Best! Thing! Ever!

Posted by: sasha_feather Fandom: Harry Potter Characters/Pairings: Harry/Draco Rating: Explicit Length: 49281 words Summary: At the northernmost point of Shetland, surrounded by pointed cliffs, towers the Ootsta Lighthouse on a small isle in the middle of the open sea. Little does Harry know that he's not the only new lighthouse keeper. Draco Malfoy is as obnoxious as he always was, with his posh tone of voice and his luxury yacht jumpers. Harry tries his best to avoid the git—who knows what he's up to anyway? While working hard on keeping the remote island and his mental health in good condition, Harry tries to fight against increasingly conflicted opinions about Malfoy. He doesn't like to think about the weirdly tangible dreams that he keeps having and especially the fact that Draco keeps appearing naked in them. The answers, a confusion of denied attractions and macabre horror, lie buried in a riptide of emotions, dormant in the deep. Why is it the BEST THING EVER: It's transportive! It will take your imagination for a ride. It's both cozy and creepy. Fanwork Links: https://archiveofourown.org/works/33892579 That Which Shall Not be Unearthed by anonymous (I believe the author will be revealed at some point as it's part of a challenge). Harry takes a job as a lighthouse keeper because he wants to get away from society and live somewhere peaceful and remote, to deal with his depression and PTSD. When he arrives, he finds that the other keeper is Draco Malfoy, and they will both be working the job for the next year. It's been long enough since they saw each other, that they are different people now, and are accepting of each other's presence. This story has a creepy element to it which involves dreams and visions, but of course the magic is real, and it's not some kind of lesson about isolation driving someone mad. This mysterious magical through-line complements the cozy romance of Harry and Draco getting to know one another in a beautiful, small, remote place. They see the aurora borealis and admire the sea. They drink whisky in front of a fireplace and cuddle on the sofa. Their work is soothing to them, as it involves physical activity and straight-forward tasks that can be accomplished with not much difficulty. It's a balm for these damaged people to work this job. Lighthouses are inherently interesting, and it was fun to read a story that takes place in one. This story stayed with me after I finished it. comments & original content @ bestthingever

Posted by: ninetydegrees Fandom: Teen Wolf Characters/Pairings: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Minor or Background Relationship(s) Rating: Teen and Up Length: 60,118 Summary: When considering Deaton’s eventual, far-future retirement, Senator Derek Hale (D., California) had always expected to hire someone from inside the campaign. They'd have been familiar, respectful, come into his office carefully, with nervous excitement, and called him "sir" too much when asking for their first assignment. But instead, almost sight-unseen, he hired Stiles, who is sprawled across his office couch, entering random contacts from Derek's Rolodex into his phone. Why is it the BEST THING EVER: I love politics AU because when done like this they give me hope, and they make me smile (and cry happy tears), and they remind me that everything's not awful and I can carry these feelings with me for a good while. And I don't know about you but I need that right now. I could tell you about the characterization and the plot and the subtler things the author intelligently talks about but, honestly, I don't want to spoil anything for you and right now I just want to bask in the buoyant feeling I got as I was reading it and that hasn't left me yet because this fic is just amazing, and I just love fandom and its people so darn much. If you're not familiar with Teen Wolf, this won't matter here so if this sounds like something you might like don't hesitate to give it a chance. Fanwork Links: nothing but hope and virtue comments & original content @ bestthingever

