#miss cat strikes again with an absolutely amazing fic </3

[foreverreadingbeautifulbooks]

Jonsa Fic Recs: Modern AU WIPS

There are so many amazing Jonsa Modern AU fanfics that I am enjoying the hell out of right now that I wanted to recommend some of them to you guys! Holy crap I’m subscribed to all of these and I’m just so excited whenever there is an update because all of them are sssoooo good! Go leave all the kudos and comments on all these fics because these authors deserve so much love! (My flailing on why I love each of these fics is in italics below.)

A Past Worth Having by Honorificabilitudinitatibus

    Rating: Teen      Current Word Count: 36,311

Summary: When the eldest daughter of Eddard and Catelyn Stark is stolen from her bed as a child, the Westerosi media seize upon the investigation, dubbing it ‘the case of the century’. Several years later, tragedy strikes the family again, as Lysa Arryn vanishes into thin air with her son, Robert.

Eighteen years after the Stark Kidnapping, WBI Special Agent Oberyn Martell- investigating the Arryn case- walks into a small coffee shop in Braavos, nearly tripping over his own feet when his order is taken by the girl whose face has been on every 'missing child' poster in Westeros for the last two decades.

When Sansa discovers that she is the missing Stark child, she's suddenly and violently thrust into a media spotlight that she’s in no way prepared for. Amidst reuniting with a family she doesn’t remember and steeling herself to testify against the man who raised her, she meets Jon Snow. He isn’t family- not biologically at least- but he’s a calming presence in the storm that has become her life, and he might be the only person in the world who doesn’t expect anything of her.

The one where Sansa Stark is discovered to be the Westerosi version of the Lindbergh baby, but things turn out better, if more complicated.

I’m so excited every time I get an e-mail about a new chapter for this fic because the plot is to die for! Not only that, but every single character has been perfectly characterized so far! Sansa is so incredibly brave and strong and I adore everything about her. Arya is caring and sassy and I can’t get enough of the developing relationship between the Stark sisters. Ellaria and Oberyn are so smart and kind that I’m falling in love with them all over again. And of course, Jon is amazing and I’m already in love! Go read this incredible fic right now!

Also, I did not read the tags as closely as I should have and was absolutely delighted to discover that Elia and Lyanna both dumped Rhaegar's idiot ass and got together to raise their kids (which to be honest is what we all wish had happened in GOT).

baby, I’m the whole damn meal by @cat-stark

     Rating: Teen      Current Word Count: 10,904

Summary: Jon had never really given much thought to cosplayers before. There were characters he loved enough to rant about for hours on the internet, sure, but he had never felt the inclination to dress as one before.

Now he was starting to seriously rethink that policy.

- or -

It starts the way any good romance should. At Comic Con.

Okay, I love pretty much everything this author has written (like seriously, I have like four other fics they’ve written that are definitely going to make it onto other rec lists), but I have to flail about this one for a moment because it is too cute for words. Jon and Sansa are so into each other from the get-go and it is absolutely adorable to watch. I can’t wait for the next chapter, whenever it is posted. <3

Tipsy in a Red Push Up Bra by @tacitwhisky

    Rating: Mature      Current Word Count: 21,320

Summary: Of course the first time Sansa Stark sees Jon Snow in God knows how long, the first time since they lost the house and she’d come to live with her aunt Lysa, it would have to be at a house party where she’s already tipsy on schnapps. And of course it would have to be the one time she’s wearing the ridiculous red push up bra Margaery talked her into buying.TLDR: Tipsy Sansa in a red push up bra. What could go wrong?

This fic, guys! This one is filled to the brim with Jonsa feels and Stark sister feels and I just can’t get enough of both. I adored the way that Jon and Sansa tried so hard to be there for each other through hard times facing family and dealing with grief. I love it!

I am a Heart on Fire by thewolvescalledmehome

   Rating: Not Rated      Current Word Count: 42,970

Summary: Both Jon and Sansa are reeling from the loss of Robb Stark. Sansa is mourning her older brother, her protector, her savior. Jon is mourning his brother-in-arms and the closest thing he's ever had to a family. They both flee to Winterfell and realize that maybe they don't have to go through this alone.

This fic is so sweet and sad! Sansa and Jon feeling and sharing their grief has literally brought me to tears so be careful where you read this one if you don’t want people to see you crying. The PTSD is so well-written and excellent psychology in fics (and in general) is one of my favorite things! Also, the Starks are all incredible and Ghost is the goodest boy! 

The Big Bang Theory by zarahjoyce

  Rating: General Audiences      Current Word Count: 11,372

Summary: Theon: Knowing Jon, if left to fend for himself he would probably get the nerve to ask her out some time around never Margaery: And Sansa will probably be happy to wait for him until he makes his move Margaery: Unless she dies of old age first Arya: So we're just speeding things along. Make them happy together. Robb: Jesus, Arya, ever since you started dating Gendry you've turned into such a fucking romantic Arya: THAT'S A FUCKING LIE ROBB YOU TAKE THAT BACK OR I'LL SLIT YOUR THROAT

I end up cackling every time there is an update for this fic because it is freaking hilarious. The entire fic is written as texts in various group chats between the Starks and their friends and it is the best.  Oh my gosh, Jon and Sansa are so awkward and Theon is the biggest drama queen in the entire world.

Check out more of my Jonsa fic rec lists here!

#actually jonsa #jonsa fic #jonsa fics #jonsa fic recs #man it was fun to revisit some of these while I was hunting through my subscriptions #also the sheer talent of these authors is incredible #I love them all so much #<3 #my jonsa fic recs #also I don't know some people's Tumblr urls but feel free to let me know

[blackidyll]

It's been a long while since I've been on Tumblr, but here I am, trying to get back into my usual rhythm of life. Mainly: I'm alive, but I'm really, really tired.

The end of 2019/beginning of 2020 has been really insane. I fell sick for most of December - the whole cough/cold/sore throat trifecta that got so bad I finally ended up on antibiotics on New Year's Eve. I actually took two weeks of leave in December, but I was so sick and busy during this time that I basically got no rest whatsoever, and when I got back to work in January it was to drop straight into an absolute tsunami of work - one huge project ended the day before Chinese New Year, and immediately after CNY holidays I had another huge executive event to prepare for (I was working over weekends), and when that ended last week I got YET ANOTHER project dumped on me. Covid19 and the political situation in my home country is also taking its toll. I feel like the past two months has been an absolute blur - mostly of stress and negativity.

I'm so tired, you all.

Anyway, I'm trying hard now to pull back and strike a balance between work and having down proper time. I owe quite a few of you replies to messages and chats, and TBH there's like 60+ comments in my AO3 inbox that I haven't had a chance to respond to. I'm going to try hard over the next few weeks to get to all of them. I really appreciate every message and comment I get, because they constantly remind me there's still people and the entire world out there, when sometimes it's so easy to get caught up in my head with all my stresses and worries and the day-to-day grind.

I'm going to go throw a bunch of things in my queue to get this place kickstarted again, but in the meantime - have some fic recs. I've been reading a lot of fic to keep afloat the past three months; these are the WIPs I'm following at the moment. I'm completely out of creativity so my own fics will have to wait, but it always gives me a boost when I see some love for my WIPs, so if any of these appeal to you, give them a read and drop some love to those authors too.

The Bureau Files series by Catsafari [The Cat Returns, episodic/case style canon-based sequel; Baron/Haru]

i kill giants by diasterisms [Star Wars new trilogy; canon-based sequel to The Rise of Skywalker; Rey/Ben]

Ragnarǫkr, Part 3 of the Sharingan Rising series by weialala [Naruto; canon-divergence with supernatural elements; Sasuke-centric, technically Sasuke/Naruto but is more Sasuke's relations with everyone]

Peripeteia, Part 4 of the Carry Your Heart verse by mondaze [Shingeki no Kyojin; canon-based A/B/O verse, eventually diverges at the retake Shinganshina arc because Erwin lives (\o/); Erwin/Levi]

Just Another Day by Tierfal [Fullmetal Alchemist; post-manga series, Roy has severe PTSD; pre-relationship Roy/Ed]

try something new by gdgdbaby [Nezha (2019); post-movie oneshot where the two have grown up and gotten their bodies back; Nezha/Aobing]

WIPs that haven't been updated recently but since I'm on a roll, you all should read them:

Nukume Dori by Leareth [Tokyo Babylon, X/1999; canon-divergence, kind-of time travel with X!Subaru falling back into the TB!timeline with all his memories intact; Subaru/Seishirou, a lot of trio interactions with Hokuto] 

boy with a coin, Part 5 of the signal to noise series by twigcollins [The World Ends With You; post-game sequels exploring the consequences of Neku winning the long game and Joshua deciding to bring him back to life; Joshua/Neku]

(more info and my comments on each fic under the cut, because they get long)

The Bureau Files series by Catsafari [The Cat Returns, episodic/case style canon-based sequel; Baron/Haru]

I've been (re)watching Studio Ghibli movies on the weekends and I fell completely in love with The Cat Returns (I love Whisper of the Heart but I missed this movie somehow?). This wonderful sequel fic series focuses on an adult Haru that becomes a full-fledge member of the Cat Bureau and goes on plenty of adventures with the Bureau crew. It's also 500K words (!!!) of delicious slow slow slow SLOW burn between Baron and Haru. I just found out the author will be posting the next installation in the series this month, so you know. Perfect time to read the existing content and then follow the author's weekly updates for more of this amazing series.

i kill giants by diasterisms [Star Wars new trilogy; canon-based sequel to The Rise of Skywalker; Rey/Ben]

Yes, I'm a Reylo fan. I find the grey dynamics between Rey and a vaguely redeemed Ben Solo fascinating. I think it's because I was such a huge Luke and Mara Jade shipper from the Legends days. Anyway, I'd recommend pretty much all of diasterisms's Reylo fics (they nail the characterization + growth arcs incredibly) but this WIP in particular is a direct TROS sequel, which is great for all us fans who were very WTF about the way TROS ended. Also - lots of Force ghosts :D

Ragnarǫkr, Part 2 of the Sharingan Rising series by weialala [Naruto; canon-divergence with supernatural elements; Sasuke-centric, technically Sasuke/Naruto but is more Sasuke's relations with everyone]

I think my bookmark gushes enough about this series (and the previous installment) that I don't need to rehash it here. But anyway, this sequel is flipping amazing. The world building is so incredible omg. The wait between chapters is very long but so very worth it.

