LINKDING

Summary: After the Immortal Alliance Conference, Shen Qingqiu eventually recovered from his grief. A reasonable man, he accepted his limitations. Of course, there were—other options. ➜ a genius svsss bingqiu canon divergence au fic ➜ sqq decides to take care of the unavoidable abyss plot-arc by body-swapping with lbh to do the abyss arc for him ➜ meanwhile the bodyswapping didn't work QUITE as intended so although sqq is indeed in lbh's body running the abyss, lbh is in lqg's body and lqg is in sqq's body ➜ cue: time for lbh and lqg to learn how to appreciate each other! ➜ anyway I loved EVERYTHING about this fic. sooooo many good things it's doing ➜ the way sqq has such a great time testing out his abyss speedrun ideas! lbh and lqg's gym bro friendship style! meng mo providing internal colour commentary the whole way through! ➜ and like holy shit, sqq’s weird as fuck identity issues wrt bodies and self and sexuality and stuff! EXQUISITE. ➜ a totally delightful fic, highly recommend ➜ 36k words in length

excerpt: Sandrine dropped into the chair beside me and stretched her back dramatically. I took the opportunity to admire the view, as I was sure she intended. “Ugh!” She wiggled her fingers high overhead. “Never be a compositor, Mylène my beauty. You’ll have to typeset a scholar’s list of sources in eight point, half of them in Greek.” “I don’t speak a word of Greek,” I pointed out, though it didn’t need saying. When would a girl from a little Normandy village have learned such a thing as Greek? Sandrine was the one who had grown up in this printshop two streets from the Quartier Latin, not me. I had the impression that she didn’t read it terribly well herself, come to that; the king’s censors had been striking out texts so eagerly recently that the shop had been taking on jobs we might ordinarily have farmed out. ➤ as one would expect from the venue, this short story is about historical lesbians! ➤ specifically, historical lesbians working in a parisian printshop in 1830 (2 years before Les Mis is set, if that's relevant for you) ➤ ahhhh I love all the different women in this story, their relationships with each other and their work and their beliefs ➤ and the main character a provincial girl who's finding a place for herself and coming to understand the world of revolutionary paris she's found herself in! ➤ I also love how real and grounded the printshop work is that they all do ➤ it was great from start to finish <3 ➤ and yes the author is a friend but I'm not biased at all!! ➤ 5k words in length ➤ available as written text and as podcast; I have been told that the podcast version is excellent too.

summary: In the present, Wei Ying finds himself separated from his family and friends when he travels to help Lan Zhan move into a new home. In the past, Nie Huaisang brings a new friend back from summer orchestra camp. ➤ an #mdzs #wangxian modern au set during the early days of the pandemic in 2020, with flashbacks to 2003 ➤ this fic is everything to me. it's just. so beautiful & good? grounded and present to its settings, seeing its characters with open-eyed affection, funny and heartbreakingly painful-hopeful and so, so gentle ➤ I love how the fic is about many relationships at once - wwx & the wens, wwx & jiang cheng, wwx & whatever he had going on with nhs back in the day, and of course, of course, wangxian. and all of these are vital relationships in wwx's life; all of them make him who he is ➤ a "straight boy wei ying" type fic; I love how compassionately wwx is viewed as he goes through his years-long process of realisation. the fic is never mean-spirited about wwx's lack of self-knowledge. he had a lot going on & was doing his best! ➤ I've read this fic at least 3 times and it hits just right every time ➤ 25k words

Summary: Ling Wen wakes up in Hua Cheng's bed. ➤ omg I am LIVING, someone wrote me so many words of ling wen fic wherein post-canon ling wen bodyswaps with xie lian ➤ the ling wen pov in this fic is sooooo good, her pragmatic approach to dealing with whatever happens in her life, her disinterest in attending to her emotions, her independence and unwillingness to rely on anyone who isn't her ➤ and seeing xie lian and hua cheng through ling wen's eyes is so good too!! ➤ there are so many fun character relationship dynamics, connected with a really fun premise, and I loved it all ➤ 8k words in length

A woman visiting Las Vegas for a fun weekend encounters her ne’er-do-well ex-husband, who begs her for a favor that gambles with life and death… ➤ fantasy novelette about a jewish grandmother, after the death of her daughter, facing and dealing with the ways her troubled first marriage affected her life and her daughter ➤ Schanoes is so good at character and setting and emotion! ➤ and it's always great to have a story where the hero is an older woman ➤ 12k words in length

Summary: <blockquote>A facet of reality where Quan Yizhen has something Hua Cheng wants, for a change.</blockquote> ➤ tgcf canon divergence au where quan yizhen finds the coffin containing the guoshi fangxin ➤ a fun look at a different way for xie lian and hua cheng to meet again, and for quan yizhen and yin yu to meet again! ➤ 9k words in length

