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coffeeflavoredcookies · 3 years

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Krbk Multichap Fic Recs

The order doesn’t particularly matter. The ratings also vary, so be careful and make sure you read the tags to know what you’re getting into! Also, they are all completed.

Anyway, here we go !

Tonight we’re the sea by idratherhaveyou. (Artist Bakugo, Kirishima moves to the seaside! It’s so damn good! The writing, the characterization, the feelings, the story! The Everything!!!)

But I’ve got an angry heart by newamsterdam. (Dormmates, College AU! Baku wants peace, Kiri wants to make friends! Very good! A little (lot) angsty, but like honestly, VERY good)

Slow it down, go easy on me by newamsterdam. (Time travel AU that’s got everything to make it perfect. A marvel <3)

The fool’s rush by Chonideno. (Future AU! Roommates. Mutual pinning. Lots and LOTS of pinning. So fluffy you’ll cry)

Something just like this by imatrisarahtops. (such a feel good fic, following the themes of the krbk week 2018. Pinning, comfort and getting together)

The best part is falling by Claus_Lucas. ( (Bakugo’s had enough of Kiri not understanding his own feelings. It’s hilarious and cute)

You give me a quite mind and I’ll love you by Claus_Lucas. (the boys do lot of figuring out after the rescue, it’s good)

When you’re in love with your best friend by ellieb3an. (5+1! Bakugo realizes he’s in love with Kiri! It’s real good)

When you’re in love with your boyfriend by ellieb3an. (the long distance relationship that’s gonna melt your heart (the sequel) )

Coming up for air by ellieb3an. (Kiri learns to cope with the trauma after getting stuck in his own quirk, it’s very emotional and so so good! A++ caring baku! It’s amazing!)

Easy now, with my heart (careful now, with my heart) by multiclassmaps. (or how their classmates figure out they’re dating, very good!)

All I knew I could ever need was in front of me by multiclassmaps. (Married pro hero with a dog, perfectly fluffy and warm)

So take my hand, you life will be brighter by multiclassmaps. (hockey AU, amazing! Absolutely amazing! A must read! And reread!)

your heart's a mess, you won't admit to it; I'm desperate to connect- and you- you can't live like this by multiclassmaps. (unrequited love that’s not actually unrequited. So? Damn? Good?)

To the tune of Bakushima series (mostly canon compliant. How Baku and Kiri went from being Friends With Benefits to properly getting together. amazingly well written and just go read it!) (rating varies!!!)

Slow and steady series by Siij. (They get together. They figure things out. This is amazing, and the writing is great and the fluff!! Also, ratings vary)

Perihilion by tauontauff. (a blessing, a true blessing, soft, sweet, heart-melting. Christmas themed!!!)

One step closer by tuslee. (angsty, Bakugo gets in a car accident, his road to recovery is slow and difficult. Katsuki and Ochako friendship centric)

Burn like the sun by Kivea. (Firefighter AU! amazing Bakusquad interactions, I cried at times from how much I laughed! It’s great <3)

Crow’s feet by PotatoJesus. (Established relationship, future AU! really soft and sweet)

Heart stains on the carpet by cityboys. (bodyguard AU, the fake dating AU that started them all! cityboys is just amazing)

2AM by cityboys. (Bakugo goes back to his home town and is forced to work in his mother’s café. It’s cityboys, just read it)

Fucking feelings series by Equinurmae. (Hilarious, Baku and Deku friendship, Baku goes full gay panic and asks Deku for help)

I’ll save you myself by Obesessed_As_A_Coping_Mechanism. (very sweet and kinda gets hot at the end)

Just another sexuality crisis at midnight by PaperTrees. (I don’t know how to describe it without spoiling it, but it is AMAZING!)

Stuck in the blast zone series by Nickolefricle. (the interactions are AMAZING, and the little stories are really REALLY good)

Spring a season about love by Tears are salty. (kmjr and krbk and bkjr friendship. Very cute)

Today is not good so far by generic_handle. (Established relationship. Kiri invites Baku for night out with their friends but for some reason, it sets the blonde off. very funny)

2AM knows all secrets by Unbrekable_Red_Riot. (Baku has nightmares, Kiri helps. It’s REALLY good. Also, slight one-sided kmkr)

Kiss me you fool by Shizuumi151. (it’s a series of independent one-shots. Very sweet. The ratings vary)

Of fading Light and cooling space by SilentKnight. (Kirishima thinks baku is dead for 80% of this. Very painful. Very good)

Acceptance and denial by Poteto. (Kiri drags Baku into his attempt at coming out to his parents. It’s Very good!)

Friday I’m in love by mcgreys. (The one where Bakugo thinks Deku is in love with him and hilarity ensues)

Anyone can be a hero by RedBluePalatar. (Future fic. The one where a certain video forces kiri to give up hero life, until he meets Baku again a couple of years later. Very good!)

Nightmares aren’t explodable series by PurplePersnickety. (Or the one where Kiri is cranky. I can’t say more without spoiling but go read it it’s really good!!)

Everyone knows that cats are indepandant by PurplePersnickety. (the daemon AU where Kiri works in a coffee shop and Baku has a Lioness as a daemon! It’s so good!!)

Rosy by mr_todoroki. (the one where Baku steals Kiri’s first kiss and our cutie catches feelings!)

Red by mr_todoroki. (And they were roommates! Kiri is discovering things about himself and Baku does not like his new friend).

Sunchaser by Chonideno. (Denial of feeling?? Mutual pinning?? A lot of feelings? Like looking through a fogged glass? Very beautiful and poetic! An absolute must read! My heart still does weird things when I think about it!)

A heart swelled to bursting by eggstasy (established relationship. Lots of Bakuangst but also Baku growth. eggstasy writing a multichap, do you even need convincing, my dudes)

Cause the dark’s not taking prisoners tonight by imatrisarahtops (they’re both having nightmares and trying to help each other. Lost of angst but it’s so good)

This ain’t a fairy tale by alpha_hydra (kiri gets hit by a quirk that makes everyone fall in love with him. Baku is already in love. Smutty)

Moment of truth by Fanficismything. (the proposal AU. It’s really soft! You see it as Baku falls in love! It’s really good!)

Breath of the wild AU by Stylish_Racoon (as the title says. Bakugo is Link, Kirishima is Zelda and sometimes I wish I could wipe my memory just so I can experience it again)

Broken Bridges by DeathBelle (Kirishima comes back from aboard and they work together. Smutty)

Quote love unquote by newsamsterdam (it’s the fake dating celeberities AU we all want, it’s perfect, it’s a must read it’s everything)

Of Ghosts and other Inaccurate Things by chezka (Kirishima never made it to UA because he died and now he’s haunting Bakugo or so they thought. Listen, It’s really really good!)

The Magic Song by Zacksy (the cindrealla AU we all needed! A really sweet fic)

In the Kingdom On the Sea by deviance (Kirishima is a Kraken Merman (a REALY big one) and Bakugo is a pirate that’s madly in love with him)

Inevitable by Legendaerie (Pro-heroes, partners, Bakugo taking care of Kirishima and showing his love through that while Kirishima remains oblivious! It’s really good, like really insanely good with all the right fluffy feelings)

Ransom in Red by Shippeh (sort of cindrella AU that’s really good)

Sun Sets Red by Shippeh (College AU where kr and dk are roomies and Bakugo’s the hot not-boyfriend that came attached to Deku. It’s really good)

Heartbeat Thunder by Shippeh (ABO in UA where Kirishima is an Alpha that hates his secondary gender and is afraid to rut and Bakugo is an omega who relies too much on instincts and doesn’t believe feelings matter.

Built to Fall by bigstupidjellyfish (Post break-up pro hero krbks become partners and fight villains and mend their relationship and finally, FINALLY fuck! It’s very good )

there's a space here shaped like you by kingdoms (Fantasy Bakugo lands on Kirishima’s lap (figuratively) and Bakugo is jelly! Very good)

you can get what you want or you can just get old by hyperlight (Bakugo gets hit by a quirk that sends him to a future where he messed up everything and lost himself to become the number one (and still never managed it). Kirishima in this word is a really badass hero that doesn’t give too fucks about rankings! He’s super mature and harder but gosh I’m in love.)

half in and half out of the light by gangnamstiles (Kirishima gets discharged from the army, but he’s got a lot of scars left from his time there, Bakugo’s a rock throught it all, and so are their friends. They were a band before adulting, and now they’re tryna put it back together. It’s really emotional and good)

Worth a Thousand Words by awareoftheconcept (Kirishima thinks Bakugo is dating Camie and jealousy ensues but their friendship is so sweet it don’t really matter, plus they make it in the end. Did i say the way their friendship is portrayed is everything? They just REALLY love each other. I love this fic with my whole heart)

Out of the Slipstream by Ashii Black (ashiiblack) (and AU where th boys are professional cyclists and this Bakugo’s really hot and also they soft with some jelly Bakugo, very good. E rated)

Burden of Proof by kytrin, Mslead (it’s murder mystery with magic and romance and a great relationship development! It’s really really good! Mind the rating tho!)

In the Dark of the Night by arxaris (Katsuki’s the emperor of rome and Kirishima’s a Gladiator that catches his eyes. It’s a sort of fwb that evolves into something more because these boys can’t resist each other. It’s sweet and hot, very good all around.)

From Fire and Ashes, Flourishing by Milligramme (Bakugo’s a volcano god and kirishima’s the priest that gets chosen to «worship» him. They fall in love, it’s very good)

nuclear seasons by qactus (The lifeguard AU we don’t deserve. It’s a slow burn and it’s so damn good. Rated E).

the great wide somewhere by amaranthinecanicular (Beauty and the beast AU. References to the fantasy AU from the popularity polls that are integrated to the story so well. It’s just. Very very good)

Just a Few More Minutes in Heaven by loki_dokey (Bakugo is in love with Kirishima, everyone knows it except for him (including Kirishima) It’s very VERY good)

Eyes Like Dragon-Fire by Dragonire (and excellent fantasy AU slowburn. The world building is amazing and the developement of their relationship is great. It’s really good!!) Rated M

CALYPSO by gummyconcrete (No quirk AU, where they try to figure out their feelings in the few months they’ve left before graduation. Lots of feelings)

Bakugo’s Diary by Gyashi (It’s a sweet little story told in drawn diary entries)

Freshly Ground Coffee by arxaris (Cute barista!Kirishima PH!Bakugo AU)

Demon Kirishima Loves His Human by deviance (A series of connected one shots that deal with Demon!Kirishima and Not so human!Bakugo. Very good)

#kiribaku #bakushima #krbk #fic recs #krbk fic recs #i'll update it as I go i guess #long post

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xfanfics · 4 years

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Destiel Fic Rec List Part 1

Last Updated in October 2014. Posted in May 2020 for posterity. Listed in no particular order - the total rec list will have ~250 fics. Header graphic used with permission.

This part of the list contains: 48 fics.

Other Destiel Rec Lists: [1]. [2]. [3]. [4]. [5]. [6]. [7].

For Science! by pm_lo E | 21k | ABO, Omega!cas, Alpha!Dean,

Selected transcripts and supporting materials from Dr. Castiel Williams and Dean Winchester’s seminal study on physiological and psychological sexual response by gender designation.

Even though this is a dialogue/email text only story, I still very much enjoyed it and found it ridiculously hot. Maybe I'm just easy. (No I'm not. This fic is good, read it.)

