LINKDING

summary: Jiang Leizhu had no intention of becoming the Peak Lord of Xun Shou Peak. But that was the curse of competency, she supposed. She had, when Ma Zelui first approached her about the position, turned her shizun down. Running a peak, after all, would take time away from her passion project. She was content to end up an ordinary master on the peak, with ordinary expectations of her contributions in time and effort back to the sect for its part in feeding and housing her. All her saying so had earned her was a smack to the head that left her ears ringing for the rest of the day, and a month mucking out the stables with the outer disciples, with the expectation she would move into the head disciple’s cabin at the end of that month with a properly grateful attitude. But at least it meant she got to meet Shang Qinghua. Even if that wasn’t how she got to know him. ➜ svsss fic, sqh/the beast peak lord ➜ the author is on a mission to write a fic for each of the peaks, about the peak lord's relationship with sqh, which is amazing. this one is for the beast peak, and canon provides no info about that peak lord! ➜ I love the character created for this role, her competencies and obsessions are great, and the kind of relationship she develops with sqh! ➜ deeply weird but oddly sweet, which is such a good approach to this ship <3 ➜ 10k words long

summary: Feng Xin is not a bow. He is brittle. He can't bend, and that means one day he’ll break. / Feng Xin during the fall of Xianle. ➜ tgcf fic about feng xin ➜ set during the time of xianle's royal family in exile, focusing on feng xin's relationship with himself, and with xianle, and with jian lan ➜ ahhhh it's so good and heartbreaking, feng xin's desperate core of instability and of want, beneath his firm loyalty and dedication 😭 ➜ I LOVE this ➜ 2k words long

summary: After another day of tutoring children at Bai Jin’s cabin, Ling Wen sticks around to watch the sunset. There are no clouds, no thunder rumbles in the distance, and she’s getting restless. ➜ ummmm canonverse fic about ling wen and bai jin?? I'M YELLING omg! ➜ apparently the revised edition of tgcf goes more into the xuli backstory and you get to see more of bai jin, and this fic is based on that ➜ anyway holy shit I love seeing ling wen's perspective on a little slice of life scene back when bai jin was just a human with potential for ascension, and I love the way it's written, too! ➜ 1.5k words

Summary: I was not in kemmer. He would always be. He had said to me once that my people were single, whole, undivided. But now we would now always be in a pair, ourselves and the other, the inside and the out, the left hand and the right hand. ➜ yuletide fic, for The Left Hand of Darkness ➜ Genly and Estraven, post-canon, from Estraven's pov ➜ suffused with this unshakeable sense of the connection between the two of them in a really gorgeous way ➜ what a perfect coda to canon! ➜ 2k words in length

Summary: But here, now, was my chance. I was not the young master to Jeeves now - in fact, Jeeves, in his current role, had no y. m. at all. He was a gentleman of means and breeding, and I a rather fantastically attired birdcatcher of presumably Viennese extraction; and two such fellows could hold a conversation without any wayward “sirs” inserting themselves where they were not wanted. // Or: In which a gentleman and his valet both attend a masquerade under false pretences. ➜ yuletide fic, for Jeeves & Wooster ➜ in which Jeeves and Wooster separately attend a masquerade ball, each in costume ➜ hidden identity shenanigans are such fun and this one is great! ➜ I love how much Wooster loves getting to interact with Jeeves without Jeeves's feudal spirit getting in the way ➜ and the vision of Jeeves at a party flirting with a flighty young master of unknown identity.....so good ➜ 11k words in length

Summary: Harriet explores the unexpected landscape of marriage. ➜ yuletide fic - for the Lord Peter Wimsey books ➜ Harriet's POV on v-shaped polyamory negotiations, Harriet/Peter and Peter/Bunter ➜ the voice is so well done, of Harriet's whole pov but also every line of Peter's dialogue is dripping with the exact right kind of piffle he likes to talk, with all the casual references and so forth ➜ and the way they work out the relationship dynamics between the three of them, what is and isn't said, and what each of them is looking for, feels so right too! ➜ 10k words in length

Summary: Richard Merrill has a conversation with his mother. ➜ yuletide fic - for Mairelon the Magician ➜ set mid-canon, a conversation between Mairelon and his mother about the realities of Kim being out in society and the male attention she'll attract ➜ Mairelon's oblivious focus on Kim's magical education and inability to follow where his mother is going with this line of questioning is so fun and so him ➜ what a cute and fun fic! ➜ 1k words in length