Summary: <blockquote>"Bro, you know how many words I wrote per day, and how many plants I created!” Shang Qinghua whines. "I can't remember them all, it's impossible." Shen Qingqiu narrows his eyes. "It was used with Wife #418.” "That doesn't narrow it down any further. I'm not going to be able to guess it, so stop punishing me and just tell me how the flower nerfed you." Shen Qingqiu grits his teeth. Obviously he wants to draw this out to punish Shang Qinghua, but it kinda looks more like he's punishing himself. There's a muscle flexing in his jaw, and if he puts any more pressure on his fan's guard, it's going to snap. Uh, actually, Shen Qingqiu kind of looks like he's in pain— “A false dragonhead is also called an obedient plant. It’s in the name—the flower forces you to do whatever you're told," Shen Qingqiu spits out. or: Shen Qingqiu runs afoul of one of Airplane's stupid wife-plot devices...just before a mission to Jinlan City.</blockquote> ➤ sqq is hit by an obedience curse! uh oh, it's time for the mission to jinlan city! ➤ fun sqq & sqh interaction, and sqq's first meeting with lbh post-abyss going very differently than in svsss ➤ sqq absolutely out here making his own life harder on a regular basis ➤ lots of fun with this trope! ➤ 11k words in length

Summary: <blockquote>The Yiling Patriarch is a living legend—a terrifying, ancient force of nature, dispensing punishment or reward with implacable, indifferent fairness. Wei Wuxian, on the other hand, is a weird but oddly charming guy who wanders around the cultivation world making fun of people's art and mooching food from sect leaders. It really upsets people to find out that they're the same person.</blockquote> ➤ a fun cute look at a time travel fixit au where wwx is the alarming immortal who fixed the burial mounds and will grant wishes to deserving people, and lwj meets him for the first time at 8 years old and decides he'll marry him ➤ I enjoyed the look at how this au has changed things for all sorts of different people across the cultivation world, and the ways in which wwx both is indeed extremely powerful and also is someone who still has his blind spots and emotional vulnerabilities ➤ lots of different povs throughout the fic which is fun too! ➤ 17k words in length

Summary: <blockquote>Like a fool, Jingyan had believed Lin Chen when he said Mei Changsu—Xiao Shu--was dead for the second time. In Jingyan's defense, who expected someone to fake their death twice? Wasn't it--just a little--over the top?</blockquote> ➤ a post-canon Nirvana in Fire fic in which Jingyan discovers that Mei Changsu survived after all...and never let Jingyan know. ➤ Jingyan is uh. not handling it well, the loneliness and responsibility of being emperor. and this only makes it worse! ➤ anyway it's a venue for lots of real good angst, and I definitely cried at one point! ➤ I also really appreciate the use it makes of various secondary characters who are also important figures in Jingyan's life ➤ many feels. I love these characters. there IS a happy ending. ➤ 31k words in length ➤ (not quite enough of an ending to really give space to come down from the heights of emotion, but otherwise a good enough fic that it's worth it!)

Summary: <blockquote>Shen Yuan has had a push-and-pull relationship with Shen Qingqiu for years. Shen Yuan knows that Shen Qingqiu is meant to be a villain, but he knows just as well that many of the things Shen Qingqiu was accused of in Proud Immortal Demon Way were just shitty misunderstandings, and over the years Shen Yuan has become reluctantly fond of the tsundere asshole that is his Shizun. Abusing Luo Binghe was not a misunderstanding, though, and Shen Yuan will do whatever he can to correct the fact that he wasn't there to protect Luo Binghe when it happened. / “Shizun, I already said that I like beasts best - if I can’t raise Luo Binghe to be my shidi, can’t I raise him as my pet instead?”</blockquote> ➤ this is a fic that really understands the fundamental problem with original sqq, which is that the child abuse is real but so is the tragic backstory. he contains multitudes! one feels complex and conflicting things about him! ➤ ok so the fic is a canon divergence fic where shen yuan is transmigrated in early as a disciple of og!sqq, and it's a bingqiu fic but also a fic about the master-disciple relationship between sy and sqq, and also about sy's relationship with his role as head disciple on the peak ➤ and it's so good at all of that! I love what it does, I love all the sides of sy you get to see and all the things he cares about and puts his energies into (... and what he doesn't), it's all so perfectly him ➤ and aughghhhhhh I have SO MANY FEELS ➤ I am very emotion. I highly recommend. I want to talk more about some of the stuff but I don't want to post spoilers. ➤ 36k words in length

Summary: <blockquote>“Let the games begin.” Jin Guangyao’s glitchy final death thoughts about his boyf- sworn brothers, his daddy issues, and his manipulative schemes.</blockquote> ➤ fanvid focusing on jin guangyao, especially his relationships with lxc and nmj and qin su ➤ set to "Ready For It" by Taylor Swift ➤ this was so much FUN. the song makes it a real bop, experiencing jgy and his uhhhhhh Choices. the vid makes excellent use of his patented customer service smile also! ➤ thanks yet again to lookitmychicken for the rec!

