#al's drama recs

[jinhogae]

AL'S DRAMA RECS VOL.1: these recs will solely focus on the writing of the shows, which to me comes down to two things: how well does the plot accomplish what it set out to do in the beginning? and how compelling are the characters written, no matter if their character arc means they become better or worse through the story or even remain who they are? my favourite dramas usually succeed in giving us a satisfying answer to both questions and these are the ones you will see on this list!

★★★★★ dramas (aka the greatest hits):

SECRET FOREST / STRANGER (2017-2021): the pinnacle of all dramas. follows the duo of no-nonsense prosecutor hwang si-mok (the acting star turn of he century by cho seung-woo) and police detective han yeo-jin (the ever-exceptional bae doo-na) investigating a murder case that blows open several scandals in the prosecution. season 2 follows several cases leading to an internal investigation on police bribery. it just does not get better than this and i fear it won't ever will. this drama has the understated styling of nordic noir, the classic shenanigans of an unlikely leading kdrama duo, and one of the tightest scripts ever seen in any tv show ever. | genre: thriller, melodrama, crime procedural

MY LIBERATION NOTES (2022): following the yeom family's three siblings living in the small town of sanpo on the outskirts of seoul, and the stranger moving into the house next door to theirs, this story navigates questions of sibling-hood and family, the purpose of life, as well as the sacrifices we make for the relationships in our life as well as our own happiness. this show earned its hype from the central love story between mr. gu and yeom mi-jeong (son seok-ku and kim ji-won acting the house down) but every one of the three main storylines is well-paced, gives the main actors moments to shine and grow, and ties neatly into the overarching plot to render you either moved or comforted, or even both. | genre: slice of life, melodrama

VINCENZO (2020): at this point are there still followers on this blog who haven't at least seen me talk about vincenzo? the writing of this show is maybe the peak of genre-blending done in kdrama, a culmination of years refining this skill to sharp perfection in a biting black comedy. vincenzo cassano (song joong-ki), consiglieri of a mafia clan he got adopted into, goes back to south korea to recover a frankly unholy amount of gold and fights a gigantic conglomerate (babel) to get there. if you watch past episode four, you will finish this drama, because everything ensuing from then on is just one iconic story beat after another. | genre: black comedy / satire, crime, romance

HOSPITAL PLAYLIST (2020-2022): a medical drama beyond reproach. this show is on this list for the way it wrote its characters and achieved the most satisfying character arcs in any kdrama, maybe, ever. a group of five friends in their fourties all working at the same hospital and navigating their professional and private lives, this drama doesn't shy away from eclectic backstories (and the leads all playing music together in a band) as well as truly heart-tearing moments of friendship and romance. never have i seen character growth done as well as i have seen it in the characters of yang seok-hyeong and kim-jun-wan. | genre: medical, slice of life, rom-com

D.P. / DESERTER PURSUIT (2021-2023): d.p. to me is a no-notes kind of show. it depicts the work of the military police pursuing army deserters through freshly enlisted ahn jun-ho (jung hae-in playing years below his age and leagues above many his actual age) who ends up empathizing and working to help and save the deserters he and his team partner han ho-yeol (an exceptional koo kyo-hwan) are meant to bring back to the army instead of incriminating them further. d.p. is much better for its tone, its writing and the risks it takes in its no-nonsense approach than some of the drivel revered solely for being more flashy and showy in this genre. | genre: military drama, action

★★★★☆ dramas (aka near-perfection):

PRISON PLAYBOOK (2017): the perfect prototype of the bromance as romance formula and one of the best found family dramas that really focuses on that. star baseball player kim je-hyuk (park hae-soo in his career-defining role) loses his career and lands in prison after he assaults the ex-boyfriend of his younger sister to protect her. the show centers on je-hyuk's time in prison, where he reunites with his childhood best-friend-now-prison-guard lee jun-ho (a supreme jung kyung-ho) and assimilates himself with the people he meets in his cell. this show hits all the beats so well from a stellar supporting cast to a great comeback kid narrative for je-hyuk from his time in prison to being released. glaring flaw: the age-gap / childhood friends romance, the conclusion of hanyang's story arc, who gets the short end of the stick while being the one out gay character in the show. | genre: black comedy, found family, slice of life

GOBLIN: THE LONELY AND GREAT GOD (2017): the defining kdrama for many. it may be the one drama that really delivers in answering its plot's defining question twice over and then some. goblin kim shin (gong yoo), cursed to immortality, gets his life upended once a grim reaper (lee dong-wook as wang yeo, a performance never to be seen or repeated again since) and the young woman (kim go-eun as ji eun-tak) who turns out to be his fated bride enter his life. an immortal man resigned on life finds purpose while knowing he will fatally die once the woman he falls in love with cures him of his curse. glaring flaw: the age gap romance between eun-tak and kim shin. could she have not been in college at least? | genre: melodrama, romance, fantasy

CRASH LANDING ON YOU (2019): the romance drama that could, and did. based on a real life incident, ceo yoon se-ri (son ye-jin, an acting veteran near beyond reproach imo) accidentally crash lands in north korea after a paragliding flight gone wrong. there she meets active duty soldier captain ri jeong-hyeok (hyun bin, thank you for your service) and has to stay with him and his military company. the fated love story starts there, but neither of them know they have met before, and already changed the courses of each other's lives before doing so again. minor flaw: is this drama romanticising the military? or is depicting of that on screen just that and nothing more? that is up to you to decide. | genre: melodrama, romance

HOMETOWN CHA CHA CHA (2021): the series remake of a korean rom-com film of the early aughts, this remains my favourite romance drama over all. dentist yoon hye-jin (shin min-a blessing our screens) moves to rural gongjin, a seaside village where nothing happens at all, after her professional life in seoul goes up in flames. it's not all sunshine in gongjin either as ye-jin meets hong du-sik (kim seon-ho),a handyman who is called chief hong by everyone and fixes all the big and small fires in the village. the two start as enemies that eventually fall in love. the romance is well-handled and paced and the second lead (lee sang-yi) is the best i have ever seen in a show, especially because of the arc written for him. minor flaw: the plot is not as tight as the respective character arcs, so sometimes sacrifices are made for the sake of a more emotional scenes. | genre: rom-com, slice of life

THE GLORY (2022): when you put the revenge in revenge drama, this is what you can get. song hye-ko returns to small screen brilliance in an incomparable performance as moon dong-eun, a woman who decides to infiltrate the lives of her school bullies and take them down one by one. this show delivers on plot even more than on characters, following through on every step of moon dong-eun's revenge without shying away from how gruesome or painful that path of vengeance can be. dong-eun gets help from plastic surgeon joo yeo-jeong (a delightful lee do-hyun), and the main cast is rounded out by lim ji-yeon and jung sung-il as dong-eun's grown up tormentor and her reluctant husband respectively. minor flaw: the show does spend a big chunk of its time on the group of school bullies and their interpersonal relations, which sometimes takes time away from the main plot. | genre: psychological thriller, revenge drama

♡ more specific genre watches (beware: usually crime):

LIFE (2018): written by the writers of secret forest, life is another thriller with understated direction and a more sombre tone. i would have put it in the greatest hits category, but watching it with other people made me realise how niche it actually is in genre. a corporate hospital thriller, the show revolves around the newly-minted ceo of sangkook university hospital, gu seung-hyo (a once again flawless cho seung-woo) and a dedicated ER doctor (lee dong-wook, stellar as ever) who depict the two sides of the patient care vs. profit conflict in the hospital. i can't even say more about the show because every other plot point is basically a spoiler. sharply directed and written, this is one of the best genre pieces i have ever watched, and is mildly reminiscent of hbo prestige television of the decade before. | genre: medical drama, corporate thriller

THE WORST OF EVIL (2023): are you even surprised? this was the drama of 2023 for me, one of the most stellar scripts i have seen. the worst of evil is very firmly a noir show and you have to treat what you are watching as such. it is heavily entrenched into its genre tropes and arcs, even more than most crime shows i have seen, and that can be off-putting for people unfamiliar with the genre, but if you are up for it, you will not be disappointed. opportune violent crime detective park jun-mo (ji chang wook, korea's finest new gen action actor) infiltrates a drug ring lead by jung gi-cheol ( fantastic and emotional tour de force by wi ha joon) and the lines begin to blur when neither of them knows if what they bargained for is actually what they want. the show lets its main plot dictate the pace, focusing on park jun-mo's descent into crime, and it is all the more better for it. | genre: noir, crime thriller, action

BEYOND EVIL (2020): the story about dejected and grieving small-town detective lee dong-sik (baeksang-awarded veteran actor shin ha-kyun) being partnered with elite detective and spinster seoulite han joo-won (child actor prodigy turned actor to watch du jour) has made its waves online for its very apparent gay subtext, but to reduce beyond evil to this would be a crime in itself. following lee dong-sik and han joo-won as they are tasked to solve a reoccurring serial killer case, the framing plot then fans open the age-old wound of dong-sik losing his twin sister and being blamed for her disappearance with joo-won having taken an obsessive fascination with the case. the two crime cases are exceptionally interwoven and the stories of the people in the small town of manyang, and how they all somehow tie back to dong-sik, is the perfect example of turning the small centrepiece of a plot into the binding force of every thread. | genre: procedural, psychological thriller

OUR BELOVED SUMMER (2021): i put this into the genre-piece category because obl is majorly focused on its main trope. romantic dramas can easily be trite to me, as this obvious list of crime shows doesn't tell you, but our beloved summer is one of the few that did everything right. it plays out the best trope ever done - exes to lovers - and does not back down from embracing the whole shebang to the nth degree. high school / college sweethearts choi woong (known beloved actor on ye-xiu tumblr dot com, choi woo-shik) and kook yeun-soo (the ever great kim da-mi) have to unite to replicate, or rather continue, the viral high school documentary they filmed years ago. the show shimmies its way from one moment of reconnection to another, culminating in the best kdrama kiss to ever be put to screen, and concludes in one of the most satisfying and, yes, romantic endings ever. the things a show can do when it just sticks to its main narrative, huh. | genre: rom-com, coming of age

[batfam-fanfics]

I loved thee, though I told thee not,(--Right earlily and long,) by llamallamaduck

7 Chapters - 23980 words

The news that Timothy Drake, Gotham’s cryptid millionaire, has shot the Joker dead during a public live-stream hits the world like a freight train—and that is just the opening salvo of his bugfuck plan.

Maybe there exists, in the multiverse, a configuration of Jason Todd who will weather this with decorum, dignity and self-respect. This version of Jason Todd decides that the life of an academic is not, really, all that rewarding. In contrast, the life of Timothy Drake’s live-in house-husband is looking more appealing by the second.

[etherealising]

chapter seven | they know i believed in us last week

masterlist | ↢ previous chapter | next chapter ↣

pairing: carmen berzatto x fem!reader | platonic!pete x fem!reader | male!oc x fem!reader |

summary: carmy struggles to deal with your absence in his life, while you finally learn to live without him.

warning(s): talk about miscarriage (no explicit details) | word miscarriage used once | implied suicidal thoughts | substance abuse | NA | AA | Al-Anon | grief | mention of pregnancy |angst | drama | semi-fluff | language | sad boi carm | baby being mature | woe is me carmy | please let me know if i missed anything |

wc: 7.3k

song rec: i'll still have me - cyn, aquilo

semi-edited/proof-read

“Carm hey, are you listening?” Natalie’s eyes flitted across Carmy’s face, his blank eyes staring directly past her. She took this moment as a chance to take in her younger brother’s ragged appearance, at first glance he looked like he normally did; exhausted. But taking the time to really study him, she knew Carmy was doing worse than he’d ever admit.