Peripeteia, Part 4 of the Carry Your Heart verse by mondaze [Shingeki no Kyojin; canon-based A/B/O verse, eventually diverges at the retake Shinganshina arc because Erwin lives (\o/); Erwin/Levi]

I'm usually very, very particular about my A/B/O verses (the concept squicks me a little but some writers subvert the trope and those are amazing) and this is a really great take on the trope - Erwin and Levi bond first out of necessity and then have to rebuild/realize a romantic relationship out of it later; they're already such strong friends and incredible partners that the bond actually throws them out of whack initially lol. But the evolution of their relationship is so well written, and the sub-plot about Levi being targeted is also great. Anyway, in this particular sequel goes back to the canon-timeline; Erwin survives the Beast Titan charge, everyone finds out about Marley, and the Survey Corps goes on a mission to make contact with the outside world. I don't actually follow the manga but I know enough that this sequel is really intriguing me. Also, Erwin lives. Thank goodness Erwin lives.

Just Another Day by Tierfal [Fullmetal Alchemist; post-manga series, Roy has severe PTSD; pre-relationship Roy/Ed]

Everything Tierfal writes is golden, but this one. Oh man, this one. It gets dark, and sometimes that's bad if you're already stressed (your mood doesn't need more depressing things to drag it down) but sometimes... you also want to indulge in it, because when you see a character go through hard and traumatic times and make it out the other side, it gives you hope too, you know? Anyway, right now at chapter 2, it's all trauma and pain for Roy, so take caution while reading this fic, but......... Ed. Oh my goodness, Ed. He tries so hard. He doesn't give up. This fic reminds me a bit of But Not Buried This Time, where Ed is the one drowning in his guilt... I remember thinking while reading that fic, "goodness, everyone needs a Roy like this in their life." Well, for this fic? I just keep thinking, "goodness, everyone needs an Ed like this in their life."

try something new [Nezha (2019); post-movie oneshot where the two have grown up and gotten their bodies back; Nezha/Aobing]

not a WIP but what the hell. So this version of Nezha is hell of a lot different from the Nezha I remember of my childhood (in that....... Nezha 100% kills Aobing lol and I remember being very conflicted because I love dragons and Nezha kills a lot of them, but at the same time deity!Nezha is pretty badass?). So anyway, someone with creative control DEFINITELY has shipper glasses on when they made this movie, I cannot get over how adorable Nezha and Aobing are. I really enjoyed this movie, it was so over the top and funny. And they made Nezha and Aobing literal soulmates? This fic is cute and adorable because it's Nezha and Aobing traveling and helping the world after they grow up and regain their bodies, and it's just tons of adorable teenage(?) confusion where they're hovering on the edge of friendship and something more. THEY ARE SO ENDEARING I love them!!

Nukume Dori by Leareth [Tokyo Babylon, X/1999; canon-divergence, kind-of time travel with X!Subaru falling back into the TB!timeline with all his memories intact; Subaru/Seishirou, a lot of trio interactions with Hokuto]

Instead of dying on the Promised Day, 25-year-old Dragon of Heaven Subaru wakes up in his 16-year-old body during the Tokyo Babylon timeline. Having seen what the future holds, he decides to continue with his original Bet with Seishirou - this time fighting to win. In the latest installment, we go pass the TB timeline into the years before 1999 and the changes that the divergence makes is just absolutely fascinating, plus we start seeing more of the X/1999 cast, whom I love and adore.

boy with a coin, Part 5 of the signal to noise series by twigcollins [The World Ends With You; post-game sequels exploring the consequences of Neku winning the long game and Joshua deciding to bring him back to life; Joshua/Neku]

I love Joshua so so much but he digs his own bed willingly and he lies in it with all the broken pride he can muster. He's very much the master of forfeiting the game before he can lose, except this time it's Neku standing beside him, and Neku is very, very stubborn. Trust your bloody partner, Joshua (I say, with all the love in my heart for this Joshua and this poor beleaguered but incredibly stubborn Neku and the all the game mechanics and worldbuilding in this series). Also, the latest cliffhanger is killing me but I'm ready to see Joshua go absolutely feral on anyone who would dare touch his city and his partner.  

#* #fic recs #i looked down and then back up and suddenly it's march #and yeah i read in a zillion fandoms that i don't write in. i read a LOT of fanfic #i've been surviving on reading fanfic and listening to studio ghibli OSTs and watching figure skating competitions #i'm so tired i want a nap #btw i've gotten a lot of lovely comments on my fics and i love all of them #but i'm so numb from tiredness it's hard to muster up the energy to reply #but i love them all! esp all the people who commented on my 00Q RB fic #i was feeling very emotional because it's probably going to be my last 00Q fic (unless no time to die really changes things) #and i was stressed from work and CNY obligations but so many people said such lovely things about my 00Q fics #and told me they'll still follow me on tumblr #ahaha i felt guilty because i hadn't been on tumblr for a few weeks even back then #but it was definitely motivation for me to get my ducks back in a row and start using my tumblr again #ngl tumblr will be an escape because if i keep reading local politics and covid19 news on twitter my soul gets sucked into a black hole #i hope everyone else's 2020 is going much better #keep safe keep healthy and please take care of yourselves!!!

[sraawrats]

🦇🎃Kana’s Halloween Hangover Rec List🎃🦇

Love Halloween? Not ready for it to be over? No worries! Old and new, these are some of my favorite spooky, suspenseful, and supernatural Kylux reads--perfect for drawing out your favorite month a little longer!

which is 100% why i’m posting this on november 1st, definitely not because i didnt manage to finish it before yesterday. nope, not at all

My Baby’s a Devil in the Bedroom | @callmelyss

- E - 4/5 chapters, 14 645 words - “Oh, obviously.” Kylo let out a shaky laugh and ran both hands through his hair. “Wait, no, you’re serious. You’re a fucking demon.”

“Well, yes, not to put too fine a point on it.” Hux smiled, clearly pleased with himself at the joke. “Or more accurately, I’m a succubus. A sex demon.”

—

Kylo has an unusual squatter. He's pretty fine with it. -

This fic is seriously amazing. It’s a super fun idea, the dialogue is hilarious, and it perfectly balances the sweetness and humor with angst/intrigue. Plus, I’m absolutely taken with snarky, smug, candy-tasting succubus Hux <3 <3

strange phenomenon | @brawlite, @kyluxtrashcompactor

- E - 8/8 chapters, 65 756 words - Kylo Ren is haunted by recent tragedy. He answers an ad posted by one Armitage Hux for a roommate, and he thinks a fresh start will help him begin to heal. He brings next to nothing with him from the past when he moves in.Or so he thinks. -

This fic is wonderfully suspenseful, and perfect if you’re looking for something to keep you on the edge of your seat. I also had a lot of Han feels when reading this one. Overall it’s just really nicely well-rounded with heartfelt and genuine characterizations, good spooks, and some searing sexual tension.

Something Wicked | @marlonbookcase

- G - 7/7 chapters, 22 514 words -  Kylo and Armitage have been friends since they were kids. Now in university, they run a semi-popular YouTube channel called "London Below" where they investigate all sorts of haunted and paranormal happenings in and around London and try to answer the question, are ghosts real? When they take on the mysterious and tragic case of the Pendle Witches, they come face to face with the spirit world in a way they never have before. Will they make it out of Pendle alive? Are ghosts real? And most importantly, does Armitage return Kylo's affections? -

I love Buzzfeed Unsolved. I love Kylux. I love this fic. A lot. As it says in the description, it’s not an exact Unsolved AU, but it really captured the format/feel of the “paranormal investigator” genre, so if you’re a fan of that, you’ll love this. Bonus points for some mutual pining and sugary fluff 👀👀

Second Spring, First Fall | @huxandthehound

- T - 5/? chapters, 7 018 words -  Nothing brings people together quite like the holidays. Well, maybe not Halloween... After a scare, Hux has to confront his neighbor. Lucky for him, Kylo might be a little sweeter than his tricks let on. -

A cute multi-chap made of Huxloween prompt fills! Lighthearted, but it’s still got that Halloween spirit. Plus I’ve got a soft spot for sweet modern AU Kylo :))

Some Strange and Unnerving Events | @longstoryshortikilledhim

- E - 10/10 chapters, 158 815 words -  As a boy in a dreary school on the moors, Kylo Ren had only one friend, a red-headed boy whose sharp tongue and wit drew Kylo to him. But that friend was taken from him. Now grown, Kylo goes into the service of the master of Stormfield Hall, the enigmatic Lord Arkanis, who is seeking a tutor for his charge. Kylo's past will come rushing back to him, both in his new employer and some unusual circumstances that bring to the fore powers that Kylo thought long-suppressed. -

This fic hit me like a ton of bricks. This fic hit me like TWO tons of bricks. Start this one when you’re ready to be feeling it for a few days afterwards. It’s an incredible historical AU with magic and a great murder mystery--it basically pushes, like, all of my buttons. And it’s /genuinely/ spooky, I had to start keeping a light on while I read it. Oh, and it features definitely my favorite Millicent ever. If you’ve got the time for something long, go for this one.