Summary: It was easy to want what you couldn't have. Ever since her father had told her that she was destined for the royal harem, Jian Lan had been confident she'd make it to the rank of consort. But she'd also known that, in the meantime, she'd be having a passionate love affair with some unsuitable man around the palace. ➤ TGCF fic about the era after xianle falls to yong'an, when Jian Lan finds work in a brothel ➤ Jian Lan's perspective on her developing relationship with Feng Xin ➤ I love the sharpness, the awkwardness, the quiet ground-down miseries - and yet the grasping onto what hope and beauty and love that can be found in the midst of it all ➤ Jian Lan and Feng Xin are doing their best! I'm emotions ➤ and I love the gentle femdom that Jian Lan leans into when Feng Xin's women issues make it challenging for them to have sex <3 ➤ 5k words in length

summary: Liu Qingge pursues a demonic presence and is startled by who he encounters. ➤ Liu Qingge meets a demonic Liu Qingge. Tianlang-jun is unhelpful. ➤ very fun and funny, I love Liu Qingge's opinions on his demonic alternate self - and what you can gather about what demon Liu Qingge thinks about this human version of himself! ➤ also the brief glimpse of alternate sqq is glorious and I want to know more ➤ 1k words in length

Summary: In 1580s London, apprentice grocer John Heminges decides to revive an ancient guild mystery play and ends up getting married, finding a new career, and meeting a friend who will change his life. ➤ a prequel to Nameless, which I just recced, about 17th century theatre actors associated with Shakespeare (and Shakespeare himself) ➤ the viewpoint character begins as an an apprentice grocer in the grocer's guild, and his first taste of acting is in reviving the guild play ➤ like Nameless, a really thoughtful and interesting look at this period of history, with many excellent historical details ➤ the development of John's understanding of what it is to act, and what it is to be part of the world of actors (different things!) is so well done ➤ and I love the quiet, solid romance of trust between John and Rebecca ➤ 10k words in length

Summary: Lin Chen did not look up from his book. “What on earth,” he said, clipped and precise, “makes you think that I would want to meet the man you're busy dying for?” / In which Lin Chen joins the Consort Jing fanclub, Mei Changsu re-evaluates several tenets of his existence, and Xiao Jingyan decides that if everyone else is having an emotional crisis, he might as well join them. ➤ HELLO it's a 12k Lin Chen/Mei Changsu/Xiao Jingyan ship fic I am there with bells on!!! ➤ mcs has a thing with jingyan and separately a thing with lin chen. he wants to make them be in the same room with each other. ➤ mcs gets what he wants and immediately gets to regret it in like five different ways, which is exactly what I love to see ➤ it's got so many delightfully fraught conversations between various iterations of the characters! ➤ it involves lin chen and jingyan talking about mcs behind his back! ➤ it involves lin chen and consort jing teaming up! ➤ LOVED IT.

summary: <blockquote>“I’d rather the devil we know. Wouldn’t you?”</blockquote> ➤ a tgcf fanfic about ling wen and pei ming, written for mxtx remix as a remix of my ling wen fic ➤ SHRIEKING. FLAILING. CLAWING AT MY FACE IN DELIGHT. I am so honoured that my fic could inspire this piece of absolute perfection ➤ the dynamics between Ling Wen and Pei Ming throughout are soooooo good. the affection and the insults combined, the way selfishness is manifested differently in each of them and the way it does and doesn't affect their connection ➤ ling wen nonsexually domming pei ming! ➤ the vibes of three tumours are so perfectly rancid! ➤ and the unofficial junior official chats! ➤ the way heaven in general thinks about ling wen's takeover! ➤ I'm just. blown away. this fic is EVERYTHING to me. ➤ 2k words in length

summary: <blockquote>“Tell you what,” said Yushi Huang. “I’ll make you a deal, Ling Wen Zhen Jun.” Almost no one used her title at all, even fewer with respect. She couldn’t quite read Yushi Huang’s tone. “If you can tell me exactly what this is,” she nodded to the creature curled in the corner, "and what it does, I will turn it in the moment we get back for tagging and proper categorization." Ling Wen raised an eyebrow. So the enigmatic Rain Master already knew the creature's properties. "And if I don't?" Yushi Huang smiled, infuriatingly gentle. "Admitting defeat so soon? How unlike you." Ling Wen drew herself up and inclined her head, knowing herself to be rising to bait but seeing no real reason to resist. "I accept your terms."</blockquote> ➤ tgcf space au featuring ling wen/yushi huang, HELLO ➤ yushi huang's deliberate mysteriousness, and the way she uses it to flirt and get the upper hand with ling wen! ➤ ling wen enjoying having something to research that's for FUN instead of for work! ➤ the interesting development of the setting, and ways the characters and backstories have been tweaked to fit! ➤ LOVED IT. ➤ 4k words in length

