Unfit for Society Recs

The Old Guard

there for your first year by biblionerd07
Nile's world is upended. But she doesn't lose family. Not all the way. This is a really nice look at Nile settling into the team and coming to grips with her new life.

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Crossovers

The Losers/The Old Guard

this tornado loves you by storm_petrel
Spec ops is like any other world. Hang around for long enough, and it has a culture, fucked up as it may be, and it has stories.

Some of them are about ghosts. Jake Jensen runs into Joe and Nicky. Oh heart.

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The Expanse

A Fresh Start by tacky_tramp
The Belt claimed to be a nation, but it was still more like a room full of squabbling cousins, unable to agree on anything more nuanced than dislike for those outside the squabble. They needed the Inners to trust them, but they didn’t trust each other. It would take at least a generation to smooth over the slights and scores of the past – and that was an optimistic timeline. Some truly excellent and in character sparring between Drummer and Avasarala, post-series. <333

Ten Lullabies by thestarsapart
"Lullabies aren’t really about ordering babies to sleep. They’re not about food, or love. They’re about safety. You’re reassuring the child that no matter how dark it is outside, it’s safe for them to close their eyes." This is really lovely - I choked up once or twice. #i'm not crying you're crying

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Star Wars: Andor

There is a World Beyond This Place by DachOsmin
Twelve things Cassian Andor misses most in prison. Exactly what it says on the tin. This is really lovely.

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The Raven Cycle

the same as it was by genesisofrhythm
"I don't know what Jordan sees in him," Ronan said, looking on at the sight of domesticity. Oh heart. This is a sweet little post-Greywaren slice of life with the Lynch brothers et al.

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Rivers of London

Bintumani by birdylion
Working in Freetown, Elsie gets a mysterious letter that sends her on a journey across Sierra Leone. Really lovely backstory for Elsie Winstanley and Mamusu Kamara.

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Batfamily

Five Times Dick Was Tim’s Safety Net and One Time Tim Was Dick’s by PrinceJakeFireCake
Exactly what it says on the tin. oh boys. #siblings!

Frame the halves (and call it a whole) by tucuxi
The one where Oracle calls Red Hood and Red Robin in to deal with a Crane-shaped incident at the docks, a brand new strain of fear toxin is released, and Jason is horrified to discover that he’s NOT Tim’s worst fear. Jason gets a little insight into Tim. Aw boys.

Into The Light by LilliputianDuckling
When Dick finally learns what happened to Tim during the assassination tournament, it reopens an old wound. Trying to TALK about it opens a whole Pandora's box of old wounds.

To make matters worse, Ra's still wants a new heir from Dick's little brother. I liked how this dealt with the various issues the Batfamily has had with sexual assault.

Never Say That by JackHawksmoor
the Bats have an extremely bad night in Gotham City. This is a good, tense read.

On the Long Lonely Road Through Hell and Back (I'll Never Leave Your Side) by ivy_and_ivory
A week after the funeral, Bruce Wayne goes missing. He's only made it a few miles past Gotham's city limits when Clark finds him. Clark accompanies Bruce on his grief road trip after Jason's death. *sniffle*

Seeing Something Through by Hinn_Raven
Stephanie Brown has had many names and many lives through the years. But as Batgirl... she might actually see this one through. ♥STEPH♥

the trolley problem by Scarlet_Ribbons
Red Hood and Tim are kidnapped by a trafficker who wants his girls back, and he has no reservations about going through the closest available child to get to Hood. Oh Jason. Oh Tim.

unchanging by birdbat
A lot of people tell Tim that he looks just like his mother.

They share the same eye color and shape, often cold and calculating. The same sharp smiles and ghostly pale skin, and the same, lean body frames that could almost be described as delicate.

One last thing they have in common is an orange pill bottle.

The only difference is the name. this is a hard read - Tim is suicidal and tries to kill himself - but a cathartic one. have tissues handy.

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Six of Crows

To Give, Then to Receive by cameliawrites
Three gifts given by Kaz, and one he received. Exactly what it says on the tin. Oh heart.

A Visit from Zwarte Pietr by Aneiria
It may be Nachtspel Eve, but the Bastard of the Barrel and his Wraith have one last heist to carry out before they can enjoy the holiday.

The question is, can they hit all of their targets in one night, without being caught? this is adorable!

