Fandom: THE X-FILES
Pairing: Mulder/Scully
Length: one-shot
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: Terma99's Author Page at Gossamer (her website is a Geocities site, it may disappear by the end of October)
Why this must be read:

PWP (Plot, What Plot? or Porn Without Plot, etc.) is common in a lot of fandoms and X-Files is no exception. Terma99 calls this PMS driven PWP. It's much more than that. It is a hot, sticky, spicy story set in a beautiful hot, sticky, spicy place called New Orleans. I always admire an author who can capture the essence of a setting in the very tone of a story. The story is told in the first-person from Scully's point-of-view and you can really feel the headiness of her moment.

Again, this story is a perfect example of what is done in this fandom with fanfic. Here is a story with no plot and no furthering of the X-Files storyline - but it is a fantastic story. Terma99 captures the essence of what this genre really is, a chance to sink deep into description, to immerse the reader in a moment in time. Terma99 may think it is simply PMS driven PWP, but it is much more than that. It is a beautiful, sexy, hot, and spicy piece of prose.

Louisiana

Fandom: DUE SOUTH
Pairing: Ray Kowalski/Ray Vecchio, Ray Kowalski/Ray Vecchio/Benton Fraser
Length: 6,200
Author on LJ: spuffyduds
Author Website: http://spuffyduds.livejournal.com/
Why this must be read: Because, this fic is awesome. Ray Kowalski wakes up one morning with wings, cue immediate freak-out. It's hilarious--I'm not kidding, there are parts that if you don't laugh out loud, I think you're probably dead inside. It's also hot, and sweet, and everything I love about the OT3 pairing. I love Spuffy's Ray K beyond all sense, and her Fraser is so perfect that I can hear him, and her post-Vegas Vecchio is one of my favorites--confident in who he is, pushy about what he wants, and yet still really goofy and really, really hot. BOYS! I just love them, okay? And I love this story for being a fabulous example of why the OT3 just works--you'll see this at the end, when they all band together to figure out how to deal with Ray Kowalski, Birdman.

I also think this is something you could have seen in an actual episode of the show, if we had been lucky enough to get a season with Fraser and both his Rays. Okay, probably there wouldn't have been the awesomely hot sex, which is sad for the hypothetical episode but good for us, the readers of this awesome story! So, read! Hilarious and hot and sweet!

( Read! Read the hilarious! )

Lift

Fandom: DUE SOUTH
Pairing: Ray Kowalski/Ray Vecchio
Length: 1710
Author on LJ: snoopypez
Author Website: http://snoopypez.livejournal.com/
Why this must be read: I'm reccing this fic because I love love LOVE fics that make Ray Kowalski totally nuts about Vecchio. I love both of them in this; Kowalski is his twitchy, goofball self (I love the way his inner thought process works throughout this fic, it's adorable and so perfectly in character), and Vecchio is sarcastic and complains, and they banter and spark off each other and the fic just snaps. That's one reason I love this pairings so much, and this fic really illustrates that well to me.

And, okay, I won't lie; there is just something very appealing about Kowalski shoving Vecchio against a wall and kissing him, while muttering crazily about how this is all Vecchio's fault for wearing jeans to work. Enjoy!

( Boys! Boys who banter and make out! Yay! )

Dressing Bad is Like Loving You

::waves:: This is rec number 12, so my job here is complete! (Until I come back, with more recs and more squee, at some point in the future!) Thank you all for having me as the due South reccer for September! <3 I hope y'all enjoyed reading these fics as much as I enjoyed reccing them!! ::throws confetti for awesome dS fandom::

Fandom: DUE SOUTH
Pairing: Ray Kowalski/Ray Vecchio, Stella
Length: 1360
Author on LJ: china_shop
Author Website: http://www.stonesoup.co.nz/chinashop/fic/index.html
Why this must be read: I think it's pretty obvious that my due South OTP is Kowalski/Vecchio, if you've been following along. ::grins:: And one of my very favorite characters in the show is Stella Kowalski. I get really sad in fics where Stella is vilified. I love her, and I LOVE fics where she is friends with both her Rays. I really love this fic, which is Vecchio picking Stella up from the airport and telling her what's going in his life. Namely, Kowalski. It is super cute and I giggled aloud at many places! Also, I adore China's Vecchio, she has his voice down and her Stella is just perfect. There is also a Trojan War reference, which wins with me anytime. :)

