#litra did an amazing job reading it

[littleladymab]

The Phoenix Suite (SW Rebels Pod+Fic)

Do you know what a phoenix is? It is said that the bird would go out in a burst of flames, and then rise from its ashes, born again. Even if we lose here, the Rebellion will never go out. Someone will always be the spark.

((Kallus tries to get a message to the Rebellion, but he fails -- tries to get a message to the Rebellion but he fails -- but he fails -- he fails))

Series: Star Wars Rebels Characters: Kallus, Thrawn, and the Ghost Crew Rating: Teen Tags: S3 Finale, time-loop, warnings for implied torture/character death/suicide (but again, it's a time loop, so it doesn't stick)

Read by Litra (link to stream)

----

Kallus hits the ground, hard.

He wheezes, more in shock than in pain, and inhales a lungful of dust and air tinged with the ozone of blaster fire. His shoulder takes the brunt of the blow, hands cuffed uselessly behind him.

Still, he’s able to roll into the fall and scrambles to his feet as the call goes up behind him.

“Grand Admiral!” a trooper shouts. “The prisoner is trying to escape!”

Kallus can’t hear Thrawn’s response, but the screams of the dying Rebel forces and the heavy tread of the walkers is enough of an answer: He’ll die with Atollon, and with the Rebellion.

For a wild, frantic second, Kallus considers charging one of the rear guards and taking their blaster, dragging down whoever else he can with his inevitable demise.

But then the part of his brain that clings to survival, to the barest glimmer of hope that this can still be salvaged, urges him onward.

So he runs — away from the sounds of the massacre, away from the orderly advance of the troopers and their walkers. Far enough that the only thing he can hear is the distant roar of chaos and ships crashing to the planet’s surface in his ears.

Breaking the cuffs is easy when he has a moment. He knows where to apply the right amount of pressure, even with his hands locked behind him.

There’s a faint and ominous skittering sound to his left, so he banks right. He has no knowledge of Atollon, and he certainly doesn’t want to learn about the local fauna.

Not when his brain is reeling and clawing desperately for a solution. Not when he’s staunchly ignoring the voice in the back of his head, the cold, calculated tone of the ISB Agent, as it scoffs and says you know a hopeless case when you see one.

Because he does. He knew from the moment he woke up in the cell after being knocked out by Thrawn on the communications tower.

Shit, probably earlier than that, if he’s being completely honest.

Playing at being a Rebel, thinking he could handle the mantle of Fulcrum.

The moment Thrawn walked into the picture, he was fucked.

His feet carry him without thought, winding away deeper and deeper into the wilds of this uninhabited planet. Further, he thinks, from the remains of his failure.

Until he crests a ridge and he’s standing on a cliff and he can see it all spread out before him. The base flattened, like a bug squashed beneath a boot. The white shapes of troopers picking their way through the remains, and the occasional flash of blaster fire when they find a survivor.

His stomach turns at the sight, the now familiar sickening sensation that this is the mighty hand of the Empire. This is not a war, and it never will be.

And it’s not that he wanted to go down in a blaze of glory or anything. He just wanted to make a difference for once. The tug in his chest, the last desperate pull of hope that led him this way, finally dies, leaving him standing on uneasy legs at the edge of the precipice.

“This is all my fault,” he says to the valley below, and wishes that it could be more of an apology and less of a goodbye.

“Which side do you mourn for?” a voice like thunder asks, and Kallus whirls around — reaching for a weapon that isn’t there.

But instead of a man, instead of Grand Admiral Thrawn with his glowing red eyes or the emotionless mask of a trooper, Kallus finds himself facing a creature that towers like a mountain above him. Its head is framed in a halo of dust as constellations of atmo burners light up behind it, and eyes like twin suns stare down at the human.

Kallus is speechless. Nothing in all of his training has prepared him for this. “What are you?” he asks instead.

“I,” the creature intones, shifting its head so that its silhouette is visible in the fading light, “am the Bendu.” It creaks with every movement, the coral that forms its antlers and outer shell grinding together as the beast lowers itself to Kallus’ level. “And what are you? You found me, yet… you are not a Jedi.”