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We Are Lady Parts

American Pie by micster
Between 2004 and 2023 Saira loses a sister, starts a band, gets and regrets a social media presence, breaks up the band and puts it together again, writes her first love song, headlines(ish) a music festival, listens to the worst song in the world over four hundred times, and falls in love for real. But this story is not about that. This is about music. This is a really excellent look at Saira and the band, and a wonderful slow burn romance between her and Amina (so much pining!). highly recommended.

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Ted Lasso

wanna be brave enough (I'm out here in the open) by scintilla10
"What I'm more curious about," Keeley said, "is what problem you think handcuffs and a cock ring are going to solve." This is really hot and in character Roy/Keeley/Jamie.

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Vids

The Expanse

Fortunate One by runawaynun
Excellent Drummer vid! <3

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Star Wars

and my name is anakin by rain_sleet_snow
Not all stormtroopers start that way. Not all stormtroopers end that way, either. A Finn Skywalker retelling of the Star Wars sequels. I enjoyed this 2-story AU of the sequels which centers Finn and his relationships.

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DCU

all that I have to lose by dizarys
Four times Bruce protected his boys not as Batman and Robin, but as their dad. Oh Bruce. #the batdad his batkids deserve

Batman #1: Heavy is the Head That Wears the Cowl by Hinn_Raven & RenaRoo
There is no hiding from BATMAN, THE SILENT KNIGHT. Once born to assassins, raised to be a killer, CASSANDRA CAIN has taken an oath to not let anyone die on her watch. She has trained for the last several years to achieve the mantle of the BAT, but as soon as she is handed the cowl she is tested for it yet again. When the CLOWN PRINCE OF CRIME escapes from Arkham Asylum, there is a consensus that the new BATMAN is not ready. CASSANDRA disagrees. She must prove herself against the DARK KNIGHT's greatest foe, or possibly die trying! Cass!Bats vs Joker! I enjoyed this. And for real, of all the kids, she's the one who should take the cowl when Bruce retires.

Batman and Robin #1: Death Becomes Her by Hinn_Raven & RenaRoo
DICK GRAYSON has spent two years serving as the DARK KNIGHT and as a mentor to his adopted brother DAMIAN WAYNE. Throughout their successes and throughout their bonding, DICK has strived to teach the young Robin the importance of life and justice. Their teamwork may soon be tested, however, alongside DICK's claim to the mantle of BATMAN by the world's deadliest fighter. LADY SHIVA returns to Gotham with only one goal in mind: to test the prowess of her daughter's competition to the BATMAN legacy. I enjoyed this! #we were the best richard

Beef Consommé by Vamillepudding
Parenting is Bruce's thing, and Jason isn't planning on messing with that. But when Bruce fails to spot the countless red flags about Tim's home life, it falls to Jason to step up. Of course it does. Because he's literally the only one in his family who knows how to be responsible, and if Dick disagrees, he can suck it. Oh Tim. Aw Jason. <3

Bet It All On Red by centreoftheselights
Before the Red Hood is on Batman's radar, Tim Drake manages to figure out his identity. He comes to Hood with an offer:

"Are you in the market for a side-kick?" I'm enjoying this 10-story (so far) series in which Jason's return goes slightly differently. The author says the series isn't complete yet, but I thought it reached a good enough stopping place to recommend reading it.

A Brief Interview by Miss_Lazy_Tuesday
When Damian finds a small child with an expensive camera on a rooftop in the middle of Gotham, he decides to follow in his father's footsteps and take the boy home. After all, why should Bruce be the only one who gets to add to the family?

Damian and Tim age swap fluff. This is both hilarious and adorable.

brilliant (like a confession) by kathkin
After years of pining after an alien demi-god who is, much as she hates to admit it, miles out of her league, Lois realises she's caught feelings for her co-worker. Unsure whether or not to tell him, she seeks advice from the most sensitive guy she knows - Superman. Things don't go as she expected... This is a really sweet and a little funny story of Lois revealing her feelings for Clark and Clark...revealing his secret identity. <3

Commencement by ivy_and_ivory
He hasn't talked to Bruce about the college thing.

It's not that Bruce doesn't know – they just haven't talked about it. Jason decide to invite Bruce - and the fam - to his graduation. Oh heart!

earn my keep by marquis
It's all Tim's fault, like most things are. That's what Jason tells himself as he stares at the clock on his desk, reminding him of a deadline he's not sure he'll meet. If he can just crank out these last few paragraphs and ignore the way his head throbs, the way his ribs ache… Well. Then there will be another deadline tomorrow, and another next week. It does not fucking end.

