#these fics are excellent i can vouch for them

[biasbuck]

BiAsBuck’s ficrec Fridays

Happy Friday everyone! What a couple of weeks huh? We're so back etc. I've still not recovered from the blooper and bts blessings. But I'm back again with another round of the fic I've been reading so far this month! You can find previous rec lists here.

9 August 2024

i'm here with the door wide open by @eddiebabygirldiaz oh my god the YEARNING in this fic. I actually wailed when I got to the end. Eddie POV, he's struggling with the silence with Chris gone, and the absence of the life and noise that he's so used to in his home. Through it all, Buck is there, sweet, supportive, vibrant and loud in his presence. Eddie tentatively comes to listen to what's not being said out loud. I absolutely adored the delicate hand held out to all the relationships here, and the beautiful imagery in the writing. But mostly the intimacy which struck me so deeply. Love is indeed stored in the kitchen. Just gorgeous.

in love with every song you've ever heard by @timeshareindestin I'm so glad I saw the beautiful art of hard of hearing Buck and his firetruck red hearing aids, because it led me to read this wonderful fic, in which he grapples with the disability he suppressed as a child, and realises that the family he craves has been there for him all along. This is an emotional read, and I particularly loved the flashbacks to his childhood and Maddie's support, as well as the realisation that he can be brave and vouch for himself with people fighting his corner.

Operation: Keep Eddie Diaz Busy and Annoyed by @gigi-gigi 'the one where Buck forces Eddie to keep busy while Chris is gone, but ends up catching a bad case of The Feelings in the middle of Eddie learning to love pickling things to irritate Chim and charming old ladies through square dancing.' THE FLIRTING. Dear god the flirting. Just delightful.

where the tumbleweeds blow by @tallahasseemp3 a buddie road trip fic! In which Eddie goes home to Texas. Buck follows. Along the way, they find each other. The perfect thing to read after the deleted Christopher and Eddie scene, with them learning to find their feet with each other whilst Eddie also learns to trust himself with Buck, and establish boundaries and a new understanding with his own parents. Such great family dynamic examination.

free mustache rides by @standback ALL HAIL MOUSTACHEDDIE SMUT!! 'Eddie comes back after two weeks in Texas with a) Christopher, b) a tan, and c) a mustache.' In which Eddie is flirtatious and a bit smug about the effect he's having, whilst Buck is entirely mesmerised, and needs to sit on his face about it. Funny and hot.

Safe for Work by @911-alsaurus continuing with the funny and hot theme, Al's specialty, in which touch starved Buck looks for some way to alleviate his cravings, and 'Eddie offers to be Buck's official head scratcher, shoulder massager, and general tactile needs provider. It's a really normal thing for friends to do. Surely.' Featuring an excellent Chim cameo.

Paint Me in Neon and Make Me Glow by @letmetellyouaboutmyfeels HELLO exhibitionist streak Buck 5+1 hot as hell buck tommy fic. Truly Lincoln writes their dynamic in such a fun way, I love how tongue in cheek teasing Tommy is and how playful and intrigued Buck is here, whilst being extremely turned on. Kink exploration that ups the ante with each new tentative discovery. There's no room to be shy!

Every Day You’ll Still Show Up by @bluflamingo was a really nicely characterised buck tommy fic, an emotional oneshot in which they're early days boyfriends set close to S7 canon, learning to comfort each other when Buck returns after a bad call. There was a gentleness to this that I could genuinely see slotting into the show, and I really liked that it was a regular call out that went wrong rather than a massive catastrophe.

PS - once again sending out the signal to ask if you have any henren authors/fic recs I should check out PLEASE let me know! Have you SEEN S8 Hen's arms in those tank tops? Dear lord. Help a lesbian out?

[crepesuzette2023]

Hi do you know of any good fics where there is heavy amounts of Jim vs. John? I love the the whole angsty thing where Jim and John fight over Paul but I can’t seem to find any really

There aren't that many I know of, but the two that came to my mind are *really* good.

Baby, it's all relative (@pauls1967moustache) is about Paul's daddy kink and John's very capable feeding of it—but Jim is definitely present, and there is a very interesting moment in which John gets a glimpse of Paul and Jim during an argument...which fuels the sex between them in disturbing ways. Not violent. But. You know. (<- my expertise at avoiding spoilers shines once more). This story also has a fantastic perspective switch to Jim's POV, which humanizes Jim, and brings the fight between John and Jim more to the fore. There is no open confrontation, but passive aggressive Tension™ and heartbreak...

I Need You Darlin' (@beatlessideblog) is from John's POV, and contains a couple of tense and plot-critical confrontations with Jim. This is a novel-length omegaverse story, so make sure this is your thing before embarking on the read—but it's also probably my Desert Island fic, so I kind of vouch for it. It has a separate, stand-alone story from Jim's POV that is truly excellent—again no direct fight, but lots of circling and mutual observations and Father & Son vibes. (What you see is me.)

I'm surprised I can't think of more Jim vs. John battle stories, given how interesting the dynamic is...if anyone can think of one, please add them and help Anon out!

[trans-xianxian]

YOU KNOW WHO IT IIIIISSSS WWX JC AND JYL FOR THE ASK GAMEEEEEE🙌🙌🙌

idk if you want individual headcanons or one of them all together so you can have both 😳

this is half stolen from a fic I read once but I think that post canon wei wuxian would wear certain clothes and carry himself in a certain way to invoke the image of the yiling laozu whenever he needs to intimidate people to get things he wants from them. he's sort of just living in domestic bliss doing whatever the fuck he wants but he's still very good at manipulating peoples perception of him, and he doesn't let the cultivation world forget that he's dangerous and scary and can kill them if he wants to. gusu is hosting an important trade conference and he's there in his nice hanfu with chenqing to make sure things go well for them

jiang cheng is absolutely a fish guy. I don't know why I think this but it's just true. he can't have dogs so he goes to fish (he could have gotten dogs after wei wuxians death but he doesn't. he keeps chenqing for 16 years. much to think about). he's obsessive over it and spends way too much of the sects income on things for his fish. no one else takes care of the fish they're His fish and he is solely responsible for them unless he has to travel, in which case only the most trusted advisors are permitted to take care of the fish. he can tell them all apart and they all have stupid names like sweetheart and baby

jiang yanli is an Excellent diplomat. jiang fengmian brought her along on so many negotiations and diplomatic endeavors that she picked up on a lot of it, and the fact that she's always settling quarrels w her brothers has made her a great mediator. I think her style of negotiation is kind of sneaky? like she's very charming and sweet and people see her as being fragile, so they don't want to upset her by being too "aggressive" and are inclined to listen to her when she's trying to calm people down in an argument

all together uhm 🥺 I think that jiang cheng and wei wuxian definitely rope jiang yanli into their mischief when they're younger. people think wei wuxian is the only mischievous one because he always "starts it" but as much as jiang cheng clamors about Bringing Shame To Their Sect, he wouldn't be there if he didn't actually want to be, and jiang yanli says she's tagging along on their misadventures to make sure they don't get into Too much trouble, but really she thinks their shenanigans are funny and has fun running around with them doing silly stuff. and the boys absolutely make jiang yanli vouch for their innocence because madam yu and jiang fengmian are much more inclined to believe her over them. no baba wei wuxian and jiang cheng weren't surfing on their swords on the river I was there I saw the whole thing I'd never lie to you would I. don't look at that big crack in the dock post thats always been there don't worry about it

[leonstamatis]

Requesting fic recs for quiet tragedies and intimate character studies. Preferably minimal focus on romance. I quite enjoy studies of mechanics as they correlate to narrative.

(send me a vibe and i’ll give you a blaseball fic reading list!)

all right. so i spent quite a bit of time on this one, but it is in no way comprehensive. there are tons of character studies in this fandom, and heaps of tragedies. also not usually a huge focus on romance in blaseball, especially post-discipline, although it’s certainly out there.

i tried to keep the characters varied and limit it to just one per author, but with most of these, if you like the one i’ve linked i can vouch for there being many more from the same person worth checking out. let’s get going.

“Agency” by kfrunt is what I would call quiet, although less of a tragedy or game mechanics. This is a Fall Ball-era fic looking at Wyatt Mason IV (Ivy) and Conditional Yuniesky, both of whom are struggling with their new worlds in different ways. It’s a good introduction to Conditional Yuniesky, and Ivy is a good introduction to the Wyatts as a whole, if you’re into that. They’re a whole little pocket of Blaseball fic that has plenty to comb through.

“dead mans party” by impernia is a look at how players mourn their lost teammates, particularly the Seattle Garages. It’s also a good look at the kind of person Arturo Huerta is, and from there, impern has a number of fics about both the Garages and their dead that hit this same vibe.

“F. All of the Above” by QueenEevee is certainly a tragic character study, looking at Hiroto Wilcox following Ruby Tuesday. It’s noteworthy less because of subject matter — if you want Ruby Tuesday content, there’s no shortage — but more because of the formatting. The way this fic approaches the loss knocks the wind out of me. A quick read, but a memorable one.

“the first dream” by swordfall is a look at Lottie Ceilingfan’s meteoric rise to fame and subsequent Ego status. If you don’t know Lottie, it’s a great introduction to her. It’s also a great introduction to what it was like on the Hades Tigers during the Expansion Era. A little less on the tragedy side, but there’s some mechanics and some creeping horror at the awareness of what’s to come.

“for agony i’d rather know” by novelsinourheads is a fantastic example of a character study that leans into the inherent weirdness of blaseball without getting too wacky with it. I’m a known Gerund Pantheocide liker and supporter, so it’s unsurprising to me that this one sticks in my brain, but Stara has dozens more character studies — many of which have an interesting and haunting approach to loss and tragedy, and all of which are well worth looking at.