His usual textured and fluffy hair was limp against his head, the greasy quality of it proving he needed a wash. The discoloration under his eyes was the worst Nat had seen it, the deep blue-purple bruising a sign that he was getting even less sleep than he usually did. The skin of his lips was dehydrated and bitten to pieces, a tick he had as a child that gradually calmed down as he grew older. And the visible stubble on his chin was enough to know that the absence of your presence in his life was hitting him harder than anyone expected.

Her eyes caught on the chain that was haphazardly peeking out of his shirt, squinting at the newly added pendant hanging from it. Natalie didn’t have to be a genius to know whose initial hung around Carmen’s neck, the chain which was usually safely tucked into his shirt was now blatantly on show for everyone to see. Natalie had noticed it more recently since your and Carmy’s argument, though this was her first time seeing it this close. She would find him just standing in the restaurant, sometimes eyes staring into nothing as he worried the pendant between his fingers, oftentimes raising it to his lips before letting it go completely and wandering to do whatever task needed to be done.

Natalie’s concern was palpable but the discomfort in her abdomen was worse. “Have you tried talking to her?” The shaky breath she let out filtered between the two of them.

Carmen’s eyes finally snapped to hers taking in the uncomfortable expression on her face, “Sug?” He waited for Nat to focus on him. “You good?” The question hung in the air as Natalie tried to even out her breathing.

Using his sister's obvious discomfort to deflect from the conversation she was insistent on having wasn’t the nicest thing to do, but he’d rather put his sister’s well-being before being forced to think about how long it had been since he last spoke to you; he last saw you.

Carmy watched as Sug raised a closed hand to her mouth suppressing the urge to gag. “Yeah good, I’m good.” The forced smile on her lips did nothing to fool Carmy, but he wouldn’t force the issue.

“Can you uh, explain to me again how we’re doing, I spaced.” His fingers raised to run through his hair a small grimace painting his face at the grime he could feel left behind on his fingertips.

“Seven weeks out, Carm, and still so much to be done,” An exhausted sigh breathed through Natalie’s lips. The stress opening this restaurant caused felt extremely unnecessary considering her current status.

“No yeah I heard that,” Carmy nodded his head rapidly, Sug’s words slowly coming back to him. He squinted his eyes, hand scratching the grown-out stubble on his chin.  “You uh said something about the DBA getting rejected?”

“About that.” Natalie’s voice trailed off one hand pressing into her abdomen to ease the ache, “The name’s taken.”

Nat watched as Carmy processed the words, her discomfort felt like it was increasing as the seconds passed by.

“Who the fuck could’ve taken the name?” The idea perplexed Carmy. There was no chance another business could have the same name, well there was, it was just slim as hell.

Nat shrugged just as confused as Carmy “It’s been trademarked for years, whoever filed has all legal rights to the name.”

“Fuck me!” The pitch of Carmy’s voice rose along with his irritation.

Natalie’s own mumbled expletive was drowned out by Carmy’s outburst, the nauseating morning sickness she was experiencing came in an extra hard bout today.

“Yo, Sug…Sug. You sure you’re okay?” Carmy’s concern now outweighed his confusion, Nat’s weird behavior this whole morning was beginning to worry him.

“I can do this Carmy right, tell me I can do this.” Natalie’s breathing began to increase as a slight panic flooded through her. Carmy watched her with wide eyes, no idea what she could even be talking about.

“Tell me I can do it, Carm!” The wave of nausea subsided with her yell, Carmy’s hands raised in the air to divert blame.

“Fuck okay! You can do it Sug.”

“I am…completely terrified. And I’m only telling you because..I don’t know. Just-just in case.” Natalie nodded to herself as a way to provide her nerves with courage.

Carmy just stared at Natalie still not following where she was leading this conversation to.

“I really want this to be loving and good and happy,” A smile rose to Nat’s face “I just..I don’t want anyone to know…well besides Baby and now you.”

Carmy’s eyes focused on Sug’s abdomen, the pieces of the puzzle slowly fitting together in his head. The name she spoke felt like it was echoing through his ears.

“Sure” He wasn’t sure how to react to the news, he had always assumed Natalie would be the first of the siblings to start a family. And as the years passed by he knew it was a desire he himself had.

“I really don’t want Richie to know. Because somehow, it feels more in my control when and who knows…” The sound of the wall falling caused Nat to raise her voice as she finished her sentence. “That I’m pregnant.” Her final words were spoken just loud enough to alert the crew to her news.

“I fuckin’ knew it.” The sound of Richie’s shout grated on Nat’s nerves, but the quiet congratulations helped to ease her ire a bit.

Carmy was happy for Sugar, but it felt like it was setback after setback for the restaurant and all the personal issues he was dealing with weren't helping his stress. He felt his shoulders sag a bit mind racing as to how the name could already be trademarked, or who would’ve trademarked it.

His eyes found Richie’s as the man cajoled about how he knew Natalie was pregnant this whole time. Had Richie told someone the name and they took it for themselves? Did Mikey somehow trademark it while on a bender? The thought made Carmy’s head hurt what the fuck even was the point of opening this restaurant if they couldn’t use the name. The name was the epitome of the restaurant.

If you were here Carmy knew you would've given him an analogy for how he was feeling, you would’ve told him he was like Atlas holding up the sky or whatever he did. He shook his head trying to rid himself of thoughts of you, it wasn’t helping him in the least.

As much as he’d rather not converse with Richie, he needed to get to the bottom of this trademark business.

“Yo, Cousin!” The words felt wrong escaping Carmy’s lips the two men avoided each other in the same way you avoided Carmen.

The agitation on Richie’s face was instant, Carmy knew he fucked up with you, but the cold shoulder he was getting from Richie felt unnecessary.

Nat watched as the two men locked eyes, not too keen on playing referee for these two again. She looked in Carmy’s direction as Richie began making his way over, trying to gauge what was going through her little brother's mind.

“Carmen,” Richie nodded in acknowledgment to Carmy. Richie would be lying if he said he wasn’t purposefully using Carmy’s government name to rile him up, he knew how much Carmy hated it when you did it, and since you weren’t here someone had to uphold the tradition.

Carmy felt his eye twitch Richie’s immaturity since the argument with you felt never-ending. “Did Mikey ever trademark the name?”

Richie frowned looking between him and Nat the assumption that he had any goddamn clue laughable “What the fuck did Mikey look like trademarking shit? Wasn’t I just slangin’ crack to keep the lights on?”

Carmy’s eyes shut as Nat let out a quiet gasp, watching as Richie raised his hands in defense. Maybe running a back alley drug ring wasn’t the best for business, but without it, they may not have been in this moment renovating the restaurant.

“Well someone fucking trademarked it, Richie.” The attitude Carmy was catching was wholly unwelcome.

“I don’t like your tone, Carmen,” Richie matched Carmy’s energy giving him what he was getting. “All I’m sayin’ is Mikey didn’t trademark it whoever did might…I dunno hypothetically deserve an apology in return for said documents.”

Carmy was at his wits end with the older man “Oh so you’re the fucking Riddler now.”

“Baby trademarked the name?” Nat’s voice traveled between the trio at the same time as Carmen’s snarky remark. Carmy’s head shot to her, confused as to how she concluded you had anything to do with the conversation at hand.

“Bingo!” Richie’s hands came together in a loud clap Sydney rolled her eyes at the obnoxious man before looking over the various work orders. “She did that shit years ago and gave it to Mikey as a present, he…left it for her when he passed.”

A quiet fell over their small group, each of them taking in the gesture. Richie had only become privy to the present when he went through the office to try and make sense of what the hell Mikey was doing to keep the business up and running. He had knocked a framed picture of your group off the desk cleaning up the mess only to find the folded trademark document in the back of the broken picture frame.

Your name was haphazardly scribbled into the back of it.

Carmen’s chest heaved as he let the news wash over him, it seemed since the two of you had your falling out the universe was continuously pushing him to interact with you. He raised his hand to his face, rubbing it up and down as he added another item to the long list of things going wrong with the restaurant.

In a way, learning that you were responsible for trademarking the name made Carmy’s chest feel warm. It felt like you wanted this for Mikey just as much as he did, the two of you both supporting Mikey in ways the other never knew. It also gave him an excuse to speak with you, not that he needed one. If he was a better man he would’ve already worked up the courage to reach out to you. He could feel a headache coming on the more he thought about trying to fix things with you.

Carmen was sure he’d figure things out soon, he wasn’t sure how much longer he could figure things out with you not by his side. Which he would admit was quite ironic considering all the times he had willingly pushed you away. But being pushed away by you had proven to him just how badly he was screwing things up with you, to hear you be so upset by his actions he basically forced you into confessing your love stung him to his core.

Carmy wasn’t exactly sure what love was supposed to feel like, but he was almost positive it wasn’t this. The ache in his chest from not being around you, looking for you in every crowd he was in. Soaking up any conversation your name was mentioned in. Maybe he did know what love was supposed to feel like, because for all the time he had been in love with you, he had never once felt so completely and utterly broken as he had been since not fighting for your love a year ago like he should have.

“That was Nat,” you looked up as Pete returned to the table, a smile growing on your face at how happy he looked to have been speaking with his wife. “Cat’s out of the bag! Our pregnancy is no longer top secret!”

Pete’s excitement was contagious, your smile growing wider at his pure joy. “Our pregnancy?” You chuckled never having heard anyone refer to it as if the pregnancy was shared.

You watched as Pete sipped the water in front of him, a signature goofy smile back on his face. “Of course! I mean yeah Nat is carrying the baby, but I’m just as pregnant as she is.” You gave Pete a confused look, a laugh bubbling out of you.

“You laugh now Baby, but I’m serious.” Pete paused as the waiter brought out the bread for your table, both of you quickly thanking them. “Nat’s my partner you know? And I’m so grateful for her providing me the opportunity to be a father. Allowing me to build with her, for us to come together and bring a child into this world, it’s a beautiful thing I love her ya know.”

The sheen in Pete’s eyes was enough to make you emotional you didn’t need to hear his explanation to know how much Pete loved Natalie, you could just see it in the way he looked at her, in the way his face would light up when anyone would mention her name or ask about her.

“I’m happy that Nat has someone like you to build a life with.” Both you and Pete shared misty-eyed smiles, chuckles leaving each of you at how emotional the small things made both of you.

“Looks like that dinner you were planning just turned into a full-blown baby shower!” The loud clap Pete’s hands made startled you. “Wow, it really will be a Baby shower!”

You watched as Pete laughed at his own pun, doing your best not to laugh along with him and encourage his bad jokes. The relationship you developed with Pete was a bit weird in the beginning, you weren’t the most open to the idea, and it’s not because you didn’t like Pete, it just felt like you were replacing Mikey.

It took a while before you could look at Pete and realize he wasn’t trying to replace Mikey’s role in your life, and that the drugs and paranoia had driven you to that conclusion. Pete was a great man, standing by Natalie’s side while she fought to keep you alive. Probably being more accepting than someone else may have been when he and Nat decided to help you. Pete and Natalie both put aside their own lives to help you get better, and get back on your feet, and while part of you wished Mikey was around to ground you as well, Pete’s love and kindness didn’t deserve to be taken for granted.

