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cactusspatz · 4 years

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July recs

Sliding in pretty late this month after the push to finish my WIP Big Bang! But once again mostly The Untamed with more than 25 recs, plus 4 stray recs for other fandoms (Leverage, HP, Hikaru no Go, and Star Wars). My top picks are above the cut, and the rest are underneath.

Give Me What I Want by Jo Lasalle

Do you want vengeance, Wei Wuxian?

The final part of a series I recced in my May set! If you held off on reading it then, go devour the whole 80K AU now and watch our boys cope with some additional physical and emotional trauma through the Indoctrination/Lotus Pier massacre/Burial Mounds/Sunshot arc, but with a solidly hopeful ending.

Where the Lonely Ones Go by CSHfic & VSfic

“When did you arrive?” Lan Zhan asks, but he’s looking at the child in Wei Wuxian's arms, and the question is clearly, who’s baby is this, and maybe, should I be concerned?

or Accidental (haunted) baby acquisition

More ‘accidental haunted toddler insta-adoption’, wherein while trying to surprise his husband by joining him for a nighthunt, Wei Wuxian meets an orphaned little girl who is living on the streets because she’s plagued by persistent, dangerous accidents. An adorable child OC (I think she’s about 4 or 5), soft married Wangxian action (nailed the whole ‘we haven’t had a conversation about this yet but we’re totally on the same page’ dynamic), and a solidly original two-pronged casefile that I’ve already read twice. I recced another story by these authors last month, and I love the way they write WWX: sharply perceptive, gregarious, and compassionate, and how all of those things shape him as an investigator.

As You Like It by cosmicmilktea

"I was just wondering what snacks or sweets Hanguang-Jun prefers with his tea."

Wei Wuxian laughs, opens his mouth, and then has the horrible realization that he really, truly, doesn't know.

It takes a moment to sink in. He's known Lan Zhan ever since he was fifteen, had saved the Cultivation world together with him twice over, is actually married to the man, and Wei Wuxian doesn't know what his favorite tea snack is.

Incredibly soft and thoughtful post-canon fic featuring family and food as a love language, where Wei Wuxian attempts to pamper Lan Wangji for once and smacks up against some of LWJ’s stealth issues. (luckily, WWX never backs down from a challenge!)

Becoming the Phoenix by Branch

Drama-based. Alternate timeline in which Meng Yao ends up staying the summer at the Cloud Recesses, and is taken into Lan instead of Jin. Lan Xichen is eminently pleased with this, though Jin Guangshan will come to regret it very much indeed. Meanwhile, Lan Wangji is dubious, Nie Huaisang enjoys having someone to tease, Jiang Yanli likes her new friend, Wei Wuxian benefits from another ally, and Wen Qing sometimes wishes she'd never met any of these idiots.

An extremely satisfying AU where Meng Yao and Lan Xichen have a whirlwind summer romance and get engaged before the war starts, and all of his competence and scheming is used in service of his ever-growing love and a network of people he cares about, instead of frustrated ambition and abusive family. Very well-written and plotty fix-it, with great use of Wen Qing and Jiang Yanli and Nie Huaisang, and a compelling Wangxian B-plot.

Start A War by @ifshehadwings: AO3 | Tumblr

War is an ugly business, even when you win. Jin Guangyao, Nie Huaisang, and all the destruction left in their wake. (Alternate summary: Nie Huaisangs don't start wars, but they can finish them.)

Yes, I know I’ve reblogged this vid before, but it’s SO GOOD. Amazing song choice, devastatingly precise editing, and stunning use of limited footage to showcase the two puppetmasters of this story.

POSTCANON WANGXIAN

I'm Going Out (Gonna Make A Name For Me And You) by cosmicmilktea - “Wei Wuxian goes where the chaos is in Lan Wangji's stead, and finds a home in the process.“ Lovely story where they work together - LWJ as Chief Cultivator, and WWX as his roving investigator - to build a better world (and slowly realize they’re in love). Worldbuilding! Competence porn! Long distance romance!

