#love and redemption recs

[mejomonster]

Rec List 2/28/2023

I said I’d start posting some fic recs because I miss those sorts of posts, and so here we are!

Tabula Rasa by xantissa. DMBJ, pingxie. Summary: Zhang Qiling forgets. Then he comes to some interesting conclusions regarding his relationship to the man named Wu Xie. This fic is has such a nice Zhang Qiling pov, it is funny and tender and in character. I loved it’s take on a “first time” they get close. Everything xantissa writes is gold. 

With a Twist of the Kaleidoscope by naye. Guardian, weilan. Summary: “Trust me,” Zhao Yunlan says.Shen Wei actually huffs at him, as if he is being so patently ridiculous that fear-tinged fury would be too dignified an answer. “How can I trust you?”Ye Zun tries a different tactic to defeat his brother, that may tear apart everything Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan have worked to build between them. This is one of my favorite fics I’ve ever read (most of these are honestly). Fantastic, phenomenal, I love this take on the universe and this story. I love Ye Zun, and everyone's, characterization in this to pieces. This fic inspired me so much it spurred me to end up writing multiple post canon fix it fics of my own. Everything naye writes is really beautiful, really in character, really well done. There is also a podfic version.

Divergence by 13empress. Star Trek AOS, spirk. Summary:  A single Romulan from Nero's crew survives, who is pulled through the forming singularity to approximately 13 years into the past. Aware that he could lose everything if he were to wait for his revenge, Nero decides to even the odds by kidnapping a young Spock and Kirk and deliberately sets about to change the time line. Meanwhile, scientists monitoring the anomaly that the artificial singularity left behind receive confirmation that a member of Nero's crew is alive and in the past. Uncertain of the impact upon their own time line or indeed upon the Federation of the (new) alternate time line, Starfleet Command issues orders for the Enterprise crew who are in their second year of serving together to investigate the matter by going through the anomaly. Pre-slash K/S, slash ending. Implied slash for young K/S. One of my favorite spirk stories and Star Trek AOS stories of all time. In retrospect it probably is the reason I love time travel and time loop stories so much. 

Monotone by seredemia. MDZS/The Untamed, wangxian. Summary: Wei Wuxian reincarnates, Lan Wangji lives on. In the modern world, they meet again. One of my favorite wangxian fics and an extremely in character and thoughtful take on a modern setting/reincarnated characters. (It inspired me to write the fic  over the moon by softcorevulcan just a short story similar modern setting for xiyao).

Observations by anon_j_anon. Star Trek AOS, spirk. Summary:  First Officer Spock comments on life aboard the Enterprise and his service under Captain James T. Kirk. This fic is on multiple sites, anon_j_anon made ebook download versions too. This is one of the best stories I’ve ever read, incredibly crafted. It focuses on the entire enterprise crew and it feels like a ‘tos’ style continuation of the mission to go where no one has gone before for the aos characters. 

Void by Alxina, xantissa. Love and Redemption, Luohou Jidu/Yu Sifeng, Chu Xuanji/Yu Sifeng. Summary:  What happened in the Demon Citadel when Luohou Jidou realized Yu Sifeng was a lot more injured than he let on. There is a desperate need for more lovely fanfic for this story, and this fic delivers. Lovely writing.

[likesdoodling]

So. I read a really cool fic recently called The Harrowing by Chthonion which I would highly highly recommend-

I absolutely love it so much-

:D:D

I'm gonna go with how my sister recommended it to me, since that was what got me excited about it-

Imagine~ Sauron trying to be a good person. And having a very hard time of it because he has these things... I've heard they're called 'feelings'... Anyway. He's finding it a bit hard to deal with, but long story short, think Sauron getting a second chance and go from there.

And if you have read it-

Then you probably know exactly which moments I'm referencing here, but just in case,

No. 1 is Finrod, just before Annatar is about to have his first full on emotional breakdown, and the No.2 is Maedhros saying thank you. Which is fairly obvious. But still.

I love this fic so much!!!