Also, I love how Kowalski is so much a part of this story even though he doesn't make an appearance. Probably because you can see how much Vecchio is thrown by what's happening with Kowalski (in a good way!) and awww, this story just makes me flap my hands and turns my eyes into hearts. Enjoy!

( In which Stella and Vecchio discuss Kowalski and are absolutely adorable while doing so! )

Carousel

EEK! Last day and I'm behind. I guess that means I'll have to sign up again for old skool Buffy & Angel fics. :)

Fandom: BtVS
Pairing: Willow/Angel, Buffy/Spike, Willow/Buffy (and Buffy/Angel, Willow/Oz, Buffy/Spike...it's complicated)
Length: 10000 or so
Author on LJ:I'm not sure she's still around...
Author Website: http://www.sabershadowkat.com/
Why this must be read: Once upon a time there was this wonderfully prolific Buffy fic writer named Saber who wrote het and slash, fluff and BDSM, and just about everything in between. She created a wonderful Willow/Angel series called "Abracadabra" set in the middle of a Season 3 in which Buffy and Angel did not get back together. It began as friendship and became a lot, lot more, including an exploration of Willow's magic and Angel's soul.

Then Saber took her own series and twisted it on its head. In the thirteenth story of the series Willow is captured by the current Master vampire of Sunnydale and she uses her growing ability with magic to bring back Angelus (and Saber has a rather unique take on the role of his soul). This is where the fun begins. There are two endings to the story. If you enjoy reading about dominant females and submissive males and vampire loving, go to the alternative ending "Power Play" because two stories later "Whose Reality?" shows up.

"Whose Reality" is one of those stories I adore--it meshes a fanfic world with the "real one" of the tv show. Saber's creations, her versions of Buffy, Spike, Willow and Angelus, enter season three of BtVS and a wild ride ensues of mistaken identities and humor and sex.

So, read the whole series or skip straight to "Whose Reality?". They're all wonderful.

Halfway down the page is the Abracadabra Series

( excerpt )

Whose Reality?

Fandom: TIN MAN
Pairing: Cain/Glitch
Length: ~1900 words
Warnings: mental illness
Author on LJ: halotolerant
Author Website:
Why this must be read: Glitch and Cain get lost in the woods. Cain ruminates on and tries to deal with Glitch's ... well, glitches.

( excerpt )

The Woods Today

I've had a fantastic month of rec'cing here and getting to showcase some of my favourite Dean/Castiel stories. Hope you've enjoyed it too.

Fandom: SUPERNATURAL
Pairing: Dean/Castiel
Length: ~ 2550
Author on LJ: sam_storyteller
Author Website: Fics by Rating, Pairing, and Fandom
Why this must be read: I wanted to end the month on a lighter note, and this fic has humour and very much in-character Sam, Dean, and Castiel. It's a fun piece, structured around the ten commandments, and Castiel learning to be Fallen.

Take a moment and just consider what life would be like with Dean Winchester as your guide to all things human. Seriously. Then go read and enjoy!

( Excerpt - Thou Shalt Not Steal )

Read the story and feedback the author: The Ten Commandments Don't Apply to Angels

Fandom: BLEACH
Pairing: Ichigo/Ishida at the end
Length: 1,750
Author on LJ: N/A
Author Website: profile on FicWad
Why this must be read: This is my last Bleach rec of the month, so I'd like to end it with a laugh. Ishida visits a porn shop, although he's not sure what he's looking for. Ishida's reactions to the things the shop keeper throws at him are priceless, as is the last scene when Ishida runs into Ichigo --- with unexpected results.

