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as wine pervades water

as wine pervades water by betony (AO3; one-shot - 2,200 words)

Fandom: The Mummy

Relationships: Evy/Rick

Summary:

The last thing Rick expects to hear, when Evie opens the door at last, is a grim: “Darling, we’ve got to get married.”

Notes: charming in that utterly ridiculous way the mummy is

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A Thread Unraveled

A Thread Unraveled by ScribeofArda (AO3; chaptered - 91,400 words)

Fandom: Lord of the Rings (The Silmarillion)

Relationships: Gen

Summary:

Maedhros wakes up again, on the first morning of the Nirnaeth Arnoediad. Of course, nobody calls it that. For them, it hasn't happened yet.

Notes: long, in-depth exploration of all the things that went wrong, through a course of brutal time loops on the worst few days of maedhros's life (of which there are many)

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Esprit de Corps

Esprit de Corps by meridianpony (AO3; chaptered - 46,000 words)

Fandom: Star Wars (Prequel, Sequel, Clone Wars)

Relationships: Gen

Summary:

FN-2187 sees dead people. The catch? They all share the same face.

Notes: this is an absolute treasure of a fic that i hope will be finished someday because every chapter had me hunched over and holding my breath. finn is haunted by all the dead clones during his time in the order.

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keep on

keep on by blackkat (AO3; one-shot - 1,300 words)

Fandom: Star Wars (Prequel)

Relationships: Gen

Summary:

“It’s Chancellor Palpatine,” he says clearly, as steadily as he’s able to. “Chancellor Palpatine is the Sith Lord. I need your help to kill him.” There's one beat of stunned, frozen silence. Then, careful, Thire clears his throat. “You want us to kill the Supreme Chancellor?” he asks. “Yes,” Mace says, and when he sits back, all three commanders are staring at him. Something in his chest sinks, grim and resigned. “I can't—” “Thire, get those damn boxes open,” Fox orders. “Stone, we need some kind of distraction. Grab some detonators.”

Notes: probably the best writer of mace windu. all their fics are good in the series, but this is my favorite

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Strange in a Strange Land

Strange in a Strange Land by Aelaer (AO3, multi-chapter, 40,600 words)

Fandom: Doctor Strange/Marvel Universe, Lord of the Rings

Relationship: Gen

Jumping into different dimensions always involves risk. Sometimes you never know what sort of troubles you will run into until you have arrived. Thankfully, alongside these dangers a sorcerer is sometimes lucky enough to come upon unexpected allies.

Notes: i regret to report i enjoyed a stephen strange fic. the aragorn and faramir was a powerful counteragent

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An Echo in the Force (a whisper in a cave)

An Echo in the Force (a whisper in a cave) by MueraRashaye (AO3; one-shot - 8,100 words)

Fandom: Star Wars (Prequel)

Relationships: Gen

Summary:

Jedi Knight Feemor is on Toprawa, having just finished a mission with the Antarian Rangers before heading back to Coruscant for the first time in years. He has a busted arm from his mission, but only fractures and some strained tendons, nothing crazy, and spends the next day on paperwork and a healing trance. Nothing unusual, in the life of a Watchman. The next morning, his arm is worse than when he went to bed. His mission reports are entirely unsubmitted. No drafts exist. The fruit he ate yesterday is still in the bowl. What. The. Fuck.

Notes: time loop fics in star wars - or any time travel fics - are very prolific but this one does it with qui-gon's barely canon second padawan

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What You Are, Where You Come From

What You Are, Where You Come From by HiNerdsItsCat (AO3; 6,800 words)

Fandom: Star Wars (Clone Wars, Original Trilogy)

Relationship: Obi-Wan/Satine

Obi-Wan Kenobi had been patient for nineteen years, and now everything was about to change. The R2 unit that Luke had traveled to the Jundland Wastes to retrieve was carrying a message for him. Her face had more lines on it than it used to, but of course she would look different after twenty years, just as he did. “Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi,” Satine Kryze said, “you’re my only hope."

Notes: oh just rip my heart out why don't you

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Equilibrium

Equilibrium by PSW (AO3; 152,000 words)

Fandom: Star Trek (TOS)

Relationship: Gen

McCoy's transport is destroyed in what appears to be a containment field explosion, leaving no known survivors. The truth, however, is not so simple as that …

Notes: long, character-driven, plotty. reads like a miniseries or movie that does true credit to both the primary three and the larger ensemble of TOS

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Bangers & Mash

Bangers & Mash by acalmingcupoftea (AO3; 1,300 words)

Fandom: Sleepy Hollow (TV) / Elementary

Relationship: Gen

Ichabod Crane spends some time with Mycroft Holmes. Set before the S2 Mycroft arc in Elementary but in “real time” for Sleepy Hollow

Notes: just a small, enjoyable snippet. everybody may hate mycroft but i liked him goddamnit