Best man for the job; a detailed treatise on Chief Cultivation by Aerlalaith / @aerlalaith - “The peerless Hanguang-Jun faces his greatest challenge yet: bureaucracy.” aka the one where LWJ has to confront the fact that Jin Guangyao might have been evil, but he sure was a talented administrator. So charming.

Wayfinding by bumblebeesknees - I know there’s a million ‘WWX comes back from wandering and they get together’ stories out there, but this one stood out with some beautiful intimacy (the hair combing!) and a lot of insight into how WWX twists himself into knots about wanting/deserving things.

Countless Meetings in the Mundane World by Betty - funny, sweet story where they figure out their kinks without any map to guide them, and the ups and downs of LWJ learning how to play.

the heart is hard to translate by @vespertineflora - book-verse, in which they try out a rape fantasy roleplay based on their first kiss at Phoenix Mountain. I admit I read this for the porn, but there’s a surprisingly powerful emotional catharsis that I loved.

moonlight caught in mutton fat by Raitelzen - twisty, unusual casefile where the Lan brothers are turned into jade by a curse, and Wei Wuxian must investigate with Lan Qiren and a local magistrate before they are killed. Genuinely creepy murder mystery with great OCs and some nifty exploration of demonic cultivation.

hills and rivers are waiting by LTLJ - Jin Ling attempts to fix his relationship with his resurrected uncle by gifting him a haunted Jin outpost. It goes great!!! The first story is gen-ish action & shenanigans from Jin Ling’s POV, and the sequel deals with the Wangxian relationship troubles going on in the background.

POSTCANON GEN

Not Yet (There As Needed) by sunrise_and_death - Lan Sizhui tries to figure out how Wei Wuxian fits into his life, and vice versa; also featuring Jin Ling and the messiness of family when there’s this much death and trauma and adoption involved. I adore this author’s Sizhui voice, and the background Wangxian.

Exposure Therapy by Lise / @veliseraptor - “Wei Wuxian is terrified of dogs. Jin Ling would like to fix that.“ *facepalm* Yeah, this is exactly as much of a well-intentioned disaster as you might imagine - but pulling a happy ending out of chaos is something these boys excel at. <3

Five Dogs, One Cat by ryfkah / @bookelfe - in which Jiang Cheng acquires some dogs, in varying hilarious ways, and Wei Wuxian really regrets how involved he is in this process. Featuring Jin Ling and the other juniors being adorable, Nie Huisang being a troll, and tentative WWX-JC reconciliation.

CANON DIVERGENCE AUS

Until It's Dark by suzvoy - canon-divergence AU where LWJ discovers WWX’s core is gone after the battle at Nightless City. A lot of subtle changes from LWJ knowing his secret build to LWJ going to the Burial Mounds with WWX and the Wens, with a soft slow burn romance and eventual fix-it.

Response by Aki_no_hikari / @akinohikari - What if Wei Wuxian hadn't been silent to Lan Wangji's Inquiry? Book-verse. A gentle, bittersweet story where he gets to be a part of A-Yuan’s life growing up, ending happily with his canonical resurrection.

Clarity by Suspicious_Popsicle / @suspiciouspopsicle - odd but compelling bit of magical realism, where LWJ has been slowly going invisible only no one else can tell - until WWX shows up at the Cloud Recesses. Eerie and heartbreaking look at depression, with a hopeful ending.

No More Masks by KouriArashi / @gingersnapwolves - another Meng Yao redemption AU, except it lets him get much further down the road of villainy and murder first. This author can sometimes be a little straightforward for my tastes, but I liked how ruthless she wrote Meng Yao in this, and how Lan Xichen directly has to confront Meng Yao’s choices but still holds on to his love and compassion.

