December 8th, 2004 
12:31 am Jose Cuervo: or How Will Bailey Stopped Worrying and Started Dating a Republican, by Aerye
Fandom: WEST WING
Pairing: Will/Joe Quincy
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] _aerye_
Author Website: http://home.comcast.net/~aerye/
Why this must be read:

This one just makes me grin. I like Will; he's interesting, and I think it's a shame he doesn't get more fic written about him. Here he is, though, getting to shine a little, generally proving why we love him even with a hangover. :) It's not a long fic, but the author really manages to pack a lot into what's otherwise a fairly unremarkable premise, and you've got to give props for that, especially when it's all so spot-on. This is the kind of story that can actually be spooky; you might well be going "nah, I don't think it happened in canon", but then the story's so good it forces you to think that this is exactly how it would have happened anyway.

Personally, I'm giving the dialogue credit for the believability in this case - it's always important in Sorkin fic, and here, it rules. Read it and laugh. And also admire how effortlessly Aerye pulls it all together: I wish I had that kind of breezy, easy style. It's a joy to read.

Jose Cuervo: or How Will Bailey Stopped Worrying and Started Dating a Republican (can also be found, with prettier layout, here)
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11:17 am Stuck in the Moment, by Jay Tryfanstone (R)
Fandom: HIGHLANDER
Pairing: Duncan/Methos
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] tryfanstone
Author Website: Playing Games in the Dark

Why this must be read: Meta-fic! Beautiful, whimsical meta-fic! Jay's writing is always highly original, and it was hard to find just one to rec, but this one is my favourite of all her work. It's a wonderful experience to read the writing of someone who handles words and ideas as confidently and well as she does. It's a must-read for anyone who wants to read outside the usual fanfiction box.

Have a little taste... )

Stuck in the Moment
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12:12 pm The Hard Way by BrooklineGirl (PG)
Hello, I'm your due South driver for December. I apologize for the late start, due to real-life difficulties. This month I am starting out with some of my favorite Ray/Ray recs, and then I will make some Fraser/RayK recs. I'll also try to highlight some holiday stories. Thanks to [livejournal.com profile] tarar for the Ray/Ray icon!

Fandom: DUE SOUTH
Pairing: Ray Vecchio/Ray Kowalski
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] brooklinegirl
Author Website: BrooklineGirl's Slash Fic and Recs

Why this must be read:
This is Ray/Ray from Fraser's POV, which is rare. I also think it has a good explanation of why the Rays would be a good match in some other universe. It features Stoic!Fraser and breaks my heart. This story doesn't have any smut, but I'll make up for that with my next two recs.

The Hard Way
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12:50 pm Man on the Moon, by Chrissie (PG)
Fandom : CLAMP – SERIES: CLAMP Campus Detectives
Pairing : Nokoru/Suoh (very little tiny bit!)
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] sesame_seed
Author Website:
Why this must be read:

This is a character driven piece, it quiet but powerful. When I first read it I found myself thinking, 'yes exactly!' the whole way through. It just seemed so true to the characters -- especially Nokoru, and how they might interact as they grow older.

CCD is usually such a fun manga, and most of the fic for this fandom reflects that. But like all manga created by CLAMP it does have a certain darkness lurking underneath.

This fic captures that darkness without being angsty. It captures Nokoru's inner self and gives the reader an idea of what to expect when we see Nokoru, Suoh and, Akira again in X.

Simply wonderful!

Man on the Moon
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06:39 pm One Up by cmshaw (NC-17)
Fandom: DUE SOUTH
Pairing: Ray Vecchio/Ray Kowalski; Benton Fraser/Ray Kowalski
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] cmshaw
Author Website: cmshaw's Fanfic

Why this must be read:
I like this for the smut--a hot, antagonistic blowjob at work. *fans self* I also appreciate the Vecchio characterization. He's written with an edge here, and the attitude suits his post-Vegas personality. Vecchio is definitely the one in charge in this encounter, and I loved the conversation with Fraser afterward. The ending line makes me so fangirly.

One Up
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07:06 pm Gallo de Indias by Doolabug (NC-17)
Fandom: PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
Pairing: Jack Sparrow/James Norrington
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] doolabug
Author Website:
Why this must be read:

In a series of meetings -- some weeks and months apart -- we see the relationship between Captain Sparrow and Commodore Norrington gradually shift from antagonism to flirtation to passion. The changing relationship is presented excellently. [livejournal.com profile] doolabug combines historical plot details, humor, fabulous character interaction and a succession of small perfectly drawn little moments as both Jack and James come to realize what's before them. This story has everything, it's clever, well characterized and incredibly hot.


Gallo de Indias
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07:35 pm Cold by Khirsah (NC-17)
Fandom: X-MEN COMIC-VERSE
Pairing: Bobby/Jean-Paul
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] khirsah
Author Website: Nocturne
Why this must be read: Officially this story is a come shot. What's a come shot? A story that beging mid-sex and ends with climax. But Cold is so much more than that. This is Jean-Paul and it's beautiful and if a pwp can be beautiful (and it can) this is.

Cold
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07:56 pm Testing the Fabric by KMS (G)
Fandom: FIREFLY
Pairing: NA
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: KMSpider's Lair

Why this must be read:
It seems that most of the well-known AUs in this fandom are character pieces. What if Jayne were a companion or Mal fought for the alliance and so on. But this excellent plot AU has become one of my favorite stories. It supposes a verse not too different from the one we know and love, just one where Mal actually does kick Simon and River off the ship at Whitefall. The characterizations and dialogue fit nicely with canon: bonus points for the fleshing out of Patience.

The rating is taken from the story's page at Firefly's Glow; I'd actually rate it at least a PG myself.

Testing the Fabric
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09:39 pm 15 Minutes to Places by airgiodslv (G)
Fandom: LoTRIPS
Pairing: gen; Elijah-perspective
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] airgiodslv
Author Website: http://www.airgiodslv.dombillijah.com/stories.html

Why this must be read:

There are some smokingly hot fics in the LoTRIPS fandom, and some of the funniest premises that I've ever read, but sometimes I need a story that reminds me of why I fell in love with these guys to begin with. "15 Minutes to Places," a fic from Elijah's perspective as the cast gets ready for another day of shooting, is note-perfect. This is a fic that I can see happening, a story that just hasn't been told on the DVDs by the guys.

It's a must-read.

15 Minutes to Places
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