Posted by: beatrice_otter A Chorus of Ordinary Women (72793 words) by kalima Fandom: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: James T. Kirk & Spock, Spock/Nyota Uhura, Leonard "Bones" McCoy & Spock Characters: James T. Kirk, Spock (Star Trek), Nyota Uhura, Leonard "Bones" McCoy, Pavel Chekov, Hikaru Sulu, Original Characters Additional Tags: They're all good friends, Females are Strong As Hell, Un-fridging the ladies, Women go through A LOT, Before Nibiru Summary: Stardate 2252, a Vulcan merchant vessel disappears. Stardate 2254, a luxury yacht leased by Vulcans for a family reunion disappears. Stardate 2256, a small mining consortium operated by Vulcans goes dark. The Vulcan home world is gone. Investigations into those disappearances fall through the cracks of a greater disaster. Just inside the Romulan Neutral Zone, an outpost on a hostile world is conducting a far-reaching experiment in espionage that has now been rendered useless. Why is it the BEST THING EVER: This story tackles a hard and horrifying subject with grace, delving into an aspect of canon that never really got the hard look it deserved. You remember Saavik, the half-Vulcan/half-Romulan lieutenant in Star Trek II and III? She was born as part of a secret Romulan plot to kidnap Vulcans and create hybrids. The whys and the details were all just ... ignored, even in the book focusing on Saavik getting rescued from the Romulans as a child. This story delves deep into it. It's serious, but rewarding, to see the women being unfridged. You don't have to have read the tie-in novels starring Saavik to read this story. Fanwork Links: A Chorus of Ordinary Women comments & original content @ bestthingever

Posted by: beatrice_otter Fandom: Batman comics Characters/Pairings: Stephanie Brown, Ed Nygma (The Riddler) Rating: gen Length: 3856 words Summary: The Riddler takes ten-year-old Steph trick-or-treating, and Steph honestly has the best time ever. Why is it the BEST THING EVER: I don't think you need to know any comics canon for this, it's self-explanatory, and it is fricking hilarious, holy cow. Fanwork Links: in this town of halloween comments & original content @ bestthingever

Posted by: lannamichaels Fandom: The Old Guard (Movie 2020) Characters/Pairings: Booker | Sebastien le Livre Rating: Teen Length: 5K Summary: The first forgery Booker ever made was a new identity for himself as a gentile. Wherein Booker loses his family, reconnects with his heritage, and maybe finds something a little like faith. Why is it the BEST THING EVER: This fic was written for the Days of Awesome fest and features all the themes of this time of (the Jewish) year, firmly rooted in The Old Guard world and characters. It takes us along Booker's life and choices and works through the themes of repentance and returning extremely well. It's really fantastic :D Fanwork Links: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26608969 comments & original content @ bestthingever

Why is it the BEST THING EVER: One of the best things about the movie was how awesome the relationship between Jeff and Miles.  It's not perfect, but Jeff is a good dad actively trying to be a good dad even when it's hard or confusing.  This story takes that and leans into it, and it's so good. Fanwork Links: fightin' for my trust (and you won't back down) comments & original content @ bestthingever

Posted by: beatrice_otter Fandom: Star Wars Characters/Pairings: Mace Windu/Cody, Anakin Skywalker, Shaak Ti, lots of Jedi and clones Rating: Mature Length: 202,217 words Summary: Plo has an idea. Mace agrees, and everything snowballs right into hell from there. (Or: Mace and Cody get married in order to give the clones citizen status. Before they can focus on that, though, they're going to have to deal with ancient Sith artifacts, evil prophets, plots to overthrow the Supreme Chancellor, lost planets, monsters warped by Sith alchemy, inconvenient feelings, and Darth Sidious turning his eye on a potential new apprentice. Just...not in that order.) Why is it the BEST THING EVER: Besides having a really unique idea for a fixit, I love the way the characters are written, and the development of Mace and Cody's relationship is wonderful, and the action is engaging and well-written. Fanwork Links: hunting toward heartstill comments & original content @ bestthingever

comments & original content @ bestthingever

Posted by: yuuago Fandom: Hetalia Characters/Pairings: Russia/China Rating: G/SFW Summary: "The poster for 2019 RoChu tea party( in Beijing )... this year’ s theme is “望”（look/gaze far into the distance/hope/expect/longing/…)" Why is it the BEST THING EVER: It's simply gorgeous, okay (which is typical of this artist's stuff). The lighting, the colour - the impressionistic way they painted the cascading vegetation reminds me of Monet's work. Fanwork Links: http://merasgar.tumblr.com/post/183648747891 comments & original content @ bestthingever

