leclairage | TFILF Day 5

It’s one shot day! I’ve picked two jewel-like fics that do wonderful things with a small word count.

IDW Lost Light, Misfire/Swerve

Rated T

Misfire finds Swerve after Ratchet’s funeral and has a proposal for him. This is part of a sad-universe-Lost Light fix-it series and the pacing is absolutely stunning. Towards the end there’s a particular line that I swear felt like a bass drop. It’s so hard get the kind of build-up of suspense and emotion in so short a time, and it’s just so special. The fic is also sweet and romantic and cathartic and full of delightful, surprising details.

Not to guess, but to know by

veto_power_over_clocks

IDW Lost Light, Gen

Rated G

Brainstorm tries building new hands for Ratchet. This is such a subtle fic. I reread it few times while I was commenting on it and it was so tough because I kept finding new things to talk about! All the themes and thorny questions are so delicately intertwined that you almost don’t notice until the emotions are bowling you over. One of my favorite things is that Ratchet isn’t perfect. Part of what he’s working through is his own prejudice, and that doesn’t get sugar-coated. This is one of those works that really influenced how I think about the characters and themes in canon.

For more info on the Transformers Iacon Literary Festival, check out the original post here.