Kallus wonders what makes being a Jedi a prerequisite for this. “I am…” Kallus starts, but in the end, he can’t figure out what the answer should be.

“Alexsandr Kallus, Imperial Security Bureau Agent 021,” the creature supplies, and Kallus feels hot and cold inside all at once.

He grinds his teeth and clenches his hands into fists and refuses to give into a physical display of his anger. “Not any longer.”

The Bendu studies him, those burning yellow eyes peeling him away layer by layer. “You wear the uniform. You keep that name close to your heart. Who are you, Alexsandr Kallus, if not an agent of the Empire?”

Enough is enough.

Every bruise and broken rib and laceration stings, the pain pulsing in time to his ragged breathing and his labored heartbeat. They are what reminds him of who he is, because everything he can see and hear tells him that the Bendu is right, he still is ISB-021.

He draws himself up to his full height, and throws his shoulders back in a way that he has seen Rebellion fighters do — one that conveys defiance instead of the perfectly postured lines of the Empire. “I am Fulcrum,” he says. “I am a Rebel spy, an Imperial defector. I am—” Here he falters, voice finally cracking. “I am well and truly fucked.”

The Bendu gives a low growl of something that might be understanding deep in its chest. “So then, Alexsandr Kallus: Which side do you mourn for?”

A laugh, strained and hysterical, boils up the back of his throat, but he swallows it down before it can get loose. “Why would I mourn the Imperials? They are the clear victors here.”

“Ah,” the Bendu says, as if it had caught Kallus in a particularly clever trap. “But in their victory, have they not also lost? Things they don’t even realize are missing.”

“Whose side are you on, anyway?” Kallus counters. “If you were here, why didn’t you help the Rebellion? Why didn’t you help the Jedi?”

There is another rumble, this time like a storm, and the blazing suns of the Bendu’s eyes flash in warning. “I am the one in the middle. As I told the Jedi Knight who came and asked for my assistance, I take no side.”

Kallus just barely resists the urge to roll his eyes. More Force and Jedi nonsense taken to the extreme. “This is a war. You side with the oppressors when you refuse to take action against them.”

“You picked a side, Agent. You carry pride for what you have done. Who are you, with your accolades and titles bestowed upon you by your Empire, to tell me that I do more harm than good? I am the Bendu. I am the one in the middle.”

Standing there on the cliff’s edge, still in his ISB uniform, Kallus wonders if he himself isn’t currently dangling precariously in the middle. Stranded between two worlds, no longer one but not truly another. He rejected the Empire, but was never fully accepted by the Rebellion.

Except that’s not true, is it? Not really. It wasn’t all that long ago that he was in the detention cell, undoing Ezra Bridger’s handcuffs, and the boy turned to look up at him with an expression of distrust but determination. The crew of the Ghost put everything on the line to try and save him, but he had said no. I can do more good here.

“I didn’t think that I had a choice,” Kallus finally says. “I didn’t know anything else.”

“Then what changed?”

How to answer? A part of him had died after that night on Bahryn. The person who crawled his way out of the ice and into the trader’s ship was someone else entirely.

Kallus had been given a choice; several, in fact.

He had spared Garazeb Orrelios’ life, twice. He had declined the invitation to be rescued by the Ghost crew.

That’s when he began to acknowledge the cracks — the chipping veneer on the Empire’s elaborate portrait of the future. When given the chance to do something more, he knew that there was another answer than the easy one offered by the Empire.

Eventually, he gives a helpless shrug. “Everything.”

The Bendu considers this, considers him. It’s similar to the feeling of being studied by Kanan Jarrus, or by the Inquisitor. That depth in their gaze that sees beyond this moment, like they know something is about to happen.

Someone who can see the full picture, where Kallus cannot.

Kallus knows, without a doubt, that he’s about to be given another choice. He is a man who takes disjointed pieces and knows how to put them together into a narrative. He is a man who has thrived on logic and reason for so long that they are second nature to him.