Posted by: mific Fandom: Stargate Atlantis/Captain America (crossover) Characters/Pairings: John Sheppard/Sam Wilson, Rodney McKay & John Sheppard, Riley/Sam Wilson, Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson Rating: E Length: 99,962 - a glossary and timestamp are to come, but all the chapters are complete now. Summary: "John Sheppard is on convalescent leave—or at least that’s what he keeps telling himself, though it looks a lot more like hiding in a crappy apartment in Houston, never leaving except for physical therapy and more alcohol. So he’s not sure why he turns up at a kink club, much less why he starts hanging out with Sam Wilson, probably the only other guy on the planet with a tighter security clearance than his—not that either of them much wants to talk about work. Two airmen, both with troubled pasts, find solace in each other one humid Gulf Coast summer. And the strength of the pull John feels toward Sam surprises him more than the odds of their meeting at all." Why is it the BEST THING EVER: This is the crossover I never knew I wanted - until aerialiste wrote it and I fell in love with this pairing and the story. I'm a big Sheppard fan in SGA and I'm very fond of Sam Wilson in Cap fandom so this story was perfect for me. Plus, John's all gorgeously messed up and wounded - in every possible sense - and Sam's the gentle dom who helps him heal. I enjoyed them both being Air Force and John finding his submissive side with Sam using that to take care of him, and the BDSM aspect is beautifully and expertly written and fully integrated into their character development and how the story plays out - a real treat. A warning that there's content about suicidality and grief, and an apparent major character death in John's recent past - but Rodney's never entirely gone, and note the "angst with a happy ending" tag - it's resolved by the end. I loved every part of this epic and highly recommend it. I suggest subscribing to the fic as there's been a hilarious glossary of Air Force slang as the final chapter which is temporarily down as it's being updated, but aerialiste plans to repost it soon.  Link: Flyboys by aerialiste on AO3 (locked to AO3 members - if you need an AO3 invite drop me a comment and I'll give you a code) Snippet:  ( Read more... ) comments & original content @ bestthingever

Posted by: snickfic Fandom: The Terror Characters/Pairings: Silna + Tuunbaq Rating: General / SFW Summary: n/a Why is it the BEST THING EVER: I love the lines in this, how the artist does so much with so little, and the beautiful intimacy of the scene of an Inuit girl and her monster bear. Fanwork Links: @ AO3 comments & original content @ bestthingever

Posted by: snickfic Fandom: The Mars Trilogy, by Kim Stanley Robinson Characters/Pairings: Ann Claybourne/Sax Russell Rating: General Length: 2283 words Summary: It was a code, in their little society. There were, of course, reasons to go hiking that had to do with science, or beautiful views, or mental well-being, but the fact remained that saying “x and y went on a hike together” meant a very particular thing, and Sax couldn't fail to understand it. Why is it the BEST THING EVER: This captures so much of what I love about these books: the rich, complicated characters (including Ann herself, so prickly and passionate and awkward and, worst of all, aware of how awkward she is); passionate intellectual debate; and the human touches, like Lookout Point itself. Fanwork Links: at AO3 comments & original content @ bestthingever

Posted by: snickfic Fandom: MCU Characters/Pairings: Gamora/Heimdall Rating: Teen Length: 2900 words Summary: The first time Heimdall notices her, she is beheading the ruler of a backwater world. It’s outside Asgard’s purview and death, as a rule, is too common to attract his attention; this does, however. She does. Why is it the BEST THING EVER: This is a gorgeously in-character fic with a simple premise: what if Heimdall saw Gamora across the stars, and was intrigued? I'm a sucker for a good Heimdall POV, and he's wonderful here, with human vulnerabilities and a sense of humor, but everyone else is wonderful, too: Thor and Loki, the Guardians, and Gamora herself. It's a great ship manifesto if you think you might be even a little bit interested in this pairing. Fanwork Links: in stature, grace, and hue comments & original content @ bestthingever

