'...“Because life is one big joke,” Klaus replies with a grin.
Diego shakes his head, feeling a headache start to form, and drops the interrogation.'
Not gonna lie, there're some similarities between this week's fic rec, and last week's fic rec - albeit they're from different fandoms.
They both have ill characters being taken of by their brothers, though (in this case, Klaus is ill, Diego's headache didn't develop 😅.)
And they're both about troubled characters who have, nevertheless, snuck their way into our hearts.
But whereas last week's fic was about BBC's Sherlock, this week's is back with The Umbrella Academy and my precious Queen, Klaus Hargreeves.
...it's just that they both happen to be sick fics with messy fraternal relationships!
(Fangirling notes: sick fics/sickfics are pieces of fanfiction where an ill character is looked after by one or more other characters, usually in a comforting way.)
I admit it - I love sick fics
...Well, most of 'em - some are too graphic or too sappy for yours truly but *shrugs* every genre/subgenre/trope/whatever is varied in the execution.
Why do I love sick fics? Well, you know I never have one reason for anything, but one of the primary reasons is that they're excellent self-care.
There are many, many times in my life where I've felt sub-par.
To be honest, I think the last time I felt 100% ok - mentally and physically, at the same time - for a period of more than two weeks, was when I was thirteen or fourteen. That's over a decade ago.
And the world? It's not so kind to people who are 'always ill.'
So, yeah, it gives me the warm fuzzies to be presented with a character I care about - and relate to, because I relate to pretty much every character in some way (damn you empathy!) - being looked after when they're not ok.
Because a large portion of my life has been spent being Not Ok.
Fanfiction fills the gaps of media and literature (...with varying success, I grant you.)
So in our patriarchal society (oh yeah, I went there 😎,) which rewards a 'macho' and, ultimately, ableist narrative of prolonged illness being somehow a deficit in character (it's not,) fanfiction is there to pick up the slack.
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| Via Giphy |
Fanfiction says:
It's ok. It's ok to struggle with normal stuff like a bad cold - see, even superheroes get colds! Vampires get Anxious at the supermarket! Witches struggle to cook without making a mess!
It doesn't make you weak.
It's Ok to be Not Ok.
See? Fanfiction deserves just as much attention and analysis as any other type of literature (and yes, it is literature.)
So, now that I've tricked you all into societal and psychological analysis via the promise of fluff and the warm fuzzies, let's talk a li'l more about this week's fic!
This fic is set prior to the series, in the period between flashback-and-present (gold mine for fic authors, right there!) but deals with a lot of the same issues - i.e. Klaus' destructive behaviour, Diego trying to navigate the line between supporting and enabling, etc.
And... it does it well! 😊
The only real issue is that it maybe does it too well - at times it feels like their relationship is healed here than it is in the first episode of the series, but then, they still had time to implode said relationship I s'pose!
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| Via Giphy |
Couple of warnings for this fic, dearest nerdlets:
- substance and alcohol abuse and addiction
- homelessness
- references to overdoses
- grief/bereavement
- self-destructive behaviour
- nightmares symptomatic of PTSD
- mild injury/blood
- family issues (b/c Umbrella Academy)
This week's fic is:
All you need is someone who cares by bloodamber
Do you read sick fics?
What's your self-care read?
Talk to me! 😍💬
Related Reading:
Sharing & commenting is seriously appreciated! 💋
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