(this is definitely not the last fanart I'm gonna do from this. Chapter 39 has some amazing moments that I am so gonna draw when I next have time~)

[wangxianficrecs]

The Sun is back by Shanashe

The Sun is back

by Shanashe

G, WIP, 1k, Wangxian

Summary: Wen Ruohan's soul is attached to Wei Wuxian after his death. He lingers and witnesses all the canon events that follows. Post Canon, he gets sent back to the past. Kay's comments: Another story that just started posting and intriqued me a lot! I really love the idea of Wen Ruohan witnessing what happens after his death and deciding that he's team Wei Wuxian now. Here, he actually got to see what happened post-canon too, with Wangxian married and thriving and even beyond that and through that, he managed to let go of his own resentment. And then! He traveled back in time and I can't wait to see what happens next!! Excerpt: He has been with the boy for decades now. Wen Ruohan was at peace. Prior to his death, he had lived nearly a century, at the crisp of immortality, but it was the boy's smiles, selflessness and virtuousness that cured him of his bitterness and made him let go of the hatred he held in this heart. Wen Ruohan had been dead for over 50 years, he could not explain his existence, he was just there, his soul, his presence attached to the boy. He observed, felt with his consciousness intact. And then it suddenly went all dark. The next second, Wen Ruohan found himself in his own body, sitting on his chair in his office, his powerful core thrumming inside. It took him some time to adjust but there he was, alive and breathing. He looked around his office and the documents on his desk. The date did not make sense, the documents were from 65 years in the past. What was happening? He called one of the servants in and after a while, he had to accept that this was not a phase in death....he was alive and had travelled back to the past.

pov alternating, pov wen ruohan, canon divergence, time travel, wen ruohan redemption, wei wuxian is a wen, genius wei wuxian, wei wuxian is loved

~*~

(Please REBLOG as a signal boost for this hard-working author if you like – or think others might like – this story.)

[carlyleandco]

okay my fellow Cdrama fanatics, I’m in need of some recs as someone who is still fairly new to the scene…

Historical Cdramas I’ve enjoyed

Story of Minglan ~ this show is my Roman Empire…like I don’t go more than a couple of days without thinking about it. Love how much depth there was to the characters and their relationships. I got so much satisfaction from watching Minglan run circles around every one else using her intelligence and wits. Every time Gu Tingye popped up in the background as her backup support I lost it! Talk about power couple.

Love Like the Galaxy ~ first historical Cdrama I have watched and apart from Minglan, I think it has ruined the rest for me. This drama has so many layers. Niao Niao is an intelligent, and opportunistic female lead. She is unabashedly herself, and the story is not afraid to depict her as unlikeable at first instance. I deeply appreciated the focus on female relationships and family. And Ling Buyi has ruined all other antiheroes for me lmao

Destined ~ I thought this one would be on par with Minglan at first, but it did lose its way in the latter half. I felt the female lead was relegated to the background, which was frustrating as they built her up to be this shrewd businesswoman and then we never get to see her in action. I did appreciate how wholesome and untoxic Jiu Si was as a romantic lead. I thought her relationship with the SML could have been drawn out more, however.

Romance of Tiger and Rose ~ I don’t think this drama is anywhere on par with the above three, but I still enjoyed it. Definitely a fun and unserious romp. Zhou Lu Si is just so likeable in all her roles.

Xianxia I’ve enjoyed:

Love and Redemption ~ I literally fell down a hole with this drama. I could not stop watching. Even though the female leads starts with that token immaturity Cdramas are known for, it’s explained in-world and she goes through a noticeable growth/stepping into adulthood arc. I also LOVED how powerful she was and how often she got to use her powers. Also the romance? Sifeng?!!? Yeah I was a mess. However, one thing that irritated me was the lack of agency Xuan Ji had toward the end of the show.

Eternal Love ~ it’s a classic for a reason. I loved Bai Qian’s resolve, steadfastness, and maturity. Her relationship with Ye Hau blossomed naturally, and they had different obstacles to face as a couple as opposed to what I have seen so far.

Love Between Fairy and Devil ~ speaks for itself, and I love enemies to lovers.

Extra: points if the female lead is powerful, or is on a journey to realising her power. Whether that’s through her intelligence, empathy, or in the case of xianxia, actual mystical power. Bonus points if she’s a character like Xuan Ji who can go supernova and destroy everyone lol

Historical dramas I have not enjoyed:

The Sword and the Brocade ~ I didn’t even finish this one. My overall impression was, having already finished Minglan prior, eating cardboard after having been to a 5 star Michelin restaurant. Everything was so bland and dull, even down to the cinematography.

Princess Silver ~ I dragged myself to the finish line with this one. The plot just became so utterly ludicrous and relied on the audience being invested in the main leads without actually letting them spend screen time together. I also hated that we had glimpses of the female leads power but that she never got to fully realise this. Just overly contrived and trite.

