An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Fic rec! 40K (series), Batfam
Summary: Tim tries to figure out what to do after his father's attempt to discipline him goes too far.
Comments: What I really liked about this fic is how quick Tim catches on to this is not right and gets help from Bruce instead of letting things happen. The first fic is focused on Tim physically healing, while the second is the emotional journey he goes through with different people, pulling apart his feelings about his dad and himself with everyone from Ives to Bruce to Young Justice. There’s a lot of tears and hard conversations in this, but I loved seeing Tim with a large support network, but also how each ‘reveal and talk’ was a different facet of things so it never felt like I was reading the same conversation twice.
Finally got further on my Quest To Actually Watch...
I very much do not like that movie. Only Age of Ultron is worse IMO.
I was not a fan of Age of Ultron either yeah.
It’s funny because based on what I had seen on The Internet my understanding was by the end of Civil War I would be either Team Iron Man (and hate the other side with a violent passion) or Team Captain America (and hate the other side with a violent passion), because the bits and pieces I picked up around the internet made the movie sound very black and white. So I watched with the notion that I was gonna end up firmly siding with one side or the other.
But I was just kind of watching in growing slack-jawed bewilderment as I realized that both sides are equally stupid and the whole thing is just a contrived premise to get Captain America and Iron Man to beat the shit out of each other to the tune of box office millions.
In conclusion, both sides are idiots, they could have fixed the whole thing in five minutes if both sides just communicated and listened, and I was not impressed. Although I did love Spider-man, Ant-man, Black Panther, and the goofy ribbing between Sam and Bucky so little bits here and there were still entertaining I guess.
And On the Mend is finally wrapped up! It was so great to draw for this fic ;) I loved chatting about the au universe and getting peeks at the rough draft process from @maychorian, thank you :3 And special giveaway info below the cut!
So I ended up making... way too many pieces of art for On the Mend. @maychorian and I each picked out a few to keep, and want to share the rest with OtM readers in the US (sorry I can’t afford to send out lots of international packages >.<)
Some of the final pieces were pieced together / colored digitally some physical pieces look a bit different :z
Icy’s 30 Days of Thanks Day #5: Dancing Around a Minefield by maychorian
It’s important to show appreciation for all things both big and small. As part of the giving season for the month of November I wanted to extend some shoutouts to 30 fanfictions that I’ve read and loved ♥
I would like to thank them for the joy they’ve brought me, the laughs, the tears, the curses, the stomach curdles, the winces, the flinches, the “yessss,” the squeaks, the squeals, the arm flailing and of course the time, effort and love they have given these stories and for sharing them with us all.
All shoutouts are tagged as Icy30DaysofThanks (cough, if Tumblr would be so kind to actually work >>) for you to peruse. Please be sure to give these authors the love and thanks they deserve with a comment, a follow, a rec, a reblog… thank you ♥
Day #5
Dancing Around a Minefield by @maychorian
Summary: Lance and Keith are searching a Galra lab together when an unexpected phobia rears its head.
My notes: I am always down for some good platonic Klance and this delivers in spades. I headcanon too that Keith had some bad experiences with doctors who *had* to have discovered this boy’s blood is not normal (at the very least discovered when he was entering the Garrison during a physical) and this take on it was so, so so good.
First comes whump and angst and then comes comfort with heavy doses still of angst. The timeline for this fic too is in one of my favorite spots where Shiro is still missing and Keith is the leader and this poor thing never wanted that role but he’s trying his best. This was a stress and a moment he did not need but Lance really rises the occasion, both during and after.
I will add I don’t mind needles (thank goodness >>) but this still made me feel a bit twitchy after. Good thing there were so many comfort moments after! ♥
Space is lonely. There’s no way around it. Hunk has spentmore time in the company of sentient space machines than he has actual people.The Castle sprawls vast, empty corridors ringing with the whisper of ghosts,rooms empty and awaiting guests that will never return. It’s easy to get losthere; Hunk has explored the derelict belly of the Castle only to be forced tosleep there when he couldn’t locate the correct door to get him back to thewarmth of human companionship. Now, he stays above. Stays close.
