Two woods converged on a snowy road

[Series] Better in the Morning by Clare_Hope

Fandom: Leverage

Rating: T-E, depending on the fic

Length: 49k overall

Characters/Relationships: Alec Hardison/Parker/Eliot Spencer

Summary: After getting shot in DC, Eliot could ditch Parker and Hardison and find somewhere to hole up and recover on his own for a while like he's used to doing. Instead, he tosses aside a crutch and accepts a bit of help. He gets a little more than he bargained for.

My thoughts: So basically I hit The Rundown Job in my Leverage rewatch and went hunting for some OT3y hurt/comfort, and oh boy did this series deliver. The first fic, set immediately after the episode ends, features Hardison and Parker lovingly dismantling some of Eliot's more intense walls via medical care and the magic of communication. The second fic, set not long after everyone is back in Portland, had Parker coming down sick and immediately Freaking Out about it. (The tags on Fic #3 are not my jam so I didn't read it, but if they appeal to you, I suspect the fic will be great!) The two fics I read are both excellent, with lots of tricky internal thoughts getting warped by the struggles of vocalizing them, and delightful flashes of character backstories, and (eventually) kissing.

[Series] Pretzels by page_runner (aka @pagerunner)

Fandom: Leverage

Rating: G-T, depending on the fic

Length: 26k

Characters/Relationships: Alec Hardison/Parker/Eliot Spencer

Summary: “…all I’m sayin’, girl, is that Eliot’s definition of pretzels is a bit more bread-based than yours is.”

My thoughts: Another post-The Rundown Job get together series, because I was in a groove. This series takes place throughout the first day back in Portland, one fic per POV in the OT3, and oh how I adore how the author gets into each character's headspace! Parker forgets that not everyone understands her definition of pretzels, Eliot shies away from intimacy, and Hardison is the best communicator in the trio and he is trying his damn best. Also, I loooooooooove the detail of Parker idly doodling floor plans on her partners' backs while in repose. Beautiful.

[Series] Urbe Aureā by Dira Sudis (aka @dsudis) (podfic read by greedy_dancer)

Fandom: The Witcher (Video Games & All Media Types)

Rating: T or E, depending on the fic

Length: 87k (8h51m)

Characters/Relationships: Emhyr var Emreis/Geralt of Rivia, Eskel/Geralt of Rivia, Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon

Summary: The only thing he isn't wrong about is how easily Emhyr var Emreis could destroy him if he chose to. Geralt has already left him far too many openings.

In which Geralt has the Wrong Idea, Emhyr has Plans, and Cirilla has (At Least) Two Dads and isn't giving up on them.

My thoughts: This is by no means the first time I've read this series, nor the first time I've listened to GD's pod of it; it's such a fave that I usually end up either reading or listening to the whole series once every six months or so. This time, I put the pods on and deep cleaned my apartment to the story of the White Wolf being first spooked then thoroughly pampered (then spooked, then pampered again, haha) by the White Flame. Dira Sudis has such an incredible ability to look into the psychology of witchers -- of how their existence on the edges of society shape them and their thought patterns -- and to neatly spread it out for us readers to enjoy. And the podfic! Oh, the podfic. GD did such a good job with the characters (especially Emhyr, who sounds so precise and crisp and formal even when he's not being The Emperor) and created this beautiful, professional quality audio that is an absolute pleasure to listen to.

Letters from the Northern Continent by thehoyden (aka @thehoyden)

Fandom: Star Trek: Deep Space 9

Rating: M

Length: 8k

Characters/Relationships: Julian Bashir/Elim Garak

Summary: It just figured that the first time Julian Bashir set foot on Cardassia after the war, it would be halfway around the world from Elim Garak.

My thoughts: This was one of the first Garashir fics I ever read and it still sits very high on my list of regular re-reads; I can see hints of its influence in my own writing set in post-canon Cardassia, even. thehoyden's writing is delicately sparse yet so evocative, and they have absolutely nailed the talking around that Garak is so known for, so completely unwilling (unable?) to plainly voice what it is he is trying to say until there is no other choice. Julian is confident and flustered in turn, as baffled by Garak as ever and yet still a moth to his flame. Also, I utterly adore Julian's older Cardassian colleague.

The Arming of the Dabo Girls by M_Moonshade (aka @ernmark)

Fandom: Star Trek: Deep Space 9

Rating: T

Length: 2k

Characters/Relationships: Julian Bashir & Elim Garak & Leeta

Summary: Doctor Bashir is woken in the middle of the night to find an injured Garak and a sobbing Leeta at his door.

My thoughts: This is another regular re-read of mine, and it's such a great little piece of character work, a middle-of-the-night slice-of-life featuring Leeta in a panic, Garak in pain, and Julian in a mood. Everyone is captured so well, especially since the word count comes in at just under 2k, and it's exactly the sort of thing I could see being a C plot in the show. The author's note at the end adds an extra layer of enjoyment as well, haha.