Xianxia I did not enjoy

Ashes of Love ~ this was the first xianxia I ever watched some years back. Given I was new to the genre, I think I found some of the characteristic features a bit jarring and I stopped watching Cdramas as a result. If I watched it again I may be able to make it through. Ultimately, I just could not stomach how naive the main female character. I understand this is typical, but it was another level of nauseating that I have not found an equal to since.

[batclowner]

i need azula fics recommendations, guys please help a fellow azula fan

[readingcoco]

As a non writer / non artist, it feels uncomfortable writing this because I am so so grateful for all the amazingly talented folks who spend their freetime creating the most beautiful work for us all to enjoy for FREE!!

But equally, god, I wish there was more sick Arthur content within the RDR community. Arthur's illness is so intrinsic to his character. And as a disabled person there are so few chracters/stories that are as well developed as the one Rockstar gave us.

I wanna see more art of Arthur being romantic/goofy/sexy despite being sick, WHILST being sick. I want fix-it fics where Arthur isn't cured of his TB but is able to live out his days surrounded by the people he loves, who look after him for a change. I want to see work that finds joy and hope and love and beauty in him having to adapt to his new reality and for that to be embraced by others in the gang...

[bunnysunshine8]

• “Yeah,” Harry strokes Sahara’s head reassuringly. The Slytherin ring is feeding her his nervous magic now, little sparks catching on her scales. Theo looks at him steadily.

• “You know it’s not less disconcerning when you do that, that whole sparkly fingers thing.” Theo lifts a single eyebrow. “What have I done to anger our pet?”

• “She’s our pet now?” Harry grins in spite of himself.

• “Yes. We have a timeshare.”

• “Do we?”

• “Potter.”

• “Nott.”

(The Heir to the House of Prince)

[blakbonnet]

I've read a reunion fic so fucking good I wanna sit down and cry forever and ever, and I wouldn't be surprised at all if the actual show takes this route too @red-sky-in-mourning take a bow ❤️

[sushisocks]

hi i just finished rdr2, really love your stuff (FINALLY a blog that properly info dumps!! keep them coming please!!). i don't know if this is your thing, but the song I Gave You All by Mumford & Sons makes me think of arthur so much because each lyric corresponds so perfectly to his ending. obviously it's in the song title (arthur's "i gave you all i had"), but the lines "how can you say that your truth is better than ours?" and "you rip out all i had just to say that you've have won" makes me wonder what arthur's last thoughts really were?? the song has a very bitter tone, which is opposite of the game, but i can't actually tell what arthur's last words are supposed to mean, especially with him repeating "i tried...i did." were the "i dids" meant to be a plead for mercy (to remind dutch of his lifelong loyalty in hopes that he's spared from a violent death) or was it meant to be sympathetic (to indicate that they were both doomed men who were only trying their best)? or was it an apology, like "i did all i could, but it wasn't enough"? knowing his level of self esteem/guilt i think arthur would feel a very heavy obligation and responsibility, so it makes sense for him to say "i did all i could, but it still wasn't enough because i was not good enough," but he seemed to be very accepting of his death. sorry if this was rambly/late to the party, i would love to hear your thoughts about it!!!

Oh, Anon, this is the sort of thing I LOVE seeing in my askbox, I am kissing you on the lips rn for giving me the permission to talk about this so lets TALK about it!! (Sorry it took me a minute to get to it, I had to rotate ur questions in my mind for a bit so I could best formulate my thoughts, you know how it is)

First off, I Gave You All by Mumford & Sons is SUCH a good RDR2/Arthur song, I agree hugely on this, and it makes a LOT of sense for the ending notes, especially on a High Honor/Save John run. I've been listening to it on repeat since I saw ur ask, all while typing this up, and I got a lil emotional at times man. I love music recs and while I know some Mumford & Sons songs this was a recontextualization I very much needed in my life thank u <3

The rest of this is LONG so putting in a read more to save my mutuals lol

Okay, so, I now have a LOT of thoughts about what's going through Arthur's mind and what he might've meant at the end of his last mission, so lets get into it. To begin with I want to list out the lines that are said in this scene, so we're all on the same page. (Helpfully and lovingly pulled from the gamescripts wiki blog, which my life has revolved around for the past year and a half)

Dutch van der Linde: It is over now… Arthur. It’s over. Arthur Morgan: Oh, Dutch… he’s a rat. You know it and I know it. Micah Bell: He’s sick… he’s dying… he’s talking crazy. Pinkerton: There! Up there on the ridge! Arthur Morgan: (to Dutch) I gave you all I had… I did. Dutch van der Linde: I… Micah Bell: Come on. Dutch… let’s go, buddy. We made it. We won. Come on. Arthur Morgan: John made it. He’s the only one. Rest of us… no. But… I tried. In the end… I did. Micah Bell: (to Dutch) Come on… let's go. We can make it. Come on, Dutch… come on!