Summary: <blockquote>Liu Qingge gets professionally CNCed by fuck or die specialist Mu Qingfang. Liu Qingge is shocked and appalled to discover that he's really into it.</blockquote> ➤ this fic features explicit consensual-non-consent in a medical context, proceed accordingly ➤ lqg needs dual cultivation to fix a dangerous qi deviation. mqf is ready to help him, no matter what. ➤ I love the feeling of safety lqg has in mqf's hands. it doesn't matter what lqg does or says, he's not going to be a danger to anyone, and mqf WILL make sure he gets what he needs. ➤ and mqf is so caring and gentle in his inexorability! ➤ 3k words in length

Summary: <blockquote>Lan Wangji comes over and they kiss. Lan Wangji comes over and they have tea. Lan Wangji comes over and they talk. It turns out that the available study materials are contradictory and unenlightening.</blockquote> ➤ Because Of Reasons, wwx and jc are both married off to lwj after the destruction of lotus pier. wwx is blissfully happy about it; jc struggles with it on a NUMBER of fronts ➤ from jc's pov, about him figuring out how to have a successful relationship with his husband, with his place in his new sect, with his brother and co-spouse, with himself and his struggles in cultivation these days ⮞ jc's pov obviously doesn't like to think about any of these things straightforwardly, he's too busy being tsundere about everything lol ➤ I love seeing him finding his own way, figuring out how to have a life that works for him even if it isn't what he would have chosen! ➤ 17k words in length ➤ (also: fuck jkr and all, but if you also fondly remember helenish's hp fic "theft of assets, destruction of property" then this is the mdzs fic for you!)

Summary: <blockquote>Lan Qiren was running to catch up, because he was always running to catch up. He was determined not to fall behind, but he was slow, as always, and tired more easily than the others, and then he got distracted and realized a considerable distance had opened up between him and the rest of the group. He ran to catch up – He tripped. He was going to fall flat on his face, he realized as he pitched forward, throwing his hands up in front of his face to try to blunt the pain since humiliation was already a given. He probably wasn’t far enough behind for them not to see this, and then his brother would turn his face away and sigh, aggravated, his shoulders slumping in disappointment at how Lan Qiren had lost him and their sect face all over again. Lan Qiren was so bound up in his gloomy thoughts that it took him a moment to realize that he had not, in fact, hit the ground. Someone had caught him. Lan Qiren straightened himself up immediately and dropped into a deep salute. “Thank you for your help –” He looked up. “…Sect Leader Wen,” he finished weakly.</blockquote> ➤ another lan qiren/wen ruohan canon divergence au! though also wen ruohan/nie dad at the same time ➤ this one follows lqr from when he's a young teen and it's very fun to see his changing perspectives on wrh over time ➤ I enjoyed it a great deal, and also it's fun to see what is and isn't the same between this fic and the others by the same author featuring these characters and ships ➤ and I just want MORE! ➤ 89k words in length

Summary: <blockquote>Lan Qiren still couldn’t quite bring himself to believe it. He was married. He had a wife. That wife was Wen Ruohan.</blockquote> ➤ omggg I tore through this fic SO fast and had SO much fun with it ➤ lan qiren/wen ruohan arranged marriage! ➤ I'm always here for fic that's like "okay this ship might sound ridiculous but WHAT IF --" and then comes up with genius ways to make it plausible ➤ there's fun character interactions and fascinating plot and it does interesting things exploring the situation between Qingheng-Jun and his wife, and I love how much lan qiren loves rules and has carefully considered what they mean wrt right behaviour ➤ I love this vision of lqr so much, and I love how FUNNY the interactions between lqr and wrh are, and how well these interpretations of the characters work with each other and play off each other in mutually beneficial ways! ➤ the fic started off a little slow but once I was into it I was INTO IT and read every word with relish ➤ completely delightful. do recommend. ➤ 287,000 words in length

