recs and links

"I thought you lived in poverty, monk," he said the first time, touching the edge of the bowl resting in Chirrut’s open palms. “Poverty, yes.” Chirrut sipped the soup and hid his smile behind the bowl. “Starvation is not required.” “A flexible religion.” Baze’s voice was dry and just slightly edged with amusement. “In my experience, that’s the best kind.” Chirrut laughed aloud. “We’ll get along well, then.” really lovely backstory for Baze/Chirrut.

Leia learns to cook, and food is an expression of love. Oh my heart.

Leia ruminates on a happy memory. *sobs*

Jo and Laurie reunite in New York. OTP OF OTPS. *happy sigh*

"It is not such a bad match, Lord Vader and your daughter." "I - " he sputters, his mask slipping. She raises an eyebrow, an unmistakable cue. A test. He must tread carefully. "I had not thought of that," he says honestly, mentally kicking himself. Leia looks so very much like her mother. Vader dances(!!!) with Leia; Bail has palpitations.

Chirrut gets arrested and Baze breaks him out of prison.

PUPPY ♥

GROSS SOBBING

It has become a ritual they both find soothing, here in this new place: something they can rely on to stay the same, when everything else has changed. For Rey, Finn knows, it is a chance to remind herself that she has, at long last, someone who truly cares for her above all other things. For Finn, it is a chance to turn his deadly hands to a task which is only and purely about love. So every morning, clean and dressed and nearly ready for the day, Rey sits down on the little stool beside the bed and Finn picks up the soft-bristled brush from their nightstand and begins, slowly and gently, to brush her hair. Soft and lovely slice of domestic Finn/Rey.

He thought that when she left, he would finally be able to concentrate. But instead he finds himself thinking of her all the time, even when doing the most mundane things. He thinks of Inej when he keeps the books, remembering those afternoons they used to spend together as she fed the crows and laughed to her heart’s content and he basked in the glow of her happiness. He thinks of her when he gets in a tussle, remembers the number of times she counseled him to have mercy. He thinks of her when he walks past the Menagerie, and reminds himself that he cannot burn it down until she is around to see. Kaz and Inej make small but meaningful progress together. Oh heart.

Kaz knows he’s goading her, sees the anger rise inside her, but he has never had any comfort to offer her, only the cold truth of the way of life they have both chosen, are both inextricably linked to. And it will have to be enough. Inej develops a reputation on the high seas.

This is so lovely. Baze and Chirrut would make such great dads.

'You're not a doctor, are you?' 'I'm a monk,' said Chirrut, and patted him on the chest. 'So if you die from your wounds, I'll know what to do with your spirit.' Adorable story where Baze and Chirrut meet for the first time on an Imperial prison transport ship.

Lovely look at Wedge Antilles.

Chirrut held the staff before him, balancing it on a single finger. “Neither too heavy nor too light. Do you see, Baze? Balance is vital. Mortal beings require the world of the material to survive.” He tilted the staff one way, so it yawed over his finger toward the ground. “We require food, shelter, and companionship to maintain our bodies. But too far, and we kill our spirits.” He shifted the staff back to a perfect horizontal above the pavement. “On the other end, our souls require nourishment as well. We require faith, belief, trust, love. We require calm in the midst of the storm.” He let the staff overbalance to the other side. “Yet if we focus exclusively on these, our physical form withers and dies.” He returned the staff to the ground. Chirrut finds a way to live and hope and bring hope to others after the Empire comes to power. Lovely.

Poe pines obliviously until Finn and Rey finally clue him in. Lovely.

In which Bucky signs up to teach a self-defense class. Oh heart.

Leia makes Finn an offer. *sobs* This is so lovely.

Really lovely AU where Harry comes back to Hogwarts as the DADA professor and finds some contentment for himself.

Hilariously in character Rivers of London/Discworld crossover. Oh Peter. It's a good thing he's pretty unflappable.

It means harnessing the one-two-punch power of Critical Thinking and Empathy, which not coincidentally are also the names of each of Uncle Joe Biden’s malarky-thumpin’ fists.

Finn thinks if all three of them ever got to be in the same space together at the same time, they might have something. Adorably matter-of-fact Finn/Rey/Poe.

Really beautiful story about Bodhi Rook and love and grief.

An ode to The West Wing, presented by The West Wing Weekly podcast. Lyrics and vocals by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Music by Hrishikesh Hirway. Download this track: http://thewestwingweekly.com/whatsnext

Everyone lives AU where Chirrut and Baze are rescued by secret Jedi. Very cute.

In the midst of her training, Luke takes Rey to several planets and shows her something of the galaxy (and his past). Lovely.

Soft and lovely story of Steve and Natasha being there when Bucky comes out of cryo in Wakanda.

Sweet, lovely Finn/Rey/Poe.

Reprogramming, making new friends, and committing high treason--K-2SO has had a strange day. Perfect little snippet about Kaytoo's reprogramming.

“Hush,” Chirrut murmured against his mouth. “I am not the one talking.” “I can hear your thoughts.” Chirrut’s fingers slipped beneath his collar. “Be here with me.” “When have I ever been anywhere else?” Baze asked, and kissed the answer from Chirrut’s mouth. Chirrut likes to tell stories about how he and Baze got married. *sobs*