So WHAT is going on here? Surface level, this is the last appeal to Dutch. The last battle of wills between Micah and Arthur, where Arthur is STILL trying to make Dutch see sense. I think it's an important part of Arthur's character to understand that he believes, until the very bitter end, that there's a chance for him to reach through to Dutch. It's the main reason he heads back to camp, after saving Abigail. Milton has told him Micah is the rat, and Arthur believes that if he can just get back to camp and tell Dutch the truth, that will be it. He, erroneously, believes his word alone will be enough.

But the thing is, in my opinion, in a way Arthur is RIGHT! He DOES reach through to Dutch, but he has to die for it. That is what the "I gave you all I had" line is for.

It is Dutch, unsure who to believe. It is Micah, screaming for Dutch to listen to him. And it is Arthur, gently reminding Dutch: I devoted my entire life to you, all that I know has been with you, all that I am has come from you.

Arthur would have gone to the ends of the Earth for Dutch -- he would be grumbling and complaining the entire time, but he'd still do it if Dutch asked. He is, in this moment, telling Dutch, I gave you all I had and you took it, there is nothing left but my death, what reason do I have to lie?

It is the crack in the wall, a small moment of clarity for Dutch, which has him leave them both on that cliff, which has him turn up again 8 years later and kill Micah. Not enough to turn on Micah right away, but enough to truly have Dutch stop and reconsider. Because with those words Arthur is not only speaking on his own behalf, whether or not he knows it. He is reminding Dutch of everyone else who has died for him; Grimshaw, Molly, and Hosea, as the most notable ones, I think. Arthur slots neatly in with those three as people who truly devoted their everything to Dutch, gave him all they had, of life and time and energy, and were served nothing but death, destruction, and heartache in return.

It stuns Dutch; for once he is truly speechless, having to reckon with Arthur's words and what they mean, what they imply. Micah knows Arthur's words are more impactful, and keeps trying to sway him to his side, for ends we can only really guess at. But we already know there's no chance Dutch will go with Micah at this point. But he also wont stay with Arthur.

Then: "John made it. He’s the only one. Rest of us… no. But… I tried. In the end… I did."

One of Arthur's main objectives in Chapter 6 is saving as many people of the gang as possible. The Pinkertons are closing in and, while Arthur believes that it's just bad luck until Milton tells him otherwise, he still hopes for the best outcome possible, for the women and children, as he says.

Which is why he says John made it. Because to Arthur, John's making it, means the women and children making it. It means Abigail, Tilly, Sadie, and Jack, all waiting at Copperhead Landing, are not waiting in vain. It is the reassurance that they will be fine, and the idea that John might finally actually step up and be the father Arthur has so desperately wanted him to be for Jack. To Arthur, John making it is the best outcome.

But he still wanted to save as many people as possible. Dutch, Javier, and Bill included. They were still Arthur's friends and family. They still mattered to him. But I think Arthur realizes, dying upon that cliff, that there's no way out for them anymore. They'll get off this mountain and continue their way of living, and the government will keep hunting them. He is essentially saying the rest of them are just as doomed as Arthur is, even if Arthur is the one currently dying. And he tried.

I want to say that Arthur saying he tried, is both about saving the gang, and about being better. There are SO many interactions you can have in chapter 6 alone that's about being better than you were. Edith Downes, Sister Calderòn, Charles, Rains Fall, and Mary-Beth are just SOME that I can think of, at the top of my head. I think in this moment, Arthur is reaffirming to himself that at the very least he tried. He did everything he could, in the time that he had. He doesn't know if that's enough, or if it means more than what it is, but he tried, and that, to him, HAS to mean something.

It is him accepting that this is the end, and that he doesn't know!! He genuinely doesn't!! If he has done enough to actually change the course of events!! But God do I love the message of Arthur finding peace in having tried. In having done what he could, and seeing what changes he could, and knowing in that last breath, watching that rising sun, that he did make a difference.

