LINKDING

excerpt: This must be what happened: The head elder said I would find Ai-Lian in the wooded hills that bristle with red maples. As the evacuating townsfolk slung meager belongings onto packhorses under flickering torchlight, the ascendant moon enflamed the lavender canopy beyond the town walls. I handed the reins of my horses to the elder himself as he supervised the evacuation. His were an uncouth people—but terrified. They eyed my sheathed jian, Fate Cutter, immortalized in song by countless minstrels. That was how they knew me through my riding mask. I reassured each harried frontiersman and woman, each rough-clothed child, with the clasp of an elbow, the pat of a shoulder. I touched them all, saying in the strong northern dialect of the Zhong-ren, “ni-men bu pa. Ni-men yao shenma hao pa, fang kai ba. Ni-men fang xin.” But huddled before me, they were afraid. They would not let go their fears. They would not take heart. ➤ a fantasy novelette set in a historical china, and holy shit it is SO SO SO GOOD ➤ about two sword-brothers, meeting again after decades apart ➤ the way the story circles around itself over and over again, uncovering new layers each time, new complexities, new details about what happened and what is happening -- it's so beautifully constructed and leads the reader on so compellingly ➤ and the story it's telling.....one about love, and trust, and classism, and imperialism, and the threat of monstrous creatures inflitrating......about, at its heart, the relationship between these two men, their importance to each other, and the fractures at the heart of their relationship, and the wide-reaching consequences ➤ I love it so much, it's brilliantly and beautifully done and with such fascinating explorations of its themes! ➤ 10k words

Summary: Cang Qiong Mountain Sect AU - no Binghe and no Shen Yuan, just the original sect siblings being fundamentally dysfunctional without any outside help. “Shidi.” Yue Qingyuan breathed. He would burn cities for him. Only he never did. Yue Qingyuan makes the mistake of inviting Shen Jiu back to his house for tea. Tea and emotional torture. Nothing is said. Nothing will ever be said. ➤ hello I am murdered by how on point this fic is, it's perfect and I adore it ➤ svsss au qijiu fic from og!sqq's pov ➤ (trans sqq, for those to whom that's enticement!) ➤ no lbh or transmigration, so the complex relationships between the various peak lords keep marinating over decades ➤ I love how the vibes are so much older, more grounded and more ground down at the same time. and still sqq and yqy are full of all their Problems ➤ I loved the evolving beliefs sqq had about what must have happened to fill yqy with endless guilt towards him! ➤ and the ways sqq treats yqy, before and after the reveals...how things do & don't change ➤ and the beautiful physicality the narrative has in details like the tea, and the hair, and how both yqy & sqq use clothing to hide things about their bodies they don't want noticed ➤ and of course the sharply perceived characterisation! ➤ LOVED IT ➤ 23k words

<blockquote>In the summer of 456, Maura of Dunlath takes up a post as Princess Kalasin's lady-in-waiting.</blockquote> ➤ I love the oc's, and the pragmatism of Kalasin and Maura about the end of their relationship because they love each other but they know they have other goals. Maura/Dunlath otp. ➤ also good political contextualization of dynamics between various characters

<blockquote>Every morning he wakes up, and forgets.</blockquote> ➤ this is soooooo good ➤ SPOILER: the premise of the fic is: "What would Xie Lian have done in the name of atoning for his regrets, and how might that have been taken advantage of."

Summary: <blockquote>Talking at someone is only fun for so long. That's all being a sect leader is: talking and talking to people bound by courtesy to listen to you. It's so fucking dull. A relief, then, to face one’s equal, and no less an old friend who is inclined to interrupt you whenever you ramble. He likes it. It’s one of Jiang Cheng’s best qualities. In the years after Guanyin Temple, Nie Huaisang attends to unfinished business.</blockquote> ➤ REALLY GOOD, but I tore through the majority of the fic when it was only nearly done, and then waited for the conclusion to be posted, and that created a feeling of very uneven pacing because of how I read it and so the ending felt more distant for me. I think if I'd read it all in one go I would think it was ALL great though!

<blockquote>When Shen Qingqiu transmigrates, he finds himself in a world where heartbreak can make a person fall apart - literally, since those who are heartbroken crack open starting from the space over their heart, and only cultivators can survive the blood loss by using their qi to hold their blood inside their bodies where it belongs. Having a physical indicator like this that alerts Shen Qingqiu in real time of the hearts he's breaking... well, it changes things. Luo Binghe, somehow, still ends up suffering more than Shen Qingqiu ever wants him too.</blockquote>

<blockquote>Wei Wuxian comes back to Cloud Recesses after a year of wandering the world, hoping to start a relationship with Lan Zhan. He doesn’t expect to come into the middle of a case of sleeping sickness mysteriously killing people, nor does he expect what follows, putting everything he holds dear on the line once again.</blockquote> ➤ I love the Lan oc and I'm glad he got to be okay in the end