“That dinner was supposed to be a surprise for you too Peter,” you shot him a tiny glare before reaching for some bread. “I just wanted you both to have a nice night off together, no stress.” The reservation had already been made, but thinking about Pete’s words and the excitement when explaining most everyone knew about the pregnancy, maybe it would have been best for an intimate shower for the two soon-to-be parents.

Pete was definitely a family guy and Natalie came from a big family, maybe a shower would be for the best. Surround them with people who loved and supported them and just allow everyone to bask in the happiness the joyous news brought, you were sure everyone could use a break.

“Okay hypothetically say I put together a small shower for the two of you, is that even something Nat would want?” Sure you knew Nat but Pete was her husband and this was their moment, you didn’t want to ambush her with a party she never wanted.

You watched Pete bristle a little, a nervous smile raised to his lips, “I uh I’m not sure if Nat ever told you but she kinda had this…this whole dream about the two of you,” you frowned confused at what Pete was talking about.

“Well not like an unconscious sleeping dream, more like a-an idea?” Pete’s voice rose at the end of his sentence, not sure if the question in his tone was meant for you or him.

“Pete bud you lost me.” You gave him a small nod of encouragement awaiting his response.

“Um so…after your uh…loss,” a sad smile rose to Pete’s lips, you could see the apology in his eyes. “Nat she uh…she confided in me about how she always wanted to be the one to throw you a shower if you ever decided to have children. And if-when we had our own she’d want you to be in charge of hers…if you wanted to not like she would force you.” The nervous huff of laughter from Pete hung in the air for a minute.

The admission perplexed you, Nat had never brought this up to you directly and maybe it was because she felt like she couldn’t. You weren’t the most open when it came to the topic of your miscarriage always avoiding the conversation whenever Nat tried to breach it.

“Baby…you’re the closest thing Natalie has to a sister. I can promise she would be ecstatic no matter what decision you choose.”

You nodded, the motion happened unconsciously as you tried to take in everything Pete had laid on you. Of course, there were things Nat wouldn’t share with you, but while the two of you were like sisters you didn’t expect her to share every little detail with you. As you let Pete’s words digest you couldn’t help the warm feeling beginning to flood through your body, if you were being honest you weren’t sure if it was the best idea to be throwing anyone a baby shower, but you also knew Natalie deserved to be celebrated, not only for the life she and Pete were creating together, but also for all the work she was doing to ensure that The Bear had a fighting chance.

“Okay,” your head continued its up-and-down motion. “Yeah okay let’s do it but I’m going to need your help, Pete.” You watched the smile on his face increase tenfold, your own wide smile spreading your lips due to how contagious Pete’s joy was.

“Anything and I mean anything Baby, I am your guy.” Pete’s giddiness warmed you even more, you didn’t think you had ever been surrounded by anyone with such a positive attitude before. In the beginning, when Natalie and Pete first began dating, his electric personality was a bit much but you found yourself always trying to make Pete feel included, especially with how off-putting the rest of the Berzatto clan could be.

And when you were recovering it was almost like you had to re-acclimate yourself to Pete’s personality. Your recovery was hard, there were some days you weren’t even sure if you wanted to get better or if you wanted oxygen to continue filling your lungs. But Pete was so positive and always looking at life and your situation with a ‘glass half full’ mentality, that his constant belief in you helped to make the hard days easier.

A small sigh escaped your lips as you readied yourself for the question you were about to ask. “Pete, do you think you could give me Carmen’s number?” You tried not to roll your eyes as you saw Pete’s own light up, you were almost positive he would be telling Nat about this topic of conversation. “Before you get any ideas, I just need it to invite him to the shower.” You raised your hands in defense hoping Pete wouldn’t look into this any more than he already was.

“No can do B, the idea train has already left the station.” His fingers drummed on the table with excitement. “But I will do you one better,” you frowned as you watched Pete pick up his phone, fingers skating across the screen before he held it up to show you. A call to Carmen already going through as Pete sent you a thumbs-up.

You looked at the screen eyes wide, the shock temporarily paralyzed for a moment. The quiet sound of the ringing between the two of you brought you back. “Pete! Hang up the phone.” Your voice was terse as you spoke trying not to draw too much attention from other patrons.

Pete laughed, “He never answers my calls anyway.” Pete’s words irritated you, but you were glad to see the call go to voicemail before Pete pressed the end call button and set his phone down.

You let out a surprised laugh, Pete had definitely been too influenced by the Berzattos during his time with Natalie. The little stunt he just pulled was something you knew both Richie and Mikey would do if given the chance.

“Baby?” Your head raised eyes meeting Pete’s, “I know this may sound selfish, but I…I need you to figure out this thing between you and Carmen.” Your eyebrows furrowed the need to defend yourself hitting you full force, you opened your mouth to respond but stopped as Pete raised his hand, a signal to let him continue.

“I know Baby, I know. I’ll be honest with you, as much as I love Nat’s family I think you should’ve given up on Carmen a long time ago.” Your jaw fell slack, and Pete’s eyes widened a bit. “No, no just for your own wellbeing, your peace of mind.” You began nodding as Pete explained himself better. “I just, whatever is going on between you and Carmen, it’s affecting Nat. And she won’t tell you because you deserve to feel how you feel, but with the baby and the restaurant…she doesn’t need to play "Fix it Felix” with you and Carmen right now.”

You let out a small chuckle at Pete’s explanation, over the years he had begun expressing himself to you more. You being the only one on Natalie’s side who actually gave him the time of day and willfully listened to him, helped him to gain more confidence when around the rest of the Berzattos. You reached for your glass of water, taking a long sip before setting it down.

“Thank you, Pete, for being honest,” you sighed, finger playing with the condensation on your cup. “If I’m being honest, it's easy to forget that Nat’s in the middle of everything. She’s so good at pretending it doesn’t affect her.” A rueful smile rose to your lips, as great as a friend as Natalie had been to you through everything, you weren’t sure the same could be said for yourself. “You’re right, Carmen and I are adults, we should be able to figure this out ourselves. I’ll…I’ll call him, figure things out.” You sent Pete a small smile.

Recently it felt like Natalie and Pete nursed you back to health and then for some reason became your surrogate parents. You didn’t think there was anything wrong with leaning on them, the three of you did endure a traumatic experience together so it was understandable. But maybe you had become too comfortable and relied on them too much to ‘fix’ your life. You could understand where Pete was coming from and he had every right to put his wife’s well-being before the feelings of his friends.

You knew Natalie and Pete would be amazing parents and of course, Nat’s fears were valid. But you had seen firsthand just how loving, caring, and kind the couple was, and while that wasn’t all that went into raising a child it was like a part of you just knew that their child would be in great hands.

“Enough about my poor life choices Pete, have you guys thought of any names?” The timing of the question couldn’t have been more perfect, Pete perked up at the question, eyes glazing over with excitement. A waiter stopped by your table to deliver your entrees as Pete began animatedly explaining his and Nat’s process for picking names.

A part of you ached at how happy Pete was, if things were different, maybe in another life you would’ve been able to see that excitement on another man’s face. Maybe the two of you would’ve come up with your own system for picking out names.

You listened as lunch continued, no matter how many times the thought had crossed your mind, you would always be grateful that Natalie had found a partner to love her in the ways she deserved.

 It was silent between you and Cortez as you made your second lap around the block, the church in the distance behind you. Your hands were preoccupied with a warm disposable cup of hot cocoa as Cortez gingerly sipped his choice of tea. This had become the routine for your meetings with your sponsor, the two of you would meet at the bodega a little ways away from the church that housed both AA and NA meetings. Then continue your meeting with a few circles around the block before ending at the church stairs when all was said and done.

The air was tense between the two of you, Cortez hadn’t taken kindly to your decision to skip out on the few check-ins that you had asked for. In the beginning, you were in constant contact with Cortez, feeling the match between the two of you out. As you progressed through recovery and got back into the routine of daily life the daily talks between the two of you began to dwindle as you settled into life as a recovering addict.

But after that initial meeting at The Beef, being in Carmen’s presence again, surrounding yourself with Richie and the life you once knew, the meetings with Cortez picked back up in frequency. And you were doing fine for some time, the man meeting with you when you needed it, always willing to speak with you whenever you asked and it was helpful, god was it helpful. But then you made it to step nine, step eight in the recovery program was its own monster that Cortez helped you through especially when it came to who didn’t need to be on your list.

You made the decision to text Cortez after admitting your faults to Richie. As great as it felt to finally be open with Richie and let him into your life, it also brought with it the urge to use again. Richie had been kind enough to take the bottle of champagne off your hands that night, but the desire to call Fak and ask if Theo had anything he could spare almost won out. But as you scrolled through your contacts the red icon hovering over the voicemail tab brought you back to your senses.

“So your friend Richie knows?” Your eyes shot to Cortez taking in his side profile before focusing back on their attention focused on the steaming paper cup of coffee gripped in their hands.

“Yeah, his daughter kind of spilled the beans.” You nodded playing with the frayed edges of your jeans.

“That’s a bit fucked up don’t cha think?” Cortez’s brows furrowed. “I mean how does his little girl know but he don’t that’s gotta hurt.”

You rolled your eyes, “Aren’t you supposed to like not be judgmental?” Cortez’s laugh felt like it was grating on your ears, as good a sponsor as he was, he had the personality of an annoying older brother you were happy not to have.

“It ain’t even judgment though, it’s an observation.” You didn’t have to be looking at him to know that annoying smirk was on his lips as he shrugged his shoulders.

You stopped as Cortez dropped his now empty cup in a trash bin on the street, “Didn’t know you received your inspector gadget certification.”

“That smart ass mouth is bouta be the reason you out here looking for a new sponsor,” you let out a cackle before taking a much-needed sip of your hot cocoa. “Sound like my daughter with that dumb shit.” If you didn’t know the man who was walking by your side, you would’ve thought he was actually upset, but you could tell by the uptick of his lips he didn’t take anything to heart.

The two of you rounded the corner coming up on the church. You watched as Cortez plopped his long limbs down on one of the steps, opting to sit on the railing. Cortez took out his pack of cigarettes bringing the box to his mouth and removing one before offering the box in your direction. You slipped one out a small laugh escaped you at the irony of everything, how you had once been so against the cancer sticks that those around you would make sure not to smoke around you. And then instead of indulging in a nicotine addiction, you turned to alcohol and prescription pills, the fact that you would smoke a cigarette here and there to appease your urges now felt a bit comical.

You leaned forward allowing Cortez to light your cigarette, “Man ain’t nothin’ like smoking on Big G’s doorstep.” Cortez’s voice filled the silence that had settled over the two of you, you took a drag of the cigarette, a small chuckle escaping you with the smoke.

“I used to hate these fucking things.” The disgust on your face was obvious even as the stick hung from your mouth.

“Why you take one every time I offer 'em’ then?” Cortez switched positions leaning his elbows on the step behind him as he stretched his long limbs out in front of them, offering a wave to the few people entering the church for whatever meeting was scheduled to take place.

You shrugged eyes falling to Cortez’s beat-up boots as you sucked the nicotine deep into your lungs, “They’re the same brand Mikey smoked.”

“Damn ma, that shits kinda sad.” The two of you locked eyes before small laughs left the both of you. You had been around Cortez for so long that you’d picked up on his need to turn most anything into a joke. And while in the beginning, it pissed you off, you realized that’s just who he was and that sometimes being able to laugh in serious moments or at your trauma was helpful.