As I said before, this is the last stop this month for the Bleach rec bus. Thank you for allowing me to entertain you with some of my favorite stories from the fandom; I hope to see Bleach as a fandom on crack_van again some day. Love! ♥

Ishida's Quest for Carnal Knowledge

My last fic for this month, I'm afraid. I'll definitely be back with more old skool Buffy fic! There's just so much still out there hidden in the nooks and crannies of the Internet (and on my hard drive, thankfully!).

Fandom: BtVS
Pairing: none
Length: Around 2000
Author on LJ: not that I know of
Author Website: http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Hollow/9577/buffyfic.html
Why this must be read:Ann wrote THE best original characters for Buffy fanfic. "One Morning In Sunnydale" provides us with one of them in a janitor at Sunnydale High named Joe who isn't quite as clueless as the majority of the town's population. Ann also had one of the best Giles' voices in the early fandom and most of her fics center on him. Unfortunately most are unfinished and since they were unfinished as of ten years ago, I'm guessing we'll never know the endings, BUT they're still worth reading. This fic though is a character piece about just your average guy and more really about the school and the town and the Hellmouth as he sees things. It's just brilliant. As is her Oz. Also, this is unrated but it's quite G.

( excerpt )

One Morning In Sunnydale

Fandom: TIN MAN
Pairing: Cain/Glitch
Length: ~1900 words
Warnings: mental illness
Author on LJ: yuletidefairy
Author Website:
Why this must be read: Glitch deals with the aftermath of his putting-his-brain-back-together surgery. The yuletide fairy strikes again.

( excerpt )

Rational Functions

Fandom: TIN MAN
Pairing: none; gen
Length: ~3200 words
Warnings: none
Author on LJ: icarus_chained
Author Website:
Why this must be read: More Glitch-centric! Great Glitch-voice, and the friendshippy Cain-Glitch interaction is great.

( excerpt )

Mind and Soul

Fandom: TIN MAN
Pairing: Cain/Zero
Length: together, ~2800 words
Warnings:
Author on LJ: demonqueen666
Author Website:
Why this must be read: I would be remiss if I didn't include some hateship, y/y? Anyway, "Straightjacket" and its sequel "Shellshock" happen after the miniseries ends, and Cain returns for Zero in the tin suit. There are some great memories from the both of them, fleshing out their characters in little ways. Zero lives his life like he's waiting for the inevitable to happen, like he always has - until Cain.

( excerpt )

Straightjacket
Shellshock

Fandom: HARRY POTTER
Pairing: Harry Potter / Severus Snape
Length: ~57,000 words
Author on LJ: sinick and ac1d6urn
Author Website: none
Why this must be read:

For my last two recs, I'm drawing an example of two different, but related HP tropes: the wartime fic and the postwar. Not coincidentally, these were actually the two teams in the snarry_games for 2007, because before Rowling finished the HP books, those were probably the two most popular things to write: the author's own version of finishing up the war against Voldemort, and the author's version of an epilogue.

This story, written after book 6 (HBP) is perhaps one of my favorite ever wartime stories. Harry is mouldering away in Grimmauld Place with only some solicitous candles and the Black family tapestry to keep him company, but Snape manages to get him back on his feet so that they can move on to the happily ever after bit. The *details* in this fic, the real sense of place and character, are just amazing, unforgettable. The flashbacks interlaced throughout are wonderful as well. Simply one of the best Snarry fics ever.

Two Lockets

This is my final rec, so I just want to thank the mods for the opportunity to do recs this month (yay!) and say that I hope everyone has enjoyed the stories -- I was really *shocked* to see that some of these stories had never been rec'ed here!

Fandom: HARRY POTTER
Pairing: Harry Potter / Severus Snape
Length: ~13,000 words
Author on LJ: tryfanstone
Author Website: http://tryfanstone.co.uk/
Why this must be read:

Postwar now, the companion genre to wartime fics. Although not the longest one out there, this story, originally posted in 2006, is an absolutely lovely example of the type. After the war's end, the Muggle world has finally become aware of the magical one, and wizards have the option to resettle as Muggles, given complete anonymity but with the caveat that they must renounce magic use. Snape takes the Ministry up on it, settling down in a small Muggle village, learning to cope with things in his own inimitable style, charming the neighbors, even, with Harry's help.