OTHER AUS

sudden nature by everbrighter - a very unique modern AU where people sometimes come back from the dead due to ‘administrative error’ corrections. Which makes it sound cracky, but it’s actually a compelling look at grieving and the practical weirdness of Sizhui dealing with his dead adoptive father coming back while he’s in the middle of prepping for a huge, prestigious science presentation, and his other adoptive father has been pining for years but isn’t sure how to confess now. Messy and real. I cried so much, but it’s ultimately a very happy story.

your persuasions by phnelt - hilarious modern PWP where WWX has a size kink that leads him to date assholes, and LWJ volunteers his enormous dick to distract WWX from dating anyone but him. (obviously they are in love, but WWX is a dumbass on many levels)

Almost Lover by mrsronweasley - modern AU friends-with-benefits while mutually pining, where WWX getting in a car accident upends their relationship. Lots of soft h/c.

the stars in the hazy heaven tremble above you by cicer / @nothing-but-color - vaguely-historical-with-magic (but no cultivation) AU combined with Cinderella, in which outlaw and Wen Remnant protector Wei Wuxian decides to sneak into the Lan prince’s engagement ball to steal things for food and money (and ends up falling in love instead, of course). Charming as hell, with a nice dash of angst and high stakes around the Wens’ situation.

among the stars by plonk - compilation of twelve Firefly AU shorts (+one modern AU where they just watch Firefly). All Wangxian, but a diverse and fun set of stories, with nods to the original TV show (plus some occasional, well-deserved shade-throwing) as well as classic westerns. Special love to #1, #3, #9, & #12.

VIDS

The Black Parade by helcinda - excellent vid album to MCR’s The Black Parade (inspired by the classic Scooby Road vid album). The final three were my favorites -- Teenagers for the juniors, of course, and then MASSIVE LWJ feels for Disenchanted, and Famous Last Words is some amazing Wangxian goodness -- but House of Wolves was also badass and heartbreaking, and the two vids about Jiang Cheng and WWX’s relationship to I Don’t Love You/Sleep (from each of their POVs respectively) were devastating. And Welcome to the Black Parade is an epic WWX cryfest, naturally.

The Crooked Wens by Tassos / @tassosss - a wrenching look at Wen Ning, the Yiling Wens, and Wei Wuxian: family and loss, found family and hope for the future.

Hold On, I'm Coming by inkjunket - nicely constructed Wangxian vid with very little in the way of lyrics, but still tells the story of their relationship from LWJ’s POV so clearly: his early crush, his fear for WWX using resentful energy, his regrets over his death and protectiveness after WWX comes back, and the true partnership they build.

OTHER FANDOMS

The Thanksgiving Dinner Job by phnelt (Leverage, OT3) - in which Hardison has to host family Thanksgiving at the brewpub. I love the messy-but-loving family dynamic for Hardison, Eliot’s grumpy self-consciousness and cooking woes, and the awareness of how coming out as a polyamorous interracial throuple might not go over great with everyone.

desynchronization by Ontogenesis (Hikaru no Go) - Two years after Sai's disappearance, Ogata pulls an amnesiac, wet, and and very much alive Sai out of a canal in Ichigaya. Long wonderful fix-it that really captures the feel of canon, with an amazing and adorable and badass Sai. Mostly gen with some slow-build Sai/Ogata.

Away Childish Things by lettered / @letteredlettered (Harry Potter, Harry/Draco) - I’m probably the last person in fandom to read this judging by the hit count, but it’s an incredibly well-constructed magical de-aging fic combined with a casefile, starting in medias res from Harry’s POV as a suddenly-ten-year-old with no memory of his adult life. Tense, emotional, beautifully written, great use of unreliable narration to amp up the mystery and develop the relationship.

Fairweather Friends by robotboy / @r0b0tb0y (Star Wars: Rogue One + The Mandalorian, Cassian/Din Djarin) - “Cassian Andor is thrown in an Imperial prison cell with no lights. And a Mandalorian.” This fic handles these two very wary men becoming intimate with real skill and delicacy. Hot, bittersweet h/c.

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