He sighs and drains the last of his coffee. Eight hundred more words to go.

(Jason goes to school. Everyone finds out, despite his best efforts.) <333

A Hero Lost by Cdelphiki
Bruce quits being Batman in the wake of Jason's death, tells the world who he is, then retires to Montana and slowly finds healing. And when Jason comes back to life six months later, and Talia tells him 'you remain unavenged,' he can't find any evidence to support that, so he goes home. this is a really lovely AU.

Man in Motion by JHSC
The most recent entry in this lovely series, where Willis survives and he and Jason work out their shit together.

The Post-Mission Ponderings of Brucerman and NightBunny by Ptelea
Afterward--after they'd made arrangements for Copperhead, and been returned to their normal selves, after Zatanna had thanked them both and expressed a bit of smiling regret that Nightwing had gotten caught in the crossfire ("Oh, no problem! No harm done, and I'm always hoppy to help!")--afterward, when Bruce returned home, he was somehow not one whit surprised that a new picture already held pride of place on the kitchen refrigerator. Himself, dressed up in Clark's infernal costume, with a lagomorphic Nightwing perching on his shoulder. They were waving out at the audience, who had clearly ignored the no photography rule for the performance, and doubtless posted online extravagantly. oh heart! A wonderful coda for season 2, episode 54, S'tel ees a cigam wohs!

prodigal by punkrockhades
Dick liked to think he had a pretty good handle on the whole ‘big brother' thing by now, even if Tim still saw sleep as optional and Damian still got a little stabby when a hug lasted too long.

But then Damian's other big brother comes to town, mysterious and red-helmeted and oddly familiar, and seems to want nothing to do with the Bats sans Damian. Damian is strangely close-lipped about his other brother's past, but Dick is determined to find out more about the Red Hood - he could always use more little brothers, anyway! Aw Dick. I enjoyed this.

Runaway by sardonic_sprite
Damian runs into someone who can help him while he's running away from the League. Oh heart.

A Time To Reflect by Experimental_Muse
Bruce finds himself stuck in the past, and while waiting for the league to pick him up, struggles to get along with his past self. Plus being in a practically empty manor is a bigger adjustment than he'd like to admit. I enjoyed this, especially Alfred!

Tire Kids by metukah
the second Tim finds out what the Court has done, he takes the evidence straight to Batman. Short but sweet Talon!Dick AU.

two against the world by carolinaa
"I'm Tim," he says, though introducing himself to a puppy makes him flush in embarrassment. "Are you hungry?"

The dog blinks at him, all scared eyes.

"Where's your family?" Tim asks. "Did they leave you?" 12-year-old Tim finds a friend. I'm not crying you're crying.

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The Old Guard

Our Toil Shall Strive to Mend by Marivan
Booker, exiled, drunk and alone, takes in an abandoned baby. He doesn't tell anybody. He definitely doesn't fall a little bit in love. Oh heart.

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Star Wars

old new beginnings by aradian_nights
When Obi-Wan does not return with Leia, Bail Organa retrieves Owen, Beru, and Luke from Tatooine to start a new life on Alderaan. I enjoyed this – it's a compelling read.

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Batfamily

Aftermath by ivy_and_mortar
A study of why Bruce couldn't kill the Joker, what would happen if someone else could – and how you move on from the aftermath. Really compelling read.

The Bachelor: Robin Edition by Vamillepudding
Gotham loses its Robin and Bruce Wayne loses a son. Tim finds one of these too tragic to bear. In his quest to make sure Bruce Wayne lives to see the next year, he strikes upon the perfect solution: another son.

Oh Tim.

Black-Clad Bats and Making Money by Gray_Days
You would think it would be difficult to accidentally rob a bank! So did I. hilarious!

A Chips And Dip Kind Of Night by whaleofatime
Bruce is working undercover at a 7/11.

Dick does not know this. Dick is the best, no lie. <333

Dawn Of A New Day by AuroraKant
Some nights Tim escaped the oppressing confines of Drake Estate or the unreachable ideals of Wayne Manor to watch the sunrise and think. Today Bruce joined him. Oh heart. this is very sweet.

grave robber by envysparkler
The staff at Gotham Cemetery are not paid enough to deal with this. Fun outsider POV on Jason's return.

i'm only young (but that was long ago) by dizarys
Five times the Robins grieved one another and one time they didn't. Exactly what it says on the tin. #forever crying over robins dot tumblr dot com

Learning Kind by ChimaeraKitten
Lovely moment of kindness for Cass when she needed it, pre-Gotham.