“Nah seriously though better smokin’ these than messin’ with that shit that hooked you in the first place. Know what I mean?” You nodded, finishing off the cigarette in your hand before taking the second cigarette Cortez offered. You knew how these things went and had spent so much time with the man that you learned to read him. Cortez only ever smoked two cigarettes and offered you two if the conversation was gonna be a rough one.

“Where you at with them apologies?” You sighed letting the man light your cigarette one more time, allowing the fumes to warm your lungs.

You dropped from your seat on the railing, your backside had gone numb. You settled yourself to lean against the railing “I mean I told Richie the truth and there were a lot of apologies in that conversation. But I feel like he deserves a better apology.” You shrugged, your attention dropping to Cortez as he listened.

“Ima be honest wit chu, this might be the hardest part of recovery. Shit I know it was f’me admittin’ to my little girl her father was a fuckin’ junkie. But at the end of the day, you gotta remember this recovery shit is for you. If homeboy loves you like a sister like you say he does, all that should matter to him is that yo annoyin’ ass still here. A’ight, ma?” You listened, nodding along to his words. “All you can do is apologize for the shit you did, you can’t control whether people forgive you or not, and remember ain’t nobody gotta fuck with your apology if they don’t want to.”

You let Cortez’s words settle into you, to anyone else his words may not have seemed genuine but this is just who Cortez was. And you knew no matter how nonchalant he sounded he was speaking every word from his heart.

“You still fuckin with that lil dumbass boy?” The question caused you to choke on the last bit of cocoa in your cup.

“We had a falling out, he’s one of the people I have to apologize to though.” The cigarette between your fingers continued to burn. “There’s a lot I still haven’t told him…the substance abuse, the reasons behind my overdose.” An exhausted sigh pushed its way through your lips. It was like one thing after another when it came to you and Carmy.

“Listen I know we ain’t sposed to have like personal relationships and shit, but lemme know what homeboy looks like I’ll get my goons on em’ for you.” Your head fell back in laughter as Cortez raised his fist to under both of his eyes.

“No goons Cortez, please. Wait, have you ever actually put a hit on somebody before?” You obviously didn’t know Cortez as well as you would have if the two of you were friends. But it wasn’t hard to tell that he would get down if need be.

“Why someone say somethin’?” The two of you shared a laugh, the now more frequent people entering the church signifying that your time together was coming to an end.

“Aight, I gotta head in, get shit set up in there. But ima send you the info for Nar-Anon you give that shit to people who still choose to put up with yo ass. You comin' in?”

You shook your head sending him a small smile, “I came to the morning meetings today.”

You nodded in thanks as Cortez stood up, pushing yourself off the railing. You placed the cigarette between your lips leaving your hands open to do the handshake Cortez insisted you did after each meeting. When he first introduced it you were still getting used to the idea of being a recovering addict and thought he was fucking crazy. But you realized he used it as a way to break the serious desolate feeling that some of these meetings ended on, to help bring some light to what was such a dark reality.

At least that’s how he explained it to you, but you were sure he just liked doing the handshake his daughter helped him come up with.

“Ima see you when I see you ma stay straight.” You chuckled before turning on your heel to head to your parked car. Putting the bud of the cigarette out against the trash bin you passed. It was still early, enough time for you to knock out some baby shower shopping before it got too late.

Carmen stopped in his tracks, eyes finding your figure across the street. You were in front of the church that held the Al-Anon meetings he told you about. Maybe you would be attending the one he was here for, his eyes traveled to the man sitting on the steps you were talking to eyebrows furrowing as he realized the vapors leaving your mouth weren’t from your warm temperature, but instead the stick you had raised to your mouth.

“Baby?” The question left his lips in a quiet whisper, he knew it was you standing across the street but it had been a few weeks since your last interaction he was sure he had imagined you. But he would know you anywhere, by scent alone. He couldn’t help the shock at watching you smoke, something you had been so opposed to since the two of you were children. Even going so far as telling Carmy you couldn’t be friends when he smoked his first cigarette at 15, the stalemate barely lasted a day after you realized how dumb the idea was.

Carmy watched as the two of you stood up, his hopes to see you inside dwindling as he watched the two of you begin to part ways, an intricate handshake taking place before you turned to leave. He watched as your figure disappeared around the corner, a quiet ‘shit’ leaving his lips before he darted across the street trying to catch you before you were gone for good.

“Baby! Hey!” His shouts were useless, you were too far gone to have even heard him. “Fuck!” One hand raised to sit on the bill of his cap, the universe seemed like it was doing everything in its power to keep the two of you apart. Or maybe it was just the way things were meant to be.

Carmy turned to see the man you were with still standing in the same spot you left him, eyes narrowed as he took in Carmy’s figure. The man eyed Carmy for a moment longer, sending a head nod his way before turning and entering the church. Carmy was tempted to follow the man and ask about you, but whatever your relationship with the unknown man was, it was none of Carmy’s business.

He sighed eyes shooting up to the sky before taking a deep breath and making his way inside, not wanting to be late and disturb the Al-Anon meeting before it began. Carmy made his way to the room where the meeting usually took place, eyes landing on the same man from outside once more as he greeted members, the sign near the door he stood by signifying it was an NA meeting. Carmy stopped for a moment, eyes darting between the man and the sign he’d just read.

“You lost kid?” Carmy looked at the man brown furrowed as he shook his head, he sent a tight smile the man's way before walking two doors down for his own meeting. Carmen’s brain felt like it was racing a mile a minute. If you weren’t coming to the Al-Anon meeting, why were you here? And why were you talking with someone who appeared to be leading NA meetings?

The vibrating of his phone caught his attention, the device easily slipped out of his pocket. He felt the air leave his lungs as your name flashed across his screen, he realized just how indecent setting that Polaroid picture of you with his chain on might have been now that he was in public, but it’s not like he ever thought you’d call him.

How’d you even get his number?

“Carmen, hey, we’re about to start your coming?” His head shot up to one of the usual who attended these meetings and would talk to him on occasion.

“Yeah uh, just give me a minute.” Carmy gave a tight smile, eyes flashing back to his phone finger moving to swipe across the screen, the call abruptly ending before he even got the chance to hear your voice. Carmen was sure he had the worst luck in the world, a defeated sigh leaving him, he was almost positive there was no chance you were calling him back.

Quickly putting his phone on Do Not Disturb and in the safety of his jacket pocket, he entered the meeting, as much as he wanted to drop everything and fix things with you. He wasn’t even sure what you had called him for. Carmen also knew it was for the best to attend the meeting,

Carmen was sitting in his car allowing it to warm up as he waited. The skyline began to reflect the sunset, the time on the dashboard letting him know it was around dinner time. He fished his phone out of his pocket mindlessly checking the notifications he’d gotten while in the meeting.

Carmy’s brows furrowed at the flurry of messages he received from a group chat he wasn’t aware he was a part of. He frowned as he opened it, your contact is one of the many in the text chain. The only contact with a photo was yours, making you easily distinguishable, he realized the rest of the people in the chat were the restaurant crew. He scrolled through the messages eyes reading over your message with details about a baby shower, your address included.

Carmy exited out of his messages, unsure of how things were between the two of you. It had been three weeks since the argument and neither of you had tried contacting the other. But here he was with a message from you, and a missed call and he wasn’t sure how to take any of it.

He decided it was a good idea to call you back, and try and feel out the atmosphere between the two of you. His heart felt like it was stuttering in his chest as his finger hovered over his screen; you left him a voicemail. He needed to know what the message said, but a part of him was also worried he might not like what he heard, he had hurt you too many times to count, and if whatever you had to say to him broke him down more than he already was, well then he was sure he deserved it.

Carmen took one last deep breath before clicking on the voicemail and raising the phone to his ear, heart pounding in his chest as he heard the sweet whisper of your voice.

‘Hey Carmen, uh it’s me…Baby. Not sure why I introduced myself. I'm sure you know it’s me.” Carmy let out a watery chuckle at the sound of your voice, even if he hadn't saved your number the delicate timber of your voice would’ve been enough for him.

“Listen uh, I got your number for Pete. I hope you don’t mind, I know you have issues with girls actually having your number…Sorry, that was actually kind of rude. Anyway, I uh…Pete helped put things in perspective for me and I, I think we need to talk Carmen. I’m not sure when or if you even want that, but I think we both deserve a chance to explain our side of things. I um…I also have some things I think you should know. Just, if this is something you’re interested in, you have my number.” Carmen felt his heart rate slow down your words, nothing more than a piece offering.

“I just want to be clear though, um..if I don’t hear back from you, I’m going to take that as a sign. So yeah, call me back or something I guess.” The line finally went silent, your voice no longer caressing Carmy’s ears.

It felt like he was having heart palpitations but he knew it was just his nerves getting the best of him. He pulled the phone away from his ear, the time on his phone reading 5:30 p.m. Carmy quickly opened the group chat scrolling through to find your address and open it up in maps. You lived about 30 minutes from where he was, he was confident he could get there in 20 and spare the 10 minutes at a store near you.

Carmen made his decision as he set his phone down in the cup holder before beginning his journey. The ball was in his court, you had given him an olive branch and it was up to him whether he accepted it or not. He was nervous, maybe showing up at your house to cook you dinner wasn’t his most thought-out plan but he needed you desperately, needed to see you, be in your presence, and know that there was still a chance of something more between the two of you.

The hope Carmy felt when he saw you calling him earlier was now back tenfold: the pendant delicately resting against his chest felt warm. Carmen was adamant that he would admit his love for you tonight, unsure if he could go another day living with the fact that you were in love with him, but you still didn’t know just how much he had always loved you. You were so blissfully unaware that since he could remember, you had been the one and only option in his mind.

a/n: wowza, long time no see. i apologize that this is a bit of a filler chapter but it felt kinda necessary idk. anway please let me know if there are any problems with this chapter it's barely edited. enjoy : )

also also: both richard cabral as coco in mayans and manny montana as rio in good girls inspired cortez the sponsor, but head canon him as whoever you want…okay bye now 🤍

[drksanctuary]

Oh shoot I almost forgot

Stupid Chalice of the Gods predictions before the book comes out and ruins my fun:

1. There will be a lecture about how important college is probably from Chiron

2. Student loan joke ftw

3. Maybe a clever jab at how Percy feels like he’s been 17 forever and can’t wait to be an adult

4. Ganymede is Zues’s intern or something like that

5. The fact that Ganymede is god of homosexuality will either be glossed over or will be his entire personality.

6. Alabaster is also looking for chalice and he is a main factor in making it difficult for the og3 to find it.

7. Because of this Hecate promises Percy his second letter of rec if he keeps Al from getting the Chalice but also makes sure Al doesn’t get killed.

8. Alabaster will make a quip about Percy being a literal dog to the gods with how he’s playing fetch for them

9. “Heroes never die, Jackson, fortunately you’re no hero~”

10. Alabaster as main villain

11. Alabaster as anti-hero

12. Alabaster as villain turned protagonist

13. Alabaster encouraging Grover to take up eco-terrorism to help along his duty as Pan’s replacement.

14. Alabaster with an anti-trio (I dunno who the other two would be maybe new original characters or maybe Ethan and some very minor god)

15. Percabeth Will unnecessarily fight to cause drama. XP

16. A comment about how they can’t use their godly parents for the letters because this is a fantasy world where nepotism doesn’t help you get into university.