Reach Out in the Darkness | unicornsandbutane

- E - 2/2 chapters, 9 321 words - Having spent a decent amount of time researching the history and folklore of Arkanis, Cadet Hux strikes out one chilly evening in search of some legendary creature that's supposed to be extremely powerful. If the myths aren't true, all he's wasted is time. But, if they are based in some actual fact, then what a boon such an entity would be to his cause. He doesn't know what he will find, but he is prepared for any (absolutely ANY) eventuality. -

Tentacle monster Kylo. I am unapologetic. It’s really good.

Witchfeather | Whatever21ism

- E - 14/? chapters, 16 015 words - Armitage Hux is a new witch trying to establish himself in a new town. One day he goes out seeking a familiar, particularly a cat, somehow instead he ends up with a raven who is much more than they appear to be. -

A favorite of mine! Apothecary witch Hux & his crow familiar Kylo. There’s some really nice worldbuilding and crow Kylo is super cute. Possibly abandoned, but defs worth checking out what’s there & showing the author some love.

First Order Investigations | @mistresseast

- Unrated - series, 3 works, 58 094 words, incomplete - Hux and Phasma have been running First Order Investigations since high school, and Dr. Snoke's metaphysical research graduate program seemed like the perfect opportunity to pursue their interests under the protective umbrella of academia. Unfortunately, that meant allowing Snoke's personal project, a taciturn medium named Kylo Ren, to join their team. Hux and Kylo mix like oil and water, or, more accurately, like fire and gasoline, and Hux is convinced that working effectively with Kylo is absolutely impossible. They hate each other, and Hux is content to leave it that way.

But then, a case in the sweltering heat of South Carolina begins to change things between them, and Hux finds himself questioning not only Kylo's feelings, but his own as well. -

Paranormal Investigator AU of the highest quality. The detail and thought put into each investigation site is incredible. I love this fic to pieces, and if you like ghost stories, you will too.

Undead | @heyktula, @splinteredscript

- E - series, 2 works, 6 855 words, incomplete - They’ve been circling around each other for years. Kylo Ren, the most powerful vampire in Supreme Leader Snoke’s house, and Armitage Hux, the human liaison between the world of mortals and that of eternal darkness. Baiting, taunting, the cord between them growing ever tighter.Sooner or later, one of them is going to snap. -

A lovely and dark vampire AU~~ Gives off some real classic Kylux vibes, and is an absolute pleasure to read :D

Fixer Upper | @irisparry

- T - 5/7 chapters, 10 034 words - When Armitage Hux starts with First Order estate agents, he thinks the house on Alderaan Drive is an insult, a patronising set of training wheels for the new boy. He is ... not correct. -

Adorable haunted house AU! I love both of their characterizations in this one, especially shy, grumpy ghost Kylo~

Hair of the Dog That Bit You | @theweddingofthefoxes

- M - 9/9 chapters, 21 597 words -  Ren owns a popular tavern, and Armitage is a respected physician in town and the surrounding villages. Their years-long friendship will survive anything -- even the bite of a werewolf. Won't it? -

Full disclosure, I haven’t actually finished this one-- I have a tendency to get distracted unless I finish something in one sitting, rip. But I remember being SUPER stoked about starting it, and anything by weddingofthefoxes is guaranteed to be a treat, so I’m putting it on here anyway :D tbh now that I’m thinking about it again I’ll probably finish it tonight.

The Eldritch Effect | @generallyhuxurious

- E - 17/17 chapters, 67 899 words - For the last three years Major Donal A. Hux, formerly of the British Army's Parachute Regiment, and Kylo Ren, estranged son of US Defence Secretary Leia Organa, have been tooling around North America investigating "weirdness"- and they're plenty weird themselves. Their latest tip off is leading them towards a haunting in rural Alabama. But first they need to make a stop in Trinity, South Carolina... -

A real goofy Paranormal Investigators AU that I super love (but I also need to catch up on rip). It’s an American Gothic AU, but you don’t need to have any knowledge of the show to follow along (I don’t). It also comes with a series of oneshots set in the universe but outside the main plotline, so when you finish the fic and inevitably want more, you’re covered ;)

blackbird, fly | @acroamatica

- M - 19 265 words - One sunny afternoon in the mountains of Washington state, Ben Organa-Solo walked out into the woods.

He never came home.

Six years later, a journalist specialising in missing-persons cold cases decides to follow his footsteps and see where they might lead. -

This is a sad beautiful horror AU that is very close to my heart. The writing is just gorgeous and the suspense is beautifully done. Also, it about doubled the amount of emotions already attached to the song Blackbird for me (I still get a little heart-squeeze every time I hear it)

what’s real or isn’t | @brawlite

- E - 12/12 chapters, 57 398 words - Hux's new house is not haunted. It isn't. -

Super surreal haunted house AU. There’s also monster sex. This is definitely a staple of spooky Kylux fics :D

How to Kill a Living Thing | hedgerowhag

- E - 10/10 chapters, 25 394 words - It starts like any other horror movie: a young man moves into a strange old house full of relics of the past and becomes haunted by some strange entity. However, Ren doesn't find the monster that he expects. -

This one has got some of the most stunning, spooky visuals I’ve ever read. I could picture every scene and character so clearly. Plus, I love Hux’s characterization--he’s kind of a shit, and it’s beautiful.

Twenty-Six Weeks | @vmprsm

- E (eventually) - series, 4 works, 28 539 words, probably complete - Two mature adults need to do two things: live an a house with a stranger for six months, and keep their secrets to themselves. How hard could that be?

Apparently very. -

The author made a point of trying not to give too much away in the summary/tags, so I won’t either :D I’ll just say it’s one of my favorites, and definitely worth a read if you haven’t already~~

The Brief Wondrous Return of Vampire Boy | @hollyhark

- T - 21 190 words - Two days before Halloween, Hux hears a rumor that Ben Solo is back in town. While Hux does not believe the sensational version-- that his estranged childhood friend/enemy escaped from an asylum and is out for revenge --he is left on edge as to how to proceed. -

One of my favorite Halloween fics; it really encompasses the feel of fall/Halloween but also, like, good ol’ ~teenage bullshit~. There’s a lot of creepy Snoke stuff, some dealing with the fallout, and a nice hopeful ending :))

Ghost Encounters of the Hux Kind | carefulren

- T - 9/9 chapters, 25 610 words - Kylo purchases an old, abandoned house in order to get away from his family. He just wants the chance to be alone for a while, and he considers this house as the start of his new, isolated freedom.

Everything is going as smoothly as possible, until it's not.

Perhaps, Kylo isn't living alone after all.-

A sweet and soft ghost  story AU. I adore the ending <3 <3 

Spookylux Huxloween 2018 | @nofootprintsinsalt

- T - series, 31 works, 36 896 words, complete - Huxloween 2018 - 31 benarmie fics in 31 days -

A series of benarmie fluff/horror for the Huxloween prompts this year! These were so so fun to read throughout the month and I adore the little universe that develops as they go on :))

Of Our Time | @ezlebe

- E - 15 297 words - “Do you know how many people would think it’s weird you walk around in the day?”

Hux grits his teeth in vain against an uncanny sensation, his own words digging and clawing up his throat to leave behind the taste of blood and bitterness thick on his tongue. “I could care less. I was made this way before there were movies – before fucking Stroker. Call me a demon if it makes you feel better.” -

I only read this really recently, and I was BLOWN AWAY. Seriously, this packs so much into 15k--it’s got feels, it’s got lore, it’s got steamy smut. What more could one ask for?

