Fic Recs: Found Family

For the Found Families square of my gen prompt bingo card! 3 fic recs, to be updated if/when I read more. Enjoy, and if you read anything you like don't forget to thank the author :)

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after the (radioactive) dust settles by strix_alba (Stranger Things, Gen, El/Mike, Will/Mike, 40577 words)

Series of post-season 2 fics. The first is about Max and El and the beginnings of ~Friendship~, the second is a Mike/Will & Mike/El slow burn that focuses mostly on Will’s recovery and relationships in general, and the third picks up some threads that were left hanging by the first two and ties them up with a series of rotating POVs. The last two are when the found family feels fully kick in but I wholeheartedly recommend all three anyway for being sweet and heartwarming and a rare case of ‘better as friends’ that actually feels entirely genuine.

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Stay Lost on our Way Home by CurlicueCal (Homestuck, Gen, 41672 words)

Your name is Auto-Responder.

You are 95% certain that you are the worst possible person to be placed in charge of a small child. Even if that child did start life as a guardian-ninja-bunny companion-bot.

Also your friends are assholes and the universe hates you.

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In which AR gets left behind, dumped into a dystopian universe of cast offs, and has to deal with a dangerous new world and a troublesome new body all alone.

Well. Not completely alone.

I may or may not have *just* read that one in one sitting xD Great worldbuilding, great characterization narration included (Strider rambles everywhere), and a fantastic exploration of AIs & bots dealing with FLESH VESSELS and also FEELINGS despite asking for NEITHER OF THOSE THINGS.

First in a series, can stand on its own, but tbh the only reason why I’m not reccing the whole thing is bc I’m not caught up yet.

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World Keeps Turning by Sholio (Stranger Things, Gen, 4966 words)

More 2x09 post-battle aftermath, in which Steve has a concussion and an unruly pack of kids to look after, and everyone ends up at Hopper's cabin.

More post-season 2 (though I guess it’s less post-season 2 and more pre-epilogue missing scene? technically? potato-potato?) goodness. Sholio’s fics are always good for found family feels but this is the one I keep coming back to because 1)unexpected sleepovers 2)ensemble fic(!) and 3)character growth & heartfelt moments.

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