“forever in a day” by paopuleaf is another Wyatt fic, but it’s also about the Vault, but it’s also about hauntings and ghosts and what it means to exist when you shouldn’t anymore. Atti is excellent at writing fics with a melancholy and lost sort of air, and this one is no exception.

“growing pains” by waveridden is a personal favorite of mine. it’s a little longer than a lot of the options on this list, but it’s worth the time and the effort. The fic as a whole is about a lot of things, mainly Gloria Bugsnax and xyr attempt to learn both humanity and family, and it makes me cry every time. There’s some game mechanics, because Hayden always includes those, but mostly it’s a look at Gloria and all the people xe loves.

“I thought i heard your laughter” by cedardivine is a fun one, honestly. Megan Ito exists in a lot of variations and I think everyone has a different take on them and who and how they are, but I like the idea that New Megan is just lurking around behind them. A character study with tragedy and game mechanics just off to the side, and a quick read besides.

“A Quick Guide to Unscattering in 8 Easy Steps” by Moondragon8 hits, I think, just about every note you’ve asked for. An interesting take on scattered players and their recovery, a look at Schneider Bendie as a character and what happens when you’re traded to a new team, and a creeping awareness that things aren’t as they should be. If you can’t tell, I love this one dearly.

“sequels” by waltztangocache similarly approaches a mechanic by way of an impacted player. I love the way Hen writes about the Ambush, and this look at Tom Kirby and what his life is like after revival. There’s a series of fics connected to this one, so if you like it, there’s more. I will admit I like Kirby best — but everything here is a great time.

“The Short (But Not Insignificant) ILB Career of Kiki Familia” by cyndakip is one that I think gets passed around a ton? But that’s because it’s good. Kiki wasn’t here for long at all, but you can tell from this that she was immediately loved by her team and the fans of said team, and her death is in fact a tragedy by its very nature. This is Discipline Era lore, so you know it hurts (positive).

“spend my days in gray” by birdlord5000 is like. THE Donia Bailey fic, to me? I didn’t know much about the player lore beforehand, but this fic cemented Donia as a deeply beloved of mine. It’s quiet, it’s a character study, it’s about what it’s like to be shadowed for years and years before being stolen by a Thieves Guild, and it’s honestly a lot of fun. Not a tragedy, but damn good.

“strange to be shaped by such strange men” by baliset is… agh. Remember when York Silk was incinerated, and the entire fandom ground to a halt as we tried to grapple with that? I do! It was a lot! And Marn captured the feelings of the moment to a T. It’s set in the Hall and features a lot of beloved dead guys, and I love how York is characterized here. Marn has tons of great fics worth reading; this is up there as one of my favorite ones, though.

“the sun selecting targets” by indigostohelit is the only Jaylen and Mike fic i am going to recommend to you. But. There are so many. It’s just that the narration in this one is incredible, and I think about it often. It’s got a lot about the original necromancy and the shadowing of Mike Townsend, which I know we’ve all heard about by now and et cetera, but. God it’s so good.

“there beneath” by haunthouse! Another Wyatt fic! This one is about Wyatt Mason VI, or Violet. I will admit to being biased toward this one because it includes the Boston Flowers, my team of choice for almost the entirety of Blaseball’s run. But like. If you want tragedy, and you want game mechanics, the Wyatts tend to be a good starting place. They often die at the end.

“there’s no weather at all” by mantisqueer is a sleeper fave that I was delighted to rediscover today. Nothing like a Neerie McCloud fic to make you sad about players doomed from the very start. Moth does a really good job here at characterizing being Elsewhere; it’s one of my favorite interps, although I would encourage you to mind the CWs.

and that’s what I have! there are plenty more I would direct you to, but most of them are by someone(s) already listed here. so if one of the ones i’ve listed stands out, i would encourage you to check the author’s page and see what else they have. have fun!!!

[shark-myths]

hi! so i recently read your fic the house on rosewood lane and it was the one of the BEST horror stories i’ve ever read. seriously i’m still thinking about the walnut coffee and the face in the wallpaper. i was wondering if you could break down the key aspects of writing that to be maximum scary? like how u set up the plot or the characterization and stuff? thank u!

i have been sitting on this ask forever because the truth is i am a garbage writer! i love my writing, my finished product makes me very happy, but i mean when it comes to the process of writing, i am a trashanimal. i am running around with ink-stained paws and paper scraps hanging out of my possum teeth. i am incapable of plotting (@carbonbased000 can vouch as the only brave soul who has tried to co-write with me before we had to accept i am feral and impossible) which is why i usually can't carry off an intricate plot, such as a mystery; i never quite know what's going to happen or how i'm going to get there in a story. for example, it was very lucky for me that walnut pods turned out to be poisonous! i didn't know that until i was writing the last few chapters, it let me bring a lot of stray threads together. pretty reckless of me to write serially without a plan, yes?

i am a character writer; i choose characters and themes i am interested in, and then i put those characters in situations and find out what happens. so i think a lot about who my characters are going to BE and FEEL on the page, and then i discover by writing how they came to be that way. i discard a lot of my scenes, because i am just using them to learn about my characters and stories. i don't know how to edit because, again, possum with a fountain pen. i usually have a question for a story--for rosewood, my question was about salvage: what can be saved and what is the cost?

in terms of creating scariness, i have a few actual tips: 1) read horror! watching horror isn't as good, you must read it, you must work to understand which words made you feel icky and nervous, you must write to create that same vibe. discover what scares you and why, and try to mimic that until you find your own voice. 2) pick a feeling! i can't picture things in my head, so visual writing is hard for me; i have to be very intentional, and because i can't rely on describing an image in my head, i focus overly on how writing feels. (when i read comedy writing, i read and reread and reread the same sentences, trying to understand how and why the humor is created. this is an annoying way to read but an excellent way to work on your craft.) 3) read things that are very different from what you write! the more time you spend reading things that surprise you or differ from what you usually read, the more your craft will advance, because it opens up new pathways for you to create the feeling you are trying to create.

my last secret is just that i wrote rosewood about my own house. it provided me a fantastic sense of place and let me imagine what would scare the shit out of me in my own set of rooms. i think horror works best with a grounded sense of place (see: house of leaves and piranesi; stephen king, for whatever else he is and isn't, is quite good at this) and i think you can tell when the author hasn't done that--sometimes this is done to great effect, shifting sands beneath your feet, other times i find it degrades the story.

hope some of this is usable! i apologize for my lack of discipline to each and every one of you who has ever read one of my fics and noticed the threads that i dropped. for more hands-on writing advice, let me highly recommend the blood ink bone writing course by @alienfuckeronmain, for which i was honored to be a guest speaker.

[ladyartemesia]

I was asked for some good fic rec blogs and well… it’s been awhile since I was active so I will list the ones I know are still active because I’ve seen them on my dash…

•• fic • rec • blogs ••

MINORS DO NOT INTERACT OR FOLLOW

@jwirecs

They recommend BTS content as well as works featuring members from other groups. Posts regularly.

@daechwitatamicrecs

I just followed this one and so far I’ve gotten some great recommendations. The author @daechwitatamic is also very talented.

@ana-rex-yall

This is the rec blog of @xjoonchildx —Ana has exquisite taste in everything. You can trust me on this one.

@cafeartemesia

This is my fic rec blog. I post regularly. I am a voracious reader and always looking for a good story.

@artemesiareads

So this is my reading blog. Unlike a regular rec blog, I just reblog literally every fic that strikes my fancy to this blog. There is a constant stream of fics posted almost everyday. When I have time I go back and read them. There is no tagging or system and I can’t really vouch for the content because I may not have read it yet. But if you’re looking to find fics, I can promise you will find them there.

@jjungkookislife

This fabulous author has a Fic Rec Masterlist that is updated quarterly—dating back several years. It’s a treasure trove that keeps on growing!

Here is the link to the Fic Rec Masterlist

@swga-ficrecs and @justmewondering-recs

I just started following these two blogs because I saw them on the dash. Both seem to update pretty regularly with a wide variety of stories recommended.

@mono-kookieficrecs

Has literal years worth of fic recs and an organized fic rec masterlist. Very excellent collection with great reviews!

@hobigif-ficrecs

I literally cannot believe I forgot to add Hope’s rec blog here! A lot of BTS and some other groups too! Hope is very selective. She never misses. You’ll get the good stuff.

@bluesidelibrary

This blog was recommended by an anon and it looks great! A lot of good works and consistent updates!

@junrecs

This is the fic rec blog of the lovely Jun—a.k.a hobivore. Jun definitely has excellent taste. You can’t go wrong with this one. Multiple groups!

IF YOU HAVE A FIC REC BLOG OR YOU KNOW OF ANY GOOD FIC REC BLOGS THEN PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT OR SEND ME AN ASK AND I WILL ADD THEM TO THE LIST.

Following rec blogs really is so big brain like—THE FICS COME TO YOU.

[big-meows]

you are my favorite luca author but i’m having trouble finding something as good and enjoyable as your work, i don’t think i’ll ever find something as touching but i wanted to ask if you’ve got any fics recommendations? i’m just still very much attached to them and hoping to find some more, love your work, byee

Oh dear, it's been a while since I even touched Luca fic, so I can't really vouch for anything that's popped up within....oh shit, probably the last half a year or so.