Shiver The Whole Night Through | @theweddingofthefoxes

- T- 5/5 chapters, 7 977 words - Ren's always loved hunting, so when he's told his paid time off won't roll over into the next year, he decides to take a week, get his gun and rent a cabin in the woods. But it takes no time at all for the hunter to become the hunted. -

This one’s very accurately tagged “Mind Games,” which really made it stand out to me--I do love a good spooky woods story~~

The Ghost Under My Bed | @longstoryshortikilledhim

- E - 19 525 words - Amateur witch, aspiring actor and full-time family fuckup Ben Solo discovers that his house is being haunted. Best part? His very own poltergeist, Armitage Hux, is kinda cute. Worst part? Well. He's dead. -

THIS IS THE SWEETEST GHOST STORY. I love it so so much. The sweetness of their relationship set against the sad backdrop of both of their histories gives this one a really unique feel. And the ending is guaranteed to give you the warm fuzzies <3

--

aaaand that’s all, folks! Lord, this post turned into a behemoth lmao. I just. really love supernatural stuff. (on that note, if anyone has read/written anything even tangentially spooky/supernatural, feel free to send it my way. I will happily give it a read ;)))

Happy reading! ^_^

#kylux #fic rec #halloween #huxloween #spookylux

[imjustthemechanic]

The French Mistake

Part 1/? - A Visitor Part 2/? - The Kulturhistorisk Museum Heist Part 3/? - Cutscene Part 4/? - The Marvel Cinematic Universe Part 5/? - Breathless Part 6/? - Escape at Last Part 7/? - Fox in Socks Part 8/? - Things Go Wrong Part 9/? - Downey and Out Part 10/? - Road Trip Part 11/? - Temptation Part 12/? - An Awful Reunion Part 13/? - Unreality Intrudes Part 14/? - A Call for Help Part 15/? - Loki’s Guests Part 16/? - Stan Lee Cameo Part 17/? - Reassessment Part 18/? - Midnight Invasion Part 19/? - Elevator Fight Part 20/? - Courage Part 21/? - Unwelcome Back Part 22/? - Darkest Hour Part 23/? - They Are Here Part 24/? - The Jet Propulsion Laboratory Part 25/? - Word of God Part 26/? - Avengers Assembled Part 27/? - The Houston Underground Part 28/? - Houston has a Problem Part 29/? - Onward and Upward Part 30/? - The Chi’Tauri Queen Part 31/? - Through the Wormhole Part 32/? - Prisoners Part 33/? - Arm’s Length Part 34/? - A Moment’s Respite Part 35/? - Ravagers to the Rescue Part 36/? - What Happened to Hiddleston Part 37/? - Haven Part 38/? - Steve Has a Terrible Idea Part 39/? - Can’t Be Choosers Part 40/? - Stan Lee Cameo Redux Part 41/? - Shipjacking Part 42/? - The Gauntlet Thrown Part 43/? - The Queen’s Chamber Part 44/? - The Guardians Part 45/? - The Nest

Not just puppies, she’s got babies.  Amazing how things manage to keep getting worse.

I’m gonna finish this fic because I’ve come this far, but honestly it stopped being what I wanted it to be a long time ago, so I don’t think I’ll put it on AO3.  Once it’s done I need to get on with Natalie Jones and the War of the Necromancers.

The guardian hit the pillar again, and the rib Thor was clinging to was torn free of the ceiling.  Its upper end swung down, and Steve had to reach out and grab the back of Thor’s shirt to keep him from falling.  Evans’ body was muscular but holding the weight of a large man while also keeping himself from falling was a strain.

A moment later, the rib Natasha was holding broke at the other end.  It bent where it attached to the ceiling, and she was left clinging to the end of it as she dangled just inches above the jaws of the guardians.  There was a groaning sound from above.

From somewhere at the far end of the room, or perhaps in the chamber beyond, was a loud crash.  Steve still couldn’t tell what was going on, but he could taste stinging bile in the back of his throat, and knew he was almost certainly going to die here.  He wondered if anybody on Earth would miss him.  Would Stark wonder what had become of him, or just be glad he was gone?  Would Sharon grieve for him as Peggy had done? Who would tell Bucky, when he finally came out of cryo, what had happened, and what would there be to tell him?

One more blow was too much for the pillar to take. The glass came free of the metal housing, fell on the floor, and smashed.  The tesseract bounced out and rolled away, and one of the guardians took off after it like a cat chasing a toy ball.  The other two remained where they were, waiting for their prey to fall into their mouths.  Steve and Thor were now both dangling from a single attachment point fifty feet above the floor, but for whatever reason it as Nat’s rib that broke first, and she dropped towards the snarling alien creatures.

The only thing Steve could think of to do was to let go also, and hope she could get away while they were focused on him – but that would only delay them a little bit, he would have to drop Thor to do it, and it wouldn’t do any of them any good in the long run.  And yet…

From the other end of the room there was a flash of brilliant light.

Steve looked up at it, trying to figure out what it was – and so did the guardians.  By the time they’d turned, however, it had faded, leaving everybody in the dark as the afterimage danced on their retinas.  That cleared a moment later, and Steve saw that there was now a globe of dim light there.  IN the middle of it was Hiddleston, now on his feet and dressed in Loki’s Asgardian garb of black and green leather with golden greaves and helmet.  He strode towards them, his hands held out on each side, the light around him getting brighter.  Had he figured out how to use Loki’s magic?

Then the world flashed before Steve’s eyes, and he found himself lying on his back with the Chi’Tauri queen towering over him.

There was a lot of information to take in stride in a very short time.  Steve was flat on his back on the floor, and he could feel a variety of scrapes and bruises but he felt more awake and alert than he had in days.  Natasha was astride him, using one of the fishhook weapons to block the one the queen was trying to rip him open with.  And Thor was clinging to the armor on the queen’s shoulder.

They were back in their own bodies – Loki must have found the strength to switch back with Hiddleston and had then done the rest of them, as he’d promised.  And despite the fact that this situation was absolutely desperate, Steve’s first thought was for the four actors.  They were now trapped in that room with the tesseract and its ferocious guardians, with no idea what they were doing.

The queen lifted her weapon to try again, and Natasha, thinking fast, caught the hook on it with her own and was lifted off her feet.  Nat had been worried about Johansson being the one who got stabbed because of a lack of training, but it seemed she had actually saved Evans’ life.  Hopefully he’d live long enough to return the favour. With her weight off him, Steve sprang to his feet to fight.

Two sentinels came at him.  Steve looked around, spied a decorative boss on the wall next to the closed doors of the tesseract chamber, and ripped it down to use as a shield.  Weapons fire from the sentinels bounced off it, so they ran to attack him at closer range. He caught the edge of the shield on one fishhook and threw its holder over the railing to the floor.  Then he slid through the legs of the other and hit it with his shield at the base of the spine, damaging some important cybernetics. The alien screamed and crumbled.

No wonder Hemsworth had looked like he was having a good time – Steve had completely forgotten how much fun it was to have super powers.  When he’d first gotten the serum, when he’d been using it for nothing more than to lift motorcycles and do tricks for adoring crowds, there’d been a period when he’d absolutely loved it.  He’d lived most of his life unable to do anything and now it suddenly seemed like there was nothing he couldn’t do.  Despite the deathly serious circumstances, he felt the same thing now. It was good to be back.

With the sentinels taken care of, he turned around and found that the queen had hopped back down to ground level, with Thor and Natasha still clinging to her.  They would be trying to find, or to make, that chink in the armor they needed. Steve ought to join them, but he realized that the doors of the tesseract room were right behind him.  Did he have time to open them and see if the actors were okay?  Loki had his magic, but would he be exhausted again after using it?  Would he care enough to save the humans, or would he take the tesseract and run?

There probably wasn’t time.  The Watcher had said they were saving the universe… and yet, these weren’t random strangers.  These were people Steve and the others had already promised to make things right for. Johansson had a husband and daughter she would want to see again.  Evans had parents, and Hemsworth a wife and children.  Hiddleston must have family, too, though they hadn’t had a chance to meet them, and all these people had friends and neighbours and lives. Hayley Atwell and Bob Downey and Donny Glover would all want to see their friends again.  Leaving them to die was simply not an option.

Steve lifted a leg to kick the door down.

It didn’t budge.

He tried banging on it with a fist.  “Hello!” he called out.  “Guys?  Loki? Can you hear me?”

There was no reply, and then he heard the scream.

It didn’t come from inside the room, it was from below the balcony.  For a moment Steve was worried it was Natasha, but when he looked he realized it was somebody else he’d completely forgotten about.  Musa had joined in the fight, too, but she was now on the floor in a pool of yellow goo, with one leg badly broken.  The queen was looming over her, ignoring Thor and Natasha banging on her armor for now, ready to strike again and rid herself of at least one of these annoying smaller creatures.

Steve vaulted over the railing and landed next to her, but he was already having doubts.  There was fluid – it resembled the banana-flavoured antibiotics the SHIELD people had made him take once, after he was accidentally exposed to a bioweapon, but he supposed it had to be the equivalent of blood – all over the floor, so much of it, it didn’t seem like she could possibly survive.  Even so, she was dragging herself backwards with her arms, while the queen prepared to slice at her again.

Steve jumped between them and brought up his makeshift shield.  It didn’t shed impacts the way the familiar vibranium one would have.  It was the wrong shape and made of the wrong material, so he got a painful jolt to the shoulder, but was able to deflect the blow to the side.  He looked down at Musa, and she rolled over to have better leverage as she crawled away, leaving a trail of slime behind her.  After a few yards, the remains of her broken leg came away entirely, and were left behind.

The queen threw aside the sentinel weapon she’d been using, and instead pulled something out of a scabbard on her thigh. It was a knife as long as Steve was tall, with a serrated edge designed to tear flesh at the same time as cutting it. It was probably a ceremonial weapon, but it could certainly kill.  Steve wound up and threw his makeshift shield at the queen’s face, where it bounced off her helmet and embedded itself in the ceiling, then ran for the other end of the room.  If he could just make her chase him instead of Musa, who was still crawling towards the Leviathan.