Like a Light in Dark Places, Like Dreams in the Night by Ferith12
When people asked, Tim always explained that he was there during the Graysons' last performance, which was true. Most people didn't bother to do the math to realize that Tim was barely two years old that day.

Tim explained it this way because it was both simpler and less embarrassing than admitting that he’d formed a deep parasocial relationship with a boy who'd been in one episode of a French children's edutainment series that ran reruns for some reason at three am on Spanish language television. Oh Tim. *sniffles*

Not Sure I'm There Yet But I'm Certain I've Arrived by MentalHealthMedic
Jason finds himself waking up tied to a chair in an underground bunker. He's not too worried about it.

Jason finds himself waking up in Dick's apartment. This he might be a little worried about. BODYSWAP! this is a lot of fun!

on the other side by MermaidMarie
In which Tim and Jason are staying up all night in the hallway, after Dick gets his memories back. Aw boys. Some good brotherly bonding here.

Send to All by kerosceene
the bats have a sex pollen release form. because of course they do. hilarity ensues.

shipling rivalries by ScarlettSwordMoon
It's a long flight from Gotham to Siberia. Dick's siblings, to Bruce's horror, use the time to start debating Dick's love life. This is hilarious.

The Stowaway by LittleLadybugs
Dick tries his best to parent Damian. Damian tries his best, period. They're both a bit clumsy, but they've got the spirit.

There might be a cat. Oh heart.

Taking Flight: A Tragicomedy in Four Acts by WingFeathers
John and Mary Grayson die; Dick becomes Robin. This is everything that happens in between, a/k/a, how Gotham City ripped one family and identity from Dick and gave him another. I enjoyed this a lot! ♥Dick♥

And the sequel, Grounded, in which Dick is grounded and sent to Smallville for a week and hijinks ensue. <333

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Star Wars

Cautiously Un-Pessimistic by mrv3000
Obi-Wan is captured at the end of Obi-Wan Kenobi episode 3, and while Obi-Wan and Vader dial up the angst, Leia is not impressed with the monologuing Sith. <333 Leia is and ever shall be THE BEST.

Come from Over the Horizon by rosepetalfall
They never stayed anywhere for long, so Luke and Leia both had spacer’s accents - an indeterminate amalgam of the blandly Core-adjacent tones of their holoschool lessons and Ben’s cut-glass Coruscanti, colored in at the edges by Outer Rim spaceport slang. I enjoyed this.

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Vids

The Umbrella Academy

The Mother We Share by Andraste
"I especially liked when you referred to us as a family bound by destiny and love."

"It was the booze talking. In the light of day, you're all still deplorable." SIBLINGS! <3

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Avengers

Gallop about doing good by gloss
"Cats?" Peter B. asks. "No, there's nothing in my universe about cats and Spider-Man. Looks like you're special once again, Miles. Invisibility camo, venom shock, now kitty-whispering? Congrats!"

Spider-Man helps everyone. Brooklyn's cats seem determined to take advantage of that fact. Adorable!

Live By My Own Law by scioscribe
What was he going to say, that he was holding on to some idea of manhood that didn't even stem from his own people? He was down for revolution, not the petty shit of rebellion: he liked most of his father's traditions just fine. He just wasn't pinning a corsage on his chest, marking him out as T'Challa’s new boytoy. AU where Erik comes to Wakanda as T'Challa's betrothed. Great character voices.

ON THE COVER - RED WHITE AND BLACK | New York Magazine | Dec. 30th, 2024 by miabicicletta
NYMag on the life and death of Natasha Romanoff. GROSS SOBBING

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Batfamily

Buy One Get One Free by Here_we_go
Tim fucked up. Now Tam is alone in a League of Assassins base that's under siege by Spider Assassins, with her only hope of rescue being a single ex-Robin of questionable capacity. Sure Jason had punched Tim in the face, but Tim got punched in the face a lot; it couldn't be that hard. Highly enjoyable AU where Tim finds catatonic Jason at the Cradle during his time with the league and figures out how to bring him home. <333

By Any Other Name by ManURonaldo
Jason picks up a little bit more from Bruce than he means to as Robin. It doesn't go away, not even when he's Hood. Jason and Bruce and identity.