I think Jo's work is probably the most thematically similar to mine, at least in terms of tropes used (angst, mutual pining.) Io ho in mente te was one of the first fics I'd read after finishing God Only Knows and it immediately put me into a depressive spiral because it made me doubt my own confidence in my work and just assured me that I am, in fact, a fraud. Tailing me, tailing you and Kissing Strangers are both mutual pining staples. Jo and Annie are co-authoring a coffee shop au (alternate timeline?) (it makes sense I promise) that is hugely popular and rightfully so, but I had to step away from reading it for personal reasons.

Bob's A Depth of Pure Blue saga is also required reading, even though I haven't actually read the last part yet because I was waiting for it to finish and then when it did I had lost my hyperfixation (😓) but I'm still 100% confident in it based on everything else of her's I've read. Excellent world building and stunning prose. 😗🤌

A fairly reliable trick I use to find good fic my favorite author also enjoys is to check their bookmarks. An AO3 user can choose to make individual bookmarks private if they don't want other users to see them, so if they have public bookmarks, I think it's generally considered fair game to have a look. Look for your favorite author's favorite authors, and then their favorite authors, and you'll usually eventually find something good.

[klaineccfanficlibrary]

i don't think you got my ask, so I'll resend it just in case. i was wondering if you could recommend a good fan fic with a lot of feelings and that will suck it me until i finished.

Hey Nonnie,

I’m going to recommend some of my favourites. Feelings galore, I assure you! These are all fics that I read over and over and over again because they’re just SO GOOD. All of them are complete, with an interesting and beautifully developedpremise, outstanding characterisation and just all-round excellent writing. Enjoy!

Hugs, Marjan

Glass Houses by @sanctumslider

In an alternate universe, all babies are born with a level of empathic sensitivity to others; an ability to sense emotions, to glimpse deep into a person’s soul with just a kiss. Except Kurt Hummel. Registering at a mere 0.5 on the Hawkins Scale of Empathic Sensitivity, Kurt has resigned himself to a lonely life, empty of touch or true love. That is, until the mysterious Blaine Anderson transfers to McKinley, and everything Kurt thought he knew was changed. But finding love is never easy, even in a world where everyone’s emotions are shared. This is the story of the boy who could not feel, and the boy who felt too much. 

Catalysis by @nadiacreek

Kurt Hummel chose his soulmate too early. Blaine Anderson thought he’d never have a chance to choose one at all. 

Missing Pieces by @sunshineoptimismandangels

Even after living in New York City for three years Kurt Hummel still hasn’t found love. He thought that the city of his dreams would make all of his dreams come true, but maybe he just isn’t made for romance. That is until Kurt is home for the summer, helping his father run his growing Android Repair shop and getting to know hid dad’s latest acquisition, a handsome and sweet android with curly hair, and a kind smile and a love for musicals. Maybe Kurt will discover that love isn’t what he always thought it was.

It’s Not Babysitting by @anxioussquirrel

AU, present time. Kurt Hummel is 28 and has been living in New York for ten years now. He has a good job, nice apartment and two best friends anyone could wish for: Sebastian, a snarky lawyer, and Cooper, a workaholic investment specialist. What he doesn’t have is luck in relationships. But then Blaine, Cooper’s 17-year-old brother comes to NY to spend the summer. He turns out to be gorgeous and quickly develops a huge crush on Kurt… 

Westerville Abbey by @hkvoyage

Blaine is the second son of the earl of Westerville, and is considered the spare heir. After his 18th birthday, he attends the London Season to fulfill his duty of finding a wife. He soon realizes he is more attracted to the new footman. Kurt, who has just arrived at Westerville Abbey to work alongside his father, becomes equally as smitten with the earl’s youngest son. Will Blaine and Kurt be able to overcome their class differences in 1910s England? Will their forbidden love survive WW1? A Downton Abbey inspired historical Klaine AU. 

Chrysalis by @flowerfan2

Just after graduating from NYU, a car accident puts Blaine into a coma. No one expects him to wake up.  Almost three years later, Kurt sees a man in a wheelchair who couldn’t be anyone else.  A story of love and new beginnings.  Canon compliant through 6x11, then AU.

Vegas Verse by imaginentertain

This verse contains two fics, and in my opinion, the sequel surpasses the first story, which is quite a feat, as that one is superb already.

Serenade My Heart by @mrscriss2012

Kurt Hummel is a hugely successful actor, who suddenly finds himself having to take care of three small children. Blaine Anderson is a struggling musician, hired to teach piano. Only, Blaine has never taught piano before, and Kurt has never had to be a parent before. It’s a voyage of discovery for all of them.

Blaine’s Muse by @lady-divine-writes

Blaine is an artist with the perfect life, hopelessly in love with his husband and his muse, Kurt. But when a tragedy takes his muse away, how will he find the strength to go on? 

For Better or For Worse by @antarcticbird

Kurt and Blaine are the perfect match - according to their test scores. Reality looks a little bit different. 

True Like by DualWielding

Kurt loves his job at the off-Broadway theater. As for Blaine Anderson, Kurt might have to work with him, but he doesn’t have to like him.

Written On My Heart by @gingerfic

Kurt draws Blaine’s name in a massive secret pal exchange at work. He doesn’t know Blaine, and thinks he is giving to a female. Will he decide to reveal himself and actually meet Blaine at the end of the six weeks?Meanwhile, he has started noticing an attractive stranger… 

Don’t You Want Me by @quixoticity

Blaine Anderson’s plans of a life spent performing were derailed in his senior year, and he had to compromise on everything he’d dreamed of - except love. Kurt Hummel, haughty and aloof Broadway darling, was forced to come back to Ohio where there was nothing left for him but painful memories - until he noticed a pair of fine eyes. (Pride & Prejudice inspired, but set in present day)

Desperate Times… by @caramelcoffeeaddict

Blaine Anderson is a college student studying theater. He is also a well known porn star that goes by the name Devon Anders. When Kurt Hummel starts having some financial difficulties he asks his classmate Blaine to help him get a job doing porn.Virgin!Kurt / Pornstar!Blaine AU

Stripped Bare by @missbeizy

Blaine is a married, twenty-seven year old businessman. Kurt (aka “Porcelain”) is a performing arts student who works as an erotic dancer to put himself through college. The last thing they expect to find in life is each other. 

Still Good by legallyblained

 This is my family. I found it, all on my own. Is little, and broken, but still good. Yeah, still good.

Kurt and Blaine are both single dads, and their complicated lives end up getting tangled together.

Keep my heart captive, set me free by @keepmyheartcaptive

D/s AU - Kurt Hummel had always dreamed of a fairy-tale bond, a perfect, kind and caring Dom. Blaine Anderson had always dreamed of someone who stands out from the boring crowd, someone real, and pure. When their worlds collide, will either of them get what they had dreamed of?

Too Late by @zavocado

When Blaine came out at sixteen, everything changed. Fifty years in the future, sixteen year old Kurt is still hiding himself away, lost in the misery of a friendless high school life with only the memories of a dark-haired, kind boy who helped him when his mother died. A story of lost chances, saviors, and how love transcends the limits of Time. soulmates!Klaine, AU

Threadbare by @merikg

Slave!Blaine AU.  Blaine is a service-slave owned by a hotel.  He is available for rent as a courtesy to guests to entertain them during their stay.  His life is irrevocably changed one night when he is called to to serve by fashion designer Kurt Hummel.  Very Klaine. 

All I ever need is everything verse by @damnpene

After years apart Kurt and Blaine have moved on from one another and built separate lives. Kurt is developing a quiet reputation off-Broadway. Blaine is a fledgling musical theatre writer and producer on the West Coast.

Then they reconnect - because of the music, because of the theater. Because of course they do.

How Kurt Hummel Loses His Virginity by @scatter-the-stars

Tired of being a virgin, and not having anybody be interested in him, shy and insecure, Kurt, decides that for his twentieth birthday, as a present to himself, he will hire an escort and lose the big V.  Little does he know, that when he meets Blaine, his escort, everything will change.

life is like a song by @luthien82

AU-ish - Kurt and Blaine have been best friends since college. They would do anything for each other, which Blaine proves when Kurt confesses he has to go home for a wedding - a wedding where everyone expects him to bring his long time boyfriend. The thing is: Kurt doesn’t have one. But he has a Blaine, who is willing to help. Enter one group of crazy, well meaning friends, a week full of wedding preparations, and lots of sexual tension and you’ve got yourself a mix that’s just bound to blow up in their faces… 

Is It Weird? by @a-simple-rainbow

Blaine sends his Topics in Contemporary Music mid-term essay to the wrong e-mail address, writing an extra m where it was supposed to read Humel. Kurt, spending a semester abroad in Paris, is having a challenging night of essay writing and procrastination, and goes a little bit beyond letting Blaine know he got the wrong person, sparking what will soon be described as a “weird pen-palish thing we got going on” that takes them both by surprise and leaves them hopeful and giddy.

Love is the End by @heartsmadeofbooks

After the unthinkable happens on his wedding day, Kurt Hummel has to learn how to navigate life after heartbreak. But he is not alone – his best friend, Blaine Anderson, is there to take him on a journey back to happiness and love.

[anextrapart]

Usually seeking and maintaining employment is a big part of parole conditions. This is complicated by the fact that lots of places won’t hire ex-felons. Where does Jimmy find work, what does he think of it, and what’s Kim’s opinion of it?

(So because he's serving federal I don't think parole is an option, but supervised release is by my understanding something that imposes similar rules/restrictions so let's assume that's the case.)

I have a few ideas on this, actually! I've seen some people kick around the idea that he works in a bakery, which is an idea I really like and he obviously has actual experience for. Whether he would be able to get hired as a felon though would probably depend largely on the people hiring. Jimmy is very charming and I think would make a good first impression, but once he was required to disclose that info I think it's very possible that he wouldn't be hired.

