The Recconing

Rec’d because: It's one of the most skillful roleswaps I've ever seen, and there are five of them in this fic, one per chapter, small but detailed and feeling very accurate to the characters portrayed. The one where Daud takes Martin's place is particularly wonderful, in my opinion.

Rec’d because: It starts off easy and then the back-and-forth between them pulls you in. There's always a point where I start grinning as I see these two forces of nature face each other, challenge each other—and when I see Corvo assert his singular force of will.

Rec’d because: I have a hard time passing up the opportunity to enjoy a good werewolf fic, and this one hits a lot of the classic tropes as well as ending on a fun shipping note. Also, Martin saying "boyo" continues to be a delightful surprise.

Rec’d because: Dream-like and, despite both their circumstances, a moment of respite. I love those rare times where the Outsider is a little more human than we expect—not just human, still powerful and strange and difficult to pin down, but also needing smaller human things, like seeing himself saved from the moment that made him.

Rec’d because: Sometimes smut just stays with you—something about the characterization, about the vulnerability of the moment, that feels true to the characters involved. A strangely sweet modern AU moment with just the bare bones of context. (Also, it's hot.)

Rec’d because: Aside from the hilarity in the tags and author's notes, this one is a very fun crossover of Dishonored and Game of Thrones, with the Outsider starring as the God of the Faceless in the background. I specifically love that Daud's lacking a last name takes on its full potential here—a small moment, but on every reread it affects me deeply—and how Emily's curiosity drives her to find connection with him as they ride off over the land. (Also, it's not in the tags, but this is pre-relationship corvodaud, so my jam.)

Rec’d because: Sokolov is so jealous that Corvo and the rest of the Marked have been allowed to meet the Outsider and it's a delight to see, honestly. He's blind to what makes him uninteresting, and the more he tries to reach out the more the god in the Void smacks his hand. The Outsider is also incredibly fun and creepy about it.

Rec'd because: Corvo says "[a] great many things between them had gone unsaid" and he is so right it is painful to observe. The way Corvo can read Daud -- the way they seem to gravitate towards each other despite their paths crossing so infrequently -- and Daud himself, holding everything in just enough that Corvo can't see but you, the reader, can. Missed opportunities.

Rec'd because: It's horrible in the best kind of way. You get a taste of what Corvo used to have, and then the illusion is pulled apart in an appallingly cruel way, and somehow the Outsider is surprised. Is he pretending? Or did he really not know to expect it? Either way, the result serves his purpose. Early-fandom Outsider at his worst (fond).

Rec'd because: Another one where I can't help crying every time i reread it. Excellent use of formatting to convey emotion, tragic in its simplicity -- tight, concise writing. Emotional goodbyes and worse reunions.

Rec'd because: I'm very fond of seeing how Billie and the Outsider learn to exist next to each other when she brings him out of the Void -- but while I highly enjoyed the Outsider's vestiges of power coming out in small ways, and Billie becoming her own kind of mentor, what really caught me was the confrontation between Anton and the Outsider. A lot there to unpack.

Rec'd because: A pitch-perfect portrayal of Slackjaw in my opinion—the code-switching in posture, the accent, the ruthless gang leader and savvy businessman and loyal friend all rolled into one; how his experiences have shaped him into someone who can help Emily through some of her own where none of her entourage could... Delightful from beginning to end.

Rec'd because: Sometimes you come across something so precious it just makes you smile and wiggle your feet, and apparently Sokolov pondering the inadequacies of love songs and labels in his quest to Categorize This Relationship was it for me.

Rec'd because: They're excellently divorced and the Outsider shows his trademark sense of condescension and cryptic talk. Also, Daud being dramatic and bitter and sad about everything, though to be fair he just got killed. (Or did he?)

addendum: i'd rate this fic Mature for the physical violence described in media res, but the descriptions themselves are mild and in keeping with canon-typical violence.

Rec'd because: Corvo slowly becoming an amalgam of himself and other things, animals, bits of people's memories, partial souls; trying to retain some of what he holds dear and destroying it in the process—amazing. Horrific. Inevitable. This story holds nothing back.