Summary: <blockquote>It's been more than a week since Artemisia last got a letter from Marguerite.</blockquote> ➤ Artemisia/Marguerite fic for the book Vespertine, a post-canon adventure ➤ look I have a terrible memory and don't remember most of what happened in Vespertine but I DO remember I loved the book, and this felt like a great addition to it ➤ Artemisia stops getting letters from Marguerite and immediately knows it means something is wrong and goes after her ➤ investigating a creepy group of people with the help of her revenant! ➤ Marguerite isn't just a damsel waiting for rescue! ➤ I really enjoyed it ➤ 8k words in length

no summary ➤ fic for The Left Hand of Darkness, set generations after canon! ➤ a young person of Gethen dreams of journeying out to join the rest of the Ekumen; their parent tells them the story of the Envoy and of Estraven ➤ I love this outside perspective on the characters we know and love from canon, and what must have/might have happened to them, and the stories they've become in the generations since! ➤ the original characters are wonderful also, bringing a great dynamic to the discussion of what it means to be a Gethenian vs an Outsider, and to the consideration of what a story means and what it means to tell that story ➤ yuletide always brings fabulous left hand of darkness fics and this one is no exception! ➤ 2k words in length

Summary: <blockquote>In which Vucub-Kamé is worried, Hun-Kamé is in denial and Casiopea Tun is perfectly happy. (post-canon)</blockquote> ➤ fic for Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Gods of Jade and Shadow ➤ such a fun pov choice to have it from Vucub-Kame's perspective! ➤ I loved the arguments between Vucub-Kame and Hun-Kame, and between Hun-Kame and Casiopeia! ➤ 2k 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>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>Masculine Women, Feminine Men, which is the rooster which is the hen? It's hard to tell 'em apart today. An exploration of the queer characters and tropes of (mostly) pre-Code Hollywood.</blockquote> ➤ fanvid about queer movies from mostly pre-Code hollywood days ➤ a fascinating window into the way queer themes were portrayed in that era ➤ fun and thoughtful at the same time

Summary: <blockquote>I tell Mateo to meet me at a wine bar. It’s a quiet, low-key spot—ideal for first dates, because it’s easy to make a speedy exit in case the red flags start flying—or worse, if the men in blue come knocking. It’s been over an hour, and we’re on our second glass of wine when I realize there are no red flags. He’s not just monologuing, he’s asking me questions too. This is actually a good first date—and when was the last time that ever happened for me? But I can’t help but worry that the puddles from this afternoon’s shower may have dried up. Any time there’s a pause in the conversation, my head swivels to the exit to check for the men in blue.</blockquote> ➤ a beautiful story about fear and trauma and being an immigrant or from an immigrant family, and queer romance and the wisdom of the people who love you, and how something that can help save you and that can bring joy and fun in your life can also be an unhealthy coping mechanism if you take it too far. I loved reading about Javier and Mateo as they developed their relationship!

Summary: <blockquote>As the head disciple of An Ding Peak, Shang Qinghua threw the plot out the window and abandoned his sect, and now he enjoys a luxurious life as Tianlang-Jun and Su Xiyan's most treasured and trusted advisor, as the happy couple rules over the Demon Realm together with iron fists. He has everything a transmigrator could want. Unfortunately, there's only so long that the Imperial Advisor can continue to avoid another of Tianlang-Jun's favorite underlings: Mobei-Jun, the new Northern King. An attempt on Shang Qinghua's life inside the Underground Palace itself forces him back into the company of the demon who was once destined to kill his character - and who also once promised to kill him if they ever met again.</blockquote> ➤ like much of this author's writing, its pacing is a little off (too slow and meandering) but it's a fun au

Summary: <blockquote>Shang Qinghua is overworked and underappreciated. Between his work as a demon king’s assistant and a peak lord he has no time for himself at all. And now his best bro, Peerless Cucumber, wants to go on a quest. At the end of the tax year when the poor man is the busiest - it’s just a disaster waiting to happen! But Shang Qinghua is a good bro and he will help his best friend no matter what! In which Luo Binghe hates his Shizun’s mousy friend, Shen Qingqiu is rather demanding, Mobei Jun could be more considerate and Shang Qinghua really needs a break! Or a hug. Preferably both.</blockquote> ➤ charming art and story, though the characters were a little too emotionally aware and willing to talk about their feelings to feel particularly accurate. still fun and worth reading though!