Another thought is that he gets involved wherever Kim is working, even if just in the short term right when he gets out. I'm leaning heavily toward the idea of Kim retaking the bar and being a lawyer again, and then working for (or starting her own) small setup like what she'd wanted in Albuquerque- providing excellent and affordable legal services for the people who most need them. Jimmy obviously is not going to be a lawyer or be allowed to have anything to do with cases in an official capacity, but there's always office work. It would be a steady job and would allow he and Kim to be near each other. Plus, she can vouch for him if she isn't the one running the show and he needs to get beyond the hiring hurdle. Though I do think there's some possibility with that scenario that Kim would actually not want him there. Or rather, not not want him there, but have concerns over the impression it might give? Because on the one hand as a business it would be so important to be above reproach and Jimmy obviously has a very public history as a troublemaker, but on the other hand how better to show your commitment to helping people convicted of crimes than by hiring a felon?

And my other idea is actually that he gets himself into a creative field, which is honestly where I think he should have been all along. Marketing, advertising, and design can all be largely self-taught and he clearly already has a knack for it. He'd have a lot to learn in terms of technology and software, but freelancing in those areas would probably suit him quite well once he was up to speed. He'd have a creative outlet and be his own boss regarding working hours and whatnot.

Honestly he might just do all of the above. Get a job at a bakery (let's assume best case scenario because why not?) right when he gets out because he needs a job. Over time he goes to visit Kim at the office a lot and people get to know and like him because of course they do, so eventually he starts volunteering some extra time there and that turns into a job. He wasn't planning it and neither was Kim, but somebody else raises the idea first. Once they talk it through and he sees that Kim is on board, Jimmy is all about it. He gets to be with her almost all day! Gets to see her doing the thing she's best at and loves the most!

And in the meantime maybe he picks up a laptop and downloads some creative software, starts messing around with it. Eventually he gets a few freelance gigs. Maybe it isn't enough to pay the bills, but it's fun and engaging and his clients really seem to like his work, so he cuts back a little bit at the office so he has more time to devote to that.

Kim's just happy if he's happy, I think. She doesn't want to see him discouraged or bored, so as long as he's doing something on the up and up (and there's no chance anymore that he won't), she'll support him.

-

send me mcwexler ideas or prompts for after jimmy gets out of jail and I’ll try to write headcanon/fic stuff!

[generalluxun]

To reply to being addressed but only once. If further discussion is needed we can make a new thread instead of hijacking the OP.

You have made an incorrect assumption about me. I am incredibly pro reform. Give me any gremlin and I'll write a reform arc for them. The key is *write one* you can't just proclaim 'reformed!' and not show your work.

Take the Paris Special. Those were excellent arcs in an incredibly short time. We saw the change, we saw actions based on change. Sure it was all short term but hey 44 minute special. I'm not going to ask for a lot. Great special.

Now a counter example. We'll use Felix to not belabor Gabriel, but suffice to say, the same 'problems' in execution hold true.

Felix is ripe for reform. All aboard the Felix gets better train. I've written him doing just that into several fics :) However I feel *canon* robs him of something essential in it's method.

Felix starts out a conniving manipulative liar with his own agenda. Our first three encounters with him set up that he has an unknown agenda, doesn't care who he hurts to achieve it, and lies more effectively than Lila. It's a great set up for a heel to face turn. The problem is... We never get to see the turn. His alignment shifts slightly as the power dynamics shift but let me run down some points, keeping in mind the above characterization for him up through Strike Back.

Felix kidnaps his cousin, impersonates him, deceives two of Adrien's closest friends at the same time discovering how much they both adore him. He uses a sentimonster to wipe out humans, having a crisis only when he believe he has lost control. He flees and kills the sentimonster he made, expressing grief.

Felix follows Kagami, kidnaps her, tries to get her to like him. Protects her from an overbearing parent. He convinces Kagami -Someone season 5 has specifically shown us multiple times falls for the manipulations of a liar- that he is genuine so she vouches for him to Ladybug and falls in love with him.

Felix impersonates Adrien and deceives Marinette to lure her to the art room. There he uses a sentimonster and with Kagami's help provides her with enough information to have a reason to go take down Gabriel. (He knows she is Ladybug because Kagami told him) Felix the. Kills the sentimonster he used to put on this presentation.

Felix takes no further part in events until after Gabriel's defeat.

Now, I fully believe the show meant Felix to be good now, but I ask you: If he wasn't good... What would he do differently? What would a 'bad' Felix who was jealous of Adrien but hated Gabriel more, who needed to cover his tracks and hold onto the power he has taken in a post-Hawkmoth scenario(Remember LB/CN had already showed up at his house once, he knew his days of keeping the peacock were numbered if he didn't impress them) do differently? The short answer is, nothing.

Felix by the end gets to keep his power, has himself a sentimonster girlfriend to match his cousin's human one, and is in good graces with the only remaining force left in Paris(Ladybug). Felix as introduced with zero reform, Felix who would still snap away humanity if it served him, would still want to be in the same place.

Gabe's in the same boat. You can *do* a Gabe reform. See: The Movie. There's just no real difference between Gabe's actions pre- and post- 'reform' in the show. All Marinette managed to do was convince him he wouldn't get what he wanted with the wish he had planned, so he made a different wish to get what he wanted. He was still just evil, controlling, Gabe, and still got what he wanted.

That's all I will say here on it. Feel free to send a msg/ask if you wish to engage further.

imagine, say, Bunnyx went back to Origins Season 1 and pulled Gabriel aside as he was considering picking up the Hawkmoth mantle and showed him, "Look, Gabriel. If you continue on this path, you WILL succeed in getting the Ladybug and Black Cat miraculous. You WILL make a wish. But getting there will tear you apart. You will lose what humanity you have, you will literally rot away from the inside, spend the last months of your life in agonizing pain, Nathalie and Adrien (the only two people in your life you can even pretend to care about) will spit on your name and Nathalie will grow to despise you so much she will attempt to kill you. And your wish? It will NEVER bring Emilie back. You won't even be able to bring yourself to do it, because you'll realize that you've become everything that she hated and never wanted you to be. Emilie WILL STAY DEAD, and in the end, all you will be able to wish for is an end to your now-miserable life. All this gamble will win you is your grave."

idk I just don't think Gabriel's response to that would be "oh yay! I win!"

[hargrieve]

hargrieve’s fic recs — october

another month, another time period during which I forgot to read the many many sure-to-be-amazing haikyuu!! recs that I’ve gotten in my inbox over the past few months. someone come shake me and remind me of my roots please.

re the txt fic recs: I am a taegyuist, could you tell? genuinely not sorry about the taehyun-centric fics. am actively looking for more canon compliant or college au taegyu. please i am begging

thank you again for bearing with me as I hop from fandom to fandom! I know that the vast majority of people who follow this series of posts are haikyuu fans; I have not forsaken you yet. get ready for lots of rarepair recs in the coming months, since the rarepair exchange deadline is coming up mid-december :D

@ravenclawboys hello :3

FANDOMS: Haikyuu!!, Tomorrow x Together, You

haikyuu!!:

imposter syndrome by ely_su

ennoshita-centric + ennoshita/futakuchi close friendship (qpr?); rated T+; 11k words; 1/1; ennoshita pov

aromantic and asexual ennoshita figuring things out and coming out. canon compliant

this fic feels quite healing, and the ending was really emotionally satisfying

aro ace pride!!!!

Lost in Translation by rageprufrock

iwaoi; rated T+; 9.6k words; 1/1; iwaizumi pov

iwaizumi as a college student in california; oikawa in argentina

this fic is chock-full of delightful OCs, all of whom exhibit some kind of californian stereotype. ft our beloved iwa being iwa, ie emotionally dense log

as a california native who went to college in california, this was, like, so accurate

do not be put off by the lack of ao3 tags by this author; I can vouch that the fic was EXCELLENT

secrets from a girl-adjacent by minibobas

yachi-centric; rated G; 2k words; 1/1; yachi pov

yachi on growing up and figuring out her gender and sexuality

very touching, and I am sure this story resonates with a lot of people

go go nonbinary lesbians

tomorrow x together:

can you feel the rush by permutative (predebut)

beomgyu/taehyun; rated T+; 23k words; 3/3; taehyun pov

college au in which inexperienced taehyun asks known flirt beomgyu to teach him how to date

truly a college au to the core, from the extended friend groups to the library studying to the singing telegrams on valentine’s day. author is very talented and made me reminisce about college

lots of discussion about math. psets. integrals. Real Anal(ysis). I do not miss u-substitution

taehyun, when someone who is infamously flirtatious takes lots of time out of their schedule to teach you how to date, maybe it means something. did you ever think about that taehyun

dragonfruit by honeysigh

beomgyu/taehyun; rated T+; 10k words; 1/1; taehyun pov

college au in which whipped taehyun agrees to be vice president of beomgyu’s animal crossing club

no, like, taehyun is Down Terrible and beomgyu totally deserves it. writer writes them adorable. as they should

completely unironically, my favorite thing is when writers write background huening kai with a real personality. please. it is what our boy deserves

but i never stopped thinking about you, not even a day by trinitarias

beomgyu-centric; rated T+; 3.4k words; 1/1; beomgyu pov

canon divergent character study where beomgyu does not debut with tomorrox x together

moments of him with each of the band members, afterward

as a beomgyu kinnie: this is pain. like in a beautiful way, but. PAIN

stoplight! go, go by newaches (jsnoopy)

beomgyu/taehyun; rated T+; 2.9k words; 1/1; taehyun pov

canon compliant, where taehyun asks beomgyu to teach him how to kiss and we see all the complications that follow. remix of another fic from beomgyu’s pov

“But as much as he prides himself on his intelligence, no one ever warned him that a pretty boy’s mouth can make you go dumb.”

i’m shaking them by the shoulders. why don’t you just talk about your feelings huh. what are you suffering for

this one is also pain

you (tv series):

what a waste to say the heart could feel apart (or feel complete, baby) by zoeyclarke

love quinn-centric; rated G; 1.5k words; 1/1; love pov

the after-effects of the end of season 3 episode 10

pretty convinced that this is one of the best, if not the best, fic in the teeny tiny “you” fandom on ao3

recs I received in my inbox:

fixation by red_racer

sakuatsu; rated T+; 41k words; 5/5; atsumu pov

summary: “Atsumu develops a fixation on Sakusa Kiyoomi in high school but it’s just a phase, right? // In which Atsumu makes every excuse to hang out with Sakusa and against all odds, Sakusa lets him.”

perihelion by vastlight

atsuhina; rated T+; 23k words; 1/1

summary: “Atsumu sees him at sixteen, seventeen, twenty-two, twenty-five, compounded into one incredible monster of a being, compounded into one Hinata Shouyou. // Lessons in closing the distance of admiration.”

my twitter

past fic recs

send me a rec!