In the middle of the room, so far ignored, was what must have bee the queen’s nest – an enormous heap of cushions in various shapes and sizes, but all of them at least the size of human beings.  When Steve got up close, he found that these were made of the same metallic cloth the queen herself was wearing, and there were bones among them – he moved one cushion aside and found a battered skull that looked like it belonged to something similar to the guardians.  Before he’d had time to properly deal with that, the skull fell over, and underneath it was a larva.

It was about five feet long and two feet across, translucent white with veins visible under the skin, six stumpy legs and six bulbous eyes above a dribbling, lipless mouth.  For a moment all Steve could do was stand and stare at it in shock – it had never occurred to him that having a queen meant that the Chi’Tauri might go through a larval stage.  This could hardly be anything else, though, and the fact that it was sleeping in the queen’s nest suggested it might be a juvenile version of her, a thing that would grow up to command a ship and a hive of her own.

Behind him, he heard the queen shriek.  She began scrambling across the floor towards him.

The pile of cushions heaved and a second larva popped up, then a third.  Despite their blobby appearance they were heavy and deceptively strong, and they quickly piled on top of Steve, weighting his chest down and nearly suffocating him with the pillows.  Drool dripped onto his face and chest as their little mouths opened and shut, exposing tongues covered with tiny, glassy spines.  One of them licked Steve’s right arm, and he felt intense pain as it scraped a layer of skin away.  They were, he realized, planning to eat him alive.

One tore the shield out of his hands and tried to nibble on it, then threw it aside when it realized it wasn’t edible. Another ripped at his shirt, tearing it off to get at the flesh underneath.  As a fourth and then a fifth larva joined them, he got a glimpse through the mass of blubbery bodies and saw the adult queen looming over him, raising her serrated knife.

The larva moved aside so their mother could kill their meal for them, but Steve grabbed one by the legs and as the knife came down, he held the creature over him to intercept the blow.  The knife speared the larva, which let out a high-pitched, grating scream that made every hair on Steve’s body stand on end, and went right through it.  The tip of the blade stopped only an inch or so shy of his nose.  The other larvae, terrified, burrowed back into the heap of cushions.

The queen raised the knife again with the larva still stuck on it.  She looked at it, turning it over to inspect as the creature’s legs and mouth twitched, then let it drop to the floor, threw her head back, and screamed.  The sound rolled around the room like a thunderclap, shaking the bones and making the broken glass on the floor dance.  When the queen looked down at Steve again, her eyes had turned dull red.  She’d been angry earlier.  Now she was furious.

Steve fought his way out of the mess of pillows, climbed over the fallen larva, and ran.

The queen was right behind him.  A Sentinel who was in her way got stepped on and died with a crunch.  Furniture was crushed and curtains and pillars torn down.  Steve ran for the door at the far end of the room, the one he’d resisted the urge to zip through on the dinghy.  It was closed, of course, but Steve wasn’t looking for an escape. He was looking for a place to try a trick he’d seen in a music video: he ran straight up the wall as far as he could before gravity got the better of him, then did a flip to land on his feet again.

He’d intended to land on the queen’s arm or leg, to join Thor and Natasha in creating that chink, but instead the queen batted him right out of the air.  He went flying and crashed into the wall, taking out one of the pillars that supported the balcony and hitting his head, hard.

That was something he’d had to learn about the serum once before, too, by having a truck dropped on him – Steve’s body was only almost indestructible.

He’d no sooner managed to get to his feet when the queen grabbed him again, and began beating him against the floor as the Hulk had once done with Loki.  This was too fast and too violent for him to do anything about it.  Blow after blow passed through him, until his ears were ringing and he felt like his bones were rattling around loose inside a bag of skin. He was only dimly aware of Thor plunging one of the fishhook weapons into a joint of the queen’s gauntlet to make her let go, and then carrying him away to a side room.

Thor must have figured out some of the technology in the room, because the door began to close, but then the queen got a hand in and wrenched it back open.

“Why didn’t you zap her?” Natasha demanded.

“I cannot!” Thor said.  “I don’t know how to make the lightning without Mjolnir! Hemsworth never told me!”

If he hadn’t known it would hurt, Steve would have laughed out loud.  Maybe it was because his brain was bruised, but in that moment it seemed hilarious to think that by switching them back to their own bodies, Loki had actually ruined the plan and doomed them all.  It was so gloriously ironic, Steve had to wonder if Loki had done it on purpose.

#fanfic #steve rogers #natasha romanov

[maychorian]

Weekly Voltron Fic Recs #46

Yeah, it’s been more than a week. Hush now and enjoy the super ridiculously long list of recs. I made this for you.

Rules: You can find past weekly rec lists here, and non-list recs in my general fic rec tag. Also follow @maychorianrecs for individually tagged posts, the easier to search and reblog. This is stuff I like, and I have a huge bias toward Lance, hurt/comfort, and general fluff, in that order. Gen unless otherwise noted. Please comment on the fics if you read and enjoy them!

A Long Time Ago (We Used To Be Friends) by Mikiri Words: 32,580 Author’s Summary: Originally Keith was supposed to have been Shiro’s copilot for the Kerberos Mission. They bonded over the thought of being on a mission together. But that all fell down the drain when something was found wrong with his blood. The fall out of the mission failure changed Keith forever. My Comments: Really interesting idea for an AU, and the story did such a good job of building up the team of Matt, Sam, Keith, and Shiro that it hurt like the dickens to have that all torn away in the end.

Lay To Waste by Demenior, wrecked_anon Words: 41,303 Author’s Summary: What was meant to be a simple mission— make contact with the Rebellion and form an alliance— goes horribly awry. Now the team is split up, the Galra are invading, and Shiro’s past may prove to be their greatest adversary yet. OR When you have skeletons in your closet, you hope they stay dead. My Comments: I’ve read and recced stories in this series before, so I knew before I read it that it was going to be amazing, but also have moments of pretty awful horror that I would have to steel myself for. And that’s completely true. The worldbuilding is fantastic, and this author always does such a great job of making Voltron feel like SCIFI, rather than a space fantasy, which is cool. The aliens are so ALIEN, and the new cultures and characters you meet are all so fascinating and so well-conceptualized. It’s just great, great stuff, but yeah, brace yourself from some horrific scenes.

of beasts and men by nowweareunstoppable Words: 14,430 (½) Author’s Summary: (werewolves & ghouls & witches, oh my!) It hurt, but it hurt like a lightning strike must; so powerful that the pain of it is overshadowed by the sheer momentum of the act. She was an explosion, but instead of coming apart, she was converging again into something more than the previous sum of her parts. Pidge came back with the taste of copper on her tongue and panic pulsing inside of her. My Comments: Absolutely fabulous urban fantasy AU with Pidge stumbling in far over her head and werewolf Shiro sacrificing just about everything to save her. Action-packed, edge-of-the-seat thrill ride. I want the rest really bad.

Hazy by haleyislametbh Words: 2,102 Author’s Summary: Some days, Lance’s ADHD doesn’t seem to bother him much. Today is not one of those days. My Comments: This feels really in-character, though it’s not my particular headcanon. Great stuff.

Try Everything by oldmythologies Words: 1,510 Author’s Summary: In which Lance believes that anything is a lullaby if you sing it soft enough <3 My Comments: Shance hinted at the end but reads platonic to me. Really sweet modern AU in which Lance doesn’t know his roommate Shiro very well, but still tries to gently sing him awake when he has a nightmare.

See The Light by itbepansam Words: 1,591 Author’s Summary: The team escapes from a dangerous mission and after one of the team members gets hurt, they decide to all form a huge cuddle pile My Comments: Cuddle piles are always good.

Build on Shaky Ground by Engineer104 Words: 3,337 Author’s Summary: Sometimes Lance dangles the carrot of friendship in front of Pidge’s face; sometimes Pidge refuses to take a bite For Pidge Ship Week, Day 1: Trust Comments: Tagged as possible romantic Plance but can be read platonic. I like fics that treat platonic relationships with all the depth and complexities of romantic relationships. A lot. Nothing is really resolved at the end of this one, but you can see the threads of friendship starting to be woven between them, and that’s beautiful.

Dirt and Dried Blood by hufflepirate Words: 14,637 Author’s Summary: Coran doesn’t know exactly what happened out there. He just knows the other paladins brought the princess back bloody and half-dead. Allura remembers being left behind, but she doesn’t remember making it home. Sometimes getting back on your feet requires a little more than a healing pod, but they both know he’s going to be there for her every step of the way. My Comments: Absolutely fabulous fic centered on characters who don’t get nearly enough attention. Great hurt/comfort scenes, great emotions, great characterization and backstory. A pleasure to read from start to finish.

Triumph or Death by ashitanoyuki for Wisttic Words: 3,562 Author’s Summary: Haxus did not die when he fell from the generator room catwalk. His survival presents an opportunity to gather useful information for the Galra Empire. My Comments: Great outsider perspective on the crew, and it even had me rooting for Haxus, at least his survival. Fun read.