There is nothing left for him except execution at the hands of the Empire, or a slow death in the wilds of Atollon. There is no other way for this story to end, except for the choice that he will be offered.

“Would you change this, if you could?” The Bendu waves one massive hand, encompassing Kallus beaten and bloody, the smoldering valley below, the remains of destroyed ships like falling stars in the hazy sky.

“Yes,” Kallus says without hesitating.

“What would you change?”

Another shrug, not knowing where to begin. “Everything.”

The Bendu leans in closer still, until its eyes are the only thing that Kallus can see, and its hot breath washes over him. “If you could do this over again, would you?”

Now is not the time for logic and reason. Now is the time for gut instinct, in trusting something bigger than himself, bigger than the Empire.

Alexsandr Kallus, no longer an ISB Agent, no longer Fulcrum, dead man walking, looks the Bendu straight in the eyes and says, “Yes.”

It happens all at once. (It happens over the course of an eternity.) [It happens in juddering starts and stops and flashes of moments strung together.]

Kallus feels like he’s being plunged into a pool (into the dead cold of space) [like he’s being torn apart and reconfigured]. There is a weight on his chest that saps the air from his lungs and before he can get a chance to wonder if he’s made a mistake, everything goes black.

(( read the rest on ao3 ))

[duskdragon39]

Long Podfic Recs

I keep promising myself that I’m going to go back and pay tribute to some of the amazing podficcers and writers out there by compiling my favorites into a rec list and then forgetting about it

But also my life is going to go insane in about a week so we’re doing this now xD The order that these are in is roughly the order that I found them on my phone, and are... from a variety of fandoms. I have more (and shorter podfics), this post was just getting long. 

I tried to tag authors/podficcers whose tumblrs I know- if you don’t want to be on this list or if I got the wrong person, my apologies. lmk and I’ll update it.   Times are in hours:minutes. 1. create / detonate - written by pprfaith, read by @reena-jenkins

Fandom: MCU

Summary: In a world where Natasha Stark still dreams of fire and blood, the Winter Soldier wakes ahead of schedule and nothing happens the way it was meant to.

(People don’t have a purpose.)

Length: 9-ish hours ((Listen, I will and have listened to absolutely anything and everything these two have done together. I do not care. This story has made me laugh, made me cry, and is on the “must listen to at least once a year” list. We have female Tony Stark, Stark absolutely being on Shield’s shitlist and being badass while doing so, Natasha Romanov being a triple agent (and also badass), and it’s just good. Reena does all of the character voices so well, and the emotion and humor will at times make you laugh out loud and at times want to give everyone in this a hug. Do mind the tags if you decide to give it a go.))

2. Don’t You Forget About Me - written by @robininthelabyrinth, read by @litrapod

Fandom: Legends of Tomorrow

Summary: After Len, nothing seems to be going right for Mick. He keeps going listlessly -

- at least until something cold as death starts crawling into his bed.

(In which Mick Rory braves the Sidhe to win back his True Love)

Length: 01:05

((I am weak for mythology/folklore AUs, and this one is just so well done. The characterization, the bargaining with the Morrigan, a fix-it fic for Len’s death- Litra’s reading is also amazing. The way they do character voices and incorporate that character voice into their narration never fails to amaze me, and I love it.))

[Others under read more because this is getting long]

3. Sailor’s Sorrow -  written by @robininthelabyrinth, read by @litrapod

Fandom: Legends of Tomorrow

Summary: Sailors tell the same tales everywhere you go. Sometimes, they tell you how to bring someone home. (an Orpheus and Eurydice retelling - and a bit more besides)

Length: 01:13

((Other things I am weak for: Orpheus and Eurydice. I am in love with this for all the reasons I loved Don’t You Forget About Me, except moreso. Have probably listened to this over ten times now, still not tired of it. Has the dubious honor of being the podfic that helped get me through an eight hour plane flight. Also may or may not have dubious fan art plans for the opening lines.))