Do I think Arthur is angry or bitter when he passes? Not in a High Honor/Save John run, no. I think he is disappointed and sad with Dutch. But I also think he has found a place within himself where he can accept that this is it, for him. And he is hopeful for those whom he has saved, who got out of there and live to see another day.

He gave his all, and he really really tried, and he finds peace in the end. How simultaneously heartbreaking and heartening isn't that?

[bluebellhairpin]

Thanks to someone this is gonna on blast all day now

[anubisisms]

I offer some memes because I just finished getting up to date on the single best critical role fic I have ever come across, and I feel the need to offer some of what my 2 braincells thought while reading it

spoilers for basically all of LitMoR under the cut and general tomfoolery

and a bonus for everyone caught up to chapter 24:

This is a VAST oversimplification of the plot but I have a small brain and felt the need. Anyway read life in the margins of redemption guys pls and thank you <333

[juchioris]

Fanfic Ad!

Three versions of the cover image: Handdrawn, AI-assisted, Full-AI

It all started with the Premise: I ship the loser side characters because they DO deserve each other... But you can read this without knowing the Original, it'll still make sense.

A dormant drama-queen, who tries to play matchmaker for her cousin, but meets her own match. And a shady prince, who has to keep a dangerous secret, but risks everything to keep the lady he loves safe - can this pair prevail or will their problems catch up with them and ruin everything? A desperate villainess, who engages in violence to get her beloved prince back, but gets engaged to a hideous stranger as punishment. And an ostracised duke, who is underappreciated because he is overweight and therefore gets forced to wed a criminal within a few weeks - a bad basis for a marriage, but nevertheless, they might slowly fall in love with each other…

Some snippets:

“Alright, this is goodbye then. Goodnight, have a nice life!” speaks Therese as she turns away and starts to walk. “Wait! I want to see you again!” exclaims Julian. She turns around and they stare at each other, their eyes connecting yet again. [...] And she thinks: No, I mustn’t let that happen! Wow, though. He’s just… wow. Attractive! And the way he looks at me… I feel so seen. And I should resist, because I’m like 99% sure you’re the one Camilla loves… But you, you prince of not my dreams, are oh so irresistible. Around a smile Therese answers: “I would like that very much.” 😍

“And Lord Alois, what do you feel for Camilla?” goes the Viscount on. “Camilla is just lovely. She has shown me kindness and respect. She really cares for me and she doesn’t patronise me. Therefore I admire Camilla very much!” answers Alois with an absolute lie. 😇

"And the view on this island is breathtakingly beautiful, too”, means Therese. “Yes”, comments Julian as he turns away from Therese to take in the sight of the cliffs and the sea. 😅

I put so much effort into this.

[bocje-ce-ustu]

for real though MLC is maybe the first show where all the ladies (and gents) instantly fall for the male lead and I go DAMN RIGHT I WOULD TOO

[kdramaxoxo]

Do you have any recs where a bully has redemption and befriends MC (or just MC forgives him)? Sorry its specific trope but I like it :]

Awesome question! I don't watch a lot of dramas with bullying etc, but I have seen a few that have a redemption story. I also looked up this trope so I could give you a few more that I have not seen :D

K-dramas with a bully/villain redemption arc :

Vincenzo

Chief Kim

Kairos

I think Come and Hug me with the brother?

Stranger

Mr. Sunshine

The Smile Has Left Your Eyes (sort of)

The Last Empress

Welcome 2 Life

True Beauty

Hot Stove League

Giant

Empress Ki

Bad and Crazy

[aire101]

This fanfiction was... phenomenal. Beautiful. Heartbreaking. Hilarious. I've cried like 10 fucking times and it's 330 am and i don't know how I'm supposed to sleep with all these feelings. I'm not sure that parts of this haven't changed me fundamentally as a person.

Please don't let the main pairing throw you off. I promise it's worth it.

[rose-lalondde]

Naruto Fic Recs Friday

Unsent Letters

Chapters: 1/1

Rating: G

Summary:

Gai finds a box of letters with his name on them when he's going through a neglected closet.

Comments: Actual old men in love and it made me weep. Big win fpr kakagai fans.

Twitch Streamer Yuji and Youtuber Megumi

Chapters: 7/?