Forget-Me-Not Blues by noangelsinthegarrison E | 68k | Firefighter!Dean, Professor!Cas, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining

Sam and Jess are getting married and Dean couldn’t be any happier for them. Honestly, they’re kind of disgustingly perfect for each other and Dean’s pretty damn excited about staying with them the week before the wedding. He’s Sam’s best man, of course, and he doesn’t even mind that Jess has her own best man to share in all the organizational duties. The more the merrier, right? Except Dean must have done something to epically piss off the universe because Jess’s best man just happens to be Castiel friggin’ Novak. He’s got even hotter since High School, but apparently no friendlier and if Cas wants to spend the week pretending like they’ve never met before? Fine. Two can play at that game.

THIS WAS SO GOOD I'M TEARING UP. tropes abound and I love it!

Cops and Robbers by kinkstiel E | 53k [WIP] | Detective!Dean, Criminal!Cas, Top!Cas, Bottom!dean

They locked eyes for a minute and then Cas leaned back as far as the cuffs would let him go, spreading his legs obscenely wide. “I want you to suck my cock, Dean.” Dean balked, mouth going dry in a second, eyes slipping to the now visible bulge in Castiel’s suit pants. “Um,” he said stupidly, face flushing red, eyes unable to pull away. Cas hummed. “Depending on how well you suck me, I might just tell you everything you want to know.” He licked his lips, smirking slightly when he caught Dean’s gaze. “And with sinful little lips like yours,” he made a low whistling sound, “I don’t doubt you’ll get every last name out of me.

So very good. Love the dark and dirtiness of it. It does get lighter and sappier towards the end tho.

Cursed or Not ❤ by Ltleflrt E | 115k | witch!Cas, shapeshifter!Dean, switching

While experimenting with magic when he was a kid, Sam accidentally cursed Dean. Now, Dean is forced to wear a spelled amulet constantly, or he'll turn into a random animal. For a little over a decade, he's learned to live with the curse, and has even found it useful in some cases, but he sure would be happier without it. When he meets a witch named Castiel, he's offered a deal. Instead of assuming all witches are bad, Dean can spend a season getting to know him. If at the end of the season, Dean still thinks he's evil Castiel will send him away with his memory wiped of the whole experience. But if he learns that Castiel is not the monster Dean assumes he is, he'll lift Dean's curse. It's an offer Dean can't bring himself to pass up.

Literally perfect. Enthralling world, magical relationship.

Surprise Package by wannaliveindeansdimples E | 3k | Hot, , Dom Cas, Sub Dean, Light BDSM

When Cas' roommate Meg has to go out of town suddenly, she leaves him an unexpected gift.

So so hot. Non extreme Dom!cas and sub!dean.

Never Have I ever by sweetdean M | 78k | Fluff, High School AU, top!cas, bottom!dean

When Jo drags Dean along to a game of "never have I ever" with her friends, he finds himself getting caught up in a lot more than just a game. “Never have I ever hung out with such an asshole,” Dean countered, positively shocked at his own sass. Cas smirked again. “Oh, are we hanging out now?fricken adorable

Road Signs by gemmiel E | 9k| Canon!verse, true form

Dean is curious about how angels have sex. Castiel shows him.

Damn. True form, soul sex, and regular sex. Yes please.

It's Brilliant, Really by snarkymonkey E | 15k | Fluff, AU, Professor!cas, Stuntman!dean

Castiel Novak is a History adjunct at Stanford University. He's also the most patient younger brother. When his older brother, Gabriel, decides to start *wooing* one of his younger waiters, Castiel reluctantly agrees to double-date with the intended paramour's older brother. What he didn't expect, however, was how much his own life would flip over such a careless decision.

Adorable. Hot, and adorable.

Gabriel's Unfortunate Mistake by JackHawksmoor E | 8k | Hot, AU

an answer to a prompt: Gabriel decides to hire a prostitute for his virgin brother Castiel as a joke, but instead accidentally hires Dean, a professional Dom. The moment Dean first lays a hand on him, Castiel knows he is lost. Dean/Castiel AU.

Um mm.... Damn. That was hot. Newbie sub!cas and pro dom!dean

Well-Beloved Unto Me by Moorishflower E | 3k | Alt!Canon, tentacles

The Winchesters don't get rewarded for all the shit they go through, so Dean is understandably wary when a few recharged and promoted angels offer him and Sam the vacation of a lifetime. Title comes from the Song of Solomon.

True form. And sex. MY FAVE.

How to Date an Angel in 12 Easy Steps by Fourthduckling E | 23k | Fluff, Alt!canon

It's not that hard to date an angel. All Dean has to do is fight off hordes of vampires, research gay porn, get sucked into a crappy Narnia, endure Sam's comments, creep out on Dr. Sexy, get harassed -- oh, and that's right-- figure out he's into Cas. Easy, right?

SQUUEEEE. Perfect and cute and cuddly.

Two Wrongs Don't Make A Right But Three Rights Make A Left by the0voice0from0above E | 45k | High School AU, Dancer!Cas, Welder!Dean,

The beautiful Garrison Ballet School becomes home to a reckless bunch of misfits after the Colt Welding Academy is severely damaged in a fire and has to close for repairs. Needless to say, Castiel and his friends clash with their unwanted guests but there's one boy in particular who infuriates him.

Dancer!au. Love it love it love it!

Rest My Angel by cobalt_wings E | 86k | Fluff, Season 9 AU

Angels are falling from the sky, and Dean is losing it. Sam is dying in his arms, and one of those burning, twisting figures blazing through the night air might be his very own angel, Castiel. What can he do to help those he loves?

Sex and domestic and lots of fucking. My fave.

One Species Too Many by wallmakerrelict E | 21k | Fluff, Alt!canon

While Dean is laid up for a month after breaking his leg on a hunt, Cas decides that it's a perfect time to adopt a litter of kittens. But even though he's gotten better since Purgatory, Cas still isn't quite the same as he was before fixing Sam's head, and being trapped in a cabin with him for weeks on end is making that all the more obvious to Dean. When Sam takes off on a hunt, Dean has to figure out on his own how to navigate his new relationship with Cas while also helping to raise a bunch of fuzzballs that aren't even cute. Not even a little bit. (Well, maybe a little bit.)

Team free will with kittens!! So fluffy and domestic but also a touch of angst.

It's A Bet by vitamindesi E | 34k | College AU, top!cas, bottom!dean

Destiel College!AU in which freshman Dean is dared by his best friends to hit on senior Castiel at a party. He wants to say no but then someone starts a bet and Benny bets a sum that is ridiculously high for a student and Dean can’t disappoint Benny, right? I deviated only, but hopefully it suffices.

So fabulous and smutty I want to cry. Literally perfection.

Your Call Cannot Be Completed As Dialed by eBob, K_K_TiBal T | 66k [WIP] | Fluff, College AU

AU in which Castiel accidentally sends a text message to the wrong number and befriends the person at the other end of the line. However, accidents don’t just happen accidentally, and sometimes two completely different people are exactly what the other needs.

LITERALLY THE BEST. So many feelings. I WANT IT TO BE COMPLETE SO MUCH. Abandoned WIP.

Equinox by luchia E | 12k | Alt!canon, time travel

In which Castiel is the weird time-traveling freak who just might be the love of Dean Winchester's life.

Confusing but perfect time travel fic.

If I run by betty days E | 4k | Hot, AU, sexting, long distance relationship

"Dean Winchester is a red-blooded American male. He lifts all the things. He aims for functional strength. He counts his macros and makes fun of curlbros. He is not a member of the Tarahumara tribe and he will not read Born to Run, no matter how many times Sam tells him to, because Starting Strength is the only book Dean will ever fucking need." Wherein a friendly competition with the mysterious ThursdaysAngel turns into a sexy selfie-trading spree that motivates Dean Winchester to train for his first marathon.

Soo. Hot. Makes me want to actually exercise?

The Little Things by Alreadypainfullygone T | 2k | Angst, Cancer, Major Character Death

Au based on 'the big C' in which Dean gets very sick, and deals with it the denial way. Meeting a homeless man on the way. Dean/Castiel Angst. Warning for trigger - Cancer. sorry if you think I dealt with it badly.

This is only 2.8k words, and yet it managed to make me cry.

Do What Feels Good by Catchclaw, cymbalism E | 12k | Hot, Alt!canon, PWP

Castiel learns to love alone time in the shower. And then he learns to share.

Fuuuuuck that was hot. Castubation and shower sex is just so hnnnggg.

All That Is And Used To Be by MisaChan E | 26k | Alt!Canon, wing!Kink

Dean never even knew anyone was living in the old estate outside of town until its mysterious occupant contracts his shop for a very specific job: a custom piano bench with grooves cut into the back. He finds Castiel and his terms to be eccentric with a capital E but the money is too good to turn down and anyway, Dean can't help indulging his curiosity about the guy and his secretive, isolated life. There are secrets that will not stay hidden and stories that refuse to be forgotten. Especially when they happen to involve Dean Winchester and the angel Castiel.

Ugh, I love this story. Concept, execution, and characterization are all perfect.

Do I Have Something Like That? by MysticMoonhigh E | 2k | Hot, horn!kink, wing!kink

based on the tumblr post I made: Does anybody know any demon!Dean fics where Cas makes Dean climax by basically giving his demon horns a hand job because I want this so badly out of lifE | I'm. I've read this about three times and I think I'm finally coming to terms with my alien biology kink. Hot. Wink!kink and horn!kink. Yes.

The Doctor Will See You Now by PetrichorPerfume E | 7k| Hot, PWP sub!dean, gentle dom!cas, wing!kink

Dean has a medical kink. Castiel is more than happy to oblige. Starring Castiel as the slightly unorthodox Dr. Novak who enjoys prescribing enforced chastity and daily tease and denial sessions, and Dean as his needy, submissive patient who will do anything for a chance to come.

Wowowwowowow. Um. This was super hot. Nnnghhhh.

Into Your Hideaway by thepinupchemist E | 176k |Angst, a/b/o, omega!dean, alpha!cas, mpreg

Driving down a deserted road in the Rocky Mountains, Castiel finds something unexpected: An omega. Not only an omega, but a naked, injured, pregnant omega. Dean doesn't talk much at first, but that doesn't change the brightness of his soul. It also doesn't stop Castiel from falling in love with him.

I just... Wow. This was an amazing story. Beware that it is possibly very triggering, because of rape, assault, violence, and general bigotry. But perhaps because of all of that, you get a story that is almost painful in its reality, and it is all the more loveable for that.

The World Crashing All Around by thepinupchemist E | 36k| Alt!canon, best friends wing!Kink, kid!fic

During a storm in September of 1987, Dean and Sam hear something hit their roof. When they brave the backyard to investigate, they find a fledgling angel. A story about best friendship, spoiled plans, and love, in four parts.

OH MY GOD. This was perfect all the way through. From soul bonds, to slow burn, to growing up together as best friends, it's all my favorite. And it even has wing kink, which is literally the best.

Share Your Burden by aTimeOfMagic E | 3k Hot, PWP, Sub!dean, dom!cas

Set at the end of 'Are You There God? It's Me Dean Winchester.' 4.02. Castiel shows Dean that he deserves respect, and Dean comes to see that Cas is not, in fact, just a 'hammer'. He also learns that his 'people skills' are definitely not entirely 'rusty'.

Damn. Um, really hot. Also, unexpectedly sweet.

Flawless by Vaerin E | 69k | a/b/o, accidental bonding, sub!dean, dom!cas

A contract is out on the Winchesters, a large sum of money the reward for throwing them off their game. A witch in the town they happen to be passing through decides to collect. She sets her sights on Dean, trying to seduce him into leaving his job to stay with her. When she can't even convince him to warm her bed, she decides to turn her job into his punishment. Knowing he fears commitment and can't stand the thought of being with a man, she works a spell between him and Castiel... the one friend he can call a safe haven. When they end up mated the next morning, not only does the Winchester family business suffer... but so does Dean's friendship with Castiel.

Cute long soul bond fic. Contains sabriel.