[writingordinaryrealities]

Best of 2020 (fic recs)

In a normal year, yesterday I would have posted a list of ten especially good books I had read last year on Facebook. (Not top ten, because there are always great ones I forget about until the post is done, and “top ten” implies that they’re in a specific order.)

Last year was A Year, as some of you might remember, and the effort of leaving my computer screen to find an actual paper book (not to mention the energy required to read a book that doesn’t come with tags and warnings) was often too much for me, so instead I thought I could make a list here of Especially Good Fanfic I read this year. It may or may not come out to ten. (In the order that I bookmarked them, more or less, because that seems the most fair.)

1. The Angel, the Demon, and the Hol(l)y Spirit by lucky_spike. This is a Good Omens fic about the Ineffable Husbands (particularly Crowley) getting adopted by a school pony. Holly is so incredibly well-done. She’s just like about five actual school ponies I’ve known and I love her and this fic.

2. The Pursuit of Knowledge by Katalyna_Rose. This is an MDZS/The Untamed fic in which Lan Wangji and Nie Huaisang become friends after Wei Wuxian’s death and Nie Huaisang teaches Lan Wangji about porn. It’s funny, it’s fun, and it’s surprisingly heartwarming. Highly recommend if you have an agenda that includes Lan Wangji having friends.

3. Through a Window Softly by impossibletruths. Also an MDZS/The Untamed (I suspect that most of these will be), this one is a very sweet wangxian in which Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian play music together first. It’s just as tender and lovely and sweet as a wangxian fic should be.

4. The Heart is Hard to Translate by vespertineflora. This is an MDZS/The Untamed story as well, and its E rating is well-deserved. Look, I’m very shy about reccing porn. I don’t even leave comments on it often, just because I’m embarrassed about it. And this is ALL porn. BUT it is excellent porn that feels extremely emotional and in-character. Highly highly recommend.

5. anyway, here’s wuji by kakikaeru. Another MDZS/The Untamed fic, this one is representing for all the amazing junior-centric fics I’ve read this year. I love this fic so much. It’s a Jingyi POV and it does a spectacular job with his coming of age story. I didn’t ship ... is it zhuiyi? even a little before I read this, and now I’m committed. I love it so much. It’s one of those fics I’ll name off the top of my head whenever someone is looking for recs. It’s just gorgeous.

6. Climbing Up that Coastal Shelf by Sour_Idealist. You guessed it, this one is ALSO MDZS/The Untamed. (Actually, I just looked, it’s tagged just for The Untamed, but as a majority MDZS reader, I can vouch for its ability to transcend your preferred canon.) It’s a Jin Ling-centric story with a side of Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian reconciliation, and it’s heartbreaking and funny, and the juniors really shine, and again. Read it, you won’t regret it.

7. Perhaps the Same Bird by mooneuphonium. MDZS/The Untamed, modern AU, yanqing. Listen, this goddamn fic is so fucking perfect, I could wax poetic about it for weeks. It’s absolutely gorgeous, and it just feels like you could drown in it. I went into the yanqing tag exactly once, found this fic, and it was just so perfect that I haven’t bothered going back because nothing else is going to match up.

8. how to fall in love with a catfish: a guide by wei wuxian (disaster rat) by Anonymous. MDZS/The Untamed modern AU wangxian. I read this fic over the course of an day while I was supposed to be working, and then it left me with significant aftermath to process when I was done. I’m really sorry that it’s anonymous now, because the authors had also written a cute wangxian one-shot where Wei Wuxian turned into a rabbit, but hey. This one is fantastic. It’s one of those stories that feels like it’s going to grow too big to fit inside your chest because that’s the emotion that’s attached to it. It’s a thoughtful story, and it’s well-characterized, and it’s lovely and overwhelming. It does feature a Xue Yang & A-Qing friendship, which I’m personally uncomfortable with, but it’s a minor thing and doesn’t ruin the story for me.

9. The Night the World Didn’t End by Lady of Prompts (Aethelflaed). Hi, thank you for reading down far enough to find another Good Omens fic on this list. I’m just generally a huge fan of Aethelflaed, but this story captures that still quiet feeling of... gratitude, maybe? That hits you sometimes late at night, when you’re quietly happy just to be? I don’t know, I’m not describing it very well, but this is a MASTERFUL story and y’all should definitely read it.

10. I’m cheating a little bit because this is a series, but Meng Yao vs. the Board of the Homeowner’s Association by Ariaste. Y’all, if you’re in the MDZS/The Untamed fandom at all, this one deserves a click. It’s hilarious, it’s pathetic (as in pathos, not like it’s a bad thing) and it features the one single version of Meng Yao/Jin Guangyao that I’m willing to ship with Lan Xichen. Please read it, read all their works.

11. I’m proving that argument about cheating that’s like, “If you cheat once you’ll just go out and do it again” right. See all this and more for just ten dollars a month! by ScarlettStorm is another MDZS/The Untamed Modern AU series. It’s actually another piece of really well-done porn, but it’s also got the gender fuckery, the neurodivergence, and the Lan Wangji: fashion icon that we all deserve. It’s also the only sex worker AU I’ve seen that didn’t make me a little bit uncomfortable, just as a former retail worker, about how lightly it takes a client coming in and falling in love with a sex worker. There are all the consequences and conversations that you could desire in this story. Lan Wangji knits! ADHD and Autism rep! Non-binary rep! Seriously, it’s lovely. Jiang Yanli getsthe recognition she deserves as a badass who just isn’t as loud about it as Jiang Cheng. It’s practically perfect in every way. Please read it and love it.

12. I somehow never bookmarked Salvage by MuffinLance, but I literally read 67k of Zuko being adopted by a character I had never heard of before BEFORE I watched Atla. Seriously, if you have the vaguest of ideas about who Zuko is and that there’s some sort of war - the level of knowledge your average tumblr citizen has about atla - read it. You won’t regret it. You might even find yourself watching three seasons of avatar as a result.

13. My final rec is embarrassingly wide, but seriously. I’ve never read a fic by WithBroomBefore that I didn’t like, and I’ve read nearly everything he’s done in The Untamed and his lovely YoI trilogy. Seriously, read his stuff. I’m debating watching Voltron just so I can claim to have read everything he’s written. If you’re a YoI fan, his Exhibitions trilogy makes me laugh out loud no matter how down I am or how many times I’ve read it. If you’re into MDZS/The Untamed, I really can’t pick one favorite, but his Minding series is wonderful or maybe Quartet? (Anyone who yelled at my for making them like Jin Zixuan, go read Quartet, because WithBroomBefore does it BETTER.) He’s just started a new fic, Ice, that’s promising to be one of my favorites as well, so go check that out too. (Technically, he may have started posting that one this year. I certainly read it this year.)

[stonefreeak]

Wheee! Another update is here! I hope y’all will continue to enjoy this fic as we move forward!

When the news breaks that the case against Mas Amedda and Former-Chancellor Palpatine for corruption charges will go to court breaks, it explodes across the holonet like a supernova.

The recent arrests and trials of Senators from all over the Republic, the arrests-in-absence of Senators formerly of the Republic and currently of the Separatists have been making headlines for weeks, but before now there has been nothing about Mas Amedda or Palpatine themselves.

If there had been nothing to substantiate the claims, the investigation would have ended now with no charges being brought forward against them. The investigation would only have caught these other people, and so far only sent other people to trial. So for this too to come a trial... Well, clearly that means that there is a case against them. There is evidence to be found.

The people start to wonder how far the corruption goes, how big a web it has woven, and how many of the already arrested and sentenced Senators have testimonies against Amedda and Palpatine.

News anchors argue and debate each other into exhaustion regarding what this means not just for Amedda and Palpatine themselves, but for the Republic and Senate at large. If the two who were the most powerful beings in the Republic are found guilty on corruption charges... Does that mean that the Separatist worlds who chose to try and leave the Republic in protest are right?