17. A running joke on “what Percy Will major in” for example: Percy does solves a problem with pure luck and someone says “maybe you should major in being in the right place at the right time”

18. Letter of Rec from Akhlys? More likely then you think.

19. Jason Cameo??

20. “Al: you’re getting this potentially universe changing, power subverting magical object for the most powerful beings in the world and for what? A letter of Rec to get into a demigod college? That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard of…why don’t you just go into trade school or something? I’m sure you’d make a good plumber

Percy: haha 😑because water powers ;:/?

Alabaster: no because you’re full of-

Annabeth: shhh! Do you guys…hear that?”

21. Al makes a quip about how Hecate kids are smart too. “Like Athena kids, but useful” then Annabeth decks him.

22. Percy and Annabeth Save Al’s life and he has to help them because he absolutely does not want to OWE them anything.

23. Percy in his head compares Alabaster (with his dramatic entrances, ability to help them and ability to mist travel) to Nico.

24. Grover as stand in for Pan actually qualifies as a god and gives him his last letter. Loophole!

I think I had more but I can’t remember them anymore. Oh well.

[lunarthecorvus]

Six Of Crows College/University Modern AU fanfiction recommendations part of Lunar's soc fanfiction rec series

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Birds of a Feather by @sc11vb

Wordcount: 8.8k Chapters: 6/? (It's still being updated:)

Characters: Nina Zenik, Inej Ghafa, Kaz Brekker, Matthias Helvar, Jesper Fahey, Wylan Van Eck, Zoya Nazyalensky, Nikolai Lanstov, Tolya Yul-Bataar, Leoni Hilli, Alina Starkov, Maleyn Oretsev, Background & Cameo Characters

Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - College/University, Friendship/Love, Plot What Plot, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff without Plot

Author's summary/notes: “You know what they say, ‘trouble is my middle name’.” “Your middle name is Deirdre,” Inej said. “Don’t remind me,” Nina groaned. My summary/notes: In this fic we have a years worth of Kanej pining and currently there is some drama between those two, let's just say the angst is angsting. We have some other grishaverse characters featuring in the fic as well, there's established helnik and established wesper. I love Nina so much and in typical modern!au Nina fashion she comes up with a plan to stop the Kanej pining and it certainly is a plan... Nina and Inej's friendship very important in this fic (as it should be) and its written so well.

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I Like You a Latte by sevenofcrows

Wordcount: 45k Chapters: 28/? (Hasn't been updated since Janurary but the last chapter works well and doesn't end on a cliffhanger)

Characters: Kaz Brekker, Inej Ghafa, Jesper Fahey, Wylan Van Eck, Nina Zenik

Tags: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shop & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - College/University, Kaz Brekker Needs a Hug, Kaz Brekker is Bad At Feelings, Texting, Fluff, Tooth-Rooting Fluff, rated explicit but the chapters are marked + not related to the plot, so the explicit parts can be ignored

Author's summary/notes: "Kaz Brekker was not your usual college student. He didn't leave assignments until the last day, he didn't stress over finals, he never left the house in sweatpants and a t-shirt. He was always put together, dressed in jeans and a properly ironed shirt, the answer keys to his next three exams hidden away in his computer and essays already written even before they were assigned. He didn't leave things to chance. If you asked any of his friends, they would call him a control freak. He liked to say he was born to be in charge. So, seeing him rush into a coffee shop with his hair messed up and shirt wrinkled was a once in a lifetime event." What happens when Kaz Brekker meets Inej Ghafa, a bright eyed barista who seems to read his mind when it comes to his drink orders? They fall in love, of course. This is the story of what happens in between. My summary/notes: You ever get that fic that you don't entirely remember whats it about because you haven't read it in a while but when you read the title the flush of serotonin and you just start to smile because you just remember that it was SO GOOD, this is one of those fics for me. Honestly the author's summary is just perfect, but heres some notes. The recipe thing is so cute, the kanej here is so adorable, Inej with the doodles is again so cute. The last thing I will say is they're both down so bad, especially Kaz.

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honey, honey by halfahint

Wordcount: 21k Chapters: 3/3

Characters: Inej Ghafa, Kaz Brekker, Nina Zenik, Matthias Helvar, Wylan Van Eck, Jesper Fahey

Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - College/University, POV Inej Ghafa, Friends With Benefits (sort of), To explain the Friends With Benefits tag it basically means that they agree to work on healing their respective touch phobia together, Intimacy, (but also emotional intimacy, feelings are hard

Author's summary/notes: “Look,” Nina says. Inej has startled her badly enough that she’s made a mess of her eyeliner – the wing on her right eye careens wildly to one side. “I’m all for reclaiming your sexuality. Seriously. Two thumbs up from me. But, honestly, Inej, does it have to be with the most emotionally unavailable man you know?” “Well, who would you suggest?” Nina’s eyes bulge. “Oh, I don’t know, literally anyone with a pulse and a conscience?” “Kaz has – “We don’t know that,” Nina says sternly. My summary/notes: A story of healing as Kaz and Inej work on their touch phobia and while doing that they fall harder for eachother (they already knew eachother 2 years before the events of the fic). They have some cute moments. The crows dynamics in this fic are showed so perfect, it defintely reminds me of book!crows.

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You'll Be With Me Wherever I Go by @rupturedhaven

Wordcount: 35k Chapters: 18/? (It's still being updated:)

Characters: Kaz Brekker, Inej Ghafa, Jesper Fahey, Wylan Van Eck, Nina Zenik, Matthias Helvar, Genya Safin, Maleyn Orestev, Nikolai Lanstov, Zoya Nazyalensky

Tags: Six Of Crows AU, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - College/University, Grishaverse, Texting, Drunk Texting, Chatting & Messaging, Fluff, Background Relationships, Background Characters Freeform, Slowburn, minimal angst

Author's summary/notes: It's their last year of university, and Jesper has insisted on starting a new group chat. There's chaos. There's bickering. There's friendship. There's love. Six of Crows texting fic. My summary/notes: Ok, ok, I love Rupturedhaven's fics, they write brilliantly so recommending this fic was a must. In this fic you get to see more of the Wylan and Matthias friendship dynamic. There is of course some Kanej pining after eachother and the latest chapter-. A TON of Wesper flirting and you get to see them go from friendship to lov- as well as going into some of Jesper's troubles. The Nina and Kaz dynamic in this fic is definitely siblingly and I adore it. Helnik also develops in this fic and we get to see them be as amazing as ever but also go through a couple problems but nothing can ever stop Helnik those two are so adorable in this fic. I was about to write about the amazing Nina and Inej friendship in this fic but I'm going to finish off by saying that all the friendships in this fic are just beautiful.

[sasheneskywalker]

Weekly Batman/DC Fic Recs (3)

This week I mostly have recs about Tim and Jason. There's an outsider's perspective on Tim and Bernard's relationship, a social media Bruce/Tim fic, and a Duke-centric oneshot. I've also found a great fic focused on Jason coming to terms with being asexual and aromantic, an explicit Slade/Jason oneshot, and a Slade/Jason fic set during the Under the Red Hood Arc. And we have a DCU and Deadpool crossover with Wade Wilson pretending to be Slade Wilson. Hope you enjoy the recs <3

overdue for a revival by cv_angels When Laura moves back to Gotham, the last thing she expects is to end up roommates with Bernard Dowd.

A glimpse into how Tim and Bernard come back together after their time at Louis Grieve High School, as told through the eyes of one Laura Fell.

T | No Archive Warnings Apply | Batman - All Media Types, Robin (Comics) | Bernard Dowd/Tim Drake, Darla Aquista & Bernard Dowd, Darla Aquista & Bernard Dowd & Tim Drake

look around, round, round by future86 u/FezOn · 2 hr. ago

RED ROBIN AND BATMAN FUCKING?!?!?!

[Blurry image of two blurry figures, ears and cowls identifying them as Batman and Red Robin. Red Robin is bent over a vent on top of the building, with Batman behind him]

302 comments

Top comments

u/RiddleMeThis Obviously fake

u/Plsrtyr Has the image disappeared for any of you guys?

T | Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings | Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types | Tim Drake/Bruce Wayne

Big Damn Heroes by Zahri The call came in just after lunch. 246S. School shooting.

Duke hasn’t worked one as the Signal, yet.

(It’s different, from this angle)

T | No Archive Warnings Apply | Batman (Comics), Robin (Comics), We Are Robin (Comics) | No Relationships

Think of Me by Luvo “Any…life updates?” Bruce asks hopefully.

“Like what?”

“I don’t know. Do you maybe…is there a girl?”

Jason feels his face heat. He does his best to ignore Tim, Steph, and Cass snickering as he asks, “Seriously?”

Bruce looks down. He looks back up.

“A boy?” he tries.

Jason’s fork clatters to his plate. “Dad!” he hisses.

T | No Archive Warnings Apply | Batman - All Media Types, Batman (Comics) | Connor Hawke & Jason Todd, Cassandra Cain & Jason Todd, Tim Drake & Jason Todd

Jobs of Different Kinds by Skalidra Slade's expecting his latest job to be a mostly boring one. It's a smaller city, outside the main spheres of vigilante activity, and the only potential threat his employer's told him about is a rival 'gang.' It's a way to spend time between his more interesting assignments, though, and it's a decent paycheck.

Of course, finding one of the Gotham birds flying around will certainly liven things up.

E | No Archive Warnings Apply | DCU (Comics) | Jason Todd/Slade Wilson

name the drama and I'll play the part by wednesday The night feels deceptively calm and pleasant, and Jason knows nights in Gotham are never that. At least never both at the same time. Maybe it’s echoes of Vertigo’s powers still messing with Jason’s senses. But he has shit to do, so he’ll just shake it off as he goes.

For better or worse, his night doesn't quite go as expected.

T | No Archive Warnings Apply | DCU (Comics) | Jason Todd/Slade Wilson

five, six, just for kicks by bittercape “Good evening,” Jason says, because he does have manners when he wants to use them. “Talia al Ghul sent me for training.”

“Right,” the man says. “You’re here for training with Deathstroke.”

“Yeees,” Jason says. This seems more than a little eccentric. “And you are Deathstroke?”

“Yes indeed!” the man says. “It is I, Deathstroke!”

M | No Archive Warnings Apply | DCU (Comics), Red Hood: Lost Days, Deadpool - All Media Types, Deathstroke the Terminator (Comics) | Jason Todd & Wade Wilson, Jason Todd & Slade Wilson, Jason Todd/Slade Wilson

[absolutebl]

Hi, ABL!

Could you give me some show recommendations? I'm going into surgery next week and will be bedridden for a couple of weeks after that. Basically, I'll have a lot of time on my hands. What better way than to fill that time with QLs?

I like the dark Japanese stuff (Pornographer, The Shortest Distance is Round, Dangerous Drugs of Sex, etc.), high heat (Bed Friend, KinnPorsche, etc.), suspense/mystery/thriller (Manner of Death, 4 Minutes, Not Me etc.), and all the angst (I loved the angst in Unknown).

I mostly watch shows from Thailand, Japan, and Taiwan because I like their vibes (unless it's dead fish kissing, lol), but I'm open to try other countries as well.

Your expert guidance would be much appreciated.

Have an amazing day!

Best of luck with the surgery. But also, how fun to have some time to watch things!

Dark BL

(Like the Novelest et al)

High Heat BL

(Like KinnPorsche)

BL with Suspense & Mystery Elements

(Like Manner of Death)

High Angst BL

(Like Unknown)

Just for S&G here's:

Just to be on the safe side, some I'm gonna rec right away?