4. those who were faithful, and those who betrayed them, those who did nothing, and those who defied - written by tigriswolf, read by tinypinkmouse Fandom: MCU / White Collar / Inception/ James Bond / Sherlock / NCIS / The Magnificent Seven / Norse Mythology / Native American/First Nations Mythology / African Diasporic Mythology Summary:  On my laptop, this lives as Loki’s kids megacrossover of doom. So, yeah. 12000+ words of healing and planning for vengeance. It was fun. Length: 2:16 ((Things I am incredibly grateful exist: this story and its podfic. Somehow everyone is Loki’s kid and it works, and I’m not going to question how it works because I’m pretty sure it’s some kind of magic. Tinypinkmouse also does an excellent job with the podfic- both reading and editing. Their voice is both strangely relaxing and really engaging, and their reading draws you into the story and doesn’t let you go. Also kudos to them for the pronunciation of all the names. Seriously. All of them.))

5. Eschaton - written by @robininthelabyrinth, read by @annapods

Fandom: Final Fantasy XV

Summary: Sure, it's the end of the world, but that just means someone's got to fix it.

And then the world found its somebodies.

(aka, with Noctis gone into the Crystal and no one sure when he'll be back, Ignis, Gladio, and Prompto end up saving the world one piece at a time)

Length: 7-ish hours

((Listen. I have never played this game. I have no idea who any of these people are. Somehow Nirejseki managed to pull me into this world despite that- it’s 60k words of worldbuilding and rebuilding post-apocalypse, and it’s so fricken hopeful and I love it. Annapods’ reading of this is also excellent - their voice now narrates this story and Nirejseki’s other ffxv fics for me. Their reading also made it so much easier for me to absorb all the details of this fic- 10/10 would recommend listening.))

6. The Firebird - written by @robininthelabyrinth, read by @litrapod  Fandom: Legends of Tomorrow / The Flash Summary:  Barry, prince of Central City, never seems to be able to make it anywhere on time, but he seems to have found himself on a magical quest – and he’s going to meet some very interesting people on his way, not least being a mysterious thief and a magnificent firebird. Length: 11:03 ((Speaking of fairy tale AUs. Nirejseju always does such a good job of writing these types of AUs and this is no exception. It’s an adventurer story that’s- at least in part- fueled by romance, and it is so very, very good. Litra’s character voices are always on point, often to the point that I don’t actually remember that it’s one person reading both parts (*eyes their Mick and Len voices*). That they incorporate character voices into narration once again never fails to amaze me.))

[slightlyloomingone]

Marvel Fic Recs

I should have done this a long time ago, but life and procrastination habits got in the way.

Authors: People who constantly write amazing things

@ink-splotch/dirgewithoutmusic: has written some of the most beautiful things in the MCU fandom (and plenty of others) in the series bringin the war home, which is focused on the women of the MCU, the ones you expect and the ones you don’t.

@copperbadge/copperbadge: has over 400 works only in AO3, so I’m gonna just mention a few of my favorites. Coulson’s Eleven is an AU of how the Avengers got together, includes prison break. The Magazineverse are two feature-lenght pieces on the Avengers by surprise journalist. Robot Trip is the road trip Tony took with Dummy (plus Steve) from Malibu to Manhattan. And finally The Son Of Man is about JARVIS being magically turned into a human being and not having a good time.

Avengers fic:

Clint Barton's Guide to Friends and Ceiling Vents, by NoliteTimereEos. Clint finds Bucky living in the vents of Avengers Tower.

Culture and Other Balls of Twine, by LithiumDoll, is possibly the best road trip fic I’ve ever read.

i'm your ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb, by QueenWithABeeThrone, is about Sam and Bucky teaming up during a paintball war in Avengers Tower.

Like Today Never Happened, by Nefhiriel, is about Steve being reverted to his pre-serum body and the Avengers dealing with it.

five times things went a little differently, by litra, gives the women in the MCU center stage in an AU were the Avengers are a little different, but still save the world in the end.

Flying Monkeys and Paperwork Ninja are two funny fics by Thimblerig that look at S.H.I.E.L.D. behind the scenes.

