Uffish Thought

Fandoms are all over the place this month since I finished my Yuletide trawl, so lots of small fandoms + Star Trek + Star Wars, sorted into thematic clusters for your reading pleasure.

ALTERNATE UNIVERSE ADVENTURES

Another Life by @LullabyKnell (Star Trek AOS, gen)

In one moment, James T. Kirk is the acting captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise, on his way home to Earth after stopping the Narada. In the next moment, without explanation, James T. Kirk is an Academy cadet on academic probation again, barely a day before Nero will destroy Vulcan.

He dares himself to do better. And with a planet on the line and no proof but his own memories, he knows that "better" means he'll need some help.

Classic time-travel fix-it elevated by a mid-story TOS-flavored twist! A wonderful adventure.

Commander Fox's Ultimate Bucket List by blackkat/ @blackkatmagic​ (Star Wars, Fox/Mace)

Fox has a second chance, a to-do list, a stolen lightsaber, and a complete willingness to give everyone around him grey hairs. Plus a Jedi Master to seduce. It's going to be a ride.

*cackles* Fox deserved this SO MUCH! Hilarious and satisfying.

Magic Casements by @edwardianspinsteraunt​ (A Little Princess, gen)

Becky is the one who rescues Mr Carrisford's monkey, and so the one whom the Magic happens to instead.

Captures the sweet magic and friendship of the original while making some sharp points about its class issues.

INVESTIGATIONS

The Striped Leg by wildwestwind (A Study in Emerald, gen)

The Adventure of The Speckled Band, set in the world of A Study In Emerald.

This author really knows their Lovecraft, which brings a rich and creepy new dimension to this very classic case. Mmm, pastiche perfection.

A Country Mile by @bropunzeling​ (Think of England, Fen/Pat)

“You want us to go to a house party? Really?”

“I hate to ask it of you,” Daniel said, voice muffled in that queer way one got with the telephone. "But I need someone I can trust to look after things there until then. Would you?”

Fen and Pat attend a house party and encounter: poison (pen letters); poison (literal); perilous dinner conversation; potential friendship; and physics.

Danger, espionage, female friendship, a lady scientist, general competence in the face of misogyny, Fen's self-esteem issues vs Pat's unswerving support, and a damn good read: what more could you want?

What It All Comes Down To by phnelt/ @phneltwrites​ (Think of England, canon pairings)

“Those blighters—” strong language from Fen there. Pat has been working on her in regards to fruity language but Fen hasn’t much taken to it. “ —won’t let women shoot at these newfangled Olympics games, despite England boasting some of the best women shooters in the world. Present company very much included.” Fen gets so heated when she advocates. It brings up a healthy colour to her cheeks. Pat smiles at her, helplessly. “So we simply must show them how good women can be by having Pat train you up from nothing so you can trounce them in the name of her club and in front of the eyes of God and the Olympic Committee.” If this wasn’t obviously one of Fen’s schemes it would be clear after her speech.

Charming friendship-centric story, with some light intrigue on the civilian side of things for once.

UNEXPECTED MEETINGS

Poiesis (Making) by ama (Queen's Thief, gen + Costis/Kamet)

Kamet is bewildered by a summons he receives to meet with the King of Sounis. After all, what could they possibly have to discuss?

Post-canon interlude where Kamet and Sophos bond over poetry, with great character writing.

Scene on a Balcony by Mary_West (Lord Peter, gen + Sylvia/Eiluned)

8th October 1935 and it's the wedding of the year - Lord Peter Wimsey and Miss Harriet Vane have finally tied the knot. But the wedding breakfast (served at the Dowager Duchess' London house) is getting a little heated. So the balcony is an excellent place to which to escape.

If anyone ever needed a sensible lesbian auntie, it's Jerry - but also this is sweet and funny and well-observed, from the wedding details to the practicalities of being queer at the time.

The Nuclear Option by Tangerine/ @atangeriner​ (From Eroica with Love, Klaus/Dorian)

When Klaus needs help with a family affair, Dorian is more than happy to offer his services.

Superb, satisfying, full of banter and yearning, and I love the slow reveal of wtf is going on with Klaus.

Time Enough by fresne/ @fresne999​ (Ethan of Athos, Ethan/Terrence)

Terrence Cee had spent most of his life feeling like a jumpship caught in the gravity well of a blackhole. Engines on full bore. Only able to keep out of the crushing center, but never able to escape. Now in his new life on Athos, he found himself unsure of how to find a new pace.

Ethan wondered if there was a way to get his love life gestating again. Not frozen like zygotes stored in a bio-freezer against some eventual future.

Sweet get-together for the boys that addresses Terrence's trauma and socially deficient upbringing, plus meet-the-family shenanigans and rich worldbuilding for Athos in all its problematic glory. I am retroactively very pleased with myself for nominating this fandom for Yuletide (even if it took me a few months to get around to this one)!

and remains quiet by marycrawford/ @mcvices​ (Nirvana in Fire, gen)

She picks up her cup and sips delicately of the chrysanthemum tea she brought. It is cooling and calming. She doesn’t need calming, but Mei Changsu might. She is about to administer a medicine that the patient will find disagreeable.

The patient looks fevered, at the moment. “What is wrong with Jingyan?”