The Sign (heat + all the sub genres you coudl want)

Laws of Attraction (mystery, drama, ridiculousness)

The On1y One (ANGST!)

[qqueenofhades]

Do you have any other OT3 recs? Rook & Rose rewired my brain

Alas, my beloved Rook & Rose OT3 is the only one that I can think of in that exact configuration, but two other recs if you (like me) enjoy Big Fat Plotty Fun Fantasy Trilogies In Well-Drawn Worlds, which is the essence of the Rook and Rose series:

The Daevabad Trilogy (City of Brass, Kingdom of Copper, Empire of Gold) by S.A. Chakraborty. I have recommended this before, but I will continue in my dedicated quest to get more people to read it. Set both in 18th-century Cairo and the magical djinn city of Daevabad; politics, magic, intrigue, morally grey characters, sass, snark, Garbage Men (Muntadhir al-Qahtani, my beloved), and much more.

The Green Bone trilogy (Jade City, Jade War, Jade Legacy) by Fonda Lee. Set in a modern Asian fantasy world inspired by 80s Hong Kong gangster movies; tons of martial arts action and family drama; possibly one of THE best-built worlds in fantasy I have encountered; also Garbage Men Galore AND my Garbage Queens, Kaul Shae and Ayt Mada. (They hate each other but I still think they should have ended up together sshhhhhhh.)

[nirvanawrites111]

I'm Calling You Daddy (Sub!Changbin x Dom!Reader)

Pairing: Sub!Changbin x Dom!Reader

Word Count: 2730

Summary: You used to date Woosan, but now you are figuring shit out with your bestie, Changbin. You and Changbin like role reversal so he likes calling you "daddy" and prefers you to praise him by saying, "Good girl".

Warnings: Shower sex, creampie, Binnie fucks a dildo, Binnie is called Y/n's wife, piv, oral male rec., really not a plot tbh, unprotected sex, Binnie likes to be choked, praise kink, daddy kink. Mentions of drinking but my baes prefer sober sex.

A/n: chilee.. I wrote this in one sitting so yeah. I've been having writer's block for the longest!!! So, this is a start to getting back into writing. I wish I could write smut for a living lol.

Enjoy! I did this for the Sub!Changbin collective! Love you guys!!!

"Why aren't you two drinking? We're at a party! Let's take a shot," Minho chastises you and Changbin.

You both glance at each other, and you look down at the ginger ale in your hand. "Bro, I have an important meeting, tomorrow."

"One shot won't hurt," Minho pleads with you, but you don't want to budge to his peer pressure.

"Minho, chill. Okay, we don't have to get fucked everything we come to your house," Changbin speaks up. 

You can see the disapproval on Minho's face, but you know you have to stand your ground about this.

"Alright," Minho throws his hands up and walks away from you two. He finds Felix and some woman you've never seen before.

You glance at the door, and you see San walking into the room. You squeeze your cup a little bit tighter.  You say a silent prayer to whoever is in the clouds looking over you, hoping he doesn't walk over to you.

"You don't have to speak to him. Okay," Changbin leans over and whispers into your ear.

His hand gently rests in the middle of your lower back. His touch grounds you, and you take a deep breath.

You realize he's right. What do you owe, San, anyways?

"I know," you say.

You watch San walk through the room, and a few of his admirers are checking him out.

Of course, his hoes would be at the same party. You're unsure which one he'll be fucking in the bathroom, but that's no longer your concern.

"Y/n, long time no see!" San directs his energy toward you, and you groan internally. All you want is one drama-free night.

You usually wouldn't go to a party on a Tuesday night, but Changbin has to show face at these get-togethers. Or, he won't hear the last of it.

Of course, San wants to make a scene in front of everyone.

It would not be polite to ignore him. You decide not to be petty. "Hey, San. How are you?"

"I'm doing good," His eyes trail down your body. You know you look good, but it's not to impress you.

San grins when he admires how your body fills out your short black dress. It's been a minute since you decided to dress more femininely.  "I see you are doing even better."

"What do you want?" You ask.

Before you can answer, you see Wooyoung come up and put his arms around you. He starts dancing on you. But, you don't respond in the way he's hoping you would.

"Wooyoung!" You peel his arms off of you. You can smell the liquor oozing off his skin.

"Baby! You need to come back home to us," Wooyoung whispers against your ear. You take a step back from him.

That's the last thing you actually want.

Changbin steps forward between the two of you. "Respect the lady, please. She's not interested."

"Who are you?" Wooyoung questions.

"Her best friend."

"Oh, are you two fucking?" Wooyoung questions him. It feels like things could go left. You know how jealous Wooyoung can be and how hot-tempered he is.

You heard enough of this interaction. "Goodnight, Wooyoung." You grab Changbin's hand and head for the door.

If you have some alcohol in your system, you might be able to deal with drunk Woosan, but tonight isn't that night.

Changbin still holds onto your hand. He knows that seeing them tonight isn't what you expected. He wouldn't have invited you if he knew they would be there.

Changbin follows you to his corvette and opens the passenger door for you. You turn around and throw your arms around him. "Binnie, I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"It's not your fault. Trust me. It doesn't bother me."

Changbin stares into your eyes. He knows that you aren't ready for a relationship. You are still working on yourself after the breakup. The pain is still heavy in your eyes, even when you smile.

So, all he can be is your best friend. The one that holds all your secrets. The one that the world doesn't get to see. The goddess that can conquer him so easily.

"Use me.. goddess," Changbin's voice is low, but still at a level where you can understand him.

"Binnie... you don't mean that."

"I do. Ruin me. I'd do anything to experience you again. Even if this is all that I get to experience."

Changbin's heart is racing for you. He's vulnerable, and he wants to be a hole for you.

"Okay. Let's go to my house."

***

You admire Changbin's willingness to be used by you. Something that once was a foreign concept to you, but it's something you find yourself craving when you are all alone.

Changbin's simple vow of devotion is something you have yet to experience with anyone else. You like this side of yourself that you embrace when you are alone with him.

With him, there is no judgment or constant critiquing. No one to question your femininity or how masculine you are. In these moments alone with him, you get to embrace your authentic self.

This side of yourself is entirely unmasked, raw, and highly vulnerable—the perfect mixture of masculine and feminine energy.

Your eyes trace the shape of his body first, before you even touch him. He's so beautiful to you. You love the side you see of him when no one else is around.

He's in his little world while he showers for you. You sit on the shower bench , and you marvel at him. His ass is literally perfect. The muscles in his lower back flex as he cleans his body.

"Come, here, baby," You call out to him almost in a purr.

You stare at how quickly he turns around to come over to you. He gets down on his knees without your request. Something that you love.

"Did you wash that ass nice and good for me?" You ask.

"Yes, daddy," he nods.

Hearing those words leave his lips makes you melt on the inside. Your exs would never let you switch roles.

They insist on being more dominant towards you even though you've asked several times to Dom them.

So, now it's their loss.

Changbin's gain.

You run your fingers through his wet hair and brush it to the side. You lift his chin, and you can see how he longs to be touched by you.

"Are you touch starved? Have I deprived you that long?"

"No," Changbin shakes his head. "It's only been ten days."

"Oh, someone is counting."

"Yes, I keep track. But, I'm grateful for whatever you decide to give me."

"Mmm.. you want to fuck you like a whore, tonight?"

"I do."

You can see the sparkle in his eyes. How much he wants to be ruled by you.

"Alright. Show me you deserve it." You get up and walk around him to reach into your shower basket hanging around the shower head.

You grab your favorite suction cup dildo. You hold it and attach it to the wall. You put it at a perfect height just where he can reach it.

You reach into your shower caddy and grab your favorite suction.  You cover it in Changbin's favorite lube.

"Yes, daddy," he replies. He eagerly gets up and slides his ass down onto the dildo.

You sit back down and watch him. You bite your lip at the way he's so obedient to you. He'd do anything to please you.

He's so fucking hot fucking himself like this so that you can fuck him.

Your pussy is wet with excitement. You cross your legs because you don't want to touch it yet. The way he arches his back and isn't afraid to show you how much of a slut he can be for you makes your center throb.

"Fuck, daddy," Changbin moans, filling the shower. You close your eyes and cross your legs again. You are soaking wet just from him being such a whore for you.

"I need you," he cries out, music to your ears.

You stand up and decide to change things up a little bit.

"You're fucking yourself so good. Let's see how long you can last. You want me to taste you?"

"Yes," he whimpers. You stare at his painfully hard dick.

"Yes, what?"

"Yes, daddy."

You get on your knees, and you stroke his dick. The sight of him pleasuring him already has you dripping. You love how spacious your shower is because you can do everything.

"Mmm.. good girl. So obedient to daddy. This is why I have to reward you," You moan, and you cover his length. Your tongue swirls around the tip, and you tease him a bit.

You stare up at him, and his eyes connect with yours. This is how you want to reward him for sticking up for you tonight.

You pulled him away earlier before things got too crazy. Because, you don't want him to get into trouble.

But, you love when he defends you.

Changbin always defends you.

So, he must be recognized for his actions.

"You taste so good, baby."

His pre-cum drips onto your tongue, and you savor his taste. You see how he covers his face because he's enjoying pleasing himself, and having you on your knees rewarding him.

"I love when you defend me... You would make the perfect spouse. How would you like to be addressed?" You know, but you want to hear it roll off his tongue.

"Your wife... I want to be your wife," he pants so quickly. You swear you could listen to him moan all day.

You know you're fueling his delusions more and more. But, you would marry him. He would make the perfect wife for you. Someone that you can do everything with.

He's so submissive, and that's exactly what you need.

"So, you would change your last name to mine?" You question.

"In a heartbeat," he moans out.

Your hand can't help but fall in between your thighs. You brush your finger against your swollen clit. It's already glistening with your essence. All because Changbin is such an obedient little slut for you.

Even though you would rather feel Changbin's fingers stroke your clit right now, you are focused on his pleasure. Watching him come undone like this turns you on even more.

It makes you ache for him even more. He's so bold as not to question any of your requests, but he's still so shy for you.

"Fuck," a curse slips from mouth. You are enjoying the taste of him. Making him weak like this. It's a sight you enjoy.

You suck him faster, because you want him to cum for you. He grabs the back of your head, but it's gentle. He's always so careful and precise in how he touches you. Never rough, but just perfect.

"Come for daddy," you breathe out. Your hands massage against his balls. You take him in deeper until he hits the back of your throat.

"Shit," he squirts down your throat. You swallow his load. His hands are still covering his face. He comes over and over again while his legs shake for you.

You stand to your feet, and you stroke his dick which is still hard. You kiss his lips. "You did so good for me. I swear you're the best slut I've ever had. Such, a good girl for me."

"Thank you, daddy."

"Let's go into the bedroom," you lean against his ear and nibble on his ear lobe. "Wife." You add, and he whimpers for you.

Why does he have to be so perfect for you? The best friend you overlooked this whole time.

You still can't believe you two have hooked up a few times. You hop out of the shower and wrap yourself in a towel. You grab a towel for Changbin and cover him up.

You enter the bedroom and reach into your nightstand to grab your strap. You lay it on the bed. You sit on the bed and dry your body off.

Changbin stands in front of you. You grab his towel and dry off his body. He looks like a freaking god standing naked in front of you.

Once he's dry, he sits next to you.

You want to pounce on top of him. You push him back against the bed. "Binnie, why have you turned me into this?" you giggle.

"I didn't do anything. This is who you naturally are. I love the way you dominate me."