Or does it mean that someone, Count Dooku perhaps, saw an opportunity to gain power by playing on the corruption they saw in the Senate rather than work towards eliminating those issues from the inside?

~~~~

Obi-Wan doesn't have much time to spend watching the holonet, but what little he sees is enough to exhaust him. He's unsurprised, but he's also worried. He doesn't know what the investigation has found—as he shouldn't, per due process—but he knows the possible ramifications of a guilty verdict.

Yes, the Republic is under new leadership, certainly, but many, if not most, senators remain unchanged. How many of them were in Palpatine or Amedda's pockets? How will this affect the peace discussions and reintegration of returning separatist worlds?

How, exactly will the neutral systems—if there truly can be such a thing in a conflict like this—react? Will some of them finally take a stance beyond "we will not fight"?

He shakes his head and moves out of his chair, to sit down on the floor instead.

He moves into his most favoured meditation position, and tries to clear his mind. He'll need to work through his emotions and thoughts one by one, lest he gets overwhelmed.

He's needed more meditation than he's needed since childhood after his near-death experience. His connection to the force has been shaken, and he's been shaken. It takes him far more effort than usual to calm down.

Perhaps he'll speak to one of the Temple's mind healers when he gets the chance. It is usually a good thing to do after you've faced your death in such a stark way, he knows that.

Still. He's so busy. It feels almost wrong to take any sort of time off between all of his responsibilities.

Hah, no doubt Master Yoda would hit him in the shin if he heard that, and then give him a long-winded lecture on the impossibility of helping others if you do not care for yourself.

"There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is harmony. There is no death, there is the Force," he mutters the mantra over and over as he sinks deeper into meditation. Blast and the others will keep watch, and Obi-Wan has it on good authority that Waxer and Boil's treatments are over and they're back on duty as well. He has good men at his back.

There is no need to worry.

~~~~

Anakin stares at the newsreel, uncomprehending.

Mister Palpatine has been arrested, awaiting trial.

It's as if all of his thoughts need to force their way through stone to make sense. He's... blank.

This can't be!

This can't be!

There's no way Palpatine is guilty! The investigation is probably just arresting him and Amedda and setting a trial date due to outside pressure. That's it. Of course.

The trial will just prove Palpatine innocent. They just have to do it. Perhaps there's some doubt in his position due to corruption among his aides. That has to be it.

Palpatine wouldn't do something like this. Anakin knows he wouldn't.

He paces back and forth in his rooms, unable to settle down. He's close to bursting with frustration and agitation and he can't hope to meditate on his emotions as Obi-Wan would tell him to when he's this upset. Meditation is for calmer mindsets.

Perhaps he can talk to Obi-Wan... Or Padmé.

Or maybe both of them?

That... That would be good. That's what he needs right now.

He picks up his comm and sends a group message to them. Byt the Force how he hopes they'll agree. There's no way he can deal with this alone. Palpatine has been his friend and mentor since he was a child... This is just too much to deal with.

Obi-Wan said it was his duty to start the investigation due to the Vote of No-Confidence, but there's no way he thought it would find anything. He can't have. Palpatine is one of the only politicians worth trusting in the Senate.

Surely Obi-Wan knows that?

He's always allowed Anakin to go visit Palpatine, even when he was a child, so he couldn't have thought anything was suspicious. The same goes for the Council for that matter!

They would have stepped in and refused Palpatine's requests for Anakin to visit if they thought he was corrupt. The Council hates politics outside the Order, and they always speak of the need to root out corruption.

They must have found Palpatine trustworthy then, and he's done his best since he became chancellor—no matter what Senator Mandai thinks.

It'll... It'll be fine.

Anakin swallows harshly and clenches his fists in his hair. He just needs to talk to Padmé and Obi-Wan.

He's too ashamed to face Palpatine—Obi-Wan got him into this situation, and Anakin has always vouched for him with the former chancellor—even though he knows his friend probably could use the support. Palpatine is strong, he can no doubt manage until Anakin gets a grip on himself.

~~~~

Padmé watches the news as they break. Former Chancellor Palpatine has been arrested and placed on house arrest pending the trial.

She presses her lips together and fights down the fear and anxiety she feels at the news. She knows Palpatine used the occupation of Naboo to further his career, so in a way she's not... She's not surprised that the investigation has found something...

But at the same time... Using an existing tragedy that you cannot make undone anyway is not the same as actively corrupting the system. Padmé should know, her own career has been helped by her hard work in disaster zones. So even though she knows that Palpatine used her—used Naboo—the thought that he may be entirely corrupt...

It feels foreign. It feels wrong.

It's as if there's an itch in the back of her head, as if there's a voice whispering to her to tread carefully, to doubt everything, because who knows who's truly to be trusted?

Her head hurts.

Her heart hurts when she considers how conflicted and hurt Anakin must feel right now. As if her husband needs more on his plate. One of his dearest friends possibly being a criminal of a terrible degree won't be a devastating blow to him.

She picks up her comm and looks at it, wondering if she should send him a message. He probably needs her, right now.

They never should have married.

At least then that would be one less thing weighing on him. At least then there might be a chance for them, for the dream of a happy ending.

She chokes back a sob. She must be strong.

Anakin will need her to.

~~~~

Bail listens intently to the report, drumming his fingers against the top of his desk. So the corruption stems as far as this, does it?

He glances down at the files and notes Miss Marili gave him just before the explosion in the Senate Office Building. He's still going through them to verify their validity, but so far everything checks out, and her own notes and thoughts are very astute.

Bail has always known, taught as such at his mother's knee, that if you want to truly know what goes on in an institution, you ask the aides and the lower-ranks—those who fade into the background. After all, who thinks of what the secretary overhears when they walk inside with documents? Or even what they can piece together they remain at their station by who comes and goes. Miss Marili, currently the aide of Senator Jacks of Belazura and the former aide of Senator Larr of Saram, is an excellent example.

Her information is very interesting indeed, and dates back decades.

Bail wonders just what it was that caught her eye, what sent her looking in the first place... But he's yet to hear that story from her. He's also curious as to why she came to him rather than Senator Jacks, but it's possible that it's due to his position as a Core World Senator.

And possibly his known friendliness with the Jedi—definitely important considering the content of her research.

Still, Bail can't make any moves as of yet. The information may check out for now, but who knows if she's hidden some falsehoods that could prove damaging within it. After all, she is an unknown factor, and Bail knows very little about her.

In fact, how Bail does not even know how she ended up as Senator Larr's aide in the first place, considering how young she must have been at the time. Perhaps her family moved to Saram at some point. That could, of course, be how Senator Larr found her in the first place since a Twi'lek family taking up residence rather than just going on holiday there would likely draw attention. Aside from the native human population few make Saram their permanent home despite its popularity as a vacation planet, as far as Bail knows.

Regardless, her mysterious past and everything else together makes for quite the puzzle.

Perhaps she'll trust him with the truth at a later time—though no doubt will he need to prove himself first.

All in all, the political situation on Coruscant is growing increasingly complex, even when you don't take the currently ongoing civil war into consideration.

~~~~

So those cretins think they've found something on him, do they?

Well, they'll certainly see about that.

Palpatine has made damn sure that anything more than slightly frowned upon will fall entirely on Amedda. The fool was always set up to take the fall should something go wrong and Palpatine's plot was derailed—as it has been.

At most Palpatine himself will receive a slap on the wrist and an admonishment to hire better staff.

Even so, he suffers the utter humiliation of being stranded on Coruscant, wearing a prisoner's bracelet to ensure he cannot leave the planet. They'll all suffer for this humiliation, the lot of them. Palpatine will grind Kenobi's skull to dust for daring to set this farce in motion.

Blasted Jedi.

He'll bathe in their blood and relish in every single second of it.

—

(Supreme Chancellor Obi-Wan Kenobi masterpost)

[feather-dancer]

Now Ghosts he left behind Chapter 3 has been out nearly a couple of weeks suppose now is an acceptable amount of time to go on about ~*themes*~ that have been cropping up in the fic so far that aren’t at all plot relevant but are still important things I want to do justice to: LGBT+ rep and mental health particularly centred around anxiety. Understandably the following will contain spoilers I can’t avoid it, sorry!

~~~

Mental health

It probably doesn’t come as too big a surprise on the latter front, after all in the second chapter of the Strickler fic I tagged for unhealthy coping mechanisms which are loosely based on my own which also happened to have a reference at the end of the second chapter in Ghost!AU showing how far he’d come since then. Now I’ve read some excellent fics on the PTSD front, a few on dysphoria regarding the change from human to half troll but in regards to anxiety many seem to fall into the trap of thinking somebody is a bit more skittish or that it just gives you a more nervous nature. As somebody who has generalised anxiety myself, I really wish it was that simple.

In this fic’s case the anxiety is being heavily tangled in the dysphoria of the change where he’s left alone to process everything while being hit with reminders of what he no longer is thus putting more fuel on the pyre as a result. In a stressful situation (Sometimes not even then!) it can get stuck in a loop of self-created belief such as here Merlin kept him away deliberately though we know this isn’t the case and will warp reality/memories to fit like how he misremembers that Merlin also said his visions are imperfect if there’s nothing to snap you out of it then those spirals often lead to panic attacks or worse a full breakdown. Here his brain is trying to make sense of the impossible, jumping to the most logical conclusion it can come up with and through bad luck has this very wrong thought process that he’s a threat to everyone else. Having been on one or two of these they really do suck! Quite often dissociation goes hand in hand whether you’re aware of it happening or not and thus far he’s had a couple bouts that he’s dubbing blackouts currently. There is also the classic ‘background’ noise variant where for no real reason your fight / flight reflex is jammed on when it feels like it though Jim as shown by the CBD techniques at the start of chapter 3 is doing his best to keep a handle on those spiking too far and Claire mentions he taught her a few to help out to show that his friends know and he is able to talk about it without feeling the need to hide in plain sight every waking moment. If you’re forced to stealth you get frighteningly good about hiding full blown panic attacks and it’s not a healthy situation to be in.