It's a beautiful story that, I think, really shows a gentle move towards love. And it has bonus recipes! :)

Nettle Soup and Gooseberries

Sorry for being fail and going MIA in the middle of this month, but I'm going to get a few Merlin recs in under the wire tonight!

Fandom: MERLIN
Pairing: Gwen/Morgana
Length: ~800 words
Author on LJ: giddygeek
Author Website: The Geekdom
Why this must be read:

This is one of the first Gwen/Morgana fics I ever read in this fandom. In this quietly haunting piece, giddygeek extrapolates a whole different world for the women of Camelot than the one we see on the show, with Morgana naturally at its head. This fic is short and spare but it packs a hell of a punch, and the Gwen/Morgana relationship is just lovely and poignant. Needless to say, this one has stayed with me ever since I first read it. Highly recommended.

in omne tempus

Fandom: MERLIN
Pairing: Gen, Morgana-centric (Gwen/Morgana pre-slashy if you squint)
Length: 4027 words
Author on LJ: bluflamingo
Author Website: The Home of the Blue Flamingoes
Why this must be read:

I'm reccing this fic as one of my last recs for the month because it's a little-known gem in the fandom that deserves a lot more love. Also, it's a Morgana-centric fic, and my epic crush on Morgana has reached truly embarrassing levels by this point. I think it's safe to say if you love Morgana you will love this story. (And if you don't love her, you just might by the end of it.)

The premise of A Little Knowledge is simple but utterly wonderful: Arthur and Gwen have been kidnapped, Morgana and Merlin go rescue them. This fic explores several things, the important friendship between Gwen and Morgana (and the whole OT4 really) being one. It also shows us a Morgana who, with Merlin's understanding and help, is beginning to come to grips with her powers- and their consequences. But seriously, haven't you always wanted to see Merlin and Morgana teaming up, kicking magical ass and taking names? This fic gives you all that and more. Go read it now!

A Little Knowledge

My last rec for the month is one of my all time favorites. It's been so much fun driving the van, hope you all enjoyed! <3

Fandom: MERLIN
Pairing: Gen
Length: 1171 words
Author on LJ: astolat
Author Website: Intimations
Why this must be read:

Beltane is part of a series that continues with Coming of Age and the previously recced That Shall Achieve The Sword, but it stands perfectly well on its own.

We don't really know a lot about Merlin's history from the show. There are number of fics that have addressed this, but none have done it so well as Beltane in my opinion. You know where you read a story and it's so perfect (and perfectly crafted) it becomes instantly part of your own personal canon? This is one of those stories.

( There is a story that is not told in Ealdor anymore, not for many years now. )

Beltane

Fandom: MARVEL COMICS - Iron Man movieverse
Pairing: Tony Stark/Obadiah Stane
Length: ~1,000 words
Author on LJ: atrata
Author Website: miscellaneous stories by atrata
Why this must be read:

(author's warnings: Noncon. Not a nice story. I mean it.)

Oh god, this story. atrata takes the already super creepy scene from the film, where Obadiah steals Tony's arc reactor, and makes it EVEN MORE creepy and wrong. It's short but packs a punch, all the betrayal and horror of the canon scene time infinity. Add to that the brilliant use of counting, of numbers, and you get...

Stane shifts to sit on the couch, his arm stretching behind Tony's shoulders, pulling him into something that might have been an embrace three days or six months or 12 years ago but probably never was. One finger this time, just behind his ear, seven strokes up. Four quick exhalations against his other ear. Tony feels himself being jostled around, feels his side pressed closer to Stane's body, and spends two seconds trying to close his eyes. Another three wishing he could.