The AU divergence point is a little oblique - if I'm reading correctly, the Emperor dies early during the war and Consort Jing takes advantage of her Dowager status to go north to see MCS - but honestly who cares about the premise, because holy SHIT this author writes Consort Jing to perfection, in all her ruthlessly compassionate (or compassionately ruthless?) complexity.

PORN WITH FEELINGS

No Pity, But a Little Love by beautifulduckweed (Will Darling Adventures, Will/Kim)

The author's summary is a mess so I'm leaving it out, but this is a great post-series look at their relationship that captures their banter and mutual delight, plus Will getting exposed to more queer spaces, all structured around Will attempting anal sex again under less fraught circumstances.

Privacy by Resonant (Due South, Fraser/RayK)

“Guess it’s a while since you had a door with a lock on it?”

“I’ve never had a door with a lock on it."

I don't know how long it's been since Resonant wrote new DS fic, but she always nails (heh) their weird and weird-about-each-other charm and this is no exception!

through the desert, repenting by beautifulduckweed (Think of England, Archie/Daniel)

Daniel da Silva comes face-to-face with the deadly consequences of making a mistake and turns to a bad childhood habit to cope—but it's not enough, and Archie Curtis doesn't know how to help.

AKA the one where Archie counters Daniel's self-harm with sex, or as the author's tags put it "In the absence of therapy banging it out will have to do".

• Twelve Christmas stories
  
• Eleven weird crossovers
• Ten twisty timefucks
• Nine works a-dancing
• Eight transformations  
• Seven warring pranksters
• Six zingy banters
• Five P W Ps!
• Four first meetings
• Three great puns
• Two OT3s
• And a classic of fake dating!

DCU

Favorite Strangers by SpiritsFlame (DCEU crossover, gen)

It’s been six months since Bruce’s actions led to the death of Superman. Six months, two weeks, four days. He could count it to the hour. He’s handling it as well as could be expected when he finds himself in a Batcave that is unfamiliar to him, a world that is unfamiliar to him. Superman is still alive, Dick is still talking to him. The Justice League has been around for years, not months. And there is another Batman, who wants more answers than Bruce is willing to give.

When Batman v Superman!Bruce ends up in the comics world, he’ll have to navigate another version of himself, his family and the man he tried to kill if he wants to get home.

Just the *concept* was already very satisfying, but it’s also well-executed.

Satisfaction Brought It Back by SpiritsFlame & slippin_into_darkness (gen or Clark/Bruce depending on how you squint)

Bruce always thought that Superman’s cute shtick of rescuing cats from trees was a bid for publicity—until a confrontation with a magic user leaves him stuck as a cat. He learns how mistaken he was when Superman not only rescues him, but takes him back to a small Metropolis apartment. The opportunity to learn more about the alien can’t be ignored, but is Bruce ready for everything he will learn about someone he has only ever regarded with distrust and dislike?

Extremely charming use of this trope.

all each riddles, when unknown (Clark/Bruce)

Post-MoS AU: Clark, struggling to deal with the events of Black Zero Day, is assigned a straightforward human-interest piece—on Wayne Enterprises. Then Batman catches Superman’s attention, Clark Kent starts investigating Batman, Bruce Wayne spends a lot of time arguing with hitting on Clark Kent, and Bruce’s best efforts to find a way to hurt Superman start to bear fruit.

And then things get complicated.

A smart fix-it of a dumbass canon.

Cor et Cerebrum by audreycritter (gen)

Bruce Wayne deals with a serious illness, one that threatens the most crucial part of himself. He and the family try to cope with their own fears and expectations about it and then the aftermath.

A long (VERY long) and wonderful series about family and healing from trauma of various kinds, featuring an amazing OC in Dev, the neurosurgeon who works of Bruce and then gets drawn into the Batfamily. Despite the medical stuff, the story leans towards emotional h/c more than physical, imo, but both sides are great.

If You’ll Have Me by Mithen (Clark/Bruce)

In the wake of Lois Lane’s death, Bruce finds himself Superman’s lifeline to humanity.

A delicate, sweet story about friendship, grief, and falling in love again, with a touch of Bruce being a badass even in his old age.

MISC

even if it hurts by @pollyrepeat (Star Wars, vid)

It’s darkest before the dawn.

I already reblogged this vid separately, but it’s SO GOOD, and really draws out the cost and bravery of the Rebellion and Resistance. Beautiful editing, and it makes me cry every time, especially the time I made @inmyriadbits watch it before going to TRoS and we both cried :)

Adrenalin Trap by @philomytha (Vorkosiga Saga, Simon/Aral)

Simon Illyan likes to live dangerously. It’s a bad habit for the Chief of ImpSec.

Only Philomytha could successfully turn a prompt about watching pornography together into a thriller about conspiracies and polyamory. <3

let none be content with me by @mizzy2k (Marvel 616, Steve/Tony)

After Detective Michael O'Brien learns Iron Man’s real identity, Tony invites him to stay in the Avengers’ mansion while he fixes the flaw in the Guardsman armor that led to Michael’s brother’s death, an incident that Tony still hasn’t properly dealt with.

The Avengers take to Michael, and they might like him more than Iron Man, which Tony… isn’t too surprised about. People should like Michael more than they like him. And when new threats and villains just start piling up, Tony has to seriously consider Iron Man’s future. Or lack thereof.