Hunk is lonely but at least he’s not the only one.
There are few places that Hunk tends to linger, but thekitchen and the Yellow Lion hangar are his usual haunts. Yellow provides lowand sleepy commentary but she’s not the best conversationalist. Lance orbitsnear on a continuous basis, constant chatter chasing away the quiet, and Hunkrelaxes. Continues the conversation when Lance lags. Subtly begs forcompanionship with a soft hum of interest or a question that bids Lance comecloser.
Hunk’s tinkering with one of Yellow’s cannons when Lanceflops down beside him, shoulder shoved into Hunk’s ribs, limbs sprawled inclumsy if endearing disarray. “I’m bored.”
“I’m busy,” Hunk says, grinning when Lance blows out anexasperated breath.
The silence catches afterwards, startling Hunk from hisdelicate wire work, and he glances down at Lance’s bowed head. Silence meanspensiveness means loneliness. Hunk clears his throat. “What did you get up totoday?”
Still no answer. Lance settles closer, arms crossed, weightheavy against Hunk’s side. The quiet tickles at the bundle of anxiety in Hunk’schest. He swallows, squinting down at the wires instead, giving his handssomething to do so his throat won’t shout his unease to the room. Yellow hums aloose enquiry but Hunk waves her off. Even though Lance is silent, he’s still here, which is almost enough.
The quiet stretches, interspersed by Hunk fiddling with hismachines, or Lance’s quiet breathing and the subtle shift of clothing. It irks,the silence. It digs festering little claws into Hunk’s heart. He licks his lips.Words gather on his tongue but blow away with every shuddery exhale. He hatesthis. He hunches forward.
“Think I’m gonna nap,” Lance finally says. Relief startlesHunk into sitting straighter, allowing Lance to slide down until his shouldersare cushioned on Hunk’s hip and his head is resting in the curve of Hunk’swaist. There’s nothing more, no continuation to the conversation. Hunk settles.Lance has aired permission for Hunk to take what he needs from Lance’s company. The anxiety easesand Hunk returns to tinkering.
For Whump Bingo, how about "Breathing hard to concentrate through the pain" with Lance and Allura, your choice which to whump.
I have yet again failed at being short, but I had fun with the story.
his is for Wump Bingo! Here is the post, and here’s my progress.
Allura tried not to be obvious, but she kept glancing at Lance out of the corner of her eye. Something seemed not quite right with him, and Allura couldn’t put her finger on what it was exactly. He had been a bit snappish the day before and quiet for most of the morning, but no one else seemed to have noticed anything.
He probably could have skipped the current meeting if he wasn’t feeling well. They were reviewing strike plans with one of the rebel cells via the video comm, but they weren’t planning on being present for the strike. They had learned quickly that it was best to be well briefed when major strikes happened, even if they weren’t going to be there. Being called in for back-up and having no idea what was going on was incredibly stressful.
She or Shrio could have simply briefed Lance later though if it became necessary. He seemed to be getting worse, his fingers wrapped tightly around the edge of the table projecting the star map, and an unusual pallor to his face. She had caught him several times squeezing his eyes shut and taking deep, shuddering breaths, as if he was in pain. Allura didn’t think he had been injured in their last skirmish, but she would have to check with him when they were done.
The meeting dragged, every detail being visited and revisited. Many of the rebel cells were still nervous about undertaking large missions without Voltron there to back them up. Lance was trying hard to follow, but he hadn’t contributed anything to the conversation, which was odd for him. It was a relief when the meeting finally ended.
Allura followed Lance out of the briefing room and lost sight of him when he rounded a corner. When she rounded the same corner, she found him leaning heavily against the wall, eyes tightly shut and trying to breath deep.
“Lance!” Allura hurried to his side, putting a hand on his shoulder to help steady him, “what’s wrong?”
Lance straightened and gave her a tight smile, “just a headache, Princess. Nothing to worry about.”
“You’re obviously not well,” Allura frowned at him.
