Navigating Purgatory (12032 words) by Anyawen Chapters: 7/7 Fandom: James Bond (Craig Movies) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: James Bond/Q Characters: M | Gareth Mallory, Q (James Bond), James Bond, Bill Tanner, Eve Moneypenny, Paloma (James Bond) Additional Tags: NTTD Fix-It, mallory takes responsibility, attempts to make amends, paying respects to the dead, Travel, Bit of introspection, Angst, Past James Bond/Madeleine Swann, Grief, Political Fallout, personal fallout, things look up ... eventually, 007 Fest 2023, TeamQBranch Series: Part 1 of Purgatory Summary:

There is no restitution Mallory can offer to make amends for the decisions that led to the missile strike on Safin's island —and the death of James Bond.

That doesn't mean he does nothing.

Bookmarker's Notes:

When this fic posted last July I did.not.have the capacity to give Mallory his due. But today I did and W O W! What a gift it was to dive into this 'verse with all its complexities + delightful ways it fills in canon's gaps of logic.

L O V E @anyawen's way with OCs; in this story line that means Akari. Love witnessing Mallory experience all the pain he deserves for the series of choices he made around Heracles, but also how Anyawen provides him a way forward into a life worth living.

As much as I want to say more, out of respect for YOUR upcoming experience Dear Reader, I won't. If easing the pain of how No Time To Die unfolded is what you're after, you've come to a place where another way is skillfully imagined. Hydrate beforehand + bring your tissues because there are m a n y tender moments. Enjoy m'friend, ENJOY!

fic reader chuckles at self

After JoYfuLLy (yet, let's be honest, somewhat compulsively) investing several hours over a couple of days I realised --this time more consciously than the previous 674 times-- diving into fics to craft epic comments is one of the m a n y ways I've developed to self-medicate in response to experiencing what I have relatively recently become aware is aN x i EtY.

Are there SeVeRaL ThiNgZ I need to do today?! ::whistles:: "Can't hear you Uncomfortable Tumultuous Feelings! Because I'm in the middle of a DEEP analysis of this fabulous update." ::la la la la la la la la ::

In Today's Episode of Let's Manage Anxiety With Fic, it was @luminiferocity's Chapter 10 Let Me Count the Ways where I WentFeral™ (translation: 4,438 words / 24,480 characters/3 boxes on AO3)

If you haven't read it yet + are interested in a fabulously crafted NTTD fix-it, 10/10 recommend! 71k at the half way mark.

...and now I'm off to push & pull heavy things in the gym. Because being in my head only helps so much.

the age of change (37573 words) by thestalwartheart Chapters: 8/? Fandom: James Bond (Craig Movies) Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: James Bond/Q, James Bond & Madeleine Swann, Eve Moneypenny & Q Characters: James Bond, Q (James Bond), Original Child Character(s) Additional Tags: Post-Movie: SPECTRE (2015), Developing Relationship, Childhood Trauma, Canon-Typical Violence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Casual Sex, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers Summary:

Q wouldn’t call himself a brave man. Bravery was for agents. Firefighters. Soldiers. The sorts of people who faced the flesh-and-blood realities of life and death. Q had never been made for it.

---

Q doesn't think he has it in him to face what he must face. Unfortunately, life happens anyway.

Bookmarker's Notes:

Bookmarking right from the get go. Even though I've only read the first two chapters, I am HERE for this premise and how it will unfold. Reader, I don't want to tell you much other than to say the storytelling is superb, the relationship between Q + Bond intrigues me, and the potential for what is going to happen looks fantastic. (Yes I'm being VaGuE because you need to read it yourself to see what I mean!) ENJOY!

UPDATE AFTER READING CH 8: Reader, are you with us on the journey yet? Because it's a f a b u l o u s one. I'm loving the variety of OCs @thestalwartheart weaves in and out of the story. Ditto the parts of the story focused on the central mission. And then--wow!-- the friendship dynamics between Q and Moneypenny are sometimes steadying, other times a brisk, swift nudge; the shift in relationship dynamics between Q and Bond, and Bond and Dr Swann, and Q and Dr Swann keep us all on our toes; and the relationship between Q and his father is ever so poignant.

See you in comments!