Chasing Normal by Donovanspen M | 16k | Fluff, First time, Cuddling & Snuggling

Dean reevaluates his definition of an 'apple pie life' and what that means for him, personally.

This is the definition of domestic fluff and smut. There's a wee bit of angst because hey, it's set in the canon verse. But so worth it.

Hold On by somuchforbaggles E | 92k | Fluff, Angst, mental illness

Castiel is sure that nothing in his life will ever change. Everything that happens to him is predictable, from the stability of his job to the unrelenting sporadic anxiety attacks, he can rely on his life to stay the same forever - until he saves Dean Winchester from the path of an oncoming train. From then on, everything changes for both of them, and the only way they can deal with it is together.

Woww. This was an amazing ride. Angsty and fluffy, then angsty again, then back to fluffy. So good.

I said to myself again by avyssoseleison E | 2k | Fluff, Praise!kink, Self-esteem issues

Dean finally lets himself be appreciated and cared for by his angel.

Praise kink is my ultimate weakness

The One Thing You Can't Lose by MajorEnglishEsquire T | 4k | Fluff, Cuddling & Snuggling

You know what I like a lot? The thought that Dean can just tug Cas anywhere at any time and Cas, who can lift tons without effort, who can demolish things with the light of his grace, who has battled and gone to war, has defended and broken, will just let Dean do it.

fluffy love

Spit Slick by VeraBAdler M | 1k | Fluff, , First Time

[no description]

A super cute fluffy little oneshot :3 (tags say 'happy sex' and 'sexy cuddling' if you need more to go on)

Late Bloomer by somuchforbaggles T | 7k | Alt!Canon, Wing!kink, Wingfic, Soulmates

On every child’s seventh birthday, a celebration is held to mark the beginning of their journey as a fledgling - a sprouting ceremony. It doesn’t matter if the child hasn't shown the symptoms of emerging wings yet, for it is scientific fact that every child grows wings in their seventh year, sometimes even earlier. Castiel is not every child.

A coming of age wing fic. With mates. Basically, I'm in love.

Sleight of Hand by aileenrose M | 64k | Angst, Human AU, psychic cas, journalist dean

Dean Winchester has interviewed them all--mob bosses, serial killers, crooked politicians. Next he plans to unveil the con-man who markets himself as Castiel, a reclusive and secretive "healer" who claims to heal the sick in return for thousands of dollars. Dean's expecting a challenge, but he never expected Castiel to be so clueless or sweet...or that he might be telling the truth.

I HAVE SO MANY FEELINGS ABOUT THIS AU. The one where Dean is a skeptical journalist/professional idiot and Cas is a socially inept healer and mind reader. There's lots of angst, but the payoff is so worth it.

Leaning In by Anonymous T | 15k | Hospital AU

Castiel never changed out his scrubs, Dean had a way of getting himself injured and Sam seemed to think it was a good pairing

Even though I have no idea who actually wrote this story, it's worth a read. I'm always up for a good medical AU.

Someone I Forgot to Be by MatildaMavis E | 36k Fluff, Angst, Human AU

Castiel is content - sort of - with his quiet life in Boston...at least, until his new neighbor moves in. It's Dean Winchester, the cliched long lost love of his life. Can these two idiots find their way back to each other after eight years, after fame and loss and heartbreak? After Dean has found love again with Cas' neighbor, Lisa? Fate can be a sadistic bitch, they've both learned that, but maybe they've matured enough to be able to handle it this time. The sparks, the attraction, the tension...or maybe not.

I thought this would be extremely painful, and it sort of was. But it was so worth it.

Didn't Get That Particular Memo by Snarkymonkey E | 5k

Dean has worked with his best friend for years and maybe it's a bit more than that for him but not for Castiel, right? Right. And really, he'd feel so much better if Castiel would just get a companion already. Because it's not like Castiel actually wants him, right? Right.

Damn, that was fucking hot.

Cas, You Had A Baby? by allthebeautifulthings9828 M | 132k | Fluff, Alt!Canon, Kid Fic, Slow Build

At some point in every angel's life, raising a fledgling is required. Castiel's turn comes rather unexpectedly when his superiors hand off a newly created infant angel to him and leave him to raise it with all of Heaven's principles of blind obedience. He's not sure what to do, so he tucks the fledgling in his coat and goes straight to Dean and Sam Winchester. Together, Dean and Castiel hatch a plan to raise the fledgling away from Heaven's control. And soon, the angel Hael arrives with news that, after Castiel disappeared, she and four other angels ran from Heaven's oppression with their fledglings. Castiel finds himself the unwitting ringleader of angels choosing to raise their fledglings with the principles of free will. Is angelic parenthood too much for his deepening relationship with Dean? Who can they really trust? (Disclaimer: This story depicts fledglings consuming honey for the nourishment of their undeveloped graces. Human babies cannot consume honey, so please do not feed it to your infants. This is fiction.)

Oh. My. God. I admit that I was skeptical at the beginning about this story, but let me tell you, it sucked me in. Sometimes, you run across a story that has wonderful OCs that you get attached to. This is one of those. And of course, the baby is adorable.

Healing by Jacqueline Albright-Beckett M | 2k | Fluff, Canon!verse, PWP

Castiel can heal more than just physical wounds.

Sensual and romantic.

Better Late Than Never by whelvenwings G | 23k | Fluff, Alt!canon, friends to lovers,

When Dean first sees Castiel, he's clinging on for dear life - and things never really get any easier. In fact, they get a lot harder; Dean's worst enemy isn't always the monkey bars. Bound together year on year by the ritual pact of being a Guardian Angel, Dean and Cas grow close, showing loyalty and bravery in the face of danger. But will they ever find the courage to admit their true feelings for each other - and will it be too late by the time they do?

i LOVE best friends to lovers fics! and this delivers on that perfectly.

Like A Candle In The Window On A Cold Dark Winter's Night by TardisIsTheOnlyWayToTravel T | 6k | Fluff, Canon!verse, asexual Cas

In which Castiel saves Dean, Dean saves Castiel, there is beer and TV watching, and if it weren't for the monsters and assassination attempts, life would be almost perfect.

A cute little fic I've read multiple times :)

How many slams in an old screen door? by dandelioness T | 15k | Fluff, Theatre AU, Asexual Cas

In which Castiel is a theatre major terrible at first impressions; Dean is a set designer who likes Cas anyway; and the most chaotic production of Les Miserables in history somehow manages to go off without a hitch. Or, just as you should never give a moose a muffin (because he'll want some jam to go with it), you should never give a blank check to a university theatre department.

This is perfect. I can't speak for the accuracy of the information and feelings given about asexuals/asexuality, but I enjoyed this fic nonetheless.

Breath of Heaven by solacesnake18 E | 9k

When Dean is wounded and dying in Purgatory, Castiel returns from his self-imposed exile to help him.

Wow. True!form cas and metaphysical sex that somehow manages to be poetic, emotional, and erotic all at once. I approve.

The Mirror by CloudyJenn M | 24k | Canon!Verse,

When Dean touches a strange mirror, he's whisked away to one alternate reality after another and it doesn't take him long to realize the universe is trying to tell him something.

One of my favorite fics, and a fandom classic. So beautiful. It's a trip, but you'll love it. The ending makes me really emotional.

Rock 'n' Roll Queer Bar by chasingrabbits E | 121k | Fluff, Human AU

Ellen and Jo Harvelle run Harvelle's Roadhouse, a bar that unintentionally becomes a beacon for wayward queer souls. Her employees: Dean, the smartass runaway with a big heart and bigger mouth; Castiel, the college drop-out turned hippie; his (surprisingly heterosexual) trouble-making brother Gabriel; and Charlie, who has been told several times that the back room is not to be used for after-hours Dungeons & Dragons games. But there's a lot of love in this place, and a new family for anyone who may otherwise be without.

Sweet little (well, not so little really) universe. Link is to the series.

A Million Ways to Go by chasingrabbits E | 91k | High School AU,

Castiel Novak is a preacher's son living in a world of black and white. Pragmatic and dutiful, he doesn't understand why anybody would want to make waves. Then the Winchesters move in down the street. Soon many of the skeletons in the Novak family's closet are exposed, and as the family faces them, Castiel begins to understand that there are many ways to see the world and so many more ways to live than what he's been told.

Wow, this was a ride. Set in an alternate!canon where Cas is a repressed preacher's kid and dean still grows up a hunter. Also, lots of Sam and Gabriel brother!feels. Not sabriel.

Like That Foreigner Song... by DevilMadeMeDoIt E | 5k | Hot, Alt!Canon, Deancest, Time trave

Dean and Cas have been together for a while now, but Dean always regrets that he has been with so many people in the past. He wishes he could go back in time and tell his 15 year old self that there is someone worth waiting for. Cas gives him the chance and the outcome is one that neither of them expected.

Oh god, this was a perfect little story. So much love.

TutorMate by faeryn M | 21k | College AU

Sam leaves Dean's laptop logged in to some app called "TutorMate" and Dean meets his brother's tutor. Cas helps him with his own work and they strike up a friendship. Before long Dean finds himself growing attached to the cute, clever Cas and flirtatiously suggests they go on a date if he applies himself to his college work. Cas agrees, but Dean discovers his online friend is not quite what he expected. (Or, in which Dean thinks he's met a cute girl and finds out he's actually met a cute boy.)

Wowowwowowow adorable. Perfect little college AU.

More recs coming soon.

#destiel #deancas #spn #spn fic rec #destiel fic rec #*#list

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cruelangelstheses · 4 years

Text

louder than the maker’s revolver (and twice as shiny) - chapter 1: look alive, sunshine

fandom: dragon age rating: M characters: isabela/f!hawke, bethany/merrill, anders/fenris/m!hawke words (total): 6.5k words (this chapter): 6.5k additional tags: fabulous killjoys au, post-apocalypse, twin hawkes, slow burn, mutual pining, angst with a happy ending, canon-typical violence description: in which an eight-person gang of rebels living in the desert pisses off the government, firefights are lost and won, homoerotic wound-dressing is commonplace, bonds are forged and broken and reforged, feelings are hard, fighting a powerful and corrupt institution is slightly less hard, and everyone is just trying to survive, to heal, to find their way. (or, “the da2 killjoy au nobody asked for”) a/n: ITS STILL 2019 OUT WEST I MADE IT!!! ok so. [cracks knuckles] this is an AU fic based on the universe created in my chemical romance's album “danger days: the true lives of the fabulous killjoys” (and gerard way's subsequent comics) about rebels in the desert fighting a corrupt government post-apocalypse. the album starts/takes place in the year 2019 which is why i wanted to get this fic out before the year ends. while the general setting and terms are the same, no characters from the killjoy universe will appear and everything else is a more loose interpretation. you do not have to be familiar with my chem or the killjoy universe to read this. (for those who know the story, this fic takes place in the year 2030, so after the original “fab four” have died but before the events of the comics, during a sort of “lull” in the action you could say)

a key feature of the killjoy universe is the usage of “killjoy names,” usually one or two-word phrases that relate to the person, and often the person created the name themself - the original four are party poison, fun ghoul, jet star, and kobra kid. i've given each member of the crew a killjoy name (see below) that the other characters will usually use in dialogue (except for characters who knew each other before they became killjoys and got names), but i will use their real names for the most part in narration so you don't forget who's who

ANYWAY i've been planning this fic for a whole year now and it's gonna be a FUN RIDE !!!! i've left a guide at the end for the killjoy names (not all of them are mentioned in this chapter though). i tried my best to explain what certain terms mean in this chapter but they will all be expanded upon more throughout the fic!! ALSO some of characters might end up aged down a little bit because people in the zones tend not to live very long and someone in their early to mid 40s is considered like, ancient in the comics. bethany and carver are still 19 though, the others might just be adjusted in proportion

thank u for reading, i love ensemble casts and da2 and mcr and rebellion and also being gay. fic title and chapter title come from “look alive, sunshine” (by mcr of course lol)

read it on ao3

—

Bethany has never been one to complain, but she has to admit, her knee hurts like a bitch.

