LINKDING

Summary: <blockquote>The far stall in the ladies room in the Land of the Dead was backed up again. The day had already started terribly, with an email that hit my phone as I walked the 387 steps from my staff cabin to the front desk, an email from Lana saying Vera, I wanted you to find out directly from me that I’ve started seeing somebody. Call if you want to talk.</blockquote> ➤ about queer intergenerational friendship and mentorship, about being a young adult trying to find your place, about death and what it means to you, about living through the death of all your peers and coming out the other side, about hope and love and making connections. ➤ holy shit this gave me so many emotions. READ IT READ IT READ IT. ➤ also I adore the title. pinsker writes great titles. ➤ 6k words in length

<blockquote>Wu Yanzi barks out a laugh. "I used to have another student," he tells Shen Jiu as he takes a swig of his wine. “I picked him up when the Cang Qiong brats rejected him.” “I don’t care,” Shen Jiu says coolly. He doesn’t. What does it matter that Wu Yanzi had a student before him? That has no effect on him. "He was far less obedient than you, though,” Wu Yanzi continues, not bothered by Shen Jiu’s lack of reaction. “He kept trying to escape. He had some kid he wanted to see, this Xiao-something he promised to return to." His grin is made of black teeth and nastiness when he says, "Make sure I won't have to bury you next to him." (Or, there is a very good reason why Yue Qi never returned for Shen Jiu.)</blockquote> ➤ the one where yue qi really did die instead of being able to rescue shen jiu - but sj reanimates him in the end

<blockquote>OH. IT'S YOU AGAIN. </blockquote>

<blockquote>After Merrick, Nicky can't stand seeing any of them die. It takes Joe a while to put it together.</blockquote>

<blockquote>She stood before the judges in the dim light, Justine just to her left. Lyra pulled a sheaf of paper from her pockets. Their marriage certificate. Proof of cohabitation. Sheet music for the nocturne. “I’ve come to ask safe passage for myself and my wife to the realm of the living,” Lyra said. Her voice was loud in the chamber and she did not let it shake.</blockquote>

<blockquote>When Vivian and her daughter witness the family matriarch die without leaving a corpse, Vivian can no longer ignore the family “gift” or the choice that lies before her.</blockquote>

<blockquote>The girl does not come to Mebuyen, so Mebuyen goes to the girl. She is standing ankle-deep in the river, looking down, her mouth open. Mebuyen notices, as she draws closer, that the child’s calves are skinny, her cheeks chubby, and her SpongeBob Squarepants sando has a bullet-sized hole above her ribs. Mebuyen frowns as she steps into the river, waiting for the girl to speak.</blockquote>

<blockquote>The witch had a favorite saying: where there’s life, there’s magic. There was a second part — where there’s magic, there’s death — but she usually kept that to herself.</blockquote> ➤ strange and creepy-sad and compelling

<blockquote>City Council announces a new secret law. The Night Vale Astronomy Club has officially denounced the existence of stars. The Night Vale Historical Society is throwing a barbecue for a tragedy that no one is allowed to talk about. It's the usual week's news in Night Vale except for one tiny detail-Cecil isn't the one reporting it. And as Head Intern Jessica ignores her normal inclination to not do any work ever (you don't become head intern by being a go-getter) to fill in for him while Carlos conducts his desperate search, she's beginning to think that maybe Cecil isn't the only one who'll disappear.</blockquote> ➤warning: head intern Jessica does end up dying and I became rather attached to her over the course of the fic! Phooey. Well, it is all very effectively done.

<blockquote>Raleigh’s never told anyone, but he’s pretty sure he died in his escape pod after nuking the Breach.</blockquote>

<blockquote>"When he finally registered the presence of a tail, Montparnasse knew with a sickening finality that it was too late." Or, Montparnasse screws something up beyond repair.</blockquote>

<blockquote>"She'd had the most beautiful imaginable face..."</blockquote>

<blockquote>This is a Five Things Plus One story about ways that Marcus Flavius Aquila and Esca son of Cunoval might have met, and fortunately did not--and one way they did, which went rather better. Basically a set of depressing canon-era AUs plus some happiness.</blockquote>

<blockquote>Ianto's travelled clear across the universe just to bring Jack home.</blockquote> ➤ *wibbles* (a CoE fixit, of sorts)

➤ AU of Strong Poison in which they don't manage to prove Harriet's innocence. Really well done but AGH so sad!

➤ Peter the Venerable taking care of Abelard in his old age; melancholy and lovely

➤ post-R's-death J goes through R's office

➤ Welsh is the executor when F and R die

<blockquote>The first time Jack died, he had enough time to look round confusedly, see the figure in black and go “Wha-” before he was gasping back to life. The second time he got as far as “Who ar-”. The third time he was rather more badly minced by the experience, and got out a whole “Look buddy, you'd better have a pretty good explanation for-”. The next few times were along the same lines. </blockquote> ➤ or: Jack becomes friends with Death