“Yeah,” Lance admitted, pressing the heels of his palms against his eyes, “I should probably go lay down somewhere quiet and dark for a while.”
It was obvious to Allura that this wasn’t just a headache, but if Lance was going to go rest, she wasn’t going to argue with him.
“I’ll walk you to your room, then go see if Coran has any pain medication that might help,” Allura slipped her arm through Lance’s.
“You don’t have to do that,” Lance protested even as he leaned into Allura.
“Really, it’s no problem,” Allura assured him.
They didn’t make it to Lance’s room. The alarms started blaring, and Allura barely had time to process them before Lance collapsed to the ground, bracing himself on his hands and knees as he vomited on the floor.
“What’s wrong?” Allura dropped to her knees beside him, arm wrapping around his shoulders to help support him.
Lance didn’t answer, curling in on himself once he stopped heaving and covering his ears with shaking hands.
“Princess, we need you on the bridge,” Coran called through her comm, “we have in coming fighters.”
“Something’s wrong with Lance,” Allura reported back, “he’s collapsed.”
“I’ll be fine,” Lance ground out between clenched teeth, “you need to go.”
Allura narrowed her eyes at him, considering her options, then squared her shoulders decisively.
“I’m taking Lance to the infirmary, then I’ll be up on the bridge,” Allura reported to Coran, “keep me updated on the situation.”
“`llura, you need to go help the others,” Lance protested as Allura helped him back to his feet, “it’s just a migraine. I’ll be fine.”
“Everyone is going to feel much better and be less distracted if you’re safely in the infirmary,” Allura looped his arm around her neck, but he was still unsteady, and she was in a hurry, “I’m going to carry you.”
She didn’t given him time to protest, scooping him up and hurrying in the direction of the infirmary. Lance groaned and clutched at her shoulders, pressing her face into the crook of her neck.
Coran informed her that the other Lions had launched, and they were facing a sizable fleet. They would need her help, either in Blue Lion or providing an escape route for them. They weren’t sure which yet.
Just as she was laying Lance on the infirmary bed, Shiro called for her on the comm.
“Princess, what’s your ETA, and is there any chance of getting Lance out here?” Shiro asked, “it’s getting pretty heavy.”
Lance curled on his side as soon as she let him go, pressing his hands back to his ears and closing his eyes against the flashing lights.
“ETA five minutes,” Allura reported, hand dropping to stroke Lance’s hair, “I don’t believe Lance will be able to pilot. He said something about a… migraine?”
“Oh man,” Hunk cut across the line, “there’s no way he can pilot like that. He probably doesn’t even have his meds with him.”
“He requires medication?” Allura’s hand stopped its motion in alarm.
There were a great many things she didn’t understand about human biology, but they seemed so fragile to her sometimes. If Lance needed a medication they were unable to replicate, she wasn’t sure what they would do.
“I’ll be fine,” Lance made a clumsy attempt to push her away, but immediately groaned and covered his ears again, “just go already.”
“It’s not life threatening,” Pidge explained hastily, “it sucks, but it’s safe to leave him, and we really need you out here.”
Allura frowned down at Lance. She hated leaving him like this, but if her Paladins said it was safe, she trusted them.
“On my way,” Allura confirmed, but hesitated just a moment longer.
It was obvious the flashing lights and blare of the alarm were making Lance’s pain worse. In a quick motion, Allura brought up the controls for the room, shutting off the speakers and dimming the lights.The sirens were still screaming out in the hall, but at least they were muffled in the infirmary now.
Lance seemed to relax at least marginally.
“Stay here,” Allura smoothed his hair back from his forehead, pressing a kiss to his temple, “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
She didn’t look back as she ran from the room. The sooner she was able to launch in Blue, the sooner they would be able to rid themselves of their attackers and care for Lance.
It was dark and quiet when Lance woke up, and the room was pleasantly cool. He shifted under the warm blanket he was curled under, trying to figure out if he could get away with sleeping another fifteen minutes. He was a bit fuzzy on where he was, but he had a vague memory of Coran giving him something to help with the migraine. After that he didn’t really remember much of anything.