On Toby’s end he mentions a specific situation where anxiety was likely involved before Jim was diagnosed. In it when confronted with a situation option a was bad, option b was worse and there was no good outcomes because his brain got stuck on those. He also mentions being moral support helping get Jim into a position that he would be able to go home but refused to leave him alone until he was sure he was okay. It’s worth pointing out he figured the reason everything kicked off was the ‘problem’ of coming out to Barbara and her not reacting well (Which was an understandable conclusion!) and only later realised anxiety was what made the entire thing even worse and he unintentionally did the right thing to help. Barbara also mentions Jim being on medication for it, the original ones to mysteriously stop working which are implied to be while Toby was pretending to be Jim then moved onto another treatment which was brought up via Strickler’s concern about going cold turkey. As much as anxiety freaking sucks I felt it was important to show that nothing in relation to it is treated as abnormal, it is simply life with having your brain being a bit on the funky side and that sometimes makes you think illogically. It’s not your fault when it happens.

~~~

LGBT+

When I began writing this fic one thing I wanted from the get go is that characters who are LGBT+ are not forced into a scenario created by the plot to out them to the reader/someone else nor signposted in a cheap way to score points because even when you’re with friends who know you’re not saying it every two seconds and even more so when in a stressful circumstance where your son/best friend is currently missing. With this thought in mind, Jim has always been written as Trans but prior to Chapter 3 I simply had no way to bring it up because right now he’s too busy freaking out about being a half troll to notice if anything is different and on this same coin, Claire is Bi while Toby is Pan with a bonus order of trying to figure himself out. There’s others too! Sadly much like confirming Jim is also Bi I’ve not had a way to naturally bring it up as yet if I will at all but they are being written with it in mind.

Jim was a trickier one to bring up because he’s not about to vouch for himself so it was a much easier route to instead hint drop and hope one if not all of them clicked with a reader who he is without any of them being done in a way that could come across as dickish. Barbara got the first two with mentioning Jim should know better about using a given name in regards to Not!Enrique and a second one in regards to another form of medication he’s taking but because she didn’t know if Strickler knew (Incidentally he does) thus she deliberately phrased it vaguely and was ready for the possibility of upset without outing her son because she’s a good parent!! Toby is who gets the rest through a roundabout way mentioning how bad his pre-medicated anxiety could be when he came out as mentioned in the previous section and a second time where he says he didn’t care what he looked like because Jim is always Jim to him. The final important note was how he specifically said that he would not second party exactly what happened because it’s Jim’s choice if he tells her or not. We love and support good friends in this house.

Then there was the inclusion of the river troll Trisantona who is marked as non-binary by calling themselves the child of and the kids think absolutely nothing of it and are more annoyed with their attitude than anything else. Personally I see many trolls and changelings particularly very eh about gender and wanted a little implication they are far from the first troll they’ve encountered who doesn’t fit a human binary so it doesn’t even register as unusual. 

In Claire’s case she had two hints, the first bring a straight joke because it might be low hanging fruit but it’s hilarious I can’t help it while the second was her commentary on Toby’s reactions to name drops because she couldn’t resist teasing him. Small but both very deliberate.

Toby in the meanwhile has been having hint drops since chapter 2 which has only continued in how he keeps comparing reactions Claire is causing to what Jim does to him then you get him openly telling Claire about how it feels like his heart is a bunch of apartments and can the world stop having so many good-looking people in it. That ties in with the two mentions of doing research for a word he hasn’t quite got yet but he’s mostly been sidetracked by everything going on right now.

Homophobia, biphobia and particularly transphobia is rife and only increasing in this country where it feels like every week it’s only getting worse. While in the grand scheme of things it’s probably inconsequential it is important to be the change you want to see in the world. Mine? Even in this mess of an angst fic I want to showcase LGBT+ peeps who are treated as they should be with love and support by friends, family and strangers alike. Being Trans, Bi or whichever label that particular character uses it is simply part of who they are and not a character trait slapped on afterwards for easy points plus if I see one more fic where a Trans character gets outted to others without their consent because the author figured that’s the only way you can do it I’ll go feral.

In a completely unrelated note Douxie is non-binary Panromatic Ace in everything I write and anybody who doesn’t like that can suck it.

[darkhorse-javert]

List of Sam/Andrew Fics I am going to write one day

For my own assistance to remember them all, cannot vouch for accuracy or level of plot in any of these:

Tied to the existing AU thread,incomplete list, to keep some tiny secrets ;)

Andrew and Sam (and Christopher) at Charles Howard’s post-war Party. Also another fic involving a Party linked to that.

Fixing the Mandy Dean situation in this AU [started-sort of]

Post-War Andrew and Sam in Oxford (autum 1945-summer ‘46), when Andrew goes back to finish his degree....

Vignette of Christopher in America attached to the one above

Spun off that AU;

They marry in July 1943 (so I can use the All Clear photograph without asking everyone to be blind to the historical innacuracy of Andrew’s medals as now)

Other AUs

Working on You; AU where Andrew actually sticks around in Hastings and courts Sam post-War (I have only one scene of this in my head.)

Rosalind-alive-AU; based on discussion I can no longer find (Help!) about how if she was Sam would never have stopped boarding with Foyle(s) post Fifty Ships. How this would have affected A&S. Also that it would have been Rose who stopped Rev. Stewart taking Sam back in Eagle Day.

Either included with this one or a spin off AU, Andrew going missing over France, and family-sided fallout for this.

Series 7 or 8 AU; Sam catching Adam dalliancing with someone else IN THEIR HOUSE, storming out, being helped by Andrew and semi-fostered/adopted(?) by the RAF Club. Much fluff and yanking of reader’s heartstrings intended... (numerous excellent scenes of this in my head, but must finish current fics first Darkhorse.)*

Post-Eagle Day; Rev Stewart takes Sam back to Lyminster.  They still meet again, (Andrew ends up parachuting out nearby).

Looks at list...

Ohhhh deeear. I didn’t realise there were that many. Fandom, what have you done to me?

*Anyone with any knowledge/sources on the length of time and money it takes to get a Divorce in c.1946/7 please step forward

[ancientwastedlores]

The Support System (Ch: 4)

SUMMARY: The Avengers have managed to collect all the infinity stones across the universe, and are currently keeping them in far corners of the world, only for research and to see if they can improve the planet and its people. Reader is a researcher with Tony Stark and Bruce Banner, as well as a field agent. Loki is currently serving time for his actions in New York City in 2012.

A/N: Find this chapter on AO3 here. Links to the first three chapters are below. Let me know if you want to be tagged when I post new chapters, and also my ask is open for fic requests :) I might take some time to get to them, but I WILL get to them! 

AO3: The Support System  Tumblr:  Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3 

Chapter: 4/? Warnings: N/A  Audience: general.

______________________________________________________________

CHAPTER 4:

The next morning, you wake up with Loki’s arm and leg draped over you. You get out from under it and peer at the TV. It’s paused on the fourth episode. Maybe Loki saw you had fallen asleep, or maybe it was the other way around... you don’t remember. You leave him to sleep and go to brush your teeth, amazed at how completely normal you’re treating this to be. 

xx

For whatever reason, you’ve seen Tony Stark get drunk, but never seen him hungover. The man is a miracle worker. Bruce is holding his head in his hand, and no one else wants to talk, but Tony is practically bouncing off the walls. He must have 15 cups of coffee in him, you think to yourself.

You sit down at the table with the Avengers, who all lift their heads to look at you.

‘What?’ you ask. ‘It’s your turn to make the breakfast, didn’t you remember?’ Tony asked.

You shoot up, having completely forgotten that the cook doesn’t come in on weekends and the responsibility for breakfast and dinner falls on one Avenger a week.

‘Sorry sorry sorry, I’ll get right to it, give me a few minutes’. ‘No worries, we’re still working on our coffees. We haven’t been up long’ Nat reassures you.

You smile at her and then run frantically run get your ingredients together.

‘Good morning’ Thor walks in, all smiles. Everyone else groans at the noise. Another man you’ve never seen hungover, but it would make sense for a god, wouldn’t it?

Bruce turns to look at Thor, then narrows his eyes. ‘Did I… Did I cry last night?’

‘Yeah, you cried because that child over there…’ Tony points at you, ‘lifted Thor’s hammer’ ‘I’m not a child, I’m 22 years old’ you protest. ‘Yeah, okay kid’ Tony says. ‘Hello’ Loki greets and another round of groans greet him.

You quickly jump to defend that to him, ‘They’re just terribly hungover, Loki’.

He smiles at you and walks over. ‘Can I help you?’ ‘You actually can. Tell me you know how to make poached eggs?’ ‘I wish I could’ ‘Can you toss some tomatoes around in a pan?’ ‘Never done that before, I could try?’ ‘Can you slice the bread?’ ‘Yes, that I can do for you’.

You hand him a large bread knife and a loaf of uncut brown bread, and instruct him to cut the slices thick.

Tony’s eyes widen at you handing Loki a knife that large, but says nothing. You notice, and badly wish to make a show of it, but decide not to.