The rest of the Birds take down the remaining Draculoids fairly easily, so she doesn’t feel as bad about having to hide crouched behind a crate on the ground. If there were more of them, or if there was a Scarecrow, she’d probably try to keep fighting despite her injury, but this is just a small, unlucky group of Dracs, leaderless and mindless in their pursuit of one of the biggest gangs in the Zones. Perhaps a Scarecrow would have ordered them not to try to fight a group of eight fairly seasoned Killjoys.

When the guns stop firing and the Dracs lie dead in the desert sand, Isabela’s voice floats over. “You know, Blondie, a smoke bomb would’ve helped.”

Anders sighs. Bethany can practically hear him rolling his eyes. “Those things don’t grow on trees, you know. And even if they did, it’s not like we have many trees out here. You think I want to waste them on a group like that? We got rid of them just fine.”

Bethany peers out from behind the crate just in time to see Isabela shrug and gesture to her. “Well, at the very least, it might’ve saved Sunshine from being shot.”

At that, Carver seems to snap to attention. “Bethany’s hurt?”

Now it’s Bethany’s turn to sigh. Gingerly stretching her leg out and trying not to wince, she says, “It’s not that bad, Carver.”

Marian huffs, shoving her red-and-black ray gun back into its holster. “‘Not that bad,’ my ass.” She sounds angry, but there’s an edge of worry to her voice that Bethany knows like the back of her hand. “A few more shots like that and you’d have been dusted for sure.”

“But I wasn’t,” Bethany replies. Out of the corner of her eye, she can see Anders rummaging through their supplies for the first aid kit.

“But you could’ve been,” Carver adds, crossing his arms and glaring at Marian as if she had something to do with the injury.

Marian scowls defensively. “What are you looking at me for? I was killing Dracs! Maybe if you weren’t so busy trying to show off at every opportunity, you could protect her better!” She sneers out the word protect.

“Maybe if you actually thought before you acted for once in your life—”

“Hey!”

Garrett’s voice rings out above everything else, so loud and firm that for a split second it feels like the whole world stops. These are the moments when Garrett Hawke is at his most serious and his most powerful: when he’s breaking up an argument between Carver and Marian.

“How about instead of blaming each other for Bethany’s injury,” he says, his hands held up in an appeasing manner, “we set up camp here and rest for the evening?”

Marian and Carver exchange glances. After a pause, it’s Marian that says, “Fine.”

The place in question is an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of Zone Four, not so remote that it’s off the map, but remote enough that there aren’t a whole lot of Dracs crawling around (and even fewer now that they’ve taken care of this group). A few empty crates and barrels litter the ground surrounding it, some knocked over or zapped from previous firefights. Other than that, there are no recent signs of life—which means it’s a perfect place for the Birds of Passage to recuperate.

Bethany pushes herself to her feet, using the top of the crate to balance herself. Her knee hurts even more when she tries to stretch it out or place any weight on it, but she’ll be damned if she lets anyone help her.

“Are you alright?”

Well...almost anyone.

She lifts her head up at the sound of Merrill’s lilting voice. The girl’s black hair is plastered to her tattooed and sweat-covered face, not long enough to pull up into a ponytail like Bethany’s, but just long enough to get in the way. “I can help you get inside, if you want,” she says, holding her hand out. “Then we can take a look at it, get it all wrapped up.”

For a moment, Bethany just stares at her, searching her face for any signs of pity. Instead she finds only sincere concern for a companion, the same as it would be if any of the others were injured. With a nod, she lets Merrill wrap an arm around her shoulders and guide her slowly into the warehouse. She can feel the eyes of the rest of the group on them, some more subtle than others, but she knows deep down that they’re just making sure she’s okay. Like it or not, she and Carver are the youngest, and though he tries so obviously hard to act like he isn’t, there are still moments where the others look at him and remember that he’s only nineteen, too—moments like right now, as he paces agitatedly across the floor, looking like he’s never been more stressed in his life.

“Carver,” Bethany calls as Merrill helps her sit up against the wall, her legs stretched out. “I’ll be fine.” She laughs a little despite the stinging pain. “It’s not like we’ll have to amputate it or anything.”

Anders kneels down beside her, first aid kit in hand and a good-natured smile on his face. “We might.”

Merrill smacks his arm. “Don’t scare them!” she hisses as she sits down next to Bethany.

Garrett turns to Carver, cool and composed. “She’s fine,” he says matter-of-factly, a playful smirk on his face. “If it were really that bad, none of us would be joking.”

Carver snorts. “You might.”

Garrett puts a hand to his chest in mock offense. “Dear brother, you wound me.”

Merrill giggles as she watches them, her gaze soft. “Your siblings remind me of my family sometimes,” she says as Anders begins cleaning and dressing the wound. “Well-intentioned, but sometimes they need to be reminded that you’re an adult, same as them.”

Bethany nods. If there’s anyone that understands her, it’s Merrill. “To be fair,” she says quietly, “sometimes I need to be reminded of that, too.”

Merrill turns to look at her, pushing a few strands of hair out of her face. “Then I’ll remind you,” she says. “You’re a grown woman. You don’t have to always agree or go along with them. You can stand up for yourself like anyone else.”

Bethany nods again, unable to stop a faint smile from breaking through. Anders doesn’t say anything, but she can see the blush on his face, as if he’s just witnessed something he feels he wasn’t meant to see.

—

The Hawkes are only on the run for a month or two before they meet their first recruit (and fifth member).

Well, perhaps “on the run” isn’t the right phrase. All Killjoys are technically “on the run” from Better Living Industries—it comes with the whole “openly rebelling against your corrupt government” thing. But it doesn’t really feel like running. It feels like surviving. Every Killjoy knows it’s dangerous to stay in one place for too long.

Still, they’re traveling a lot more than they did when their parents were both still alive. Growing up in the Zones outside of Battery City, away from BLI brainwashing, the Hawke children learned how to thrive in the desert fairly quickly, which meant that their family was able to more easily live off the land for longer periods of time.

Now, though, after selling most of their belongings, they live out of their car, a black 1969 Chevy Camaro convertible, spray-painted with two red stripes down the sides and a red bird symbol on the hood (courtesy of Garrett). In honor of their surname as well as their living situation, they’ve christened themselves the Birds of Passage.

For obvious reasons, one of their most common pit stops is one of several Dead Pegasus gas stations littering the Zones. The siblings usually draw straws to determine which one of them has to pump the gas.

“Damn! Again?” Carver says, staring at the short straw between his fingers in disbelief. Frowning, he starts to open the left-side car door. “Just my luck.”

In the driver’s seat, Marian reaches into the back and pats Carver on the shoulder, a smirk on her face. “You’ll live. Now go.” With that, she gives him a light shove out the door. Carver snorts.

As he starts pumping the gas, Marian absentmindedly surveys the area, not really expecting to see anything out of the ordinary. Out of the corner of her eye, though, she spots someone she’s never seen before at one of the other fuel pumps: a petite girl filling up a black and forest green motorbike.

Bethany seems to notice her at the same time. “Who’s that?”

Garrett strokes his beard, like an asshole. “No idea.”

“Let’s find out.” Before anyone else can respond, Marian hops out of the car, popping the collar of her black leather jacket. She’s mostly tuned Garrett out at this point, but she thinks she can hear him warn her not to scare the poor girl. He underestimates her ability to be charming rather than terrifying.

The first thing Marian notices is that the girl dresses like a Killjoy. Her brown boots have flowers painted on the sides, and her acid-washed jeans are ripped and dirty. The back of her denim vest features a large daisy with white petals and a yellow center, and in the center is a radiation hazard symbol.

“Nice logo,” Marian says as she approaches.

The girl yelps in surprise, nearly dropping the gas pump in her hands. When she turns around, Marian sees that her face is adorned with branch- or root-like tattoos on her cheeks, forehead, and chin. “Oh!” she says, clearly taken aback. “Uh…thank you.”

Marian can practically hear Garrett’s “I told you so” from the Camaro. Holding a hand up, she says, “Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.” Somehow, her voice still comes out sounding gruff and vaguely threatening.

“Oh, that’s alright,” the girl replies, leaning against her motorcycle and seeming to relax a little. “I was just filling up Feathers.”

Marian raises an eyebrow. “Strange name for a motorcycle.”

The girl blushes. “Well, I named it after a pet I had when I was younger.”

“Oh,” Marian says, nodding. That makes a bit more sense. “A bird?”

The girl laughs a little and shakes her head. “Oh, no, it was a lizard. I always wanted a bird so I could name it Feathers. But I grew up in the Zones, and there aren’t many birds out here. Lots of lizards, though.” She gives Marian a lopsided smile. “I took what I could get.”

Marian can’t help it; she laughs, though in the back of her mind, she wonders why she’s never seen this girl before, if she grew up in the Zones.

“Oh! I’m so sorry,” the girl says, her green eyes widening. “I didn’t mean to ramble. I didn’t even introduce myself.” She holds out a hand, both of which are covered in long, fingerless fishnet gloves that end near her elbows. “Deadly Daisy. Daisy for short. Or you can just call me Merrill. I don’t mind.”

That explains the logo. “Kitty Hawke,” Marian replies, shaking Merrill’s hand firmly.

Merrill nods and starts to speak again, but something behind Marian makes her stop and narrow her eyes in confusion. “Who—?”

Marian glances over her shoulder and nearly jumps out of her shoes. Not one, not two, but all three of her siblings have decided to join the conversation.

“Firebird,” Garrett says, bowing dramatically—so dramatically, in fact, that it makes his stupid sunglasses fall off his face. Garrett has a habit of collecting weird sunglasses and goggles and such. This particular pair has bright orange lenses, which Marian is pretty sure do nothing to block out the sun, and flames sticking out on either side.

Marian rolls her eyes. “My twin brother,” she explains. “It seems I stole all his brain cells in the womb.”

Garrett blows a raspberry at her as he picks his sunglasses off the ground and uses his shirt to wipe off the sand and dirt.

Bethany steps forward, tucking a few strands of hair behind her ears, one of her nervous habits. “Midnight Sun,” she says with a tiny smile. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Oh! You, too!” Merrill says. Gesturing to Carver, who has yet to say anything, she asks, “Who’s the grumpy one?”

“I’m not—” Carver starts, but he cuts himself off at the sound of his siblings’ snickering. “Fantom Fighter,” he says, his face heating up. “Two Fs.” He turns around and gestures to the two large black Fs painted on the back of his jean jacket. Then, gesturing to Bethany, he adds, “I’m her twin brother.”

Bethany chuckles. “And we’re all siblings.”

Merrill cups her hands over her face. “Oh, my goodness.”

Marian clears her throat. “Anyway,” she says, side-eyeing Garrett, “why are you guys even here?”

Garrett throws his hands up. “Don’t look at me! I am but a slave to the whims of our younger siblings!”

Bethany and Carver exchange embarrassed glances, then both turn to glare at Garrett. Marian sighs. They’re all a mess.

“Oh, well, I shouldn’t keep you,” Merrill says, patting the side of her motorcycle. “Feathers and I can get moving, if you all need to leave.”

That catches Marian’s attention. “Wait, you’re traveling alone?” She hadn’t seen anyone else around, but she’d assumed that Merrill had at least one companion somewhere, perhaps inside the shitty convenience store connected to the gas station.

Merrill nods. “I was raised by neutrals,” she says—people who live outside Battery City, but don’t openly rebel against BLI. “I didn’t become a Killjoy until just recently. I haven’t really found a group yet.”