Chaos Theory by solomonara
In one (closer to canon) universe, Dick resists the temptation to become a chaos lord when Klarion holds him hostage. In another, he does not. Those two universes collide in this series, which is a long, compelling read focusing mainly on the AU chaos lord version of Dick and how he reintegrates with his family, with visits from (closer to) canon universe Dick and Jason along the way. I enjoyed this a lot.

dead ringer by punkrockhades
The Bats find out that Jason Todd is alive and apparently has questionable taste in friends, if the Red Hood is any indication. Instead of leaving clues as to his identity when he comes back, Jason just pretends he's someone else to troll the Bats. hilarious.

Ease One Life the Aching by Ellegrine
Even from this distance, Jason can see the tears in Dick's eyes. Dick stares at the back of Bruce's head with such raw, aching betrayal that Jason's chest burns.

"You can't give away someone’s name!" Jason yells. Jason's tenure as Robin begins on a fraught yet better note. Oh heart.

From the Shadows by Wolfsbanesparks
Billy gets adopted by the Batfamily while trying to deal with a strong magical enemy. I enjoyed this a lot, though there are some punctuation and tense issues.

In this Town We Call Home by Vamillepudding
Instead of threatening her infant son with the boogeyman, Janet Drake tells Tim that Batman is going to come for him if he doesn't behave. Years later, Tim realises that if he wants a fast way to get adopted, all he has to do is commit a crime so that Batman will take him away.

Years later still, Tim knows that no one is coming for him, but that doesn't make him any less scared. It also doesn't make him any less interested in Batman and his Robins. Oh Tim.

live your life with arms wide open by Alienu
AU where in a world where he was never sent to live with his father, Damian al Ghul is contracted to assassinate one Dick Grayson. It does not go anything like he expected. Oh my heart.

No Urban Legend I've Ever Heard Of by brawltogethernow
Dick finds the Batcave. By this point, everyone from Gotham has heard of the Batman.

Dick, however, is not from Gotham. This is adorable!

The ones that entertain and observe by VerboseWordsmith
Running way to join the circus was never Stephanie's plan. Of course, a case involving LexCorp, a casino and the mob alters all of her midterm plans (binging on coffee, stressing out, the usual). Now she's teaming up with Nightwing to infiltrate the award-winning Cirque du Lune's nearby casino show in hopes of finding a paper trail for Proxy connecting it all and saving the day (again). Really fun Steph casefile!

Overcoming Our Antecedents by Batbirdies
On the anniversary of his death, Jason gets de-aged to 15. Bruce handles it much better than expected. Oh my heart.

Rectilinear Motion by fanfictiongreenirises
Officer Grayson gets cursed to kill Nightwing. This is a rough read, even if Dick isn't actually suicidal (he's cursed), but a good one.

Rewind, Reset by Ionaperidot
Some Bats go back in time. It's mostly a good thing. Interesting look at how Bruce tries to fix things and messes some other things up when he and Dick are inadvertently sent back in time.

that which you cannot bear by britishparty
There is no backup for the Signal.

Duke reminds himself of this regularly, like a prayer through gritted teeth: there's no one to catch him if he slips, to replace him if he stops. So the Signal can't give up. Just can't, like an immutable law, an undeniable truth. He has to win every fight. There isn't any other option.

Duke Thomas makes himself invincible. Untouchable.

Then he loses. This is a really great look at Duke, at what it means to be the day shift in a city where everyone else on the team works at night, to be a meta when no one else is, and how he deals with all of it.

To the Moving and the Strange by SilverSkiesAtMidnight
"I remember a great many things. But I have forgotten things too, and I expect as time goes on, more of them will slip away from me, and it's entirely possible that I won’t even notice they're gone. My memories of them will simply be… less."

Dick looks at him, studying the lines of his weathered face. "Does that ever make you feel like... like if you loved them more, you'd remember them?" *gross sobbing*

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Star Wars

backwards but with speed by beyond_belief
5 meetings between Obi-Wan and Ventress.

Forgetting by Killbothtwins
Look, if you woke up in a spaceship with no memories, wouldn't you make some guesses about who you were? If some of those assumptions happen to be wrong, well...

Obi-Wan, Anakin, Ahsoka, Rex, and Cody have amnesia. Hilarious!

Salt From the Barren Sea by Destina
Obi-Wan spent ten years in lonely contemplation of the unresolved past. Now he is in exile once again - but this time Qui-Gon is there to help him see the past, and himself, more clearly. Coda to the series. Lovely and melancholy.

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