Posted by: snickfic Fandom: Hockey RPF Characters/Pairings: Matt Murray/Bryan Rust Rating: Explicit Length: 18k Summary: Everyone on the team tried their best to ignore Matt’s taste in men, but as the YCP rep and the only openly gay guy in the Metro division, Matt felt it was his duty to be public with his lifestyle. He was a role model, after all. His Insta was a veritable archive of who not to date. “Murr. My buddy, my dude.” “Yeah, Rusty.” “I think you might have lousy taste in guys.” Matt snorted a laugh. “Oh, for sure, I do. Good taste in friends, though." Why is it the BEST THING EVER: Matt Murray has a whole boatload of hangups in this, starting with being gay and ending with the fact that he never gets soulmarks like everyone else does. Does that mean he’s incapable of loving people or having someone real?? ;___; Just very satisfying dig into the soulmark trope mixed in with some good old-fashioned angst, and meanwhile Rusty is a sweetheart and a delight (but NOT a pushover) with his own baby-bi issues to work through. Fanwork Links: Indelible comments & original content @ bestthingever

Posted by: schneefink Fandom: Books of the Raksura/Supernatural Characters/Pairings: gen; Sam & Dean and Malachite & Moon & Kethel et al. Rating: General Audiences Length: 41k Summary: Moon is supposed to be avoiding Consolation, but a mishap during a visit to Opal Night puts Consolation in danger. Moon and Malachite have to navigate a city stranger than anything either of them have ever seen to rescue her. Sam and Dean, newly reunited after Dean's miraculous return from Purgatory, investigate reports of mysterious disapperances and cattle theft near Cleveland. But the case turns out to be far more complex than they thought when an enemy they believed dead resurfaces, and they must ally with strange and dangerous creatures to protect all of Cleveland from their common enemy. Why is it the BEST THING EVER: You know the kind of crossovers that fit two worlds together so perfectly it's like it was meant to be? This is one of those stories. We get to see the Raksura discover this strange world and the Winchesters discover the Raksura, and them trying to work together despite how weird and confusing the others are. All the character voices are perfect, and I especially loved the parallels drawn between characters I hadn't expected. On top of all that it's also a good action/adventure story with some very nice h/c moments. Fanwork Links: @AO3 comments & original content @ bestthingever

Posted by: spatz Fandom: Supernatural Characters/Pairings: Dean/Castiel Rating: Explicit (VERY) Length: 195K Summary: As a grease monkey turned college freshman, Dean's constantly three seconds away from being stressed out of his mind. It hardly helps that he's finally figuring out his sexuality in his thirties. What might help with that stress is a little phone number (and a big credit card bill). If he can't figure out how to be bisexual in person, he can at least give it a go over the phone, right? Why is it the BEST THING EVER: I read this AU as a WIP, which I NEVER do anymore, it was just that delightful! Ben has a really wonderful handle on Dean as a POV character - all sarcasm and pop culture and unreliably hard on himself - but it also immediately sets up an amazing identity porn scenario that the summary doesn't mention, wherein Dean is calling "Jimmy" on the phone sex line but also studying in the silent section of the library with Cas. The story also deals a lot with self-care and anxiety, and explores kink pretty heavily (check the tags) but in a way where even if YKINMK applies, you still enjoy reading how the characters deal with it. Funny, sexy, full of feels, and holy crap I hadn't realized how LONG it was, reading it as a WIP. Fanwork Links: AO3 comments & original content @ bestthingever

Posted by: snickfic Fandom: MCU Characters/Pairings: Thor/Loki Rating: Explicit Length: 100k Summary: When Loki suggested that Jotunheim shelter the Asgardian refugees, he meant to make a bit of mischief, that was all. He meant to humble a certain prideful son of Odin. He did not expect to return to Jotunheim three hundred years later and find the realm buzzing with talk of New Asgard and its wicked king. He did not expect to have completely, inadvertently destroyed Thor's life. He certainly did not expect to be tasked with helping set that life to rights again. Why is it the BEST THING EVER: This is such a fun AU, where Loki is still a prince of Jotunheim when Asgard falls, and Jotunheim ends up taking in the Asgardian refugees. I love everything about the worldbuilding in this, how Jotunheim is frozen on top and warm underneath (and why), about how the Asgardians have been getting on for the past three hundred years, about how Loki's magic works. I also love Loki in all his contradictions and all his mysteirous feelings he can’t even recognize much less articulate to anyone. And Thor! And all the secondary characters! Also the story is full of PLOT and humor and color. Just very fun. Fanwork Links: @AO3 comments & original content @ bestthingever