That explains why Marian’s never seen her before. Neutrals tend to stay out of the way unless they run a business, like their friend Varric.

“That’s dangerous, you know,” Carver says, but he sounds less matter-of-fact and more concerned. “You’re a lot more likely to get ghosted by yourself.”

Merrill sighs. “I know. But what am I supposed to do? Invite myself to tag along with the next Killjoy gang I see?”

Garrett shrugs. “Why not? You could tag along with us.”

To be fair, Marian had been thinking that, too, in the back of her mind, but it still stuns her to actually hear it spoken.

Merrill’s eyes widen with hope. “That would be wonderful, but I wouldn’t want to impose…”

Instinctively, Marian and her siblings all turn to look at each other, none of them saying anything, just glancing back and forth with various facial expressions ranging from embarrassment to uncertainty to excitement. Finally, Marian turns back to Merrill and says, “You wouldn’t be imposing. We’d be glad to have you join us.”

Merrill gasps. “Oh, thank you! You won’t regret it, I promise!”

Bethany smiles. “Welcome to the Birds of Passage, Daisy.”

(At the use of Merrill’s Killjoy name, Marian briefly wonders just how long her siblings had been eavesdropping before Merrill noticed them.)

“We’re headed to one of the outer Zones for the evening,” Carver explains. “You could follow us on your bike until we find a place to set up camp.”

“Oh, perfect!” Merrill says. “I’ve been meaning to head that way. Too many Dracs this close to Bat City.”

When the Hawkes climb back into the Camaro, Marian steals a glance at Merrill in the rearview mirror, watches as their newfound companion unties a green bandana from her belt loop and wraps it around her head to keep her hair out of her face. When Marian steps on the gas pedal and tears out of the Dead Pegasus parking lot, the roar of the motorcycle lets her know that Deadly Daisy is right behind them.

—

Fenris doesn’t sleep well that night.

Granted, Fenris doesn’t sleep well most nights, but for some reason, the night after Bethany gets shot in the leg is particularly bad. Maybe it’s the hard concrete floor of the warehouse, which no amount of blankets or cushions can completely alleviate. Maybe it’s the fact that he’s lying only a few feet away from Garrett, who sleeps like a log and snores like a chainsaw. Maybe it’s the pain in his shoulder from an injury a few days prior.

Or maybe it’s the fact that tonight, his nightmares are worse than usual. Tonight, when he dreams, he is alone, but worse than that: the bodies of his fellow Killjoys lie dead at his feet, glassy eyes wide, their hands still on the triggers of their guns. Draculoids—more Dracs than he’s ever seen at one time—close in on him, zombielike in the way they reach for him, pull at him from every angle, pin him to the ground and snarl in his face. He’d fight if he could, fight with everything he has, but his body is stiff and frozen, and no amount of willpower can force even his mouth to move. For a man with an aversion to closeness and touching, and painful tattoos from BL/ind experimentation, the sensation of being trapped makes him feel like he’s about to vomit.

It’s when they pull out a Drac mask and shove it over his head that he wakes up gasping for breath.

It takes a few minutes for his body to relax and his heart to stop pounding in his ears. Fenris can see the faintest bit of morning light trickling through the windows—he’d guess that it’s around five o’clock—and concludes that attempting to get a decent amount of sleep will probably be a fruitless endeavor. Sighing and forcing himself to sit upright, he reaches into the small backpack beside him and pulls out a Killjoy-made magazine that they snagged at the last gas stop.

The zine is filled with artwork of desert landscape and rebels fighting BL/ind, accompanied by writing—a few short stories and poems, a few articles and essays, all about the highs and lows of revolution. It’s a perfect representation of life in the Zones, every copy made by hand, since few (if any) Killjoys have access to a working printer. However many were made, probably no more than twenty, the artists and authors must have had to redraw and rewrite their work. Two Polaroid photos are taped to the inside cover, one of a Dead Pegasus gas station at sunset, the other of two female Killjoys kissing, with their names listed at the bottom. There are probably different photos in every copy, likely taken from the same photographer, someone lucky enough to have access to a working Polaroid camera (though Fenris concedes that it’s actually not too difficult to find batteries out here, though they might be half-empty).

He’s so focused on flipping through the zine that he doesn’t realize anyone else is awake—at least, not until the sound of someone sitting down next to him nearly makes him jump out of his skin.

“Sorry,” Anders whispers, holding a hand up. Behind him, the orange light of the sunrise creates a halo around his blond head. “I assume you couldn’t sleep, either?”

Fenris makes a noncommittal grunt, enough to give Anders his answer, but curt enough to hopefully get his I don’t want to talk about it message across. He’d rather not have to even think about the nightmares that his subconscious assaults him with, let alone explain them.

“Alright,” Anders says with an understanding nod. He glances over at the zine, skimming the page Fenris has it open to with clear interest.

Fenris holds it out for him to take. “You can look through it.”

Anders hesitates for a moment before obliging. Fenris watches his face as he flips through the pages. The brilliant poetry and detailed artwork seem to fill him with awe, similar to what Fenris felt browsing the zine’s contents, but there’s something else, too, something deeper—something like longing.

“I wanted to tell you something,” Anders says finally, slowly closing the booklet. “I just remembered, and I think you deserve to know.” He glances over at the windows, and the sun shines on his pale face, reflecting off of his gold earring. Without looking at Fenris, he says, “You have a sister, named Varania.”

Fenris blinks in surprise. A sister? Anders apparently knew him when they both lived in Battery City, before BLI wiped Fenris’s mind—or reprogrammed him, as they like to call it. It’s times like these that make him feel like Anders knows him better than he himself does. “And you’re just now telling me this?” Fenris says in an attempt to mask his bewilderment. A sister. He has a sister.

“You only mentioned her once or twice,” Anders says. “It was the last thing on my mind. But something reminded me of it this morning, so I figured I’d tell you.” He shrugs. “I don’t know much else about her. But I know she’s still alive, or she was by the time I left Bat City.”

Sister. Sister. Sister. His brain repeats it so often that it no longer really feels like a word. He knows he’d be angry if Anders had kept this hidden from him, but at the same time, he’s not really sure what he’s supposed to do with the information. She’s probably still in Battery City, which means it’s too late and far too dangerous to go back and search for her, or even attempt to write a letter to her.

Still, he feels like he has to say something. “Well,” he mumbles, clearing his throat awkwardly. “Thank you. For telling me.” Then, tilting his head to the side, he adds, “May I ask what reminded you?”

Anders sighs and pushes a few loose strands of hair out of his face. “She appeared in a dream last night.”

Fenris doesn’t expect it to hurt, but it does, just a little. To think that he doesn’t even know what his own sister looks like, while a man who barely knows anything about her sees her in his dreams.

Abruptly, Anders hands the zine back to him and stands up, covering his eyes with a hand to block out the sun. Fenris glances down at the page he left open: a poem written in an angry hand, calling for revolution, calling for justice.

—

Varric Tethras is what people in the Zones call a “neutral.” He doesn’t wear the flashy clothes, he goes by his real name, and he tends to stay in one spot minding his own business rather than get into fights with Draculoids. He has his own little gas station convenience store in Zone Three and is an expert at aiding Killjoys without giving BLI a reason to go after him. In short, he’s the perfect person to go to when there’s trouble, and there’s always trouble.

The trouble this time has nothing to do with BL/ind, for once; about five miles away from Varric’s shop, the Camaro broke down, so Marian had to jump start it using Merrill’s motorcycle, and now they’re hanging out in the store while she tries to fix the car.

Garrett frowns as he glances out the window at the setting sun. “We might have to camp out here for the night, Varric.” It’s not the first time, and he knows Varric doesn’t mind, but he still feels bad about it.

Varric waves a hand nonchalantly. “Yeah, I figured,” he says from behind the store counter, where he seems to be digging through some junk he’s stored underneath. Varric is a whopping four-foot-eight, so the chair he uses to reach the counter makes most other people who sit in it look like giants. Merrill finds a particular delight in this, and she’s so sweet that anyone would feel terrible asking her to get off of it, even Marian, which has been an especially interesting phenomenon to witness.

As if on cue, the front door swings open, and there stands Marian, covered in grease and wearing nothing but a sports bra and ripped black shorts. “I’m turning in for the night,” she says as she waltzes into the shop, letting the door slam shut behind her. “Round two starts in the morning.”

Garrett watches as she heads into the bathroom to wash herself off. Carver came in from practicing his shooting about a half hour ago (and is currently sitting on the floor eating potato chips), so now they’re all inside for the evening. Bethany’s been drawing quietly, her brow furrowed in concentration as she sits on the worn couch in one of the back rooms, and Garrett and Merrill have been making their own fun out front. The store is Varric’s home, so he had to get creative with the few extra rooms.

Garrett is wandering aimlessly through the little aisles, examining various snacks, all stamped with the BLI logo, when he hears the front door open, and in walks possibly the most gorgeous Killjoy Garrett has ever seen.

The first thing he notices is the shock of silver-white hair, the way the undercut contrasts against the man’s brown skin. The dim light of the store reflects against his leather jacket and his surprisingly wide eyes. When he takes a few steps forward, a chain hanging from his black jeans—yes, jeans, in the desert—makes a jangling sound, and his heavy footsteps suggest combat boots. He looks like he just walked out of a mosh pit, but that’s not what intrigues Garrett the most. No, what really catches his attention is the pale white tattoos that stretch from the man’s bottom lip down into his chest and out to the tips of his fingers—they almost seem to glow. “Varric?” the man calls in a deep voice as he surveys the area.

Varric pops his head out from the back of the store. “Oh-ho! Long time no see, Wolfy!”

The man rolls his eyes at the nickname and leans awkwardly against one of the snack aisles. “I see you are having a sleepover,” he says slowly as he eyes each of the Birds suspiciously (save for Marian, who is still washing up, thankfully). Bethany walks out into the store to see him better, and Garrett flashes him his best good-natured smile, causing the man to raise an eyebrow at him.

“Their car broke down not far from here,” Varric explains as he walks out from behind the store counter. “And because I’m just so charitable, I let them stay for the night.” That’s his way of saying that they’re friends.

“Hm.” The man makes his way through the store, seemingly on edge, like he’s keenly aware of the way the Birds glance his way out of the corners of their eyes, pretending that they’re not looking at him. Eventually, Garrett gives up on trying to be inconspicuous and plops down in a chair pushed up against one wall, allowing himself to stare openly. He’s never been good with subtlety.

Suddenly Marian’s voice rings out through the shop. “Who’s this?”

Varric clears his throat. “Birds of Passage, allow me to formally introduce you to the Painted Wolf. He’s kind of new, doesn’t have a gang to roll with yet.”

The Painted Wolf looks away, not making eye contact as he wanders into another aisle where he can’t as easily be seen. “I think I would prefer to keep it that way. No offense.”

After a few beats of silence, Merrill says from her place on top of the chair behind the store counter, “You have tattoos, like me.”

Instinctively, almost as if he was expecting it, the Wolf replies, “But you received yours willingly, I’ll wager.”

Merrill blinks in surprise. “Well. Yes, I did. You mean you didn’t?”

The Painted Wolf does not respond, just runs a hand through his hair and takes a breath through his nose.

Garrett frowns a little and stands back up, making his way over to where Marian is still standing in front of the bathroom door, her arms crossed. “Don’t tell me,” she says quietly. “You think we should let him come with us.”

Garrett shrugs. “Well, why not? He doesn’t have anyone. And he’s…intriguing.”

Marian rolls her eyes. “You’re just saying that because you think he’s hot.”

“I do not,” Garrett lies, but his face heats up, giving him away. “Okay, well, maybe I do, but that’s not the only reason.”

