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Anyone mind if I cheat and make two recs tonight? You see, I'm feeling all Christmasy and seem to be following a trend, so I thought I'd post this and then try a completely different one just after to make up for it. *sheepish grin* Fandom: THE PROFESSIONALS Pairing: Bodie/Doyle Author on LJ: alexfandraAuthor Website: The Circuit Archive's Profile for Alexandra (could not find a personal website) Why this must be read: Because Alexandra captures that magic of Christmas where the world is still and quiet, peaceful and sleepy. Because Bodie and Doyle’s voices ring clear and true on this special night, and something special happens without fanfare and without the ringing of bells. It all feels so natural, like an unhurried transformation, and I think it is now painfully obvious how much I love these sorts of stories, lol. In many senses, these precious few minutes which Alexandra captures highlight the relationship perfectly, without needing anything more to show you what it was, what it is, and what it is to become. And they really are precious minutes, especially with the bonus of such lovely, light banter. :) Not a Very Silent Silent Night | | |
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Fandom: THE PROFESSIONALS Pairing: Bodie/Doyle Author on LJ: queenbamfieAuthor Website: None that I could find Why this must be read: Because another favourite theme of mine comes in the details which an author manages to bring into a story. I love how it’s the little things which can really flesh out a story, really bring it to life, and round out the characters, build their personalities more fully with their pasts and their thought processes explained. And I love this whether it’s simply through a one-liner slipped into a longer story or a theme built on throughout. With Moments, this is the latter. It’s short and bittersweet, just how I like it, and the details really capture the moments described wonderfully, and, more importantly, the characters themselves. There’s no dialogue, but with snapshots like these you don’t need dialogue to be able to understand what is really being said. Moments | | |
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Consanguinity by Jay Tryfanstone Fandom: HARRY POTTER Pairing: Snape/Harry Author on LJ: tryfanstoneAuthor Website: terra incognitaWhy this must be read:You'll have to read the first two parts, Humor and Melancholia, for the third one to make sense. I really like the dramatic tension in this trilogy, and the post-war, adult Snape/Harry aspect is my preference for this pairing even though I do like stories set during the war with Voldemort. I like the Muggle OC who observes the events, and the sideways glimpse of how Harry and Hermione turned out. Snape is devious and amusingly in character. I found the third story delightful. Consanguinity( Click here to leave a comment on LJ | | |
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Hi, I'm Elke, and although I'm starting a bit late, I'm rec'ing in Inu Yasha fandom this month. The fandom overview is here. Fandom: INU YASHA Pairing: Kagome/Houjou, Inu Yasha/Kikyo, Inu Yasha/Original Female Character, Kagome/Inu Yasha Author on LJ: (unknown) Author Website: http://www.fanfiction.net/u/230017/ and http://www.hibernatingbats.com/Why this must be read:Many years after the end of the quest for the Shikon Jewel, Kagome returns to feudal Japan. The passage of time is a melancholy thing, and no one is as young as they were. Bittersweet, and deftly written. I love how Bachan deals with the emotional implications of time travel, and of time passing, on both sides of the well. ( a little excerpt )One caveat - if you're already feeling melancholy from the holidays, you may want to pass on this one for now and read it later rather than compounding holiday blues! Rebound (on ff.net) or on an alternate webpage, in six parts plus author's notes and epilogue: Rebound part 1Rebound part 2Rebound part 3Rebound part 4Rebound part 5Rebound part 6Rebound part 7 (author's notes and epilogue)I recommend all of this author's work wholeheartedly but with sorrow; in doublechecking these links I saw that Bachan passed away this past summer. | | |
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Fandom: ANGEL Pairing: Gunn/Wesley Author on LJ: twig_technologyAuthor Website: None found Why this must be read:DangerMouse was responding to a prompt about Gunn and Wesley needing to be bailed out of jail, and came up with this hilarious fic that gives new meaning to the phrase "Get in the truck, English!" The season/setting is unspecified, but it features great Gunn and Wesley voices with a nice cameo by Cordelia -- who comes across, rather convincingly, as much more intimidating than any demon. Excerpt: ( I never had these problems until I started hanging out with crazy white people! )Metaphorically Speaking</a. | | |
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Fandom: INU YASHA Pairing: Inu Yasha/Miroku Author on LJ: (unknown) Author Website: http://home.arcor.de/macx/ and http://www.fanfiction.net/u/221041/ and http://www.fanfiction.net/u/7392/Why this must be read:Inu Yasha and Miroku are, I believe, the most common slash (or as the anime fans say, yaoi) pairing in the fandom. Layers is the first in a nice long series by Macx and Lara Bee. I believe the latest story in the series, Evolution, was posted in June 2005, and from that story's ending, it's obvious that further stories in the series are planned. In a gleeful fit of fannish wallowing I read the entire series in one sitting, but each story may be read alone. They make much more sense if you read them in order, however! The later stories in the series also include other pairings: Sesshoumaru/Sango, Shippo/Rin, and Kagome/Kouga. Layers, as the first in the series, can stand alone quite perfectly. It's the story of Inu Yasha and Miroku discovering their feelings for each other, in their uniquely stubborn and misunderstanding- and curse-plagued ways. There's plenty of romance, angst, sex and violence in this story, and in the rest of the series. Very nicely done. ( excerpt )LayersLayers (alternate link) | | |