To Tell The Good From Bad, Villains From Heroes (55180 words) by moon_of_mercury Chapters: 18/18 Fandom: James Bond (Craig Movies) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: James Bond/Q, M | Gareth Mallory/Eve Moneypenny Characters: James Bond, Q (James Bond), Eve Moneypenny, M | Gareth Mallory, Bill Tanner, Nomi (James Bond), Felix Leiter, Madeleine Swann Additional Tags: Mission Fic Summary:

Almost 5 years have passed since SPECTRE left MI6 vulnerable. Bond and Q have both made their own choices in the aftermath. Now, the time to pay the price is at hand.

Bookmarker's Notes:

Six months ago I gobbled down this whole work, part of the 2020/2021 RBB. It's a testament to the power of it that I had not yet marked it as read written a bookmark for it. Circling back today to do both.

This is a f a b u l o u s, complex, well-constructed work sparked by @themuller13​‘s art ​. I LOVE it both the evocative art + the story so much. Love seeing Q walk away from MI6 + learning why; love how damn complicated it is for Q + Bond to turn towards each other; the MI6 family is so.well.done, and L O V E the many OCs which round out the cast of characters.

What's f*%!ing W i L d is something I had to keep reminding myself over + over + over again: this a NTTD fix-it completed over six months before we knew eXaCtLy w h y we needed a fix-it fic! Yeah. Wow.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did. And if you do, please love up the author @themerc for all the reasons. Because, yeah, wow. 💜

million dollar man (17493 words) by Path_Finder Chapters: 1/3 Fandom: James Bond (Craig Movies) Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: James Bond/Q Characters: James Bond, Q (James Bond), Eve Moneypenny, M | Gareth Mallory Additional Tags: Eve Moneypenny & Q Friendship, Non-Explicit Sex, Friends With Benefits, James Bond Is A Menace, Cigarettes, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, From Sex to Love, Post-Movie: Skyfall (2012), POV Q (James Bond), Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms Summary:

Bond shrugs. “You’re not the only one who likes indulging.”

No. Q’s sure he isn’t.

-/-

Bond plays fast and loose. Q knows it is a recipe for disaster, but still can’t bring himself to say no.

Bookmarker's Notes:

I am HERE for how @path-finder‘s fic sets up a push/pull dynamic between Q + Bond, while also digging d e e p l y into their attraction and how it might be mutually beneficial for them to partake in it. Q's combination of agency, ethical boundaries, curiosity + desire are a delightful foil for Bond. Love watching the latter stand at a very.slight.distance away, mOsTLy respectfully communicating his interest, so that when the time comes when Q truly needs what only Bond can offer, he steps up with skill, enjoyment + affection. There's the sex. And then there's what they have at the end of the first chapter which is sex surrounded by a l o v e l y complex experience that looks like it might p o s s i b l y happen again.

Bookmarker’s Notes:

This series took me by surprise + it didn't take long for me to fall in love with it. I watched Part 1 update chapter by chapter, but wasn't quite drawn in. Not sure why I decided to take the dive after most of Part 2 was posted, but I'm sure glad I did. Part 2 just completed, so if you’re someone who likes to read finished works, now’s the time!

LOVE the imagery of people displaying their capacity for connection with others through flora + it's so well done in these works as a metaphor for growing feelings between Q + Bond. The title of the works, "Fidelity + Passion" and "Intimacy" match their content very well. What fun to watch those three experiences develop over time between a field agent + his Quartermaster (and said Quartermaster’s well-cared-for cats). An unexpected bonus of reading this work is it helped me understand the dynamics James + Vesper's relationship better.

If you're still sitting on the fence yourself, I hope this explanation helps, "Hanaemi" is like hanahaki lite; you grow flowers in your hair for love and they wilt if your heart is broken. No floral pneumonia or death.

Brava to @kitten-kin​ for inhabiting this new trope with such a great series! 

💜

Curtains (20352 words) by winterhill Chapters: 4/4 Fandom: Skyfall (2012) - Fandom Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: James Bond/Q Characters: James Bond, Q (Bond - Craig movies), Bill Tanner, Felix Leiter Additional Tags: Pining, Housefire, Dog - Freeform, curtainfic, concussion, Moving In Together, Slow Burn Summary:

Indulgent domesticity. No real plot to speak of, just Bond and Q moving in together as friends after Q is targeted and his place burnt down, and slowly progressing to being a couple.