You turn to the stove to make your poached eggs, while the crust of the bread cracking under the knife act as music to your ears. You don’t cook much, but when you do, you love to smell and touch and hear everything. Loki cuts the slices as instructed, and after toasting them, and places them all on plates, ready for you to lay the eggs on them. You add tomatoes and mashed potatoes to the plate as well, and wash your hands quickly to cut some fruit.

Loki leans over as you cut an apple. ‘Can I show you something?’ he asks. You look up from your task without stopping it, ‘Of course’

He creates five clones of himself, which each take two plates and walk to set them down on the dining table. You laugh. ‘That’s amazing!’

Everyone else is sceptical, but hearing your laughter, they stay put. They still glare at all the Lokis setting their plates of food down, but the clones promptly vanish after the task. 

‘You could cook us an entire meal and not lift a damn finger’ you tell Loki. 

He looks genuinely glad you enjoyed the show. He takes the one remaining plate that’s yours and waits for you to bring the fruits over. You finish up, wash your hands again, and sit at the dining table with the rest. You notice Loki has shifted from his usual seat to one right across from you. You steal glances at him while you eat, recounting the previous night when you watched Doctor Who together. However, it’s the episode you keep recounting, not actually sitting next to Loki watching it.

‘What plans today?’ you hear Tony ask. ‘Pep and I are going down to Clint’s, he said he needs help fixing up some farm equipment’. ‘Can Bruce and I join?’ Natasha asks, to which Tony says yes.

Everyone else has plans outside; Rhodey has a camping trip planned with his friends, since it’s a three-day weekend. Vision and Wanda are moving out of the tower to a nearby apartment, and want to set that up, and Thor wants to take Jane to Asgard.

After everyone has ticked off their plans, they ask you what you plan to do. Normally, you join in on whatever Tony is doing, other times you meet with your friends from back in S.H.I.E.L.D, but you see that Loki has no plans, and no one has included him in theirs either. You look across and notice him picking at his food, trying to not think about it.

‘Oh, I’m staying in the Tower with Loki and marathoning Doctor Who again’ you say.

You feel Tony’s gaze burn into you, while the others silently continue to eat.

‘Have fun’ you hear Bruce say. It sounds forced. ‘You too’ you still say.

xx

You walk into the lab to pick up a few papers and see Bruce and Tony.

‘Aren’t you guys leaving?’ ‘Yeah, in a second, we just needed to put the stone back. Can’t leave it open for an entire weekend’ Tony says. ‘Hm, fair enough’ you go to your table and pick up another set of papers Strange sent over. He certainly has you doing a lot of reading!

‘Do you want one of us to stay back?’ Tony asks. ‘Whatever for?’ ‘You KNOW what for, you can’t be alone with him in the Tower’. ‘I’m NOT alone, the tower is full of security and staff... although why the Avengers Tower needs security, I don't know'.  ‘You know what I mean’. ‘No, I really don’t’ you’re getting a little annoyed now. ‘Can you honestly tell me you wouldn’t have preferred ONE person being on your side vouching for you, being there for you, when you thought the worst of yourself a few years ago?’

Silence. 

‘Well, why does it have to be you?’ Tony asks. 

‘Because... it’s no one else’ you sigh. ‘Because I’ve been here for a whole year, he has been here longer, and in all that time, it’s been no one else. And I know what that’s like. YOU know what it’s like, how can you let anyone feel that way when you personally know how terrible it feels?’

‘He just wants you to be safe’ Bruce says. ‘I know’ you place your hand on Tony’s shoulder. ‘Tony, the burden of the world doesn’t fall upon you. You don’t have to be responsible for every single thing’.

He looks at you, his face inscrutable. He finally shrugs and pulls you into a hug. ‘You be safe, okay? If there’s literally anything, you call me. I don’t care if it’s 4 AM and you’re dead, you call me’.

You laugh. ‘I’ll keep that in mind, assuming the after world has good phone reception’.

‘If you’re carrying the phones I issued, they'll work anywhere’ he lets go and winks at you. ‘Now get outta here, go watch your time travel show’.

xx

You walk into your room, expecting Loki to already be waiting there with the remote in hand, but he isn’t. You wonder if he’s playing a prank on you and call out his name. Setting the papers down, you look behind the curtains, open up your closet, and check the washroom. Nothing.

Where is he?

Figuring he’ll appear when he wants to, you start on the pages Strange sent you.

 About an hour later, the door to your room opens. You look up see it’s Loki.

‘Hey, where have you been!?’ ‘Where have I been!? Where have you been, I’ve been waiting for an hour’ he says. ‘Aren’t we watching it here?’ ‘No, I told you, since we’re alone, I thought we’d watch it in Stark’s theatre’.

Oh right. Stark also has a theatre in the residential wing for movie nights. He mostly screens horror films, much to your annoyance, so you rarely ever go there. But you never considered watching your favourite TV shows on there.

‘That’s an amazing idea, why did I never think of that!?’ you push your notes and papers aside and get up.  ‘I also got the staff to get us some traditional movie snacks’ he informs you. 

You squeal and clutch his wrist, and pull him out the room as you do so before letting go quickly. You don’t know it, but you just sent tingles up and down his body, and he is now smiling the biggest smile walking behind you.

You sit at the back of the theatre, the seats next to yours and his full of snacks. Popcorn, cookies, nachos, chips, even hot dogs. You wonder how the conversation went between Loki and the staff member he asked to fetch all of this on a Saturday for just two people.

The marathon begins.

xx

Tuesday morning, the rest of the Avengers come in to work. You’re already awake, and decide to greet them all at the reception.

Rhodey trudges in first with his rucksack, stinking to high heaven. You gasp and try to push him away as he tries to hug you. ‘You took Stark’s jet, it has a freaking shower, Rhodes!’ ‘I thought it would be more fun to hug you like this, what’s wrong, don’t you like it?’ he asks innocently. ‘Shut up, go take a shower, oh my god my eyes are burning’.

He laughs and drags his rucksack along.

Tony and company come next, carrying their bags. Clint is on the phone, most probably with his wife. You greet them, and Tony asks how your weekend was.

‘Excellent, I may have put on a little weight with all the snacks I ate, so I have to work extra hard this week’ you joke. Natasha hugs you, and lovingly pokes your stomach. ‘You’re back on training right after breakfast'.  ‘Yes ma’am’ you give her a small salute.

The rest of the company moves along and Bruce stays back. ‘Are you good? Tony was worried’.

‘Yeah, I had a great time. We literally just watched the show and ate’. ‘Okay…’ Bruce sighs from relief. ‘Good to hear. I’ll see you in the lab’.

Thor comes in next. You greet him too, and he wordlessly walks up to you and envelopes you in a giant hug.

‘What’s happening’ you ask. ‘Heimdall saw you’. ‘That’s the watcher dude?’ He laughs, still holding you. ‘Yes, the watcher dude. The watcher dude says Loki hasn’t been this happy in ages, and I think you’re doing a good job’.

You weren’t trying to do anything, but you're glad to learn Loki is in fact enjoying your company. ‘It’s no trouble. He’s fun to spend time with, we enjoy a lot of the same things’. ‘Like what!?’

You wish you hadn’t said that, because what you’ve spent the weekend talking to Loki about is the Infinity Stones. Not the sentience, because you knew that would be a bit much, but certainly about its powers, the previous owners, the seventh that was destroyed by Adam Warlock, its place in the cosmos, and much, much more.

You can’t tell Thor this, of course, because it would be interpreted differently.

‘Just, you know. Time travel. And other planets. He told me about Asgard’. This wasn’t a lie. ‘That’s nice’ he smiles warmly at you. ‘Well, I have some work in Asgard, I only came to drop Jane off and thank you. Goodbye’. ‘Bye’ you say. You hear a thud, the Tower shakes, and Thor disappears.

Finally, Wanda and Vision walk in and greet you. You aren’t that close with them, but you're always nice to each other.

You go for breakfast, and things go on as usual.

xx

There’s a week left for the extraction mission, and Tony informs you that he expects it to take about a week, five days if he were coming, but he isn’t, causing Natasha to roll her eyes.

A group of arms dealers are expected to be in New York next week. Your mission is to infiltrate the warehouse in Queens, where they are working. Tony has found out they will be getting a new shipment of weapons in a week, and bit by bit, your team is to break down their networks in Hong Kong and Dubai.

You’ve been on field assignments before, but never this long, nor this big. Nervousness isn’t even a word in your dictionary, you’ve been preparing for this so long, you feel like you could kill it in a single day. Tony senses your fire and has been “subtly” trying to direct that energy into training.

‘I know what you’re doing, I’ll be fine’ you protest. ‘I just don’t want you bouncing off the walls during the mission. I know how excited you get’.

Even Bruce wants you out of the lab after a point because you won’t stop talking and walking around, being a total distraction. Bored, and having trained and training new S.H.I.E.L.D recruits, you decide to see what Loki is up to.

 You walk in on him reading in the living room.

The living room is huge, furnished in white with subtle gold embellishments. Tony considered asking every Avenger giving their personal touches here and there, and decided it wouldn't work, because Thor wanted red, Natasha wanted black, and Vision thought minimalism was a good idea, while Rhodey disagreed and asked for a water feature. So Tony listened to no one and just did what he wanted.

‘What are you reading?’ you ask, walking in.

Loki shows you the cover. American Gods.

‘Why are you reading that?’ ‘I think it’s amusing how the writer has painted Odin’.

You smile, remembering that in the story, Odin is a fallen god. 

‘I leave in a week’ you say. ‘Yes, I know’ Loki says, without looking up from his book.

You wait for any sort of acknowledgement that he’ll miss you, or at least to be safe. When you get nothing, you shrug and sit down across from him.

‘I’m bored’. ‘Uhuh’. ‘Do you wanna fight me?’ you ask, quite casually. ‘What!?’

You grin at him. ‘I’m bored, and also excited about the mission, and I don’t know what to do with all this energy’. Not having sparred in ages himself, Loki puts his book aside and stands up. ‘Where?’ ‘Training room’.