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Animal People

Animal People by PlatidunalTeen (AO3; 11,900 words)

Fandom: Leverage/DC (Batman)

Relationship: Gen

Hardison never expected to befriend a mysterious, elusive, hacker that went by the name Oracle. And he definitely didn't expect to meet the hoard of vigilantes that came with her. Yet, here he was, in Gotham, watching his sanity slip away with no chance of return --- "I thought you were Robin?” Hardison asked in a frenzy He shook his head. ”I'm Red Robin." “Why the hell are there two robins!” Hardison shouted. “You couldn’t think of a different bird to name yourself after? You had to go with a fast-food chain!” Seriously, who named themselves after a restaurant? And of all the restaurants that someone could pick from, why Red Robins? There were so many better places to eat. Or for naming value, there were cooler sounding restaurants “I resent that,” Red Robin mused with a smirk, not genuinely annoyed Hardison wasn’t paying attention, his worry manifesting. “Eagle, Bluejay, Buzzer, Mockingbird,” he listed various birds dramatically on his fingers. “And I don’t even know what the hell kind of bird you are!” he exclaimed vaguely motioning to Nightwing before turning around once more. “Or Red Hood, really? You’re not even keeping with the animal theme, you’re an article of clothing!”

Notes: very believable integration of Gotham into Leverage, and love how Hardison gets the team entangled (for the best)

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Joan Watson meeting Sophie Devereaux

They’re halfway through the con that will take down a pharmaceutical executive when a woman edges up to the bar next to Sophie.

“You’re not the heiress to a pharmaceutical dynasty,” the woman tells Sophie, as casually as if she was commenting on the weather.

Sophie is a professional, so she doesn’t flinch. “I beg your pardon,” she says in a flat American accent. “My father–”

“Is not the reclusive CEO of Beredine Pharmaceuticals.” The woman smiles at the bartender. “A glass of Riesling, please.”

“I assure you, I am–”

“You’re not.”

Sophie ignores Nate squawking in her ear, takes comfort in the silence that means Eliot is abandoning his post on the fifth floor to come watch her back.

“When you were talking to the C-Suite executives you displayed prominently different traits than when you were working the rest of the room,” the unknown woman tells her. “You also touched your ear—and what I suspect is an earbud—on three different occasions that I noticed, and each time you took efforts to hide your mouth, as though you were talking and didn’t want to be seen.”

Sophie furrows her brow into a frown, laughs simply, and says, “I have no idea what you mean, Miss…”

The woman takes her wine from the bartender and turns to face Sophie fully. “Watson. Joan Watson.”

Sophie freezes. In her ear she hears Nate and, surprisingly, Hardison gasping.

“Oh.”

Joan tilts her head. “Yes. Oh. Mind sharing what you’re up to?”

Before Sophie can think of anything, or follow through on what Nate is trying to spew at her, someone speaks from behind her.

“She’s conning someone, Watson.”

Sophie closes her eyes and lets a full-body wince overtake her. “Bloody buggering hell.”

“Indeed,” none other than Sherlock Holmes intones, sounding delighted. “Watson! This is Sophie Devereaux, the best grifter in the business.”

Watson arches a brow. “I’d argue the term. It has unethical connotations that I don’t think are entirely truthful in recent years.” She links her arm through Sophie’s and waves Sherlock away. “Go talk to Mr. Henderson.”

Sherlock narrows his eyes and Sophie expects him to put his foot down and dismiss Joan Watson. Instead, he nods affably and spins on his heel, presumably in search of the CIO of Beredine.

“Ms. Watson,” Sophie begins, but Joan interrupts her.

“You don’t have to use the accent. I’m well aware of who you are and what kind of work you do of late.”

Sophie studies her for a moment and then reaches up to turn off her ear bud, which is filled with a clamor of voices, minus Eliot who has arrived and is unobtrusively posing as a waiter ten feet away.

“So, Ms. Watson, what are you and the esteemed Mr. Holmes investigating at this event?” Sophie asks a moment later.

“We believe the CIO has been leaking information to a rival company.” Watson tilts her head and narrows a look at Sophie. “What about you and your…crew?”

If her earbud was on Sophie is sure everyone on her team would have something to say, especially Nate. She pretends she doesn’t know that.

“The VP of Research and Development has been hiding information on the adverse effects of their latest proposed drug. The FDA is set to provide its stamp of approval in two days, unless information surfaces to deter them.”

Watson nods. “Makes sense. Henderson has been cashing in on his stock options in a way that demonstrates knowledge that the stock might go up significantly in the near future. If he knows the FDA determination is going to be positive, he stands to benefit.”

“Our thoughts exactly,” Sophie confirms.

“But what about the CEO? Chad Beredine–”

“Is truly a recluse and has no idea what’s happening,” Sophie interjects.

