#emdee

what never was is now by ionsquare

This is a story about friendship and forgiveness. And learning how to live through immortality.

Friendship, team as family, Booker and Nile bonding.

Nile-Centric | Gen | 2708 words

What I Loved: I love this fic that's all about the team as family, but especially Nile's relationship with Booker. In this fic, it's very much a brother-sister bond and ionsquare does a delightful job at making this fic warm and gentle. It's soothing, in a way! Team as family is one of my favorite tropes. @ionsquare is on Tumblr and has written other fics for The Old Guard.

Feed My Soul by AphroditesTummyRolls

   “You left me to wake up all alone in our bed.” He said, his voice a velvet-soft rumble into the still morning air.    “I was going to make you breakfast.” Nicky replied, a little breathless as he held up the meticulously trimmed basil cuttings in his hand, as if that could sway Yusuf’s mind.    His hair fell into his eyes, and Nico pushed it back with his free hand, letting it fall around his ears and frame his face down to his cheekbones. It was long— he hadn’t had it cut since long before the Merrick job, and ever since he had simply not bothered with it.    He looked like one of the angels of old poetry. He looked like the Renaissance muse he had once been— the reclined nude in that Florentine piazza, more pure than the marble under his feet, and more luxurious than the pillows under his head and body. He had gazed at him just as he was now, full of liquid heat and a gleam that told Yusuf with all but words how he wished to ravish him. He was unabashed under Yusuf’s brush, just miles of soft skin, and his long brown hair falling in his eyes.

Porn with feelings, Going Back To Malta, long-haired Nicky, hair-pulling, anal sex, anal fingering, tender and sweet loving Joe/Nicky | Explicit | 4,430 words What I Loved: Okay, so first and foremost, this is definitely just straight up porn. And it is legit my favorite kind - It's so full of love and care and the sheer dedication they show for each other makes this fic sing.  It's absolutely lyrical and poetic and so spot-on. There are so many moments that take my actual breath away, in so far as how this fic has been written and how much care is given to their love. I said, in my original review of this, that it's like the warmth of Malta infuses the whole fic. It is breath-taking. For all of these reasons and more, this is one of my favorite cheer-up fics. @aphroditestummyrolls is on Tumblr and has written other fics for The Old Guard.

War Games by AirGiodSLV

   “Speaking of keeping up,” Andy muses. “We need to start training you.”

   Training, Nile discovers, involves what Andy calls ‘retrieval missions’ and what Nile calls ‘capture the flag’.

Nile-Centric | Teen and up | Gen | 5367 words

Found family, team bonding

What I Loved: This fic fits in so perfectly with my headcanon that the team frequently plays games like capture the flag to learn how they fight together, especially once Nile joins. I love love love how Nile is exasperated but eager and how much fun the others have with her. This fic feels like a romp - Like, the most fun thing ever. It makes me want to play capture the flag and I suck at that game. This feels like a favorite movie, comforting and fun. AirGiodSLV is on AO3 and has written other fics for The Old Guard.

Artifacts by praycambrian

“When Andy does this, it is love,” Nicky says. “What you do is love also. Don’t stop, if you can help it.”

Ongoing collection of loosely connected snippets pre-, during, and post-canon.

Creator chose not to use archive warnings. Family, vignettes, ancient history, queer history, art history, food, music, love, immortality, families of choice, POV multiple.

Andy/Quynh, Nicky/Joe, Nile, and Booker | 3007; chapter length varies | General

What I loved: Hhhh what isn’t there to love! This author has a gorgeously poetic writing voice – every word deliberate, the diction impeccable, the writing style utterly lyrical and poignant and gorgeous. I can tell that the author has put so much research, time, care, and thought into every single one of these vignettes and I’m living for them! The historical and cultural elements included are so thoughtful, and the author includes links to learn more in the notes often. The author is on Tumblr as @praycambrian and has written other fic for The Old Guard!

Stalefish by Amiril

“Don’t look at it as a curse,” Joe had told her, a month earlier. “Think of it as an opportunity. What did you want to do that you were always too scared to try?”

No archive warnings apply. Social media, team bonding, extreme sports, getting together, team as family.

Nile / Andy and Nile-centric | ~2000 words | Teen and up  

What I loved: Nile adjusting to being immortal, learning how to skateboard, and flirting with Andy! God it’s so good. This is just a really sweet fic, and I love the banter. I feel like this author did a really great job exploring Nile’s POV, and this remains one of my top fics for the pairing so far. The author is on Tumblr as @runawaymarbles and has written other fic for the Old Guard!

On Their Side by ViridianPanther

Pam Marks is surprised and delighted when four young (looking) people make a big purchase at her Help the Refugees charity shop in suburban England. The political winds and the recession are catching up with her. She’s glad to know there are people on her side.

outsider POV | found family | teen | <5k

What I loved: the team helping in other ways; a really good OC POV! This fic feels like a warm hug. The author is on tumblr as @viridianpanther!

Full Fathoms Deep by sixthlight

It started on the midnight to eight shift, sometime before three, the witching hour even by ship standards.

Quỳnh-centric | ~9300 words | Teen

What I loved: This is the “How Quỳnh left the ocean” missing scene fanfic that I haven’t stopped thinking about since I read it. Quỳnh’s experience as a traumatized woman is treated with such care and respect, and I am utterly in love with the POV of the outsider through whom we engage with this story. It’s a love letter to marine science, an exploration of deep care and compassion making a difference when it’s needed most, and has moments that are deeply funny. The author is on Tumblr as @sixth-light and has written other fanfic for the Old Guard!