Rating: G

Summary:

Yuuji is a famous Twitch streamer who does streams from his college dorm. Among his fanbase, his huge crush on a random book reviewer on youtube has become a running joke. The fanbase decides to make it their mission to discover who Yuuji's mystery crush is.

Megumi has a very small book reviewing channel on Youtube he started in high school. He doesn't even know what Twitch is, but Nobara keeps insisting he needs to help her find this random Twitch Streamer's secret crush. Her reasoning: the secret crush does youtube and reviews books.

Comments: As you will find I'm such a sucker for modern aus and this one is really cute! Megumi being a booktuber & its so sweet to see them fall for each other just through their channels.

Ain't That A Kick in The Head

Chapters: 27/?

Rating: M

Summary:

He really, really doesn’t want to think about what it’ll mean to be a double agent. What it’ll really mean. How he’ll have to act. How he’ll have to lie for the sake of his revenge, how he’ll have to reforge severed bonds. And it’ll all be fake. Is a false bond better than not having that bond at all?

Sasuke feels haunted by Itachi's death. Literally.

During their fight, his brother placed a seal with the remainder of his chakra on him as a protective measure so he could watch him from the grave. Itachi, however, did not realize that his actions would change everything... by being able to assist his brother with getting his revenge against Danzo.

This is the story of how one unhinged outlaw, along with the ghost of his dead brother, infiltrates a village to flush out the corruption within and faces those who he left behind. Including but not limited to: old teammates, classmates, and the guy he has feelings for that he keeps repressing.

Maybe they'll even save the world and have a proper conversation.

Comments: Itachi is so funny, literally causing drama from beyond the grave. It's naruto if it was a romcom, and its hilarious & very gay. Also I love sasuke in this fic <3

Redemption In A Worthy World

Chapters: 69/?

Rating: M

Summary:

Sasuke Uchiha has returned to the Konoha of his youth missing an eye and questioning everything. While knowing what's to come is an incredible advantage, his very existence starts a domino chain of events no one could predict. With both the Akatsuki and Danzo interested in a new Uchiha, Sasuke will have to fight to keep those he loves safe in the cloak-and-dagger world of the shinobi. Except things are changing before he's even woken up, his younger self is just as stubborn as he is, and he's going to have to learn how to parent all over again.

Comments: LISTEN LISTEN ik it says 69 chapters it's so worth it, especially if you love sasuke or fix-it fics or time travel or worldbuilding and lore. If you like learning about the Uzumaki clan and always wanted that to be explored go ahead and open it up. It's in my top 3 fics of all time, that's how serious this is. I will say that it's rated M for a reason, which is that the violence is very intense and a bit gory & in chapter 66 there's a sex scene, but you can skip it if you want. It's definitely emotionally heavy and, I'm not even gonna lie, it's a really long read. Personally, I don't care for the aliens, BUT they do their part & the writer makes them interesting, they're also not as prominent in the story as you keep reading.

The "Five Years" Game

Chapters: 21/21 - Completed

Rating: T

Summary:

Things have finally calmed down to business as usual—as much as business is ever usual, for the Ouran High School Host Club—and Kaoru is feeling some tried and true Hitachiin-brand boredom. Seeing this, Kyoya issues an intriguing challenge: he plans on winning a certain game in exactly five years. If Kaoru wants to beat him, all he has to do is figure out the goal of the game before Kyoya wins it.

As if a tried and true Hitachiin could turn down a challenge like that.

Let the “Five Years” game begin!

Comments: I feel like I should tell you that my only bookmark notes on here say "VICTORY!" Anyway, I love it when people write kyoya and know what they're talking about, he's my favorite host club member. I have not been into ohshc for a while and this made me want to get back into it. It's very clever and well-written, had a lot of fun reading this. Definitely cried a bit at the end lol.

Crazy Stupid Love

Chapters: 11/?

Rating: M

Summary:

Mikoto Uchiha and Kushina Uzumaki were more than just friends. What they meant to one another would take a lifetime to express, so they did. The shinobi world is cruel, but it is also very beautiful. Sometimes, you can still find that beauty on a battlefield or on a lazy Sunday morning.

A companion piece to Redemption in a Worthy World, but can be read separately.

Comments: It felt wrong to not include this when I'm recommending Redemption too. It's so beautifully written but it's so dark and tragic, but I think about this fic often. It's also good for providing background info on some things that happen in Redemption but they're both standalone fics.