More Joy Day

[out_there]

I missed more joy day, so instead I'm going to rec two stories that have given me joy this week.

The first is a Erik/Charles XMFC AU, Politico, because sometimes what I really want is a gay mutant version of West Wing, complete with party loyalties and complicated situations that don't have easy answers (no matter how strongly you believe in the principles, the real world is never so easy or clean) and plenty of snark! It's a really satisfying story:

Politico (62531 words) by cygnaut
Chapters: 9/9
Fandom: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier
Characters: Erik Lehnsherr, Emma Frost, Armando Muñoz, Scott Summers, Charles Xavier, Hank McCoy, Angel Salvadore, Azazel (X-Men), Irene Adler (X-Men)
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Still Have Powers, Alternate Universe - Politics, Genosha, what political system is this anyway, Mutant Politics, Canon Disabled Character, Online Dating, Background Darwin/Alex, gay mutant West Wing, Finished WIP
Series: Part 1 of Politics and Prose
Summary:

Modern Genosha Politics AU. In which Erik is l'enfant terrible of the mutant National Assembly, and his staff just wants to get him laid.

***

Second is a Mycroft/Lestrade story. Full disclosure -- I did help beta this -- but it's an interesting Groundhog Day /time loop type story that I really enjoyed reading and I think you guys will too.

Time Slips (32264 words) by mezzo_cammin
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Sherlock (TV)
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Mycroft Holmes/Greg Lestrade
Characters: Mycroft Holmes, Greg Lestrade, Sherlock Holmes, John Watson, Anthea (Sherlock), Sally Donovan, Sir Edwin (Sherlock)
Additional Tags: Established Relationship, Angst with a Happy Ending, Background Sherlock Holmes/John Watson - Freeform, Protective Greg Lestrade, Protective Mycroft Holmes, BAMF Mycroft Holmes
Summary:

This fic is my response to the question,"What would Mycroft Holmes do to rescue Greg Lestrade from the very determined arms of Death?"

The answer's obvious, isn't it? He'd do anything. Anything at all.

Hence, this is a time-loop fic in which Mycroft is jet-lagged, Eurus is creepy, Greg is quite wonderful until he dies (repeatedly, but also temporarily), Anthea is confused but supportive, the Prime Minister is kind, Sherlock and John are helpful (sort of), it rains an awful lot, Mycroft’s coat is very clean, and tomorrow is a new day.

Until it isn’t.

Comments

[silverusagi]

I've had Politico in my bookmarks 'to read' list for while! Someday...

[out_there]

I did too! But it's a lot of fun when you find the time.

[mezzo_cammin]

Thank you so much for the rec!

On the other story - do you have to know much canon to enjoy it? Or is it enough of an AU that I could just jump in? I have to say - 'a gay mutant version of West Wing, complete with party loyalties and complicated situations that don't have easy answers' sounds like something I might love! :)

[out_there]

There's cameos from people, but honestly, it's total AU fic set in a mutant-only nation so...

I'd say you need to canonically know that mutants exists, that there's bigotry and persecution (but, again, the AU sets out how that happens in this world) and that Charles is a telepath and Erik moves metal. The rest, you could totally pick up in context.

(Oh, maybe the Shaw thing. That Shaw ran a group of mutants and experimented on them, including Erik -- but I think that actually gets enough mention in passing that you'd pick it up on context.)

It's a richly described world. You could always try it, and just ask me if there's anything that leaves you stumped?

[that_mireille]

Ooh. I've now got the X-Men one sitting in a tab waiting for me to get some time where I am (a) at my computer and (b) able to read fic instead of work/write/etc.

[out_there]

It's worth it!

[anarfea]

You're the second person I've seen rec Time Slips this week. It's in my marked for later queue.

[out_there]

I do not usually recommend a story written in more than one POV, but it works really well here.

[anarfea]

Wow! I finally read this last night and then read it again today. It's great! Good job with the beta.

[out_there]

Good job with the beta.

It's been so long since I've beta-read. I feel like those mental muscles have atrophied.

[fjbryan]

"Marked for Later" and thank you for writing it.

[out_there]

Oh, I didn't write either of them! (But I did enjoy them, hence the rec.)