I’ve read In the Company of Friends, by DarkestSight, for the first time years ago, but it’s still one of my favorite fics with the original MCU Avengers. Another good one is Shadowy Vested Interests vs. Tony Stark's Robot Army: A Grudge Match, by chaletian, which I really can’t describe in a single sentence, so just give it a try, I promise it’s funny.

Captain America fic:

For These I Watch Tonight, by leupagus, and Queen of the 107th, by Fyre, are two amazing Howling Commandos shenanigans fic (which naturally also feature Peggy Carter being a badass).

punchbuggy no returns, by lazulisong, is, well, about Sam and Bucky being passive-aggressive and playing punchbuggy during Civil War. Listen, just go read it. Oh, and there’s a sequel.

Finally, the Infinite Coffee and Protection Detail is a series by owlet which follows Bucky’s recovery after Winter Soldier and is both hilarious and sad and heartwarming at turns. It starts as Gen but eventually turns into Bucky/Steve for those who like the ship. I may have forgotten to mention ships before, sorry.

Thor fic:

Bargaining, by proantagonist, is a Time Travel, Loki-centered, multichapter fic and the author just did an amazing job with it, the writing is amazing.

don't need no ammunition (ain't the bridge that's falling down), by anthropologicalhands, is a Thor AU in which Sif ends up stranded on Midgard and Thor and Loki go on an intergalactic road trip.

And finally, two great stories by the same author, Lise: The Spaces Between, in which Loki travels through AUs of his life, and Road to Nowhere, a fix of The Dark World in which Loki and Thor go on a quest to rescue Frigga from Valhalla.

Hawkeye Fic (which usually involve Natasha, Kate and the Young Avengers):

requesting backup, by osmia, covers what Clint had been doing during Winter Soldier and puts the Young Avengers in the MCU, while Can’t Pin Me Down, by paperclipbitch, is more Kate-focused and has a stronger connection with the comics. Both are great.

Guardians of the Galaxy fic (some have Avengers, some do not):

A Short List of Relevant Skills and Abilities, by ignipes, and  sticky fingers, by bullroars, are short post-movie stories focused on the Guardians choosing a next adventure and in their relationship with each other.

Diplomacy, by turtle_paced, deals with the immediate aftermath of the attack on Xandar and with the fact no one wants to stay near the universe-ending super-weapon.

for the ones left behind, by allapologies, and Of Course He Remembers Meredith, by Wandering_Swain, are encounters between Tony Stark and two of Peter Quill’s relatives.

And finally, Dialling Tones, by Write_like_an_American, is about Peter investigating the mystery of Gamora making calls in the middle of the night, a considerable numbers of misunderstandings and some other things.

Spider-Man fic:

godlet has a lot of cool Spider fic, some are shippy, others are gen, most are funny and heartwarming (I confess I haven’t read all of them). My personal favorites are in the other pocket,  strawberry clumps and fashionation.

Maggie Fitzgerald and the Saltwater Drip, by antistar_e (kaikamahine), is a Spider-Gwen AU of The Amazing Spider-Man movie and just as awesome as it sounds, honeslty.

Fics more focused on comics:

grab a blanket, brother and Stay, Stay, Stay, by Traincat, are both Young Avengers fics focused on Tommy (the second one also has plenty of Eli and probably treats him better than the Vol 2 did).

cause a hundred veils to fall, by betony, is a very cute and funny Ms. Marvel fic!

Crossovers (I like crossovers):

Thrower of the Dart, by Vathara: Artemis Fowl and Avengers crossover.

Magnets for Trouble, by @pitviperofdoom, brings the Big Hero 6 into the MCU (by the way, I can rec everything PitViperOfDoom writes too).

And As far as Curses Go, by natcat5, is technically less of a crossover and more of a fusion, but mostly a cool and funny daemon fic. Plays loosely with the MCU canon.

I guess that’s it. I feel like it’s a little messy and I had some Daredevil recs, but the number just kept growing, so I’ll just make a different post. Hopefully, sooner than this one in comparison to the DC Fic Recs post. Hope someone enjoys this!