Bookmarker's Notes:

First read this story July 2021 before I even knew much about the Bond fandom + had only b a r e l y dipped.my.toes into 007 Fest, and yet... There was no need to be part of anything official to fall in love with this story. Reading it again this weekend confirmed why it is on so many people's faves list. It's balanced + nuanced; the relationship development + mission aspects of the story are well-developed; and there are a ton of lovely shiny bits. If you haven't read it yet, you're in for a treat. If it's been a while since your last reread, you already know you're in for a treat. Either way, E N J O Y!

Warm Body (5894 words) by SherlocksSister, APrettySpy Chapters: 5/12 Fandom: James Bond (Craig Movies) Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: James Bond/Q, James Bond/Original Female Character(s) Characters: James Bond, Q (James Bond), Dr. Alice Munroe, Bill Tanner Additional Tags: James Bond in therapy, Mental Health Issues, PDST, Dubious Consent, Angst with a Happy Ending, Explicit Sexual Content, James Bond gets help, heed the tags, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Sexual Identity, Sexual Orientation, Sexual Dysfunction, Alice is a good therapist and friend, Character Study, James Bond is touch starved, Grief/Mourning, positive representation of a person with a disability, positive representation of a person with a facial disfigurement, cos we need that in the Bond fandom Summary:

Set between Quantum of Solace and Skyfall, James Bond is routinely sent on missions that involve him using his sexuality as a tool. Until one mission goes badly wrong. Angstier than my usual faire, this will explore the impact of James' work as a honeypot/honeydick and how he works through it. Happy Ending promised - eventually.

Bookmarker's Notes:

Usually I write bookmarks after I finish a work, but doing it for this one after reading only the fifth of what will be a total of twelve chapters because I already LOVE this story. It shows Bond, currently on mandatory suspension, as he begins therapy to address the reasons for that decision. Each short, powerful chapter reveals more to James, himself, and us, the readers, about the emotional cost of sexpionage. Set in between canon events in Quantum of Solace + Skyfall, we...

WAIT A MINUTE! I cannot in good conscience say more about the story itself!

I can tell you I am smitten with it because of how beautifully + effectively @aprettyspy addresses a topic certainly glossed over in canon and, honestly, not often discussed in fic. This won't be everyone's cuppa tea + it may not be yours right now. But when you're ready to dive into this topic, it will be here. I’ll see you in the comments.

💜

Seas Between Us Braid Hae Roar'd (17054 words) by beaubete Chapters: 13/13 Fandom: James Bond (Craig Movies) Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: James Bond/Q, Q/OMC Summary:

Month by month, Q tears down something that was and replaces it with what will be.

Bookmarker's Notes:

After Bond drives away with Madeleine Swann in the car the Quartermaster lovingly restored, how might Q navigate the heartache + grief he thought he was hiding well enough? This author's version is brutal + honest about how it might have unfolded. Reading it is a powerful experience with all.sorts.of.skillfully crafted wording + evocative imagery. I hesitate to say more because part of the raw beauty is diving in for yourself, Dear Reader.

Breaking News (8409 words) by Anyawen Chapters: 5/5 Fandom: James Bond (Craig Movies) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: James Bond/Q, 00Q Characters: James Bond, Q (James Bond), Alec Trevelyan, Felix Leiter, Eve Moneypenny Additional Tags: Angst with a Happy Ending, Miscommunication, Misunderstandings, Hurt/Eventual Comfort, mission-related mentions of human trafficking/sexual abuse/child sexual abuse, Don't copy to another site, mi6cafe rbb Summary:

An impulse purchase in a Turkish street market leads James to introspective thoughts of the future. He finds himself willing to take a risk. As he prepares to return home to ask for the life he wants, a shocking bit of news sets him on a path of grief-fueled vengeance.

Bookmarker's Notes:

It's 2+ months past Fest, a year TO THE DAY since No Time to Die was released in the US, and the time of year in the PNW where each day is part spring, part summer + part fall. I'm feeling some kind of melancholy, so diving into some fic rabbit holes to find comfort + familiarity. So glad the journey brought me back to this fic by @anyawen.

I love how we're p r e t t y d a m n s u r e we know how it's going to end (it's RiGhTtHeRe in the tags), BUT getting there is painful + confusing + then full of action + plus the miscommunication. Anyways, it's a ride worth taking again.