Summary: <blockquote>It’s a little ridiculous, really, the things that make Ming Fan happy. They’re so small. A single word of praise from a teacher; being picked first to shoulder a responsibility; a smile and a touch from Zhao De. It’s painfully obvious how Ming Fan feels about Zhao De, and it always has been. Ming Fan has a paper face, and can’t hide what he feels to save his life. Zhao De has always known. And honestly? He doesn’t particularly care. Or, no; it’s a little funny, actually. To be able to make him flush with happiness or wilt with disappointment with such very little effort, to always have him eating out of his hand and so eager to please. It’s too easy, really, but easy is fun sometimes. Useful, too, when he’s the Head Disciple of Qing Jing now. For as long as that might last. Maybe Zhao De should reward him for making himself so useful? / Zhao De shows Ming Fan a bad good time.</blockquote> ➤ yikes (complimentary) ➤ Ming Fan/OMC, where the OC is another disciple on Qing Jing Peak ➤ it's truly impressively horrible, the pov of this awful bully who manipulates Ming Fan into misery and encourages Ming Fan in all of his own worst bullying tendencies ➤ it's so well and believably done, and so compelling! ➤ mind the author's tags on this one, it means what it says. I enjoyed the fic a lot but it's not a pleasant fic! ➤ 13k words in length

Summary: <blockquote>Qin Su is a surprise when Meng Yao brings her to Wen Qing, mid-war. Even more so when she stays.</blockquote> ➤ Wen Qing/Qin Su canon divergence fic! joining forces along with Meng Yao to spy on the Wens :))) ➤ Qin Su is a character who I always love to see being given more scope for complexities and personhood and decisions than we get to see in canon and this fic delivers ➤ also it really lets itself inhabit that period where Wen Qing is working for Wen Ruohan and everything that means ➤ the subtleties of how the relationships between Qin Su and Wen Qing and Meng Yao are portrayed in this fic are soooo good ➤ 2k words in length

Summary: <blockquote>As winter sets in, Shen Zhui and Cai Quan compare notes on the firework factory case.</blockquote> ➤ Nirvana in Fire fic about Cai Quan/Shen Zhui!!!!!! god I love these nerds ➤ Reading fic about their comfortable relationship with each other as they argue and work and engage in endless bureaucracy just filled me with enormous fondness for them both ➤ they should be a thriving ship in the fandom and it's a tragedy there's not more fic about them, but this one is GREAT. ➤ 3k words in length

Summary: <blockquote>“This is…” Mei Nianqing’s gaze flickers between Jun Wu—tired, shackled, familiar—and the recently unmasked figure beside him. Two pairs of deep black eyes regard him from nearly identical faces. “...unexpected.” / Jun Wu experiences qi deviation and has to deal with the consequences.</blockquote> ➤ wow?!?! jun wu is such a disaster and this is amazing ➤ post-canon, jun wu has a qi deviation that splits off a younger version of himself as bai wuxiang ➤ mei nianqing suggests that jun wu can fix it by dual cultivating with himself. jun wu is NOT into it but makes it work with mei nianqing's help. ➤ 3k words in length ➤ thanks to @xieliansbignaturals@blorbo.social for the rec!!!

Summary: <blockquote>“Sorry, was I too enthusiastic about your cock? I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable, like, as a straight guy.” Wei Wuxian chose the most remarkable moments to acquire self-awareness about how often he made Wen Ning uncomfortable. “It’s just, like, an objectively beautiful cock, in a heterosexual way. We are just two dudes, having gay sex for money. Bromosexuals.”</blockquote> ➤ modern au where wei wuxian is a camboy and wen ning is his roommate ➤ wei wuxian is bad at recognizing boundaries and wen ning is bad at having them and it leads to them having sex together on camera ➤ they are both disasters and I love them very much! ➤ 3k words in length ➤ thanks to by-betty for the rec!