Watson nods and is silent for the time it takes her to apparently put together clues it took Hardison five days of deep data mining to connect. “His sister died after being unable to afford a treatment for her rare immune disorder disease, didn’t she?”

Sophie comes to a stop in their circuit of the permiter of the room, Eliot just five feet behind them, and studies Joan Watson carefully. “Yes, she did. Chad has been focusing on alpha level research and leaving the focused research, as well as the running of his company, to others.”

“Which worked out well for him,” Watson goes on, “until the CIO and the VP of R&D began to take advantage of his distance from the day-to-day happenings of the company.”

“Exactly.”

The two women exchange a meaning look and then dip into an alcove.

*

Three hours later Nate is railing at Sophie for going off script while Hardison keeps mumbling about everyone’s twilight, and Sherlock is beaming proudly at Watson.

There’s a bruise forming on Sophie’s cheek, and Watson has an already scabbing bullet graze on her forearm.

By the time Sherlock and Nate are going head-to-head, something Sophie previously would have paid money to see but is now too tired and in pain to appreciate, Eliot has whipped out a first aid kit and is seeing to the both of them.

“Dammit, Sophie!” he hisses. He gently presses a cold pack to Sophie’s cheek, and tilts Joan’s arm into better light. “Next time let me know you’re going off script so I can have your back.”

*

The CIO and VP are both indicted and Sophie goes to Tea and Sympathy their last day in New York City.

Joan Watson is at a table and waiting.

“Is it true you broke the Moriarity case wide open?” Sophie asks.

Joan snaps her napkin open across her lap and gives Sophie a Mona Lisa smile. “Did you really pull off a White Rabbit?”

Sophie returns her smile and orders a pot of Earl Gray.

“To new friends,” she toasts when it arrives.

Joan Watson dips her head even as dimples appear on her cheeks. “To new friends.”

.End

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said you had to leave to start your life over

said you had to leave to start your life over by Nyxierose (AO3; 5,700 words)

Fandom: Dune

Relationship: Jessica/Leto

“I could fall in love with you, I think. Outside of this. Like normal people do.” Or, corporate spies on a cruise.

Notes: how do you write a dune au? you pare down the bare essentials of the characters. does a great jessica voice in a completely outre setting

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i believe in angels

i believe in angels by thefudge (AO3; 2,800 words)

Fandom: DC Movies (The Suicide Squad - 2021)

Relationship: Harley Quinn/Rick Flag

Harley laughs with all her teeth. He’s such a polite mama’s boy. It’s refreshing, after all the assholes in her past. When she turns back to the counter, the bartender informs her Flag has already covered their drinks. Harley snorts, wiping mascara from her eye. Damn it, he won’t even let her commit one petty crime.

Notes: the author notes say "they're soft your honor" and i AGREE

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[blank]

[blank] by hellsreluctantheir (AO3; part of a series of alternate universes that can be read separately - 20,000 words)

Fandom: DC (Batman)

Relationship: gen (references to previous tim/steph)

“Wanted—“ Cass managed, before shaking her head, and defaulting to sign. See you. Steph laughed, loud and carefree and genuine. Cass hadn’t heard that sound in four years. “Right.” There was something different about her. It was her, unquestionably, but there was a sharper edge to her. Something primed to blow. You, Cass signed, Kill. “There we go,” Steph said, quieter, still smiling. “That’s what you’re here for.”

Notes: an au where steph is killed by the joker and becomes the red hood. the entire series (in which each fic takes a non-jason member of the batfam to become the red hood) is excellent.

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the soft animal of your body (series)

the soft animal of your body by Vorpal_Sword (AO3 - full series: 60,00 words. individual fics vary from 5,000 to 10,000)

Fandom: Leverage/His Dark Materials

Relationship: series is primarily gen, dabbles in hardison/parker/eliot

Summary:

Leverage Daemon AU.

Notes: it's just good. just quality, good, character study.

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bless her soul

bless her soul by The_Eclectic_Bookworm (AO3 - 6,200 words)

Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Relationship: giles/jenny

Summary:

“You’re not her,” said Giles desperately. Begging. Jenny stepped forward, stood on tiptoe, brushed her mouth against his. Warm to the touch. “Oh, England,” she whispered. “Don’t you wish that were true?” (s3. jenny comes back wrong.)

Notes: angst babes! horror!

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pressure to not leave it for too long

pressure to not leave it for too long by mylovroom (AO3 - 17,300 words)

Fandom: The Fall of the House of Usher

Relationship: Leo/Julius

Summary:

Here's the thing: Julius knows about the guys, the girls, the other people. He doesn’t always speak up when he should but he’s never been blind.

Notes: does the canon a favor and fills in this pairing in a way the series couldn't afford to spend time on. terrifically written (also, yes, i just didn't want rahul kohli to die. again.)