fic recs snowflake challenge day 03 & 4

[kaixo]

This post is for itsadrizzit. We were talking about fandom and the types of fics we like to read. I'm of the opinion that fandom fests tend to force people to do their best work, because they have to write clearly, and be less indulgent because (a) they are writing for someone else and (b) most times they have betas and a tight turn around which forces the stories to be better. Her fandom wish list wherein she wanted curated fic recs, I bring gifts.

All this fic is football RPF. Miscellaneous pairings. Please read ratings, warnings, etc at the source. Please leave comment at source if you feel moved.

• who caught and sang the sun in flight it's not as though you've never considered it, leaving, playing somewhere else, living some other version of this life. but each time, you've consoled yourself with eventually, eventually.eventually arrives earlier than you expect. Francesco Totti, the last kaiser, steps down from his throne. Totti is Roma, has always been Roma, so what happens when he realises that he can't be Roma anymore? This was written by the incomparable ourseparatedcities. It's poetic, it's all your past, present and futures at once. It is eternity. The second person might feel a bit giddy in the first paragraph, but keep at it, there's a time when it just clicks and you realise that the story couldn't have been written any other way

All The Things I Just Can't Keep Joe goes to Italy. He doesn't say goodbye. Not to Sergio. Not to anyone. Confession: I'm not a fan of Joe Hart nor Man City, but I do like this fic. Justkisa gets it. The feeling of betrayal when you're pushed out of home before you're ready to leave. The vague, floating feeling of being abroad of trying to come to grips with everything, and how the nice things that come from living abroad (learning a language, living somewhere new) can be dimmed by the fact that you weren't ready, that you don't belong. Then when you return home, you realise that the space you inhabited has grown over/disappeared, so at the end, you're a citizen of no-where and in limbo

• Those Who Favor Fire The Cold has claimed the world and Fernando doesn't expect to find warmth ever again. Serio Ramos/ Fernando Torres.
  This story is BLEAK. Apocalyptic ice age, no sunshine- and the ending is ambiguous, but I chose to read it as happy. So there.


• All In White Two trophyless seasons that redefine Real Madrid. Iker Casillas/Sergio Ramos. Is this story kinda... bitter? Yes, it is. In the way that Real Madrid as an entity can be crushing to its players and clubs


• The Future Perfect Gareth's an English instructor, Real Madrid are his students, no one ever does their homework. Gareth Bale/Cristiano Ronaldo. I liked this story because of the ESL angle and the writer has a gentle and funny sense of humour


• The Thin Line Between Love And Love Raúl and Fernando are happy together until they come face to face with the ghosts from their past. Sergio Ramos/Fernando Torres


• The Circle Game During the World Cup, Jan tells Mousa that he's thinking about transferring to Barcelona. Jan Vertonghen/ Mousa Dembele The fic traces their relationship from boys to men and their career paths along the way. The fic is lovely in the best way of the word. A fic about made families, the binds that stretch and stretch but never breaks. The author notes are a good read too


• Put an ocean and a river between everything, yourself and home Life resembles a novel more often than novels resemble life. - George Sand.
  Or in which they realize there's certain kind of love between them after all. Steven Gerrard/Xabi Alonso. Listennnnnnnnn. Gerlonso is my catnip, my jam. This is a fic with these men in the Twilight of their careers - Steven Gerrard, the prince who stayed at a decaying kingdom, Xabi Alonso, the nomad/mercenary who found gold in other kingdoms - but at times, he thinks it might be tin. *clap hands emoji* This story made me BLEED in the best way


• When I am With You, There’s No Place I’d Rather Be Four times Khiry impulsively touched Mix’s hair and two times he very deliberately touched Mix’s hair.It's MLS fic, that's all I got, Drizzit. The writer is a good one, going by her past works, but I haven't read the fic. But I'm putting it here


• coalition government How do you know Professor Guardiola, Herr Lahm? Philip Lahm/Pep Guardiola. What I like is how European this fic feels in terms of government, policy, etc. The characters feel like themselves, even though the fic is entirely too short


• It Fits Me In football, if you’re unhappy, you’re never lucky, Marcelo says. After the transfer to Manchester United falls through, Navas realises how true it is. Keylor Navas/Marcelo Viera. Written by me. Because somehow, I keep getting Real Madrid prompts in exchanges for some strange reason. I'm including this one because I know that itsadrizzit likes RM fanfic!


• Good Timing a futurefic AU in which Stevie is a commentator and Xabi is Real Madrid’s manager and they finally, finally get together. And here we are. Gerlonso - Porny AF, but brilliant. It's plotty and funny. (tumblr link. If someone can give me an AO3 link that would be lovely)

Comments

[itsadrizzit]

Cheers for these.

I've gotten through the first three and they were definitely MADE FOR ME recommendations. That Casillas/Ramos fic hit me in feelings I thought were LONG DEAD AND GONE. Like...I THOUGHT I WAS OVER THIS, BUT YET!

Looking forward to the rest.