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Fandom: INU YASHA Pairing: Sesshoumaru/Inu Yasha (implied) Author on LJ: (unknown) Author Website: http://cookies.forchan.net/guest/dasia/Why this must be read:Another common slash (yaoi) pairing in this fandom is Sesshoumaru/Inu Yasha. Yes, they're half-brothers and sworn rivals and/or enemies a good chunk of the time in canon. They're also rather pretty, and there's all sorts of messed up family dynamics left quite vague in canon which feed fanfiction authors' imaginations. There's a fine line between a vendetta and a violent obsession... This story is a short introspective vignette from Sesshoumaru's point of view, exploring a bit of his complex infatuation with his bastard half-brother, set just after the battle where Inu Yasha has lopped off one of Sesshoumaru's arms using a sword made from their father's fang. Did I mention the messed up family dynamics? PainAlternate linkAlternate linkAlternate linkAlternate link | | |
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Fandom: HIGHLANDER Pairing: Duncan/Methos Author on LJ: MacGAuthor Website:MacGeorge's MadnessWhy this must be read: I know that if you read Highlander fanfic, you're probably already aware of MacGeorge's fiction. However, my favorite story has not been recommended and if you haven't read (or recently reread) her stories, Heros and Other Endangered Species is a great place to start. MacGeorge's stories cover an extremely wide range from very light such at Social Graces to very dark, Brothers Under the Skin. I would put this story somewhere in the middle. In it, Duncan, Methos and Joe all reflect heroic qualities while still demonstrating their very human abilities to screw up and hurt each other. I love the bits of back story that add so much: "Ha!" Mac laughed sharply, letting Methos lead him into the downstairs bedroom. "Da came back from a raid once with a broken spearhead stuck in his back. Wouldn't let anyone take it out until every man who had been on the raid was accounted for and treated, and even then, ignored it until he had personally seen to it that the cattle the Campbells had originally stolen from us were hidden and secure. Never did get all of it out. Story got told a hundred times. Whenever he got drunk, he'd take off his shirt and let everybody feel the lump still under his skin."
"Of such pointless examples are our characters formed, Duncan."
"It was nae pointless!" Duncan insisted defensively while Methos took the wood from his arms and piled it near the Franklin stove, then knelt to build a fire. "He had a duty to the clan, to make sure they were protected, to put their welfare above his own..." This story was originally published in Wounded Heros, a zine centering on Duncan MacLeod, Jim Ellison (Sentinel), Walter Skinner (X-Files) and cross-overs between these shows. I believe most of the stories are now available on the web, but the combination of stories, poetry and artwork added up to more than the sum of the parts. If you have a chance, try to find a copy. Heros and Other Endangered Species | | |
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Fandom: POPSLASH Pairing: Kevin/Nick Author on LJ: arsenicjadeAuthor Website: Every Rose has a Thorn Why this must be read: Because it is sweet and low-key and lovely, which can be such a refreshing change of pace. And the last scene is just so very Kevin. "What'd you do to Nick?" Brian seemed genuinely puzzled, since Kevin generally erred on the side of too-careful about the guys' feelings. "I might've made a crack about his gender." "Not cool Kev. Sensitive topic anyway without the added benefit of Mopey-About-AJ Nick." "Yes, thank you. I really do feel badly enough already without my second conscience helping out." "Look, could you just talk with him? He's acting like a kicked puppy. Leigh's ready to adopt and I do *not* want Nick Carter to be my first born." ( picture )Butterfly Kisses | | |
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Fandom: DC COMICS Pairing: Tim Drake/Steph Brown (Robin III/Robin IV... more or less) Author on LJ: holliAuthor Website: Unknown Why this must be read: While I can usually take or leave Tim Drake (heresy!), I must admit that I absolutely love him when he's being a total geek, and his Blue Beetle fanboying always makes me smile. Chuck Dixon once planned to have Tim take over from Ted Kord as the next Beetle (at least temporarily), and I'm disappointed that this never eventuated. However, this story eases the pain: a universe where Tim apparently never teamed up with Batman, and became Ted's sidekick, instead. Tim in all his adorkable Beetle glory is a thing of beauty. As an added bonus, we get Steph as the sidekick of Booster Gold, the concept of which is equally brilliant and terrifying. And I'm absolutely intrigued by what little we get to see of this universe's Titans. This is a story that leaves me with a stupid grin on my face, every time. So sweet. So totally catering to those of us in denial over Ted and Steph. Crossed Wires | | |
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