Summary: <blockquote>All Lady Pole and Arabella Strange want to do is forget their time in Faerie, but a message comes from a certain king... and he has gifts to offer.</blockquote> ➤ post-canon Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell fic, about Arabella and Emma and a trip to Faerie ➤ much of it told through letters and journal entries ➤ I love the developing relationship between the two women, how important they are to each other, and how Arabella's relationship with the missing Jonathan is treated at the same time ➤ and the sense of the numinous (and of the things that cannot be known) fits just right into the way it's handled in canon! ➤ what a good fic. one I will definitely want to return to to reread. ➤ 9k words in length

Summary: <blockquote>When Mu Qing glanced over at Xie Lian beside him, he was startled to find him already watching him. A small smile played on his lips. “You know, Mu Qing,” he started—and if Mu Qing didn’t know any better he would say he sounded almost shy— “no one else that I fight with feels like a challenge. You’re the best of them all.” Mu Qing’s throat was tight and his face was hot, like he was going to cry. His eyes were quite dry, though. “You’re the best. You always will be.” / Mu Qing can't seem to reconcile the simple facts of his relationship to the crown prince with his more complicated feelings for Xie Lian.</blockquote> ➤ mu qing pov from the xianle trio era ➤ ft. class issues and teen relationship drama ➤ xie lian is an enormous martial arts nerd and a naive but shining prince; mu qing is pining but hyper-aware of class boundaries and how everyone sees him; feng xin is ready to judge ➤ it's so great and succeeds so well at what it's doing, I love it ➤ I love the last scene, which it ends on, about xie lian's appearance after he ascends. perfect ending to the fic ➤ 7k words in length

Summary: <blockquote>Ning Yingying likes Luo Binghe. Then a bunch of stuff with demons and the fate of the world happens. Then she likes Liu Mingyan. Or: Yingying’s guide to fantasies, real life, what we want and what we get.</blockquote> ➤ liu mingyan and ning yingying's developing relationship as they find ways to open up and be real with each other ➤ it's so cute!! ➤ I love how it talks about the experience of gender, how nyy likes that with lmy she isn't expected to be a demure flower, and lmy likes that she doesn't have to be perfect, and none of that excludes them from belonging as a woman who loves women ➤ and also they bond over writing RPS, obvs ➤ 3k words in length

Summary: <blockquote>In the wake of Shen Qingqiu's death, the Old Palace Master decides to take what he thinks is an opportunity. Luo Binghe makes him regret it.</blockquote> ➤ lbh is having a totally chill time of it having a breakdown after his shizun dies ➤ the old palace master of huan hua is ALSO having a totally separate chill breakdown about once again having a disciple under his control (....he thinks) who looks like su xiyan ➤ when their breakdowns intersect, no prizes for guessing who wins lol ➤ It's Time For Binghe Angst ➤ such a good view into what might have happened at the very beginning of the 5 year period where sqq is dead! ➤ 5k words in length

Summary: <blockquote>Su She was warned about Lan Wangji, the way that warnings like this are often shared: whispered humid in the dark, with barely stifled laughter. Did you hear? Lan Wangji chooses boys as if he’s hunting. Once a boy is in his sights, he’s like a rabbit caught in a snare. You won’t be able to escape. He’ll visit unspeakable desires on your body and then abandon you for his next prey.</blockquote> ➤ I love fic that takes Su Minshan seriously as a character, it's a rare delight whenever I come across one ➤ Lan Wangji/Su Minshan during the disciple era, before the guest disciples arrive ➤ lwj is a fuckboy and sms is delighted to discover evidence that lwj despite his airs is the same as everyone else ➤ they fuck about it a lot ➤ content note for nonconsensual somnophilia ➤ PERFECT ENDING omg. ➤ 3k words in length

Summary: <blockquote>He was close enough now to reach out and touch. So he did. Ignoring Qi Rong’s shrieks of fury, he caught him by the throat and bent him back over the altar. Jun Wu studied his features, comparing them to Xie Lian’s. “Your eyes are all wrong, of course,” Jun Wu said. Even at his lowest, Xie Lian’s were never so deranged. “But around the mouth, yes… and if you were better dressed…” / Unable to get his hands on Xie Lian, Jun Wu makes do.</blockquote> ➤ oof ➤ the jun wu/xie lian is by proxy

Summary: <blockquote>If Lang Qianqiu thinks back, she can vaguely remember her instincts screeching at her to bolt. She isn’t here by accident. She has no idea if Qi Rong set out to woo her with her hair-filled shower drain and fridge full of condiments. That Lang Qianqiu was wooed is her own baggage to unpack.</blockquote> ➤ OKAY FINE I guess I just enjoyed a qi rong ship!!

Summary: <blockquote>“Your highness,” White No-Face sighs. He sounds like a disappointed parent. “You’re harming your cultivation, to go around like this. Your cultivation demands purity.” “Fuck off,” Xie Lian says. (A very drunk Xie Lian is instructed by White No-Face to keep his cultivation vows. He decides to do the opposite.)</blockquote>