Marian shakes her head. “He doesn’t seem too keen on making friends. I mean, he just said he’d rather be alone. Also, what you call ‘intriguing’ I call ‘suspicious.’ The man’s got secrets.”

“So do we,” Garrett says, though at the moment he can’t think of anything particularly damning. If nothing else, he’s sure Carver’s got something embarrassing.

“You being gay doesn’t count as a secret when you gawk at any man that isn’t related to us,” Marian says, a tiny smirk forming on her face.

“That’s not what I meant!” Garrett says. He can feel his face turning even redder. He needs to find a way to get Marian on his side, and if he can’t do it with emotion, then maybe he can do it with logic. “Seriously, I think we should talk to him. He’s a new Killjoy, but he looks way more experienced than most newbies. He might even be older than us. I’d be willing to bet he knows something about BL/ind. I just think he’d be good to have on our side. And it’s not like he has to stay with us forever.”

Marian seems to think it over for a long time. It’s different than it was with Merrill. Unlike the Wolf, Merrill had expressed a clear interest in finding a group to fall in with, and the Birds just happened to be the first ones to click with her. Also, Marian is a lesbian and about ten times more suspicious of men than she is of women as a general rule, which is fair, but it makes these things difficult sometimes. Finally, she says, “Fine. If you can convince him, then I’m game. I can go tell the others.” She cracks her knuckles. “At the very least, he looks like he knows something worth knowing.”

Garrett holds his hands up. “Well, hopefully you won’t have to beat it out of him, so you can stop with the threatening looks.”

Marian snorts. “Just asserting my dominance, my dear little brother.” She reaches forward and musses his hair.

Garrett shakes his head as he starts to head over to the other side of the store, where the Wolf is standing. He doesn’t bother pointing out that she’s only older than him by nine minutes, because she’ll hang those nine minutes over his head until the day they die.

The Painted Wolf looks up from the magazine he’s been flipping through. “Let me guess,” he says. “You want me to join your gang.”

Garrett smiles sheepishly. “What can I say? We think you’d be a good addition to the team.”

The Wolf frowns and puts the magazine back on the rack. “You barely know anything about me.”

“I know you’re a Killjoy traveling alone, and that’s enough for me,” Garrett says, and it’s the truth. Killjoys stick together. It’s the law of the desert. It’s how they survive.

The Wolf narrows his eyes. “I already said I prefer to be alone.”

Garrett folds his arms over his chest, allowing his knowledge of the Zones to give him confidence. “That’s how I can tell you’re new,” he says. “Rule number one of making it as a Killjoy: find a gang. Hordes of Dracs are less likely to target larger groups, and even if they do, you have a better chance of making it out alive when you’re not alone. If you watch our backs, we’ll watch yours.”

The Wolf nods slowly, as if this just confirmed something he already suspected. “You watch our backs, we’ll watch yours,” he repeats to himself. “It’s...a sentiment I am not entirely familiar with.”

“I figured you were from Bat City,” Garrett says, stroking his beard thoughtfully. (Carver and Marian like to make fun of him when he does that. Marian says it makes him look like an asshole.)

The Wolf nods again. “The sense of camaraderie was one of the things that drew me to the Zones, and to the Killjoy lifestyle specifically. But until now, I suppose I have been too wary to actively engage in it.”

Garrett raises an eyebrow, careful not to show too much excitement. “Until now, you say?”

The Wolf gives the softest chuckle, his mouth curving briefly upward. “Perhaps you have a point about me traveling alone. BL/ind knows that I left Battery City; no doubt they’re looking for me. It...would be prudent to join a larger group, at least for a little while.”

Garrett allows himself the beginnings of a grin. “It definitely would.”

The Wolf clears his throat. “I...never got your name,” he says, fingers playing mindlessly with the hem of his jacket.

“Firebird,” Garrett replies, holding a hand out for him to shake.

The Wolf looks at it for a moment before responding. “Well, then, Firebird,” he says slowly, “if you’ll have me, I would like to travel with you and your gang.”

“I certainly would love to have you,” Garrett replies, only realizing how strange it sounds once the words are out of his mouth. His face heats up. “I...I didn’t mean it like—”

Across the room, Marian calls, “Real smooth.” Garrett flips her off.

An awkward little smile forms on the Wolf’s face. “I know what you meant,” he says, but if Garrett isn’t mistaken, he’s blushing, too.

—

A few days later, Varric, whose talents include knowing everything that’s happening in the Zones, says, “So I got a tip that there’s someone after you guys.”

Isabela rolls her eyes and leans against the counter, conscious of the way her ripped white jean shorts ride up her ass—she’s doing it on purpose, and she peers over her shoulder to make sure Marian’s watching. “Someone’s always after us, Varric. This isn’t new.”

“No, like a major someone,” Varric replies. “Does the name Meredith Stannard mean anything to any of you?”

The Birds exchange glances from their various positions throughout the shop. They’ve all heard the name, but only Fenris and Anders seem to know who she is. Makes sense, since they’re the only ones who have actually lived in Battery City and seen BL/ind’s inner workings up close.

“She’s a Scarecrow, right?” Marian says from behind Isabela. She steps forward and takes a large sip out of her Neptune Pop can. “Isn’t that all we need to know?”

“She isn’t just any old Scarecrow,” Fenris says as he examines the shelves for more food. “She is one of the Director’s favorites—very high-ranking, always flanked by six or more Draculoids and sometimes other Scarecrows. I have known a few BL/ind workers who do not wish to kill, but do so because they fear the consequences of disobeying.” He shakes his head, speaking calmly but severely. “Meredith is not one of them. She kills out of hate and nothing less. She views it as her duty, a mission she will carry out until the day she dies. I suggest taking her seriously. She has slaughtered many of you.”

The way he refers to Killjoys isn’t lost on Isabela. It’s been a little less than a year, she thinks, since he left Battery City and joined the rebels in the Zones, but he still seems hesitant to identify himself as one of them. He still refers to them as you instead of us.

His words send a brief chill down Isabela’s spine, but she shakes it off and looks up at Marian to gauge her reaction. Unsurprisingly, she doesn’t seem fazed.

“It doesn’t matter how many of us she’s killed,” she says. The piercings in her left ear gleam in the light from the windows. “She bleeds just like the rest of us, and she’ll die just like the rest of us.”

Varric holds a hand up. “Fair point, I suppose. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you. My source says Meredith considers you guys one of the most dangerous gangs in the Zones. That means one of her biggest priorities is wiping you out. Just...be careful.”

“Careful is my middle name,” Marian says as she finishes her Neptune Pop, crushes the can in one hand, and launches it across the store, causing Anders to duck because of his ridiculously long bird legs. The can lands in the garbage bin with a loud crash.

Marian grins. It’s lopsided, and her teeth are crooked and stained with soda, but it just makes Isabela want to kiss that alluring, imperfect mouth even more.

“I thought your middle name was Selene,” Merrill says from her designated spot in Varric’s chair. They call it the Tallening Chair.

Marian’s face softens, and her cheeks turn pink as she gently explains to Merrill that it’s a figure of speech. Isabela watches in silence until Marian suddenly turns to her, lightly smacks her ass, and says with a playful glint in her eyes, “Well, back to business.”

Isabela smirks. Works every time.

—

It only takes half an hour for Marian’s nonchalance about Meredith Stannard to come back and bite her in the ass.

“Guys!”

Garrett bursts through the front door of Varric’s shop, his eyes wide and panicked. He’d been outside restocking the trunk with supplies. “I think we’ve got company.”

Marian peers outside, and the rest of the Birds do the same. Sure enough, veering into the parking lot are two white vans with the Better Living Industries symbol emblazoned on their doors.

Shit.

In a flash, they all whip out their ray guns and rush outside just in time to see a horde of Dracs pouring out of the vans. Then, from the passenger seat of one of the vans, a woman climbs out. She’s tall, blonde, and middle-aged, and her eyes seem to pierce right through them.

“Ah,” she says as the Dracs line up behind her, brandishing their plain white ray guns. “The notorious Birds of Passage, or so you call yourselves.” As she speaks, she pulls out her own weapon and seems to aim it straight at Marian. “It looks as though you’ve been expecting me.”

For a moment, the two groups just stand there silently, revolvers pointed at one another, a classic example of a Mexican standoff. It feels like the air has been sucked out of the atmosphere, like the atoms themselves have stopped moving completely. Then Meredith snaps her fingers with her free hand, and the desert explodes in gunfire.

——

killjoy names: garrett - firebird marian - kitty hawke bethany - midnight sun carver - fantom fighter merrill - deadly daisy anders - nuclear blonde isabela - storm chaser fenris - the painted wolf

#SORRY FOR THE LONG AS FUCK AUTHORS NOTE THE REST WILL NOT BE THAT LONG #dragon age 2 #da2 #hawkebela #fenhanders #bethmerrill #hawke #isabela #fenris #anders #bethany hawke #merrill #f!hawkebela #m!fenhanders #male hawke #female hawke #garrett hawke #marian hawke #my fics

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safeklancewriters · 6 years

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Fic Rec #4

Date ending: May 21

Below the cut are the fics chosen by us for our monthly rec! Including two community rec’d fics

You can also check out our rec page HERE for future and now past recs, and use the filters and tags to find something you like

If you have a fic to submit or rec, feel free to! But please read our FAQ first with rules and instructions on doing so <3

YOU’RE ALL THE WARMTH I NEED BY CHERITSUNDERE Rating: Teen Pairings: Keith/Lance | Hunk & Keith & Lance Additional characters: Allura | Coran | Pidge | Shiro | Matt | Lance's Family Tags: Tales of Zestiria AU | sorta - Freeform | Oblivious Lance | platonic klunk | Friends to Lovers | Friendship | Found Family Stats: Words: 6253 Chapters: 1/1 Summary: In this world, Spirits, or Seraphs as they are better known, and Humans live in perfect harmony with one another in a symbiotic relationship. Humans provide Seraphs with energy through a bond with their happiness while Spirits in turn help Humans with their magical abilities, such as providing light magic in their house, blessing them with luck charms for good fortune in their occupation, or even preparing food or giving transportation to them. Lance has been bonded to his best friend Hunk, an earth seraph, since they were little kids. Together they work at Lance’s family-run grocery store, where Hunk helps grow the produce and Lance does just about anything else. It isn’t until meeting and bonding with an abandoned fire seraph that Lance truly feels his life is complete though. With the new addition to their home, Lance finally has all he really wants in life. This is the story of that fateful day, of the days after that, and of the day that Lance became probably the luckiest human in the world.

FATED BY KATSUDONACE

SAY MY NAME (AND EVERY COLOR ILLUMINATES) BY TALKING_BIRD Rating: Teen Pairings: Keith/Lance | Hunk & Lance | Hunk & Lance & Pidge | Keith & Shiro | Keith & His Dad Additional characters: Keith's Family | Lance's Mother Tags: Alternate Universe - Soulmates | Dreamscapes | Alternate Universe - College/University | Alternate Universe - Modern Setting | Alternate Universe - Flower Shop | Alternate Universe - Reincarnation | Colorblind!Lance | cheesy montages | Fluff and Angst | Angst with a Happy Ending | its the happiest ending tbh | Emotional Hurt/Comfort | Mutual Support | Pining Lance | Cancer | it's not keith or lance tho | Minor Character Death | Slow Burn Stats: Words: 27834 Chapters: 1/1 Summary: “Well, that’s what you are, right? My subconscious talking to me? That’s what my aunt says dreams are, but it’s kinda weird that my subconscious hasn’t seen the ocean before since I’ve been around the ocean my entire life.” “What? No! I’m--I’m not your subconscious, I’m your--” Keith starts, but he slams his lips together in a tight lock, then looks at the waves, while Lance sits up taller and leans in closer to him. “My what?” “Just--!” Keith starts, getting frustrated and pinching the bridge of his nose. “I’m real, okay? We’re not--this isn’t--we’re having a shared dream.” Lance never thought he had a soulmate, but when he finds himself dreaming about a boy on Varadero Beach and in a southwestern desert, he learns they have an incredibly rare soul link–-one that allows them to form an unusually strong bond before they meet, but also exposes their greatest vulnerabilities to each other.