“Lance, are you awake?”
Lance opened his eyes and blinked a bit sluggishly at Allura, sitting in a chair next to his cot with a tablet in her hand. He nodded and pushed himself up right, relieved that the migraine was completely gone. He must have been asleep for a while for that to happen though.
“Coran apologizes for the dosage,” Allura poked a straw into a hydration pouch and offered it to him, “he gave you a bit more of the pain medication then he should have. He’s still working on exact dosages for you humans.”
“Feeling kind of groggy,” Lance admitted, taking a grateful sip, “the headache is gone though. Is everyone alright? There was an alarm, wasn’t there?”
“Everyone is fine,” Allura assured him, “we were able to fend off the attack, and we’ve moved the ship to a more secure location. We’ve been quite worried about you though. Hunk said this has happened before, and you require medication.”
“I don’t require medication,” Lance shook his head, “I have medication at home that helps if I take it when I first notice symptoms. It helps with the pain and nausea, and it makes the migraines shorter. It doesn’t hurt me not to have it though.”
At Allura’s raised eyebrow, he back pedaled a bit.
“Well, it hurts,” he amended, “it just doesn’t do any damage. I’m sorry about the throwing up and I’m really sorry about not being able to pilot. Everything is so…” he waved his hands vaguely, unable to think of a way to explain without it sounding like whining, that he was always kind of sore, always pretty tired, so it didn’t really register when it got worse, “I didn’t recognize the warning signs that I was getting one until it started, and it probably wouldn’t have mattered. It’s not like anything has ever stopped them from happening.”
“Drink that. Coran says hydration will help with the grogginess,” Allura leaned her arms on the edge of the cot and tapped the pouch with a finger; Lance took an obedient sip, “it’s hardly your fault you were ill. You needn’t feel bad about that. Coran would like to work with you on a medication that will manage the pain without sedating you quite so heavily, but perhaps if you told us what to watch for, we could help you keep an eye out for early symptoms.”
Lance rubbed a hand down his face, feeling embarrassed by both the attention and by having been so weak in front of the princess.
“It’s really okay,” he tried to allay her concerns, “I hardly ever get them anymore. I haven’t had one in like a year and a half.”
“Hunk mentioned that,” Allura nodded, “and he also mentioned that he believed stress could trigger these migraines, and stress is something we have in abundance.”
Of course Hunk had told them about that. It had been the first migraine he had gotten after Hunk and Lance had moved to the Garrison. Unlike any of the previous times Hunk had been around Lance when it happened, he hadn’t been able to just take Lance home to his mom and grandma. He had fussed over Lance for days.
Hunk wasn’t wrong though. Lance got migraines much less frequently then he had when he was younger, but stress had been a consistent trigger for him, and Allura was right as well. They had stress in spades. That wasn’t going to change, so Lance was just going to have to figure out how to deal with them without impacting the team too much.
“You really don’t need to worry about it,” Lance rubbed the back of his neck; it was probably going to be sore for a couple days, but that was normal for him, “I’ll keep a closer eye on it, and I’ll talk to Coran. Usually, if I can take something for it before it gets to bad, I can keep it from getting so bad I can’t function.”
“Lance,” Allura huffed, folding her hand over top of one of his, “it’s not just that. You were in a great deal of pain. If we can help minimize that, then we want to.”
Lance felt his cheeks heat up a bit. He must have really worried Allura, and it did really suck to get migraines and have to deal with them on his own.
“Thanks,” he ducked his head.
Allura squeezed his hand and smiled up at him.
“So finish drinking your hydration pouch,” Allura reminded him, “and tell me how these migraines work.”
Lance sucked on the straw, purposely making a loud slurping sound and Allura smiled. She leaned back in her chair, settling back to listen.
Everything, Lance decided, was much less daunting with a princess on his side.
Thanks @maychorian for your beautiful fics! They all have a special place in my heart. I really love Shiro being a big brother to Lance :’) I hope you like this :D
