

what builds a home by @stratisphyre

Two children, Meng Shi decides, cannot possibly be that much more work than one.
On the run from the Jin, Meng Shi encounters another young boy in need of love, a family and a home.

Wei Wuxian and Meng Yao as adoptive brothers is fantastic (the found family feels are strong with this one, and keep getting stronger as you go), and I love the way Lan Wangji shows up later and the plot fallout from that, but there’s also a lot of quietly fascinating timeline shifts that get revealed as the story progresses that I enjoyed.

through the warmth, through the cold (keep running til we're there) by @fleurdeliser

Five months into his travels, Wei Wuxian gets word that Lan Wangji has disappeared. Everything changes.

Creepy, tense casefile with some cool resentful energy stuff (haunted garden!), Wei Wuxian making other people terrified because he’s terrified for LWJ, having to team up with Jiang Cheng, and a lovely ending: this fic has it all!

BNHA

The Best Worst Case Scenario by maskedfangirl (Shinsou/Midoriya)

Shinsou is a promising student with a history of trauma, a Quirk that landed him in a residential care facility for dangerous kids, and a perfectly reasonable distrust of adults. Aizawa knows immediately that he's going to get over-invested in this one.

You can tell Shinsou is one of my favorites because I love watching him suffer (until the author makes it better)! But yeah, lots of that h/c goodness here, plus LGBT+ feels and a great married EraserMic.

Cotyledon by Sholosha (Shinsou/Midoriya/Todoroki)

It's his second year at UA, and Shinsou is finally, finally, transferring to the hero course. He's ready, he thinks, or hopes— either way, it doesn't matter, 'cause he's going to show everyone he's got what it takes. And it also doesn't matter that the longer he spends in the program, the more he can't stop thinking about a certain freckled wannabe-friend, and the more he's noticing that a certain stoic classmate is paying him a lot more attention than he'd like.
Whatever. Irrelevant. He's here to be a hero, not make friends. Even if they would be the first ones he's made in...ever. But it's his second year, and he's going to make it count by focusing on what's important.
His name is Shinsou Hitoshi, and he's going to be a goddamn hero.

Really gorgeous poly slow burn. Heavy on the boarding school & threesome romance/kink discovery aspects, but there's also a great casefile subplot midway through.

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