BREAK EVERY CHAIN ON ME BY KATSUDONACE Rating: Teen Pairings: Keith/Lance | Keith & Krolia Additional characters: Kolivan | Lance's Family Tags: Blade of Marmora Lance | Blade of Marmora Keith | Season 5 Spoilers | Post-Season 5 | Angst | Angst with a Happy Ending | Mutual Pining | Pining Keith | Pining Lance | Abandonment Issues | Self Confidence Issues | Violence | Injury | Visions | Trials | Keith and Shiro are Adoptive Siblings | Mother-Son Relationship | Cuban Lance | Homesick Lance | Lance is Bad at Feelings | Keith is a Mess | lotor is evil | This fic works under the theory that Shiro is a clone | Insecure Lance (Voltron)Socially Awkward Keith (Voltron) Stats: Words: 14406 Chapters: 1/1 Summary: Lance is tired of no one listening to him, tired of his fears and concerns being brushed aside. With his suspicions about Shiro and Lotor being ignored, Lance decides to go to the one person group that he knows will believe him, Keith the Blade of Marmora. However, emotions run high and situations become complicated. Lance must grow to move forward, but that's easier said than done when his insecurities bind him. Keith was finally carving out a spot for himself in the Blade, finally feeling as if maybe he belonged somewhere. That's until his mother decides to return to the main base, and his crush suddenly shows up unannounced. It's hard for him to face his feelings when he's so used to fighting them. He needs to confront his issues or forever be locked in place, never finding a place where he fits.

OUTWARD HONOR FOR INWARD TOIL BY ASTRAL-KLANCE (KILLJOYCATLADY) Rating: General Pairings: Keith/Lance Additional characters: Pidge | Shiro | Allura | Matt | Lotor Tags: Slow Burn | Alternate Universe - Royalty | Arranged Marriage | Enemies to Lovers Stats: Words: 28070 Chapters: 1/1 Summary: As the rival nations of Márea and Altea form an alliance after years of tension and border issues, Prince Lance is forced to deal with a treaty that is far too involved in his personal life, an infuriating Altean knight surrounded by shady rumours, and the rising threat of the Galra empire closing in on Lance's kingdom.

Community Rec

ON THE LINE BY NOTROVER Rating: Teen Pairings: Keith/Lance Additional characters: Shiro | Allura | Pidge | Hunk | Coran Tags: Alternate Universe | firefighter keith | Policeman Lance | Work-related Incidents | Pining | Mutual Pining | Allura is a great wingman | And Lance has a dog | also this is so cheesy im | Shiro's a total bro Stats: Words: 14357 Chapters: 1/1 Summary: “Is it as fun as it looks? Sliding down the fire pole, I mean.” Lance’s voice was full of curiosity and what sounded like a tinge of envy. His breath curled into small clouds due to the cold. Keith pretended to think about it. “No, it’s not.” He paused and gave Lance a smirk. “It’s more fun, actually.” Lance laughed. “Way to rub it in, Red.” “You asked,” Keith said, grinning. Lance made a face. “I’d let you try it for yourself,” Keith continued, “but it’s a sacred right of brotherhood handed down from fireman to fireman. I’d be kicked out if I let you try.” Keith pretended to get teary-eyed for a moment. “Shiro would be so upset.” Lance scoffed. “You’re so full of it, Red.” But Keith could hear the laughter that threatened to bubble out of Lance’s voice and suppressed his own smile. “Maybe. But you’ll never know for sure.” Alternatively: Keith is a firefighter and Lance is a cop.

WE’RE INTIMATE ACQUAINTANCES (TANGLED UP AGAIN) BY NOTROVER Rating: Teen Pairings: Keith/Lance Additional characters: Hunk | Pidge | Matt Tags: Alternate Universe - Soulmates | Fluff | Light Angst | Alternate Universe - College/University | Time Loops are a thing | also it's not a date but it's totally an aquarium date Stats: Words: 6301 Chapters: 1/1 Summary: When Lance wakes up to the second Monday in two days, he knows there's only one explanation: He's come into close proximity to his soulmate. If he doesn't want to be stuck repeating the same day for the rest of his life, he needs to find his soulmate. The only problem? He's started falling for someone else.

#skwficrecs #monthly rec #fic rec #ficrec #april #may #safeklance #safevoltron #ficrecs

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netpanty88-blog · 5 years

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The 1897 Richard S. Barnes Mansion - 316 West 75th Street

Despite being one of ten children, Richard Storrs Barnes enjoyed a privileged upbringing. Born in 1854 in Brooklyn, his father, Alfred Smith Barnes, was the principal in the leading textbook publishing house in the nation, A. S. Barnes & Co. Richard was educated at the Gunnery School in Washington, Connecticut; the Williston Seminary in East Hampton, Massachusetts; and finally at the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn. He initially entered his father's business, moving to Chicago to manage that branch of the firm. In 1880 he married Hattie Day Barbour of Harford. Around the time of his father's death in 1888 he returned to New York; Richard's brother, Alfred C. Barnes took over the family business. While Richard remained a director in the company (which grew into the conglomerate American Book Company); he branched out into myriad professional interests. He became treasurer of Braunworth & Co., printers, and secretary and treasurer of the Barnes Real Estate Association. He invested heavily in mining and was treasurer of the Automatic Fire Alarm Company. Richard and Hattie had three children, Goodrich (who tragically died at the age of 12), Hattie Louise and Roderic Barbour Barnes. Their Washington, Connecticut country home, Westlawn, was a sprawling Queen Anne-style riot of gables and porches and chimneys.

Westlawn's many angles assured that the slightest breezes were captured. photo via the Gunn Historical Museum

In 1895 ground was broken for the Barnes's new city home at No 316 West 75th Street, just steps from Riverside Drive. Richard had hired one of Manhattan's premier mansion architects, C. P. H. Gilbert, to design a 38-foot wide residence--nearly double the width of a standard home. Construction took two years and resulted in an impressive five-story residence faced in cream-colored Roman brick and trimmed in limestone. Gilbert splashed his Renaissance Revival design with Beaux Arts touches--like torches, swags and lions' heads above the fourth floor openings, and the eye-catching oculus over the service entrance. While other architects strove to downplay doorways where deliverymen and servants came and went, Gilbert fronted this one with grand iron gates and carved Renaissance style gateposts and lavished its round window with cornucopia.

Sadly abused as a repository for trash today, the service entrance was given grand treatment by C. P. H. Gilbert. Note the individualized carvings of the gate posts.

The second floor featured tall French windows with balconettes. The center opening of the rounded bay wore an elaborate stone hood, the tympanum of which overflowed with foliate carvings and a crest. (Close inspection reveals a dog standing proudly above that crest.) The bay provided a stone-balustraded balcony to the fourth floor. A stone cornice supported by foliate brackets completed the design.

The Barnes family proudly displayed an American flag from the balcony of their new home. Architectural Record 1899

The Barnes family's upscale lifestyle was reflected in Richard's entering steeds in the fashionable New York Horse Show, in his memberships in the New England Society of New York, the Metropolitan Club and the Down Town Association. The names of Manhattan's wealthy routinely appeared in print as they boarded steamships headed to Europe. But that was not the case when Richard and Hattie climbed aboard the Hamburg-American vessel Moltke on January 10, 1903. They were embarking on a pleasure cruise--a forerunner of today's popular ocean cruises. The New-York Tribune reported the ship would visit the principal islands in the West Indies and Nassau. The ports of call would be familiar to vacationers taking a cruise today--St. Thomas, San Juan, Kingston, Jamaica and Nassau among others.

Richard Storrs Barnes - photo via the Gunn Historical Museum

On September 17, 1904 Richard and Hattie announced the engagement of Hattie Louise to Alfred Severin Bourne. The New-York Tribune noted as well, "Mr. and Mrs. Barnes, whose country home is Westlawn, Washington, Conn., spent the early part of the summer in Europe." While Bourne's family was immensely wealthy (the newspaper called their Oakdale home "one of the finest country places in Long Island"), there were indications that the young man was a bit of a playboy. The 21-year old groom-to-be had inherited $1 million from his godfather, Corman Clark, that year and another half million on the interest that had accumulated on the fund prior to his coming of age. The New-York Tribune put a positive spin on his dropping out of school by saying "He entered Yale about a year ago, but preferred a business career." Hattie Louise had debuted into society the previous winter. In the summer of 1904 Alfred's parents celebrated his "coming of age" at Oakdale with events that rivaled the most lavish of debutante entertainments. The Sun commented "There were luncheons, dinners and dances ashore and afloat." The wedding took place in the West End Collegiate Church on West End Avenue just two blocks north of the Barnes residence the following spring. The social importance of the event was evidenced by the guest list. The New-York Tribune reported on April 17, 1905, "Some of those invited to the wedding were President and Mrs. Roosevelt, Admiral and Mrs. George Dewey, Rear Admiral and Mrs. W. S. Schley, Bishop and Mrs. Potter, General and Mrs. Stewart L. Woodford, Mr. and Mrs. W. Bayard Cutting, Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Bliss and Mrs. W. S. P. Prentice." The reception took place in the 75th Street mansion. Roderic married Rose Marie Naething six years later, in September 1911, in the fashionable Church of the Heavenly Rest on Fifth Avenue. Roderic would go on to a promising career as an architect.

Rose Barnes on her wedding day. New-York Tribune September 17, 1911 (copyright expired)

On Christmas Day, 1913, Richard Storrs Barnes died in the 75th Street house at the age of 59. The Bookseller estimated his estate to be "at least $500,000." That amount would approach $13 million today. Hattie remained in the residence and following her period of mourning resumed her social activities. Her name appeared in society columns as she visited fashionable watering holes like the Greenbrier Hotel in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. Perhaps the most unusual gathering which she hosted in the residence occurred in the spring of 1917. The highly-popular evangelist Billy Sunday was in town and on May 17 he enthralled a crowd of 18,000 with his unorthodox retelling of the story of how Jesus reformed the tax collector Zaccheus. According to The Sun's report, he said in part: There were a lot of the old guys discussin' Jesus--and they were mostly leaving the dis off--and Zaccheus, who was a rich gazabo of a Jew, wanted to get a good look at Him, so he shinnied up a tree. Well, when Jesus passed right under the three old Zac slid down and Jesus said to him: 'This day I'll abide at thy house.' He didn't even wait for Zaccheus to invite Him. He just said He'd come on over for dinner with him." The reverend paused to consider the wife of Zaccheus. "Gee, I'll bet she was a fine kind of woman not to mind havin' all that bunch drop in on her just at dinner time and nothing to eat but some canned goods." But before that gargantuan event, the preacher had been at the Barnes house. "In the morning Billy delivered a short talk before 300 women and a few men in the home of Mrs. Richard S. Barnes, 316 West Seventy-fifth street. Following the evangelist Mrs. Sunday said a few words." Hattie became involved with the Women's American Oriental Club of New York City. It was founded in April 1915 "to promote friendliness and mutual understanding between women of the Orient and women of America." By 1920 she was its president.

Although heavily abused, the carved newels still stand guard.