Prison Toys by PastelClark Words: 3,452 Author’s Summary: When the mission crew of Shirogane, Holt, Holt, and McClain doesn’t come back from Kerberos, the world decides their ship crashed. Pidge decides it’s all bullshit.She’s not the only one. (In which Pidge lives inside her own head, Lance’s older sister was the fourth Kerberos crew member, everyone has something to lose, and no one is handling this well.) My Comments: Heartbreaking, but fascinating look at how Lance and Pidge’s dynamic changes when he’s dealing with loss, too. They both want to get to space so, so badly, yet they seem to work at cross purposes much of the time.

Starting to Unwind by HapaxLegomenon Words: 1,331 Author’s Summary: “We decided,” Lance says, “that you need a day off.” Shiro immediately stiffens. “We don’t have time –” “Yes we do,” Pidge says firmly. “We already cleared it with the Princess and Coran – who said it was a great idea, by the way – so no training, no leader-ing, no worrying, just relax and let us take care of you for once, okay?” Or; Shiro works too hard, and the other paladins encourage him to take a break. My Comments: Aw, everyone taking care of Shiro is so sweet.

Existing by prettyshiroic (AnalystProductions) Words: 6,929 Author’s Summary: It’s not just pain that sweeps into his life uninvited and without ceremony. At first it is. But something else came with it too. Well. Many things. But they’re a mild annoyance. Keith doesn’t like to complain and grumble, so their presence is written off as ghostly. Haunting him from time to time, and that’s as far as he lets the interaction go. Then there’s this. This thing. It made conversations difficult and hard to follow, made words uncomfortable in his mouth. It stripped him of basic comprehension skills at the best of times, sentences on a page clearly there but entirely lost to him. At the worst of times, it strips him of much more than that. Existence at the expense of everything else. My Comments: It doesn’t seem fair, with all of Keith’s canon difficulties, for him to also have to deal with chronic pain. But well, life isn’t fair, is it? That’s part of the point of this fic. The other part is Keith learning to accept support, and the others all being happy to provide it. Achy fic (literally and figuratively) with a great conclusion.

Nesting by isabeau25 Words: 5,635 Author’s Summary: Keith takes a chance on building a permanent nest. The rest of the team approves. My Comments: Part of a very well-realized and adorable wingfic AU. Keith’s nervousness about making something permanent after wandering for his whole life is so palpable and understandable, and everyone’s support is just lovely. A comforting fic, it makes me feel cozy and warm.

Cat in the Sun by isabeau25 Words: 3,048 Author’s Summary: Shiro was just out for a jog. He hadn’t planned on buying a restaurant. My Comments: I didn’t know I needed a platonic coffee shop AU! This was relaxing to read, and the descriptions are idyllic and charming. If I were Shiro, I’d want to buy this run-down property, too. This is the first of a series, and I’m definitely looking forward to more.

Young Blood by Emerald_Ashes Words: 2,268 (1/?) Author’s Summary: Shiro is still missing. A mission in hopes to rescue him go terribly wrong and the team is led into a trap. While they manage to escape, not everyone makes it out unscathed. My Comments: Deaged Keith in Galra form! Lance is a wonderful caretaker already. I’m really looking forward to reading this one as it develops.

Words Fail by EagleInFlight Words: 23,057 (6/?) Author’s Summary: A mind-melding exercise goes wrong, and the five Paladins are now trapped in Lance’s mind. To escape, they must delve through Lance’s memories. Lance learns that in order to save his friends, he has to stop running. But to stop running means to face the worst of himself. My Comments: I really loved the way this fic dealt with Lance’s memories and how the other paladins reacted to them. They all go on a separate little journey with Lance, and it feels very in-character, very emotional and heartwrenching. I’m glad Shiro was there at the time he was, in particular. I’m looking forward to the conclusion a lot.

Reload by Uniasus Words: 9,837 Author’s Summary: Shiro always knew he drew attention as a Galra prisoner, from the soldiers, the other slaves, Zarkon and Haggar. But he never knew the result of it. Now that Black’s refusing to fly with him, Shiro’s determined to figure out what exactly the Galra did. My Comments: Really interesting and well-written Post-Season Three fic that DOESN’T go with the clone hypothesis. I enjoyed all the twists and turns in this one very much. Really great concepts and characterization all around.

Let’s Find The Good We Knew Before by kyanve for Mikiri Words: 6,290 Author’s Summary: By dumb coincidence, Katie ends up witness to Keith’s exit from the Garrison before she’s prepared her identity as Pidge, and decides to get involved. My Comments: Great slight canon divergence fic with Keith and Pidge forming the salty younger sibling team they were always meant to be, just a little quicker than canon. A lot of pain, a lot of heartache there, but they are definitely good for each other.

There’s not such a thing as too many Shiros by RukiaG Words: 1,081 Author’s Summary: Shiro has a clone. That’s something everyone knows and has accepted by now. However, it turns out the Galra made several clones of him, so what will Team Voltron do with all those clones? Adopt them, of course. My Comments: Some adorable crack in which everyone makes plans to adopt a Shiro clone and give them silly names.

Normal by Zurela Words: 6,506 Author’s Summary: Lance and Keith survived isolation on a mysterious planet, but that doesn’t mean everything is automatically okay. Unable to hear and confronted with traumatic memories, Lance and the team do their best to get things back to normal. My Comments: Great follow-up to a previously recced fic. This is some very well done aftermath and recovery. Lance has received a permanent injury, and that’s treated with proper weight, but there’s a lot of hope in there too. And the team is wonderfully supportive. Klance, but everyone gets a lovely moment. I especially loved Allura and Coran. They said some very important stuff. It made me think as well as filling my heart with fuzzy warmth.

Numbers by oldmythologies Words: 1,222 Author’s Summary: Shiro would hate it. He would hate knowing that Keith heard him scream sometimes, that Keith knew that he wasn’t completely okay. He’d feel weak, and he’d hide behind his speeches and his optimism and would be ever more careful about where and when he let himself fall asleep. The cry reaches him from behind the door. It sounds like a child, and god, that child is so afraid. This time, Keith doesn’t hesitate to open the door. My Comments: Sweet and simple fic with Keith comforting Shiro after a nightmare.

The Silly Song by StormySeaWitch Words: 1,605 Author’s Summary: Inspired by Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) It’s amazing what kinds of odd Earth things you can find in space malls. My Comments: Very cute fic with Team Voltron just having fun together for once. It made me grin like a little kid.

The Phoenix by 00AwkwardPenguin00 Words: 5,543 Author’s Summary: In which Ulaz is furious (and about to be sick), Shiro and Keith are suspicious, Thace is appointed Chief Babysitter (and is a boss at it), and Lance is hungry. AKA the first oneshot of a triple AU that literally nobody asked for. My Comments: This AU is hitting a LOT of my buttons. In a world where some people can shapeshift into animals, all five Voltron kids have been locked up in Haggar’s lab and forced to undergo horrible things. Most of them are deaged to some extent, and they are incredibly frightened and protective of each other. Enter Thace and Ulaz as FBI agents who clean out the lab and take the kids under their protection. I’m really REALLY looking forward to more of this series.

Not a Feather Out of Place by isabeau25 Words: 1,271 Author’s Summary: Shiro needs some help preening his wings, but it’s often times easier said then done. My Comments: Very cute wingfic with Keith and Lance working together to soothe Shiro and provide necessary grooming without setting off his PTSD. They’re so lovely. And it’s the first of a series, so you should probably subscribe now.

Small Comforts by EdgarAllenPoet for KatherineKatie Words: 5,652 Author’s Summary: “You needed rest. I was providing comfort.” My Comments: Wonderful Dads of Marmora fic with the theme of Kolivan grooming Keith in various scenarios. The first two are very fluffy, but the last one is not. It made my heart ache in a good way. A good, good way.

Warmth by bookwormgir1LH Words: 2,226 Author’s Summary: Stranded on an alien planet after a crash, Pidge and Hunk struggle to survive. Cuddle number 6: For warmth My Comments: Sweet and good. Huddling for warmth is always a winner.

The Void Stares Back by aleria Words: 8,210 Author’s Summary: The darkness in front of her was so real, she wanted to reach out and touch it. My Comments: Creepy and atmospheric exploration of a Lovecraftian horror scenario. Pidge just wants to understand, but sometimes you don’t get answers.

Light it Up by BossToaster (ChaoticReactions) Words: 13,398 Author’s Summary: After the events of Spark to Ignite, Shiro picks up the pieces. My Comments: Fluffy and wonderful aftermath and recovery fic, perfect follow-up to a fic I previously recced. You should read it all, but basically Shiro was locked in the dark for several days and ended up smashing up his prosthetic arm in his (completely justified) panic, so now he has major adjustments to do while Hunk and Pidge figure out a replacement. Plus he’s scared of the dark and feels embarrassed about it. So yeah anyway this fic is perfect and there’s lots of cuddling, I love it. You probably will, too.

Previously Recced Fics That Updated:

Bromances in Space (27976 words) Coran's Guide to the Care and Keeping of Earthling Humans (35293 words) The Ones Who Were Left Behind (52377 words) Defying the Odds (28643 words) As Color Fades Away (149703 words) The Machinations of Perception (55318 words)  - now complete Ten Days (64896 words) Taking One For The Team (30581 words) Little Crystals (4511 words) Gate Keeper (95943 words)

#voltron legendary defender #weekly voltron fic recs #fic rec #vldgen

[boredbookworm]

We Each Write a Letter

Decided to post the fic I wrote for the ML Ultimate Guess Who Challenged hosted by @mlficwritersanon. I had so much fun with this challenge and I hope you all enjoy!