Chapters: 17/17 Fandom: James Bond (Craig Movies) Rating: Explicit Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: James Bond & Q, James Bond/Q Characters: James Bond, Q (James Bond), Eve Moneypenny, M | Gareth Mallory, C | Max Denbigh, Madeleine Swann, Mr. Hinx (James Bond), Franz Oberhauser | Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Alec Trevelyan, R (James Bond) Additional Tags: Alternate Ending - SPECTRE, SPECTRE Fix-It, Trying to fill those plot holes, and omg, there were so many, Bond has a competency kink, more tags as we go forward, Slow Burn, Anal Sex, Pillow Talk, Banter, Canon-Typical Violence, Torture, drills, Angst, Blood, Explosions, Helicopters, Hospitals, Flirting, Texting, protective minions, Did I mention sex? Summary:

It’s not that James is surprised to find Q at the bar of the Hoffler Klinik… Well, he is surprised — he’s been under the impression the boffin didn’t fly. But it’s more that he’s surprised it’s Q himself that tracks him down. If Q and Moneypenny are really in so much trouble for helping him, Q could have easily just given M his location and washed his hands of the association. That would have been the sensible thing to do. Then, instead of one somewhat flustered boffin trying to persuade him to come in from the dark, Bond would be faced with a throng of agents ready to haul his arse in via any force necessary.

That would have been rather inconvenient.

It makes James think, perhaps, Q is another ally.

Bookmarker's Notes:

How good is this fic? Well, I gobbled it down in one day, commenting all along, because I.could.not.put.it.down. I've read + commented so much my eyes are kind of blurry, but I want to bookmark this while the fic is still fresh in my mind.

Ato used fantastic art to craft this exceptionally well-written reworking of Spectre starting in Austria. Hurray that they made Madeleine Swann a real, multi-dimensional, caring human who works well w/James + Q. Oh, BTW, Q is TERRIFYINGLY competent which does things to James. James is falling for him but doesn't want to risk ruining the great relationship they have w/the way he tends to have sexual relationships. Not to worry: there is no freaking way this Q will consider anything less than what he know he deserves.

There's ExCiTiNg mission action, fantastic (!) conversations about life, sexuality, their pasts, M, and more, and lovely, hot sexy times. Alec makes an appearance to help James when he needs a friend. Reader, if you haven't read Ato's work before, you are in for a HUGE treat. If you have, then you KNOW how good this is going to be. Either way, E n J o Y!

Bookmarker’s Notes, part 2

Confession: Ch 16 + 17 is on my Top Shelf of comfort reads. I owe myself a re-read of the whole dang work because it’s soooooo well crafted, but until then, when I want to FeeL tHiNgZ, I start at Ch 16 + read until the end, gasping as needed along the way. @ato-the-bean weaves together emotional depth + sexy times so well it sometimes hurts to experience them, but y’know, in a pleasureable way. 🤣 

Highland Christmas (29520 words) by AtoTheBean Chapters: 9/9 Fandom: James Bond (Craig Movies) Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: James Bond & Q, James Bond/Q Characters: James Bond, Q (James Bond), Eve Moneypenny, R (James Bond), Kincade (James Bond), Original Characters Additional Tags: Community: MI6 Cafe | mi6_cafe, Inspired by Hallmark Christmas Movies, Hallmark Movie Fic Challenge, Tropes, All The Tropes, Post-SPECTRE, Skyfall References, Christmas, in January, And February Series: Part 1 of The Highland Bonds Summary:

Since all Hallmark movies have the same plot, do we really need a summary?

I'm told yes... yes we do.

James Bond thought he’d said goodbye to Skyfall Lodge for the last time, dedicating his life to a fast-paced career in international espionage, glamorous destinations, and meaningless affairs. Q thought a quiet Christmas with the cats was just what he wanted. But when a letter addressed to both of them sends them north, they discover that while Skyfall Lodge may be a ruin, life around it is vibrant and full of promise. And it's under threat. Good whisky, delicious baked goods, and mistletoe-wielding innkeepers have them both reexamining things they thought they knew about themselves and each other, their pasts and their future, and the meaning of a Highland Christmas.

Bookmarker's Notes:

What do you get when a skilled author like @ato-the-bean is willing to do the research required to make a story in Scotland be realistic crosses a Hallmark movie bingo card of their particular tropes with 00Q tropes? You get Highland Christmas.