"You're right."

With your left hand, you grab his hands and put them above his hand. You kiss all over his face. "You're so sweet.. ugh. I just can't get enough of you."

"I think the same thoughts every day."

His smile is so innocent and sweet. It can literally brighten your whole day.

"Damn, maybe we should be official." A lightbulb goes off in your head.

You jump off of him. You reach into your drawer, and you remember you have something you want to give him.

"Seo Changbin, will you do me the honors," You get down on one knee.

"Y/n! Really?" Changbin sits and laughs at you being his silly best friend.

"Yes, will you be my wife? All I can afford right now is this cock ring, but I will promise to fuck you right every time you need it," you laugh.

You two both know that you aren't serious. But, this is how silly your friendship is.

"Yes, Y/n. I'll be your wife," Changbin wipes imaginary tears from his eyes as you put the cock ring on his dick.

You lean forward to kiss him. You climb back on top of him. "So, can I fuck you? Sorry, where are my manners? May I fuck you, wife?"

"Of course, you can. You want me to help you put your strap on?"

"I was thinking we could try the Amazon position."

Changbin's eyebrows rise at your proposal. "Fuck.. if you hold my legs up, I don't think I would last long."

"That's the point. Plus, I want to feel you deep inside of me. We've never done that."

"Mmm... I'm down. Fuck me."

You push his legs back and hold them. You stand back against the bed and pull him to the edge. You position yourself to line up perfectly with his dick. You slide down onto him inch by inch until he's entirely in you.

"Damn, you feel so good around my dick." You can feel his dick throb inside of you.

You give him a stern look. "Binnie! Don't nut.. yet."

"Yes, daddy."

This is the first time you've ever let him inside of you. Normally, you fuck him with the strap-on, but you never allow him to experience being inside you.

So, there is a first time for everything.

"Mmm.. you feel so good inside of me."

"I've dreamed of being inside of you. It's better than I imagined."

"Of course it is.." You cockily express and press his legs back further so you can ride him in the Amazon position.

"Mmm.." Changbin is whimpering for you, just like the perfect little slut he is. You pound into him harder, giving him exactly what he needs.

"You're so beautiful like this.." You chuckle. "Holding back, knowing you want to cum so hard inside me. You're so obedient. Do you want to cum inside of me? Mhm?" you ask.

"Yes," he mumbles, and covers his face.

You grab his hands and uncover his beautiful face that you love to stare at. "Yes, what?"

"Daddy."

"Mmm... Good girl. I love fucking you so hard. Using you like a toy. You like that?"

You love to see in this state. So beautiful. His tan, olive skin flush, and his lips echo moans for you. All because you are fucking him like this.

"Cum for me, wife."

"Mmm.. Choke me, please!!!!"

You lean forward to slip your tongue inside his mouth. You wrap your hands around his throat and choke him while you fuck him harder.

After you said that, he exploded inside of you. You slip off of him and crawl on top of him. "I want you to be mine, for real. Binnie. Can we make it official?"

"I'm already yours."

[sixofravens-reads]

re: 2023 new releases. hope you're ready for a long message because there were a lot.

hot new releases/things that were relatively popular

He Who Drowned The World, Shelley Parker Chan (Chinese mythological historical, very gay, very stabby a la Baru Cormorant. Book 2 of 2. A particular favorite of mine from this year)

Witch King, Martha Wells (New fantasy book by author of murderbot fame. I didn't actually click with this one but I'd be remiss to leave it off)

House With Good Bones, T Kingfisher (Southern gothic rose horror by the very talented Ursula Vernon)

Translation State, Ann Leckie (high sf alien horror regency romance. Wheeeeee. I had a lot of fun reading this. You can read it as a standalone, but you get deeper context if you've read the ancillary justice series, also highly recommended)

Will of the Many, James Islington (futuristic roman empire aesthetic rigged murder school. Not precisely good but appallingly catchy, I read all six hundred pages in pretty much one sitting. If you liked red rising you'll like this, if you hated red rising you will Not)

OH YEAH THE ACTUAL NEW MURDEBOT NOVEL (System Collapse)

A Power Unbound, Freya Marske (book 3 of 3, magic alt edwardian romances with murder. This is more romance proper but it's about equal with the action plot and Marske is very good. I don't think you've read these so you'd have to start at book 1)

Some Desperate Glory, Emily Tesh (The book that absolutely knocked my socks off, my pick for the best sff release of the year. I forget if I've already told you about this one)

Starling House, Alix Harrow (Southern gothic house drama. Similar feel to Ninth House or The Book of Night)

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi, Shannon Chakraborty (Divorced lady pirate adventure-drama a la Arabian Nights.)

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries, Heather Fawcett (Charming, heavily fairy tale trope themed, vaguely reminiscent of the Lady Trent books)

more obscure new releases from this year that I thought were cool, but not in the Hot New Reads You Can't Miss Because Everyone's Read Them category

Under Fortunate Stars, Ren Hutchings (sf timey wimey space shenanigans with aliens. Immensely cool premise.)

Small Miracles, Olivia Atwater (fallen angel sent to tempt a too good mortal. Extremely charming)

The King Is Dead, Naomi Libicki (vaguely persian flavored fealty romance, very heavy to the fealty. Original, thorny, and intriguing)

The Deep Sky, Yume Kitasei (What if we terribly traumatized everyone going on a generation ship by making them go to viciously competitive boarding school together and then act surprised when a murder mystery occurs. Heads up that it's more interested in the human drama than the SF worldbuilding)

The Saint of Bright Doors, Vajra Chandrasekera (early modern fantasy world anti-imperialism fever dream narrated by a cult survivor. Brilliantly written, spectacularly original, one of the best books I read this year)

Things for 2024, content warning for being (obviously) things I haven't read and thus without quality control

The Warm Hands of Ghosts, Katherine Arden

The Familiar, Leigh Bardugo

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins, P Djeli Clark

Long Live Evil, Sarah Rees Brennan

Goddess of the River, Vaishnavi Patel

The Woods All Black, Lee Mandelo

Exordia, Seth Dickinson

A Sorceress Comes To Call, T Kingfisher

Running Close To The Wind, Alexandra Rowland

Wow tumblr just lets me keep writing words. I didn't think they let me have this many in asks. Oh, and pro tip-- keep an eye out for tordotcom's most anticipated upcoming books for the first six months of 2024. They should be publishing it within the next week or so and I always add masses of books to my tbr from there.

oh holy crap, thanks!! I'll have to check these out!

thoughts on a few of em:

He Who Drowned The World - still have to read She Who Became the Sun lol but hopefully I'll get to em next year!

Witch King - Martha Wells has been recced by like All my sci-fi mutuals now lmao I REALLY gotta get into her!

House With Good Bones - THIS ONE IS ACTUALLY ON MY SHELF!! I just didn't fucking read it this year whoops. Very excited for new Kingfisher

Starling House - I was on the fence about this one since I really didn't like Once and Future Witches, but those comparisons give me hope! I'll add it to the library list!

Some Desperate Glory and Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries are 2/3 of the books published in 2023 that I actually managed to read (the 3rd is The Woman in Me lmao), I can't remember if you recc'd Some Desperate Glory, but it was SOOOOOOOO GOOD OMFG

Small Miracles - my aunt has been trying to convince me to read Atwater for quite a while, I'll have to give this one a try!

The Saint of Bright Doors - I have this one on hold!! Saw a post for it a week or so ago and it sounds absolutely delightful!

The Familiar - SO SO EXCITED for this one! I hope Bardugo is maybe...slowly....extricating herself from the Grishaverse and going to write more books not related to it... (not that they're all bad, I loved the Six of Crows duology, I'm just not into it anymore and I reeeealllly like her adult books lol)

Running Close To The Wind - oh yay new Rowland! I still haven't read her last book (the one with the guy on the cover who looked EXACTLY like my boss to the point where it became an Office Meme that [Boss] Is A Gay Romance Cover Model, still meaning to get a UK version of it but haven't yet) but I'll have to look this one up!

[winterbunny-jk]

Wow, wie unglaublich viele Fanfics es einfach über Joko und Klaas gibt :0 kannst du mir ein paar bereits fertig gestellte empfehlen, denn nachdem ich circa 7 Jahre nicht in diesem Fandom war, brauche ich unbedingt ein paar Recs :D vielen dank schonmal <3

Hallo! :D Ja, das muss man dem JK Fandom echt lassen. Was FFs angeht, sind wir wirklich gesegnet! :D Willkommen zurück im Fandom! <3 Da wird wirklich unheimlich viel geschrieben. Ich selber hab durch Zeitmangel bisher leider eher wenige FFs gelesen (vor allem längere Stories) aber ich kann gerne mal ein paar nennen, die mir gut gefallen haben.

Etwas her, dass ich sie gelesen habe, aber Klassiker wären da z.B.: Salz auf unseren Lippen von Ria (und weiteres von der Autorin) Lila Regen von Batsyl

Gerade Lila Regen hat mich damals total gepackt, habe es sehr dramatisch und intensiv in Erinnerung. Eventuell kennst du diese aber auch schon, wenn du früher schon mal in dem Fandom unterwegs warst.

Ansonsten, gelesen und gemocht:

Verlangen - Funkenflug von AlwaysKlako ("Nur" ein Zweiteiler, aber hat mich umgehauen! Super intensiv und mitreißend. <3) Schmetterlingseffekt von Minar (JK fahren gemeinsam in den Urlaub, geben ihrer Neugierde nach und schon ist das Liebesdrama geboren. Sehr süß!) Tabula Rasa von LadyHanaka (Gibt es nur auf Wattpad, Liebe, Schmerz, Trennung, dramatisch und lässt einen sehr schnell nicht mehr los.) Verlangen - A lot of love and affection von PapierFlamingo (sehr süßer, verspielter JK OneShot, vor allem für early JK fans!) Wintergefühle - Catching Feelings von ninarina (OneShot, ebenfalls early JK und die zwei sind super getroffen, wie ich finde!) Oder wenn weniger Drama erwünscht ist und AUs gerne gesehen:

Yogieren für Anfänger von PapierFlamingo (Slow burn, zuckersüß, witzig und einfach nur schön!) Zum Schluss noch Sachen, die im Fandom äußerst beliebt sind, die bei mir aber selber noch auf der "muss gelesen werden" Liste stehen:

Tausendmal Berührt [Teil I] von ninarina (Glaube DIE FF schlechthin im Fandom zurzeit :D allerdings nicht ganz abgeschlossen, da Tausendmal Ist Nichts Passiert [Teil II] dort anknüpft und noch läuft.) Zäh wie Kaugummi von Rainbow (wurde mir schon oft empfohlen, also gebe ich diese Empfehlung mal guten Gewissens weiter :D) Hoffe es ist was für dich dabei! <3 Ansonsten darf hier gerne von anderen Experten und Expertinnen ergänzt werden, die eventuell schon mehr gelesen haben als ich! :D

[yabagofmilfs]

All your recs have been fantastic so far, so if you have the energy for another name for the rec game: kitebird (feel free to skip the e), or just KB for a short one :)

oh boy. i will try, but we may be dipping into uncharted territory in the tag for a lot of these!

K - keeper by al-the-remix | 2k | rated T

sid gets speared in the balls, and takes the opportunity to shamelessly ask geno to help him out. there's a lot of reason to love this, but for me the stand out is Sid referring to his balls as "bean bags." that feels so right.