Rating: T Themes: Fluff, Friendship, slight romance  Ships: Love Square all but Ladrien cuz I was reaching word limit but that will be adding a second chapter to add the Ladrien I had planned. Word Count: 4048

Chat Noir had an idea.

"Bugaboo, when do you think you will be okay with telling me who you are under that mask?"

"When Hawkmoth is gone and there is no more danger in knowing who we are."

"What if whoever gave us our Miraculous takes them back before we get the chance to tell each other?"

"We'll find a way."

Chat Noir knew he shouldn't push the subject. Ladybug had the right idea with keeping their identities a secret from one another. There were too many risk, too much danger at the moment. But he could not stop himself from wanting to know.

"How about this? We each write a letter," Chat said.

"A letter?"

"Yeah, we each write a letter with our name and a little bit of info on ourselves. We'll give each other the letter and keep it hidden away until the day we defeat Hawkmoth. This way if we lose our Miraculous before we can tell each other, we will still have a way of knowing."

Chat Noir was honestly rather proud of his idea. It was a simple one but one that could work.

"Okay, but how will I know you won't read the letter as soon as I give it to you? There's a saying about cats and curiosity you know," she teased.

Chat had planned for this.

"We each seal the envelope in a way that's hard to recreate, you know like wax seals or a doodle along the seal so that if we tried to reseal or get a new envelope it would be obvious. Then every few months we can bring the letter with us to show we haven't broken the seal."

The smile on Ladybug's face gave him even more confidence that his plan was a good one.

"You've really thought this out. Okay, next time we meet up we'll bring a letter."

It took all he had not to jump up in joy.

"But what should we write in them?" asked Ladybug.

"How about our name, our birthday, maybe some basic info like favorite color, and an email or phone number that won't change so we can contact each other?" suggested Chat.

"I think this is a good idea."

The next time they had a chance to meet up without an Akuma attacking the city was a little less than a week later on the 22nd of February.

Chat Noir could barely contain his excitement. His lady trusted him enough to give him a letter that would have her name. He wouldn't have to worry about never finding out who she was because now he had her name in a cute pink envelope.

"When should we bring our letters to check the seal?" asked Ladybug.

"How about the first of every other month? We can start with April 1st."

"I'm fine with that, but maybe we should do it on April 2nd. I have a feeling that there's going to be an Akuma that day."

"Good point. So, April 2nd?"

"April 2nd," she confirmed.

As soon as Adrien was home in his room, he stashed the letter away in his bottom desk drawer. He made a quick note to see if he could have a lock added to that drawer. Extra security was always welcome in keeping a secret.

"You know you're going to be tempted to read that letter Adrien," said Plagg.

"I know. But I won't. This is Ladybug's trust in me and I won't betray that."

Everyone could tell that Adrien was happier than usual.

Adrien's classmates didn't know what was going on, but there was no denying that something good must have happened to him the day before. He smiled through a physics test, didn't mind taking on one of Kim's dares, and didn't even seem too bothered with Chloe's usual clinginess.

Nothing could ruin his mood.

Not even Marinette tripping on the steps and knocking him over as they made their way out of the school.

"Oh Adrien! I'm so sorry. I was reading this flier and I should have been looking at where I was going."

Adrien tried to hush her as he helped her to her feet.

"Marinette, I'm fine. Don't worry."

She continued to ramble on and about how sorry she was but Adrien was more interested in the flier she held.

"There's going to be another Ultimate Mecha Strike Tournament III?"

"What? Oh this," she pointed at the paper, "yeah Max was telling me about it. He can't make it that day and was asking if I wanted to join the tournament. I'm not sure if I'm gonna do it or not since I'm already kinda busy with some other stuff and it's another partner event so I can't go if I don't have a partner and I'm rambling now aren't I…"

"A little," he did his best not to laugh at her flustered expression, "You know, I don't mind being your partner. It's fun playing with you."

"Really?"

"Yeah, what day is it? I'll need to make sure my schedule is cleared."

"It's April 3rd, it's a Monday so the tournament is in the afternoon."

"Who schedules a tournament on a Monday? No wonder Max can't make it."

Adrien took a quick look at the calendar on his phone. His father usually scheduled big events he absolutely could not miss 3 months in advance, so see that the day had no scheduled event meant he was free for the tournament.

"Looks like I'm good, I'll just have Nathalie save the day so I don't get a last-minute photo shoot scheduled."

"Great."

Adrien looked back to his phone to check the next day he was free.

"I'm a bit busy the rest of this week and up until Monday so can we meet up next Tuesday?"

Marinette nodded quickly as she said, "Sure, that sounds great."

Out of the corner of his eye, Adrien could see the Gorilla pulling up in front of the school to take him home.

"Ah, gotta go. See you."

"S-see you."

As he entered the car, Adrien could see Marinette jumping for joy with the flier held close to his chest.

He was glad he could make his friend happy.

For the most part, Adrien had an amazing time with Marinette.

For the next four week, he either went to her house or she went to his two times a week so they could practice for the tournament.

They didn't really need to practice. Their gaming was in sync and all their practice battles had been won with ease. Even if they played against other teams online, the two of them had no trouble winning.

They just both really liked playing together.

It didn't take them long to start playing other games after a few rounds of Ultimate Mecha Strike III.

By the fifth week, practicing for the tournament had just become an excuse for Adrien and Marinette to hang out. They weren't even playing it anymore and instead decided that other games would be better at testing who is the best.

"Seriously? Blue shell?"

"You're the one that suggested Mario Kart so I'm not going easy on you."

"What if I gave you tickets to the next fashion show my father hosts?"

"As tempting as that is, my pride would be hurt too much if I were to give into a bribe."

"Fine, I give up."

Adrien pushed his chair away from Marinette and looked over at her desk. He noticed what appeared to be a work in progress Chat Noir plush doll.

"What's this?" he asked while pointing at the half-finished doll. "I thought you already made a Chat Noir doll?"

Marinette looked around as if she was making sure no one else was in the room.

"Can I tell you a secret?"

"Sure."

"He sometimes visits me."

Adrien pretended to be surprised by what he already knew, "Chat Noir visits you?"

"I don't think he goes out of his way to visit me, but every time I'm out on my balcony when he passes by, he always stops to at least say hello. I know he probably stops by whenever he sees someone but he cheers me up sometimes after a bad day. I'm making him that doll as a thank you gift."

"That's very sweet. I don't think anyone has given Chat Noir anything, unless you count the statue to him and Ladybug."

Marinette stood up and walked over to where Adrien was. She moved some of the pieces out of the way before picking up a pink spotted box. She opened it with a key a took out a green heart.

"I even made a heart for the doll. I keep it in this my box so I don't lose it."

"That's so cool Marinette."

But Adrien's attention was not on the heart she showed him, but letter that was kept under the heart. A green envelope with a black cat paw drawn over the flap of the envelope.

His letter to Ladybug.

Just then his phone rang, telling him that it was time to head home.

As soon as he reached his room, Adrien grabbed the nearest pillow and screamed into it.

"What's wrong kid?" asked Plagg as he popped out of Adrien's discarded school bag.

"I messed up," he replied. "Do you remember the letters me and Ladybug exchanged?"

"Did you open the letter like I said you would?"

"No, I saw the letter I wrote to Ladybug in Marinette's room."

"Maybe she is taking care of the letter for Ladybug," said Plagg but there was no confidence in his voice.

"Come on Plagg, you know Ladybug would never risk someone else holding on to that letter."

Adrien sighed and let himself drop face first onto his bed. Plagg floated over.

"You're going to suffocate yourself like that, then there will be no one to give me camembert and I'll starve."

Not getting a response from Adrien, Plagg decided to poke him until he groaned and lifted himself off the bed and sat normally.

"I don't know what I'm going to do Plagg. We said we wouldn't tell each other just yet and here I am knowing who she is. I don't even know how I'm going to react when I see her again."

"Well look on the bright side, tomorrow is April Fool's day and there will probably be an Akuma that will take up anytime you could have used to talk to her. You will have one more day to think things over."

"Yeah," mumbled Adrien. "One more day to figure out how to tell her."

Surprisingly, there was no Akuma on April Fool's day. Even though it was a day dedicated to causing mischief, Ladybug and Chat Noir were not needed to stop an angry citizen.

It was good for the two of them, that meant another day they could relax and not get thrown half way across Paris.

But it was bad for Chat Noir because this meant he did not have one more day to think things over like Plagg had said. At least he wouldn't have to show his letter until the next day.

They both met up at the Eiffel Tower after making their rounds across the city.

As soon as he landed besides her he said, "My Lady, what would you say if I told you I knew who you were, but I haven't opened the envelope?"

She stayed quiet for a moment before a genuine laugh filled the air around them.

"I'd say this is your worst April Fool's prank yet."

"But you've only know me for one April Fool's before this one."

"Exactly."

"Meowch, I didn't even prank you last year."

"If you had, I'm sure it would have been just as bad as your puns."