Reader, you are in for a TREAT! Bond is such an arse at the beginning. If you're like me, you'll hate him + be surprised Q doesn't leave town w/out telling him. However, Q is a smart human in many different ways + his own person, so we get to see the act of him gracefully + quickly building true community acts as a catalyst for Bond to Get F*%!ing Real about what he wants in his life.

That's all I'm gonna tell you because --per usual-- the fun is experiencing the story yourself. E N J O Y!

I’m not sure why I have turned to this fic during the fall season two.years.in.a.row, but I have. This year I was longing for the comfort of a well-written fic that weaves together fun with HEART and, Reader, I found it. Again. 💜 or rather: 💚💖

Chapters: 2/2 Fandom: James Bond (Craig Movies) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: James Bond/Q Characters: James Bond, Q (James Bond) Additional Tags: Not Beta Read, Oblivious Q (James Bond), Bars and Pubs, Awkward Flirting, James Bond Has Issues, Fluff, Silly, Fluff and Humor, Romantic Fluff Summary:

‘Q, what’s your favorite bar?’

Bookmarker's Notes:

I love this story. I love its perspective on these two wonderful characters. More tho, I LOVE how it places the relationship between James + Q within VeRy ReaL history. I'm old enough to feel-in-my-bones the complexity + process James uses to communicate directly + very indirectly to Q about what he would like to have happen. I found this aspect of the story incredibly moving + that surprised me.

Fitting then, that I'm rec'ing it during Pride. Enjoy Reader!

BUT WAIT: Author added a SECOND chapter which is equally beautiful! So: MOAR TO ENJOY! 

Chapters: 2/2 Fandom: James Bond (Craig Movies) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: James Bond/Q, James Bond & Q Characters: James Bond, Q (James Bond), Eve Moneypenny, M | Gareth Mallory, Bill Tanner, Original MI6 characters, Some very put upon IT workers Additional Tags: 00Q - Freeform, Epistolary, email, Improper Use of Government Email, Brief mention of homophobia, Some angst, James Bond discovers memes, no beta we die like Ronson Summary:

James Bond falls for a spearfishing email, and it falls to Q to give him his mandatory cybersecurity training.

This is not going to go well for at least one of them.

Bookmarker's Notes:

Clicked on this fic on a lazy + low level grumpy Saturday morning. Y'know the kind: nothing is really WrOnG, but it's just m e h. I still have to water + weed the garden (and pay some bills), so it didn't exactly cure EvErYtHiNg in my life, but it sure helped.

Between the type of fic (epistolary) + the content (funny, HILARIOUS, sweet, confessional, tender) I feel like I just lived through a year's worth of experiences between these two. I don't know how you'll experience it yourself Dear Reader, but I'm going out on a limb to say you'll enjoy laughing at the exchanges as well as sober up to take in each of James + Q's respective more + more revealing confessions. It's SO WELL DONE.

Thank you @aniron48 for this lovely gift of your imagination. 💜

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: James Bond (Craig Movies) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: James Bond/Q Characters: James Bond, Q (James Bond) Additional Tags: Romance, Pining, Developing Relationship, Hopeful Ending Summary:

Bond is familiar with the chemistry that constantly brings two people into the same orbit, and he feels it with Q. He and Bond both share a taste for the finer things, and they’ve recognised each other as a luxury worth having.

-----

Bond wants. Q hesitates.

Bookmarker's Notes:

[Insert something brilliant here about @thestalwartheart‘s fic] [Because I'm reeling from it] [Looks at Q's understandably mixed messages] [Then at Bond who, at the beginning, not knowing more than some vague I Want To Be Near Q and then, AND THEN, through serious self-reflection, gaining clarity] [That's all I can do right now Reader]

Chapters: 11/? Fandom: James Bond (Craig Movies) Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: James Bond/Q Characters: James Bond, Q (James Bond) Additional Tags: Romance, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Humor Summary:

A collection of shorter one-offs, usually from tumblr prompts.

Tags updated as I go. I'll warn for explicit chapters in their note section.

Bookmarker's Notes:

Are you keeping up with Mac’s Drabbles by @thestalwartheart . I highly recommend doing so. There’s humour, sass (different than humour when it comes to these two!), anticipation, sexy times, emotional depth + growth, all wrapped up in the MacIntimacySpecial™️. Enjoy Reader, E N J O Y!