<blockquote>They say he was thrown into Luanzang Gang by the man who killed his parents; they say that he is an immortal cultivator who had been in a deep trance until the Wen sect disturbed his rest and incurred his wrath; they say that he is the fierce corpse of a cultivator who had somehow regained his mind and his spiritual powers. When Lan Wangji sees him for the first time, he understands why people talk. Meng Yao wants safety. Xue Yang wants vengeance. The Sunshot Campaign wants victory. Yiling Laozu provides, for a price. </blockquote> ➤ burial mounds as a character, wwx is basically raised by the burial mounds and the dead within, a lot more interested in the ensemble than wwx/lwj fics often are, time travel a little but not the normal kind, doing really interesting and unusual things and doing them well

<blockquote>“Don’t think of it as marriage,” Benny tells her. “Think of it as castling.” Beth raises an eyebrow. “Am I the king or the rook in this analogy?”</blockquote> ➤ I love how well balanced this is between all the different aspects of things going on: the feelings between Beth and Benny, the working out how to make a life together (separate from the feelings), the chess, the simmering sexual attraction, the other people in Beth's life who are important to her, and Beth's understanding of herself. Really good!

<blockquote>Later, when he’s older, it’s this that A-Yuan will remember most: the stretch of silence, the two of them both dirty and shaking with fever, as he looked at Brother Rich, and Brother Rich looked back at him.</blockquote> ➤ does an incredible job of evoking a tone and mood, and the quiet delicate complexities of emotions

<blockquote>Sarah McBride Anderson is best known for her work as a suffragette and later as the Representative of Massachusetts' 5th Congressional District, where she served from 1925-1937 (the first woman to represent Massachusetts, and the seventh woman in the US House of Representatives). Less well known is her lifelong friendship with J.A. Pendleton, the celebrated novelist and Pulitzer Prize winner. The two women met at college, where they roomed together. Although the correspondence between the two women after their college years has been published, these letters (excerpted from Anderson's letters home to her family during their college years) have not, and provide a fascinating glimpse into their friendship.</blockquote>

<blockquote>Wei Ying is at his first Grand Final, rated fifth in the solo cultivator rankings, with the Qishan and Lanling silver medals tucked away in his sock drawer, and he’s about to walk into the arena for a match that everyone knows he’s going to lose. A modern competitive cultivation AU.</blockquote> ➤ love the premise of this modern au

<blockquote>A boy is going to die. The only question is: what is Huaisang going to do about it?</blockquote> ➤ Oh holy heck this is INCREDIBLE, I was riveted throughout, and I love how it portrays the complicated mix of emotions and motivations that Nie Huaisang and Mo Xuanyu have, and the way everything leads inexorably to this horrible and perfect end.

<blockquote>His father in white plays the song late into the night, and when A-Yuan wakes up confused and afraid, the guqin lulls him back to sleep. Lan Sizhui hears his father play the same song every night for his whole life, and never, ever get an answer.</blockquote> ➤ this is incredible, I didn't expect to love it as much as I did but I really did!

<blockquote>Preparing for the Emperor's wedding, everyone has some things they need to learn about.</blockquote> ➤ Consists of "A Complete Education", which is marked complete, and "Continuing Education" which is a WIP. ➤ A Complete Education ends on a sort of endingish note but with lots you want to still see explored. Continuing Education is very clearly just....stopped partway. It seems to be abandoned, from the author's latest reply in the comments section, which is too bad. ➤ But the series as a whole is truly excellent, really enjoyable, with all the various character interdynamics, that it's worth reading regardless.

<blockquote>Ava and Zach dig into the blue crate, not yet put away, and select three eggs each. Golden eggs from golden geese in Wisconsin, eggs that remind Ava of crafty Easter displays. Mythique doesn’t use chicken eggs, and Ava doesn’t use any magical ingredients at all until she can prove herself by making a golden omelet just as perfect as she can make with a chicken egg. Until they prove their worth, the new people, she and Zach, are stuck peeling potatoes and washing lettuce. She’s been trying for two weeks. Zach’s been trying for three.</blockquote> ➤ excellent and unsettling

<blockquote>The war is over, and nobody won. With the galaxy on the verge of destruction, Poe Dameron hatches a desperate plan—go back in time. But Poe's plan quickly goes awry, and he finds himself on the run from local authorities. The only plan to keep him safe is…extreme, to say the least. / "Can't get you citizenship documents," the man muttered, his voice clearer now that it wasn't muffled by the scarf. Poe took a deep breath and forced himself to think. He looked back at his would-be rescuer. Who was shoving the scarf back from the top his head, revealing a face that Poe knew. That lots of people knew. Kriff, that everyone knew, trillions upon trillions of sapients in the galaxy would recognize that face. Luke Skywalker—as fresh-faced and young as the day he became the successful destroyer of the Death Star—was standing in front of him. Fuck. "Need a land grant to get a moisture farmer licence, can't even get you a travel visa without citizenship documents…Hm," the legend said, sighing. "Yeah. I think we're going to have to get married." </blockquote> ➤ I loved this fic so much that I read it twice in one week despite its length

<blockquote>“There is the past and the not-past,” Heron said, blood dripping from their arm onto the nightingale floor. “Which is this?” “The not-past, you idiot.” Dog grunted as he peeled back Heron’s sleeve. He was in Heart of Storms, shoulders tense and eyes alive with lightning. With a tsk, he tore off a clean strip of bandage. “Hold still.”</blockquote> ➤ I love this!??? About an undefined relationship that is nonetheless vital to the characters involved (one male, one nonbinary)

<blockquote>Of how much Helen knows, and all the bad decisions that follow.</blockquote> ➤ Ooh I love this!

