Rec the Thing

The Old Guard Reverse Bang 2022 RECS

My last set of recs from where I have slowly made my way through all the Joe/Nicky stories. Reminder: I won't be reading or reccing every story due to personal taste! Also, I tend not to rec WIPS no matter how beautifully written to this point. ALL the stories are worth checking out for the gorgeous artwork, regardless!

Title: But You're Screaming So Loud by everyshootingstar, Art by QueenofBadOmens
Summary: Someone's taking photos of Nicky, and while that seems a very mundane thing, it doesn't feel like it. There's large quantities of them, traveling at the speed of light to somewhere and while it seems harmless at first, Nicky still feels off-center by the amount of photos, all of him, in different places, days and times. What starts out as a relaxing vacation, quickly turns into something so much more.
Rec: After the events at Merricks all Joe and Nicky want to do is relax and be together but they cannot seem to catch a break as someone is stalking Nicky. I love the softness between Joe and Nicky, the obvious love for each other, the teasing. Also love how much they need their family, Nile and Andy, who come as soon as they call for help. The story has a slow build that adds to the tension and a final showdown. Lovely art by QueenofBadOmens is placed in the story where it has the most impact.

Title: Bad Beginnings by Wind_Ryder, Art by ZairaA
Series: Beginnings, Middles, Ends
Summary: Nicolò cannot die. It is a punishment, he knows. A curse. He sinned on crusade, and for that he must serve penance. He must repent, go on pilgrimage, and fast to purge himself of the evil he has wrought. There is another man, another one who cannot die. Their first meetings and deaths are bloody and violent. Nicolò wishes, desperately to be left alone to serve his penance as he sees fit. Destiny intends differently.
Rec: This follows Nicolò from how and why he became part of the invading army, why he committed some of the atrocities, and how he tried - and still tries - so hard to make amends for his actions. The imagery is quite brutal in places, of how he mistreats himself physically due to starvation and PTSD, but also of how he and Joe slowly move from that bad beginning to some form of acceptance of the other. It is part of a series of three stories posted for this same Reverse Bang challenge. The stories that follow expand first on Nicolò and Yusuf learning to live, accept, and eventually fall in love with each other. The final part brings us to Merrick's and Nile's view of their relationship and her struggle to balance her knowledge and feelings. It is all beautifully written and compelling. It works well with the lovely art in the first part.

Title: Hay más tiempo que vida (There is more time than life) by astraea215 and sassy_wartime_nun (and Art)
Summary: When Andromache the Scythian leaves Sydney bound for San Francisco, she leaves a life and a home behind. Her hatred, she carries with her. 1912. The twentieth century is just getting started. Andy has rejoined her boys after several decades apart, and everything should be great. Except - Booker is facing the hundredth anniversary of his death. Joe and Nicky are caught up in the ideological promise of a new mission. And Andy... something is very wrong with Andy, but she won't tell them what. Can they reforge their connections with each other, or will grief and the crucible of the Mexican Revolution drive them further apart?
Rec: This builds on the comics and a period of Andy's life from when she had fallen in love and married Achilles in Australia only to see him murdered as an old man by his own neighbors turning against him. It deals with Andy's grief, her loss of faith in humanity, and how she slowly finds a way out of that rage of grief. Beautifully written story and lovely artwork.

Title: A Different Game by thevorpalsword, Art by beepbeepsan
Summary: The last thing she ever expected in hiring a bunch of thieves was to end up participating in the grift herself. But honestly? It may be the best decision Nile's ever made. After all, justice was denied her when she tried the legal channels. It looks like she might have a little more luck stealing it herself.
Rec: This is a Leverage AU. I have never watched a single episode of that show but I know the format. This is all from Nile's point of view, and I loved her thoughts about the grift and the people (thieves) who were there to help her find justice for herself and her army colleagues from a shady senator and Merrick Pharmaceuticals experimentation. The backstory is told during the action, adding to the whole story in an interesting way. The artwork is gorgeous!

Title: Dance Your Way To My Heart by spacewitchqueen, Art by ZairaA
Summary: Nicky and Nile are ballet dancer at Andy's dance school. When a new choreographer arrives, Nicky and him get off on the wrong foot and miscommunication ensues. Can they find their own rhythm and work together? Maybe with a bit of help.
Rec: I know nothing about ballet or dancing but this did not stop me from enjoying all the misunderstandings and the eventual moment when they figure it out and get together. It's a sweet romance story with some lovely artwork by ZairaA.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

The Old Guard Reverse Bang 2022 RECS

Some more recs from where I am slowly making my way through all the wonderful stories. Please note: I won't be reading or reccing every story due to personal taste! Also, I tend not to rec WIPS no matter how beautifully written to this point. ALL the stories are worth checking out for the gorgeous artwork, regardless!

Title: The Road to Malta by xJane, Art by Hoax
Summary: They are enemies at the gates of al-Quds. But it's a long road to Malta...
Rec: This is their journey from al-Quds (Jerusalem) to Malta, learning about each other along the way. Learning to communicate, workign through misunderstandings, and slowly moving from enemies to travel companions to friends and finally to lovers. Well written and contains some beautiful pieces of art by Hoax.

Title: Did you walk on water just to save me? by BeesKnees, Art by Nele
Summary: Quynh is lost but not for long. Andromache, Yusuf, and Nicolo save her this time.
Rec: This is a canon divergence story where they discover where Quynh was dropped into the ocean and, within weeks of her being tossed overboard, she is rescued. The intensity of the search and how it affects each of them is beautifully written. I loved how Quynh is the one who reminds them of the beauty in the world, making them all take a long break to enjoy life. I like how Andy is the one who reaches Booker, stopping him from returning to his family with her words but all of them watching over Booker's family until the end.

Title: And the Waves Will Never Weep by Bodgei, Art by ZairaA
Summary: Joe thought he had lost his soulmate. Will a search for a myth show him love he could never imagine?
Rec: I adore stories about mythological beings, especially mer-people. Loved the mythology, with Joe's tears bringing his true soulmate swimming from the deep, and all the action after Nicky (the merman) is captured. Lots of angst but with a happy ending.

Title: Blessed be the Day by linx91, nolimepercipere, Art by Zambetta
Summary: "Do you ever wonder what it would have been like to meet when we were that age?"
Nicolò shakes his head at him fondly and follows suit. "At that age, I was already in the monastery. It would have been impossible for us to meet like that."
"Don't ruin my fantasy with your common sense!"
"Do tell me, then, love. How would we have met?"
Rec: Joe and Nicky are in Florence around 1470. The story follows them meeting back up after spending a short time apart. I love all the descriptions of the city and its people, and of the workshop where Yusuf talks of an apprentice, Leonardo, with extraordinary talent. I love all the sweet moments between them but also when they go to the aid of a young man being attacked.

RECS Part 1: https://recthething.dreamwidth.org/102022.html