In the meantime, Hattie Louise's husband's playboy ways had caught up with him and landed the family name in scandalous newspaper reports. The New-York Tribune's article on December 29, 1918 started out complimentary enough. "Mr. Bourne is a member of the New York Yacht Club, St. Anthony Club and the National Golf Links. His father, Frederick G. Bourne, formerly commodore of the New York Yacht Club, is one of the best known yachtsmen in the United States." But then the article got to the juicier parts. Bourne had been carrying on a relationship with Grace B. Clark, who freely visited the best shops of Manhattan, charging her purchases to Bourne. The illicit affair became public when Grace's bill with the dressing making house of Hickson, Inc., became inordinate--approaching half a million in today's dollars. Pressed for payment, Bourne made a deal to pay $500 a month. But then he stopped payments with a balance of $11,199 still due. Hickson, Inc. sued, Bourne did not attempt to defend himself, and the newspapers eagerly printed the shocking story. Hattie Barnes was 64-years old when she sold No. 316 to the H. M. C. Realty Company, Inc. in 1924. The handsome mansion she and her husband had built more than a quarter of a century earlier was converted to "non-housekeeping apartments," meaning they had no kitchens. The building had few notable tenants. In the 1940's bandleader Jimmy Victor lived here. His advertisement in Billboard magazine in October 1948 announced "Now arranging 1949 indoor and outdoor dates, Jimmy Victor's Show Band." In the 1950's an apartment here was used as the headquarters for the New York Regional Advisory Board of the Society of St. Dismas. The group described its goal as "to aid imprisoned and released prisoners." To that end it furnished reading material to penal institutions and aided released prisoners to find employment and homes. Gay activist Brenda Howard lived in the building in 1972 when she was arrested on June 7. Firefighter Michael Maye was accused of beating a member of the Gay Activist Alliance on April 15 that year. Before his court hearing, she and two other activists created that The New York Times called "a disturbance" in the courtroom. Apparently Brenda was less combative than her companions. While her charges were later dismissed, the other two were held to stand trial on charges of "assault, resisting arrest, harassment and obstructing government administration."

The former elegance of the Barnes mansion manages to triumph over window air conditioners, a commercial-style doorway, and decades of dirt.

photographs by the author

Source: http://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/2019/03/the-1897-richard-s-barnes-mansion-316.html

#read more #see more #check it out #interesting #learn more

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quillpaw · 6 years

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hey yo i don’t normally make these sorts of posts but is there a reason that the like, broadway musical part of tumblr has been fucking sleeping on Come From Away? it’s such an extremely powerful, wonderful show and it deserves like 2000% more attention than it’s getting

it’s about the true story of the 38 planes that were diverted from us airspace during 9/11 and were forced to land in a tiny town in newfoundland canada called gander, and how this tiny isolated town of 9000 people took in 7000 scared and confused and angry people from around the world, opened up their homes and businesses to them, and just in general this sense of humanity coming together and attempting to heal and connect during a terrible tragedy. it’s heartfelt and emotional and funny and sweet and managed to produce one of the strongest emotional responses in me that i’ve ever gotten from any musical ever.

it’s a small ensemble cast with everyone playing multiple roles as we get glimpses into the inner lives of both the people of the town and the diverted plane people. there’s a gay couple from california who find their relationship strained by how they each deal with this hardship; two people from opposite ends of the world who meet by chance while detained on one of the planes and end up falling in love; the first female american airline captain; a woman from new york desperately trying to get information on her son, a firefighter at ground zero; and a muslim man facing discrimination for his faith (from the passengers, not the townspeople). and these are all real people, these stories are real. those are such powerful voices to put up on a broadway stage!

and the music! god the music is so good!!

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this is just the opening number! when a musical starts like this you KNOW it’s gonna be something good! and the music is done by a live onstage band!

plus you’ve got such fucking powerful pieces, i’ve listened to this soundtrack like a million times and i still get goosebumps from some of these tracks!

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and just, i guess, to close out my plug for this fucking incredible show? that story of the two people who meet and fall in love? they spend the whole thing thinking the other person isn’t interested. the mutual pining is so fucking strong, it’s a goddamn classic, y’all should be eating this up.

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your otp wishes they could

in conclusion, motherfucking Come From Away. it’s good shit. give this show the love it deserves.

#mongoose chatter #long post #good noises #sorry to put this essay out but i feel VERY PASSIONATELY about this show

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amidnightride-blog · 7 years

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February 25, 2017. 2:48 AM

I should have started writing this journal earlier. Maybe on my birthday, which was only two days ago. Wouldn’t it be perfect if I had started chronicling my life and thoughts on the day I turned 18 and became an adult? But, not everything works out perfectly, so here I am. Better late than never I suppose.

Woke up this morning to be greeted by a snap from an old friend, let’s call him Gamer. I’m choosing that name because we used to play video games together back during freshman and sophomore year. It’s actually how we came to meet each other, since he lives in Minnesota and I live in Indiana. We hadn’t talked in a while, but recently he started snapchatting me out of the blue. I’m not sure why, I think he just may want to start a streak with someone, but it’s nice to be able to speak with someone again like that after a long while. It’s not like we have any deep conversations, and we’re not as close as we used to be, but just having a tiny conversation with him each day is nice. It’s a simple and easy way for us to keep in touch while keeping things casual. The snap he sent was a “Good Morning” snap, just like the ones he’s sent me for the past couple of days. It’s a black screen with a timestamp printed on it, captioned with “good morning” and adorned with a couple cute stickers of cats waking up. It’s nothing special or unique, and I’m pretty sure he probably just sends it to everyone on his friends list, or at least a dozen more people than just me, but it still feels comforting. It’s something to look forward to, a nice message that you know is gonna be there every time you wake up.

Speaking of messaging, a girl from the school play has been messaging me on instagram a lot lately. Her name should be Hashtag, since everything she posts is riddled with them. Like, 30 or so to a single post, all of them being random buzzwords that never end up relating to the picture. We don’t talk much in real life, but we have a running joke where we call each other freshmen when we pass each other by. The kind of joke that you have with acquaintances so that it gives you SOMETHING to bring up and break the ice when you see them. However, she’s been sending me random memes recently, and a lot of them. I’m not a big fan of “meme convos”, where you just keep sending pictures to one another, so I’d wait a while and then respond with the first picture I could find. Eventually though, we’ve managed to transition to actual conversation. What I’ve learned is that she’s got a lot of self-doubt, this is her first year here in Indiana after moving from Ohio, she has trouble making friends, and she craves attention. She told me first three things, but the last one I kind of found out myself. Even when you ignore the fact that she tags all of her pictures with whatever’s trending at the moment to try and get more followers, it’s very clear. She talks trash about herself in the way that either fishes for compliments or tries to garner pity. She’s shy in real life (hence why she can’t make friends easily), and she clearly doesn’t like sitting there feeling forgotten. She’s also very dramatic about everything, like she wants to depict her life as this dreadful tragedy. I’m very doubtful that things are ever as bad as she tells me, but I’ll bait the bait and respond with whatever words of encouragement I have lying around. Stuff like “be more confident”, “People will like you, you just have to approach them”. It always frustrates me a but to see someone like this, cause that’s exactly how I was as an underclassmen, and I feel like I missed my chance at a lot of friendships and experiences because of it. Plus, once you find a way to instill confidence in yourself, you really start to wonder why you didn’t do it sooner. The doors of your world just really start to open. Anyways, I’m also fairly sure this girl has a thing for me, because if I go a while without responding, she’ll just…keep messaging me. I get notifications about her sending me pictures or texts all the time. And that might be a problem. She’s nice and all, but she’s a freshman. And even though she calls me freshman for our gag, it doesn’t change the fact that I really am a senior and that it’d just be something I wouldn’t be comfortable with. We’ll see how things turn out on that front.

A couple of friends and I (Let’s call them Viper and Cross, for reasons I can’t really justify for privacy’s sake) want to try our hands at Private Investigating. It’s definitely an odd hobby to pick up, but it’s the perfect kind of eccentric activity a couple of bored small-town teens could find themselves occupied with. Our first case involves a girl who’s yard was vandalized with police tape over winter break, and the prime suspect is her sister’s ex, who she tried to get a restraining order against. I went on the internet and found that the name that Evil Ex goes by is his middle name, and after doing some researching, discovered that he was arrested two years ago for resisting police, and that he’s either a firefighter or training to become one, which explains why he could get police tape. We went over the info at lunch together, and honestly, I got a bit of a rush from it. To be able to piece a puzzle together is an amazing feeling, even when the case is cut-and-dry like this one. We plan on interviewing the girl who gave us the mystery about him and maybe talking to her sister too.

Today, I asked my ex, (let’s call her Clam, because she never opens up to anybody, which is why we broke up) if I could get back the corsage ring I gave her. You see, Viper and I are going on a pretend date in a couple of weeks. He has a girlfriend, neither of us are gay, and we’ll basically just be hanging out, but we decided to stage it as a date for fun. So then I thought if I gave Viper an old corsage ring covered in dead flowers. I felt a little sleazy about asking at first, because it was a gift and asking for anything back like that is just a shitty thing to do. But honestly, I thought about it and it was fine. She didn’t really care about me during our relationship and I don’t think we were ever serious, so it’s not like that ring would carry any emotional baggage with it. Plus, she forgot to even wear the damn thing to homecoming, so clearly she never gave any mind to it in the first place. Sure enough, she was fine with it. She never ended up finding it, but I told her to tell me if she did.

Met with my out-of-town grandparents to grab lunch before the opening night of the school play. We stopped at this organic burger place in town and I had one with onion rings, bleu cheese, and garlic aieola (I have no idea what that is). Look, I'm under the impression that chemicals make food taste better. I can't act like I'm "better than junk food", because I'm not. When I see "Organic" slapped on a label, I assume whatever's in there tastes worse than it's factory-concocted counterparts. That being said, however, organic meat tastes sooo much better. The burgers were thick and juicy, the kind you actually need two hands to hold and the kind that can actually entirely fill my gaping fat mouth in one bite. Way better than the thin soggy McDonald's burgers. Also, talking to grandparents is pretty hard, especially when you don't have much in common. I mean, you could talk about college plans with them. Or stab yourself in the eye with a dull pencil.

Our school play is not very good. I'm not gonna list the myriad of problems we had leading up to opening night, but I will say that despite all of that we did our best with the material given. Since winter play is the family play, it means there's gonna be a lot of shitty comedy. My character was basically completely comic relief and based around a running gag, which is that he is a boring and lazy janitor that everyone loves unconditionally despite his complete lack of charisma or personality. I'm proud to say that I did my best with the dialogue and directions I had and I got the second biggest amount of laughs, plus my good friend (let's call him Clifford) showed up as a surprise so hey, all's well that ends well.

Clam and I have a mutual friend who works up in tech booth for the play (her official nickname is Aqua) so afterwards I went to go talk with her. Apparently Clam is very uncomfortable around me, and neither of us know why, because Clam doesn't like to talk about her feelings, as mentioned before. I was curious as to why that was, because I was comfortable around her, and I was the one that actually cared about our relationship while it was happening. I don't really plan on staying friends with her though, so it doesn't matter. I just like having deep bonds with my friends, and she's emotionally shallow. Nothing personal, just not the type I wanna have as a friend. I just needed a failed relationship to see that.

After the show, Viper, Clifford, and I went to the Dunkin Donuts nearby to see if the garbage bag full of donuts was in the dumpster. It wasn't, somebody had already taken it.

After that, Clifford came over to my house and we watched It's Always Sunny, I tried to introduce Mr. Show to him, but I guess it wasn't his speed, and then we played WWE2k17 until I drove him home at around 1 in the morning. I played this music, drove home alone in the dark, and just thought about everything going on lately. Then I came home, sat down, and just typed this all out. It's now almost 5 in the morning, and I really need to get some sleep. So until next time...

Ride's over.

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