I - industry of actual boys by dimbleby | 2k | rated M

Geno is one of the pens photographers and an artist in his own right, and Sid learns first his name and then has to know everything else about him. There's a broken link to some photos I think the author was using as references for Geno's art show, and I would love to know what they were.

T - then it's yours by liophael | 10k | rated E

geno tries to take photos of sid during sex, and sid throws a fit. geno slowly wears him down, though.

E - EBUG by belzebubcat | 1k | rated E

what i have learned in this exercise is that there's a dearth of fics beginning with the letter E in this fandom, lol. had to go all the way to page 17 of the tag to find this one, and it sounds so cute! Sid nests. He's not a goalie though. Geno gets the experience of a lifetime.

B - bow and arrow by oflights | 45k | rated E

Sid gets left at the altar and asks Geno to go on his honeymoon trip with him. Sid is so sad, and Geno is so down bad for him but trying to do what's right the whole time. Plus: Paris. Hurtful! Cathartic! Sid working through his feelings!

I - (the) impossibility of hope by supercalifragili | 4k | rated G

from the tag, which i have not read but sounds so good! summary: "It had been only in the quiet of the same night, just before the sun rose above the haze the booze had left him with, stained clothes and the candle light of a city alive in the midst of a world asleep that Sidney had a moment where, with closed eyes and hands pressed to his chest, he had started feeling like it wasn’t fair, like the world had dealt him a bad card, like it had traded the joy of a night like this, of a cup run like this, for the empty heart it gave in return."

R - running out the clock by trilliath | 42k | rated E

another from the tag - definitely putting this on my tbr: It's 2015 and Sid is playing the worst he's ever played in the NHL. He's made it through the worst before. The injuries, coach and media drama. Lockouts. Unexpected losses of teammates. Those things affect his game, of course they do, but he's always battled back. Always. That history should give him confidence, a level of trust in his experience and resilience but… he's playing the worst he's ever played in the NHL and he tries to pretend he doesn't know why.

D - (a) drowning in california by beggingwolf | 18k | rated E

after a rough season and an even rougher patch in their relationship, sid asks geno to come with him to LA. geno thinks they're going to spend quality time together, get back on even footing, but sid is just as distant as ever. this premise is engineered in a lab to give me the agonies. someone reaching out to the person they love asking for reassurance that they’re still loved and being rejected again and again, feeling embarrassed that they want more than the other person. well. maybe i will die.

[kattestrophe]

Hi, a friend of mine in uni is thinking of getting into the topic of queerness in modern royal families, you got any good recs and sources about Fritz in particular?

Thanks

Hi there!

For biographies that sum up some of his presumably queer relationships I can offer the ones by Burgdorf and Blanning with the latter being far better to work with on a university level and the former giving a clearer list of the possible partners. However, Burgdorf is a little iffy source wise because it's a very commercial and short biography without footnotes, sooo grain of salt.

A classic from 2012 is the article by Reinhard Alings entitled "Don't ask, don't tell - War Friedrich der Große schwul?" which was originally published with the Friederisiko exhibition catalogue and can be viewed here on the website of the SPSG. Then there's two articles about him and his court in "Homosexualität am Hof. Praktiken und Diskurse vom Mittelalter bis heute", published by Domeier and Mühling, which also has other interesting articles. The latter is pretty new, so your friend could probably use it for source mining and go from there.

I would say that when talking about Fritz's queerness it is also worth looking into his brother Henry's queerness. There's a biography about him, "Prinz Heinrich von Preußen" by Eva Ziebura, and an exhibition catalogue entitled "Prinz Heinrich von Preussen. Ein Europäer in Rheinsberg". And for petty gay drama and yearning I recommend "Die Tagebücher des Grafen Lehndorf" because Lehndorf is hilarious to read and very in love with Henry.

I am answering this on my phone while doing other things, so if any of the usual people of this niche have more to add, please feel free to do so!

Frohes Schaffen! :D

[lentlilylistens]

Hey! What better way to share my evergrowing love for podcasts/audio dramas than creating an audio drama (et al.) blog. So here we are.

Hi, I’m Lev, and I’m your new friendly neighbourhood podcast recommender. I'm particularly into (urban) fantasy/adventure podcasts, though I love a good romance, mystery, comedy, etc. Some current faves are Desperado, Hi Nay, The Ghost Catchers, and Qwerpline!

My inbox and messages are open if you're looking for recommendations (I love talking about my interests, if you couldn't tell), want to drop a rec, or just chat:) That's all!

[yeehanfrf]

Week 3 Recs: Right on Time

This week's Yeehan recs were all modern/contemporary AUs. Those fics set in our world and time (or roughly thereabouts) that still include the OTP. Check out the recs gathered from the Yeehan community below, organized by rating then alphabetically by title.

Not Rated

Rootbound by wyntera [WIP; 67,484 words] Reccer comment: "Flower shop au bc yes"

Every plant is unique. They need love and care in the right environment to grow. Give them what they need, and they will flourish.

McCree and Hanzo are a lot like plants. Big, stubborn, root bound plants.

General Audiences

Conflict of Interest by orphan_account [28,222 words] Reccer comment: "Superhero au with a Lois Lane type beat"

“You know, I’ve been wanting to get an interview with you,” Jesse says as Hanzo happens upon another malfunctioning elevator shaft. How is it at all likely that more than one elevator is out of service? When Hanzo levels Jesse with a hard glare, the man keeps talking.   “I’m a reporter.”

Or, the one where Hazno and Genji fight crime, Jesse is a cigar-smoking Lois Lane, and everyone else wonders why they’ve been trapped in a bad comic book.

Teen and Up

Climbing the Walls by robocryptid [22,669 words] Reccer comment: "a social-distancing yeehan fic"

Hanzo and Cole are neighbors who have never met until social distancing forces them to stay in their homes. Neither can see the other's face, but that doesn't stop them from getting to know each other.

Da Capo al Signo by midgetnazgul & temporalSilence [75,482 words] Reccer comment: "an incredibly moving fic featuring musician Hanzo and rancher Cassidy falling in loooove"

In music, da capo al signo tells the performer to start over until they see the sign to move on. Life has its movements, too. Even when we must begin again, signs will appear to remind us that just because we feel we are repeating ourselves, we will not necessarily end in the same terrible place we were before.

It's 2018 and Jesse and Hanzo are both living in Tucson, AZ on second chances. Hanzo is on the cusp of recognition as a musician after his life in Japan is run aground by a devastating accident, and Jesse has chiseled out a life of purpose and achievement after a rough childhood. Together, they will come to understand how misfortune and loneliness can end, giving gifts they would never have found any other way.

Flowers for Assholes by HappyLeech [10,552 words]

Hanzo just wants to close up shop for the night. Jesse just wants to tell his boss where to stick it and quit his job.

Of the Pickle Persuasion by Byacolate and mywordsflyup [14,813 words] Reccer comment: "My favorite food truck au"

Hanzo is convinced that his bento wagon is locked in a corporate deathmatch with the taco truck down the street. Genji just wants to flirt with the produce vendor.

Searching for Game... by AsheRhyder [10,792 words] Reccer comment: "Cute, cute, cute, with fun meta jokes about the game, characters, and community."

Genji wants Cassidy to play the new game he helped develop: Overwatch.

Cassidy just wants his hot upstairs neighbor to stop throwing food at him every time he says "hello".

Shimada Dreams of Sushi by delicaterosebud [24,344 words] Reccer comment: "It's silly, but has the right amount of drama, angst and extremely uncomfortable situations."

As the owner of a mediocre taco shack with tanking reviews and multiple health violations, the last thing that Jesse McCree needs is competition - competition, specifically, from a sushi bar so popular that it drove every other restaurant in the neighborhood out of business.

From the very day that Shimada sushi opened its doors, Jesse had hated that restaurant with a burning passion. ...So how does he end up working for the man who runs it?

To the Great Deep He Goes by westerncibee [53,288 words] Reccer comment: "its been a hot second since ive read this but i remember enjoying this one"

Hanzo accompanies Genji to their new college, and of course Genji would want to room with his friend--leaving Hanzo to deal with a god-forsaken cowboy whose only goal that year was to be Hanzo's friend. And as the cowboy said, "You're stuck with me for the rest of the year." - and a lot can happen in a year.

Mature

The Cooking Cowboy by SadakoTetsuwan [WIP; 79,662 words]

It had started simple—he just needed a good recipe for matcha cake to surprise Genji on his birthday, and so he’d started clicking around for tutorials on YouTube.

But now Hanzo is in deep, and is officially part of ‘The Chuckwagon’; the mostly middle-aged, mostly female fan following of YouTube cooking sensation Jesse McCree, the Cooking Cowboy.

How had his life come to this?

Explicit

School Nights by rebeccastceir [WIP; 45,484 words] Reccer comment: "School teacher au and romance~"

Jesse got so flustered he forgot what he was doing and stuck his hand out. “Jesse. McCree. Jesse McCree. I’m -”

“Hana’s teacher, of course,” Hanzo smiled at him, shaking hands, holding on for a split second longer than necessary. He held his head cocked down, almost shy, but kept looking up from under his long lashes, pretty lips teasing in a grin, and ohhh, Jesse was in so much trouble he ached with it.

“Sorry. You knew that,” Jesse mumbled. Was he red? He felt like he was flaming red. __________

It's the fluffiest, smuttiest, romcom-iest, parent-teacher au we all need and deserve

Shear Bliss by wyntera [12,725 words] Reccer comment: "I think about the way Hanzo's hair is described in this fic all the time"

Sometimes you can't help falling for a handsome face...even if they are holding very sharp objects near your head.

And that's a wrap on Week 3! Thank you to everyone who sent in a recommendation! Keep an eye out for next week's theme: "The Rivalmance," or fics all about the rivals to lovers, enemies to lovers, competitive assholes to lovers of it all.

In the meantime, you can also check out the Week 2 recs here or see the list of past and future themes here!

[olderthannetfic]

re: reposting anon. I am genuinely curious - where’s the generally agreed upon line?

People repost content all the time and get celebrated for it. Tweet threads, reddit posts, memes, and quotes from various sites get screenshot and put on tumblr all the time, and the only complaining I see is folks who want everyone to use image IDs.

I personally always ask before I post someone’s art to another social media site, and am often directed to the artist’s profile to share from there, but even more often am told it’s fine with a direct link and credit to the artist. I’ve never reposted fic. That feels more invasive to me in some nebulous way, but I do post fic recs, and I’ve never asked permission to make fic recs, either.

Clearly no one (sane) is saying there should be no content moving between sites unless the original artist puts it there, but tweets et al are just as much the intellectual property of their OPs as art and fics are of those creators.

--

It's hard to say.

I do have qualms about the endless twitter reposts on tumblr even as I reblog some of the funnier ones. I have zero qualms about using that one bird rights screencap as a reaction to things all over the internet. I never have qualms about reccing in whatever space I choose to use. The desire for historical preservation and the desire for control of one's own content are directly in opposition, and I tend to fall somewhat more on the historical preservation side.

Reposting to twitter is especially contentious because twitter is even more of a generator of mass harassment than other platforms. If you reposted to Dreamwidth, that shit isn't retweetable/rebloggable, and nobody's paying attention anyway, so the level of drama is going to be lower. If you save a copy on your own computer or repost to a private discord, who's going to know?

I don't mind a pithy quote being quoted elsewhere because it's funny. That's typical fair use. I absolutely mind my content being used to further sites I think we should mass abandon and make die. Twitter is at the top of that list.