The Mathematics of Betrayal

Fandom: MARVEL COMICS - Iron Man movieverse
Pairing: none (Pepper Potts)
Length: ~1,400 words
Author on LJ: dafnap
Author Website: dafnapfic
Why this must be read:

It was hard to pick one of dafna's fics, and this one probably isn't the most obvious to pick, but I love her take on Pepper here, how despite it being in the form of a list of 8 personal fanon/canon things about Pepper, it has an internal rhythm and logic to it. It's nuanced and human and everything I love about her writing.

2) There are jobs that don't appear on her resume, like "model" and "valet," and "model valet". Tony may have developed the building blocks for the algorithm that eventually became Google, but his attention span is short, and he doesn't ever make it past the fifth page when he does bother to search for "Pepper Potts."

It's in moments like these that she's more than a little grateful that Tony seems to genuinely forget her real name isn't actually "Pepper;" that it's a name he gave her and not the one she was born with, and more importantly, posed with. More than a little.

you will overstate your premise

Fandom: POPSLASH
Pairing: Brian/Nick
Length: long
Author on LJ: zoicite
Author Website: Commoner's Tales
Why this must be read: This one was actually written relatively recently, for the Make the Yuletide Gay exchange. Normally I'm not fond of AU's, but this one is really more of a mixture.

By day, Nick Carter is a kindergarten art teacher, and Brian is the new hire. At night, in his dreams, they're rock stars. And our dreams can hold the key to our subconscious. Zoicite blends lovely characterization with excellent storytelling, and this is one not to miss!

...In the sketch Brian’s hair is longer than it usually is in Nick’s dream and his fingers are touching Nick’s skin beneath his untucked shirt. In another sketch they’re at the zoo surrounded by children holding cotton candy and Brian is laughing, an arm around Nick’s waist.

Brian studies the sketches for a while and says that it looks like a nice fantasy world.

“Honestly. These are really great. It’s almost too bad real life can’t be like this,” Brian says. In the real life of Nick’s dream he knows that they can never have everything that they want....

Construction Paper Canvas

Fandom: ANNE OF GREEN GABLES
Pairing: Anne/Gilbert
Length: 2000 words
Author on LJ: n/a
Author Website: Chasing Rainbows: Fan Fiction by Rina
Why this must be read: It has been an absolute pleasure reading through Anne of Green Gables stories for this month's recs, and I hope y'all will join me in requesting (and offering!) AOGG at Yuletide. You might have noticed that the stories really came from there in most cases. Yuletide authors have a way with AOGG that I find incredibly satisfying.

Tonight's rec is no different. I couldn't walk away from AOGG without making my final rec about one of my few OTPs, Anne and Gilbert.

This story, which reads a bit like a live gossip hotline, tells the tale of Anne and Gilbert's engagement from the points of view of Avonlea residents. They've all got a different take on this momentous occasion.

I have a soft spot for the fat old cats of Avonlea, who are as true as the story's heroine and her cohorts in this short story. If you made through this month with me, and you need a giggle and a good reason for a satisfied sigh, let this story do the trick.

Talk of the Town

Fandom: MAGNIFICENT SEVEN(TV)
Pairing:none
Length:11 k
Author on LJ: nottasha
Author Website: NotTasha's Fictional Existence
Why this must be read: I contemplated posting this on crossover day, even though technically it isn't a crossover, the fic takes some of the concepts and one artifact from SGA and asks itself, "What if...?" with decidedly hilarious results. And if SGA was never your cup of tea, it doesn't matter, you don't need to know anything about that show to enjoy this fic, I promise. There's also NotTasha's keen grasp of the characters, snappy dialogue, and a plot that could have come straight from the show. I love this fic.

Excerpt: The sale would benefit the restoration of Josiah’s church – as stated in Tommy’s simple will. Well, Ezra thought, Mr. Sanchez might gain enough to buy a new can of paint or a bucket of nails, but he won't be seein' stained glass windows any time soon. Honestly, I don't know how I was shanghaied into this responsibility. Sure, I wanted have first crack at anything of value. Consider the possibilities -- with luck I could uncovered a treasure or two -- but I didn't expect THIS! Frankly, it goes against all odds that that I'll find anything valuable here.



Consider The Possibilities