"Oh, come on," he says while nudging her with his elbow, "you know you like my puns."

"Only sometimes Chat, only sometimes."

"I'm fine with that."

They stood there quiet, simply enjoying the night and each other's company. But they couldn't stay like that for long. It was getting late.

"See you tomorrow."

"Yeah, see you…" he trails off.

Chat Noir watched her leave before sitting down to have a moment to think in peace.

As soon as she left, his guilt and nerves returned. It was easy to forget his troubles when they just talked. Her jokes and smiles made him forget. But Ladybug's absence brought it all back.

He had to tell her tomorrow.

He'd tell her as he shows her the letter, still perfectly sealed, that he knew who she was.

But when they met up the next day, he couldn't do it.

Chat Noir knew his Lady would not be mad at him for finding out. She was an understanding person and would most likely find a way to blame herself over him seeing his letter in her room.

He wasn't scared of her being angry at all.

He feared his Lady being disappointed in who he was.

He didn't have a real reason as to why he felt she would be disappointed in him. It was more of an irrational fear that came with caring so much about someone. The last thing he wanted was to have her not like who he was without his mask on.

And for Ladybug to know how he found out, he'd have to tell her he is Adrien Agreste.

The letter was kept in her room, a place she only invited a few friends to and Chat Noir had no reason to be in Marinette's room.

Sure, he had visited her a few times while he made his way around the city on patrol. But only when she was outside on her balcony. He might stop to talk for a bit when he saw her. She even gave him some of her hot chocolate when it was a cold night. But he had never been invited into her room.

If he didn't tell her the truth, she could easily assume that he had broken into her room and looked through her private possessions.

He couldn't tell her.

Not yet.

The next day was the Ultimate Mecha Strike III tournament and the two beat it with ease.

But if you were to ask Adrien what happened during the tournament, he wouldn't have been able to tell you a thing.

Adrien had been incredibly nervous. Not because of the tournament, but because he was spending time with Marinette. He was so worried over the chance that something he would do or say around Marinette would give him away the tournament, besides that fact that they had won, was a complete blur to him.

All Adrien wanted to do was go home and sort out his feelings, to figure out a way to tell Ladybug the truth. But he could not drop out of the tournament. He could not let Marinette down.

As soon they were done and had accepted their congratulations on winning the tournament, Adrien readied himself to tell Marinette he needed to head home.

He didn't expect to be invited to dinner.

"Dinner at your place?"

"Yeah, you don't have to come if you don't want to but my parents wanted to thank you for partnering with me. I think they also have some idea in their head that they don't feed you at your place."

He really couldn't say no to her.

"Sure, let me just call Nathalie."

Dinner with the Dupain-Cheng family was so lively that Adrien nearly forgot the secret he held. It wasn't until Marinette walked him to the door on his way out that he remembered what was making him so anxious. The silence in the car didn't help and as soon as he made it home, be ran straight for his room and locked the door.

"You okay kid? You've been so tense since you saw your letter in the girl's room."

It was nice to see Plagg concerned for him, to know someone cared, but he still felt off. There was no point in lying to Plagg.

"No, I'm not okay. I need to think."

"Want a run around the city to clear your head?"

"No asking for camembert?"

"I'm feeling generous today. Don't get used to it kid."

Adrien could tell what Plagg meant. Despite his attitude, Plagg really did care about him.

"Okay then. Plagg, Claws out."

Running around the city might not have been the best idea. It didn't take very long for Chat Noir to end up running by the Dupain-Cheng's bakery and seeing Marinette on her balcony.

Chat Noir saw two options and he didn't like either of them.

He could turn back before she sees him and pretend he didn't see her. This meant he was running away from talk about the letter again, not something he wanted to do because he needed to talk to her.

Or, he could hop over to her balcony and tell her.

Neither were good options.

He landed behind her.

"You seem really happy today."

At the sound of his voice, Marinette jumps and sprays him in the face with the water she had been using to water her plants.

"Chat! Don't sneak up on me like that. I didn't hear you at all."

"I'm going to ignore the water to the face and just take it as a complement. You know people say I'm just dripping with good looks."

"Who let you watch anime again?"

"I see you took my advice and watched Ouran."

"Yup," was her only answer before she bounces back to spraying water on her plants.

Her joy could be seen from miles away.

"So, what's got you so happy today? I haven't been around here much so what could pawssibly have made you so happy."

"I was in a gaming tournament today and won first place with my friend."

"Congratulations Princess, I'm so happy for you."

"It was a lot of fun. Even better is it gave me time to hang out with Adrien."

"Who's Adrien? A boy you like?" he teased.

"Yeah"

He froze.

"I've had a crush on him for a while but I've been too shy to really even talk to him outside of school. I feel like playing video games with him really helped us get closer."

He needed to tell her.

"Marinette? What if I told you…"

He hesitates, trying to build up the courage to tell her. But when he looks at her, the way the moonlight hits her face takes his breathe away, leaving him speechless.

"What if you told me what Chat?"

"N-nothing."

Chat's mind was racing. No matter how many times he told himself to say it, to tell her he knows, the words refused to leave his mouth.

"Chat, are you okay?"

The worry and concern in her voice could have melted him then and there.

All he could think was that she was too good for him.

Too kind, too caring, too thoughtful, too beautiful, too brave, too amazing for someone like him.

As he was lost in thought, Marinette moved closer. She studied his face for any sign of what was going on in his head.

"Chat? You're starting to worry me."

Pulled from his thoughts, Chat Noir responds, "I'm fine, it's nothing, just a lot on my mind lately."

"You can tell me anything, I can keep a secret and it's not like if anyone will believe me if I tell them you peed yourself in public or something."

Her joke managed to get a small laugh out of him, "I know. I just don't know how to say things sometimes."

"I'm here if you need anything. It's the least I could do for you considering all you've done for me."

"Oh, and what have I done for you?"

"You mean besides saving me, my friends, and all of Paris from Hawkmoth?"

"But that's something I do for everyone, I'm a superhero after all. What have I done for you?"

Marinette pauses before pointed at him then herself, "This, you stopping to visit every now and then is something you've done for me. Superheroes protect the city but they don't have to make friends with the people they've saved."

In that moment, all he could think about was how much he did not deserve to even know someone as kind as Marinette.

He just needed to let it out.

Now.

"Marinette, what if I told you I didn't visit every person that I see when I'm out? That you're the only person I stop for? That I'm in love with you?"

She froze. A strained laugh left her lips.

"Very funny Chat, don't you know that April Fools was two days ago."

"I'm not joking."

"Are you just saying this because I said that I liked someone else."

Chat Noir hadn't expected things to go smoothly but he didn't like how it was turning out.

"No, I was planning on telling you either way. That's why I came tonight."

"But you like Ladybug."

"I know."

That's when it clicked.

"You weren't joking on April Fool's day."

"No," said Chat Noir.

The silence that followed his words was almost deafening. Marinette had to fill that silence.

"How did you find out?"

Before he could even open his mouth to respond she says, "Wait! I don't want to know."

"You don't?"

"Well," she said, "I know you didn't read the letter, and I trust that you didn't try to figure me out by following me. It was all an accident, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, it was."

"Then I don't need to know and we can leave it at that. If you tell me that you saw me somewhere or I said a certain thing that tipped you off, it might help me figure out who you are."

"What if I want to tell you who I am?"

"Chat you know we can't, it's dangerous enough with you knowing who I am."

"I'm fine with the danger."

"But I'm not!"

Both Chat Noir and Marinette are surprised that she raised her voice at him.

"Sorry… I didn't mean to yell. I care about you Chat, I don't want you in anymore danger than you already are just being Chat Noir."

"I don't get why it's so dangerous for us to know. If we are careful not to let Hawkmoth take control of us, we won't have anything to worry about. It's not like we are going to turn against each other."

"I know but can we just keep this reveal one-sided, for now at least? It's not that I don't want to know, I do, I just don't want to risk anything."

"You're so stubborn, but I understand."

"Thank you Chat."

He took her hand and kissed the back of her knuckles. "Anything for you Princess."

He dropped his hand but she didn't let go. They simply stayed like that for a moment, letting everything sink in. Running the words he had spoken earlier through his head, Chat realized he said something implied he originally only visited because he knew she was Ladybug.

"Oh, in case I may have confused you earlier, I didn't know you were Ladybug when I first started coming by. I only found out recently."

"Then why did you start coming by?"

"Because I liked your company."

She didn't say anything in response, instead leaning against him with their hands still together.

Chat Noir was sure he was dreaming.

"I should go before it gets too late."

"Before you go."

Marinette races back into her room leaving Chat alone for a moment before popping up from the trap door with something hidden behind her back.

"I have something for you."

"What is it?" he asks despite having a pretty good idea of what it is.

She handed it over to his so he could see. "It's a Chat Noir doll."

He knew she was making it for him, but seeing the end product really touched his heart.

"Thank you Princess."

He took a risk and planted a kiss to her cheek.

"Goodnight."

And he was off before she could react, but at least he saw her face go red.

He was coming by tomorrow to see his Princess no matter what.

#Miraculous Ladybug #ml fanfic #Marinette Cheng #Chat Noir #Adrien Agreste #Ladybug #Marichat #Adrienette #Ladynoir #Plagg #Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir #my fic