<blockquote>“Hi, Becky.” She calls every year. If asked, Sam would not have a good explanation for why he picks up; Becky is unfailingly unpleasant and usually manages to call at a bad time. “Did it really happen?” Sometimes, when he's had a bad day, or when she's really being rude, or when he's just tired of playing therapist to someone he hasn't seen since they were ten, he considers saying no. “Did what happen?” he might say. Or “Sorry, who is this?” Or, if he really wanted to be cruel, he might just not pick up the phone. But—and here is the thing he cannot explain to other people—he knows why she calls, and he would never do that. If she didn't call, he would probably do it himself. He needs reassurance he isn't crazy as much as she does.</blockquote> ➤ Packs a lot into a very short story, telling you the important stuff through implications rather than spelling everything out

<blockquote>“Nah. We are one hundred percent shit-outta-luck,” she said, voice high and brittle as she leaned back from the computer. She gave a tight little laugh as she gestured at different possible trajectories, the different deflections achievable with nukes or booster rockets or heroic space missions. The wall of screens in front of us showed projected death tolls and ecological changes, with a lot of graphs that dropped sharply right at the end. “Earth is, uh … not to be melodramatic about it, but, absolutely doomed.”</blockquote> ➤ this is AMAZING

<blockquote>Where Genly Ai went, after Winter. [Written for Yuletide 2010.]</blockquote> ➤ oh, wow. Very effective at grounding in setting such that it evokes a strong consistent feeling throughout. Plus excellent alien anthropology

<blockquote>There are many definitions of intimacy. Elizabeth explores some of them in the early days of her marriage to Darcy. Author's note: Inspired by ratheralark and stultiloquinta's tumblr talk of bedsharing as a sign of honor and trust</blockquote>

<blockquote>Darling was in fact so tremendously remarkable by nature that Jack had resolved never to be astonished by anything he did. One had to expect remarkable sorts to be a law unto themselves, and besides half the fun of being Darling's friend lay in trying to keep a straight face. Nothing inspired Darling to greater heights of nonsense than the prospect of cracking Jack's composure. It was good fun and suited them both jolly well. This comfortable habit was thrown rather out of joint on the evening when Jack came into his rooms to find Darling perched on Jack's much-neglected desk and assiduously applying deep scarlet lipstick to his mouth with the assistance of a small silver-backed hand mirror. "Oh, I say," said Jack.</blockquote>

<blockquote>At the end of his life, retired Stabile of the Ekumen Genly Ai shares a part of his story on Gethen that he never told.</blockquote> ➤ Wow, that was really good. Did an amazing job of feeling like something that fits with canon

<blockquote>It is not an enviable position, being a bridge, particularly a bridge with visions. But sometimes, to build the future, that's what you need. Or: Harry and Corlath's daughter comes to Istan.</blockquote>

<blockquote>It was the middle of an autumn downpour when Tobias first met Henry Silver. Midsummer had come and gone, and the wood was quiet.</blockquote> ➤ oh my gosh this is so gooooooooood, a story about a folklorist and a wild man of the woods, and I love how beautifully balanced it is between the main romance and everything else that's important to the pov character

<blockquote>The thrilling sequel to Coco that you've all been waiting for! Miguel visits ... wait for it... wait for it... A LIBRARY. Or : Miguel probably can't prove that Ernesto is a murderer, but stupendous fuckbucket is still on the table.</blockquote> ➤ ohhhh dang this fic is INCREDIBLE

<blockquote>“It’s wastoures! They came through Newton and Blackhill and killed everything, and then they split into two big groups and one turned north, and the other’s coming here. I stay ahead of them and earn pennies by warning people.” Wastoures. Perhaps you have not heard of them, you people born a thousand years after Ada and Blanche and this runner—whose name is Hardourt, though his part in this story is nearly over: his name will not matter to you, though it matters to him. In your time they are gone, but in the twelfth century, every child knew of them, and adults as well. Wastoures: scarce larger than chickens but unfeathered and wingless, snake-necked and sharp-beaked and bright-clawed, with little arms ending in daggery talons. For long years there would be no wastoures (except in memory and dread), and then a population bloom, like duckweed choking an August pond, or locusts after a dry spring, or cicadas rising from the ground each seventeenth year. For reasons unknowable, they emerged in their scores of thousands from some unknown cave or forgotten Roman mine, and seethed like floodwater or plague across the land.</blockquote> ➤ I'm fascinated by the way the narrative continues to draw your attention to what might happen to the other characters Ada encounters throughout the story, and the structure of Story.

<blockquote>A prompt from meri47-- what careers would each Bennet sibling have, if there were five Bennet brothers instead of sisters?</blockquote> ➤ all of this is fun but oh dang the Eli/Charlotte bit is INCREDIBLE I love it