Fandom: TRON
Pairing: Rinzler/repurposed Yori
Length: ~5,300 words
Author on LJ: allronix1
Author Website: Allronix at Fanfiction.net
Warnings: Spoilers for Legacy. Dubcon. Angst.
Why this must be read:

Sometimes, you want something dark.

The implications of Clu’s ability to repurpose Programs are chilling enough if you consider him a misguided but fundamentally well-meaning idealist; in this story he’s a ruthless bastard whose view of existence, judging from Rinzler’s interior monologue as he struggles with their newest recruit and his own reactions to her, is terribly bleak:

He fights back that glitch. There has never been freedom. Programs serve. They know their place and carry out their functions. There has always been Clu and the unceasing war against the Creator's imperfection... Curse that glitch! Curse her!

She barely has the time to utter a cry of protest before he yanks her away from the wall and all but throws her onto his narrow, thin cot. Once again, her eyes are wide with fear, the triangle at her chest pulsing orange and blue.

Fear is right. Anger is familiar. Anger and fear are perfect.

He pulls her narrow wrists above her head with one arm and balances himself with the other. Hate and the desire to punish war with the glitch and its persistent weakness. Who is she and how can she do this to him?

Sometimes, memory is a curse, and oblivion is a mercy.

“Obsidian”

Fandom: SUPERNATURAL
Pairing: Dean/Castiel
Length: ~ 11500 words
Author on LJ: janie_tangerine
Author Website: Master Fic List on LJ
Why this must be read: First of all, it's a Road Trip fic with Dean and Cas, and there can never be too many of those. Secondly, it's set within episodes 5.3 ("Free to Be You and Me") and 5.4 ("The End"), which are two of my favourite episodes from Season 5. Dean without Sam is a wounded thing, and he finds comfort in Cas's presence that he didn't expect. We also get Cas being allowed into Dean's world in a way he normally isn't because Dean's first concern has always been Sam.

It's a story of discovery and understanding, of faith and choice. It's Castiel being infinitely patient until Dean allows himself what he wants. It's Bob Dylan reaching through the speakers and right into Dean's head. It's one of those lovely stories that fleshes out what we see in canon and gives us just a little bit more insight into the events. It's awesome.

Note: (There are a few word order missteps, but not enough to detract from the story. Lord knows I couldn't write in my second language, so hats off to multilingual writers for sharing their words with us!)


( 'So, before we go, two rules.' )

Read the story and feedback the author: With No Direction Home

Fandom: HARRY POTTER
Pairing: Minerva McGonagall/Alastor Moody
Length: 12,990
Author on LJ: redsnake05
Author Website: redsnake's master list of pairings and fics
Why this must be read:
This is a tense, utterly absorbing fic, set during WWII, the era of Grindelwald's rise to power, a time when McGonagall and Moody were young, their names unknown, their courage untested. Dumbledore recruits them for a secret spying mission. Minerva has been working at Bletchley Park, so she's adept at passing as a Muggle, and Alastor is a newly fledged Auror licensed to kill. The pair travel by train and stay in Muggle pensions, passing as husband and wife, forced to refrain from using magic because it risks announcing their presence to Grindelwald's agents. The mood is gritty, subdued, constantly on edge, like an espionage novel.

Minerva exhibits nerve and intelligence throughout, and she's absolutely convincing as a younger version of the no-nonsense academic we meet at Hogwarts. She and Alastor are extremely competent, isolated, and utterly dependent on each other as they maneuver closer to their goal. As the danger increases, so does their unspoken sexual attraction. They witness cruelty and violence, enduring Muggle wartime privation and encounters with coldblooded murderers. Neither one quails when faced with the costs of resisting evil, but redsnake05 makes the terror of it very real. I love how magic is woven into a recognizable landscape of human strife and suffering, and how the decency of these two characters prevails. There's also a shrewd portrait of a younger Dumbledore, already in training as the ultimate chessmaster for the side of good.

A fascinating read in the company of two appealing, unsung heroes of war.


( The first meeting )

Being Expendable

Fandom: DONALD STRACHEY MYSTERIES
Pairing: Donald Strachey/Timothy Callahan (bonus appearance by Bub Bailey)
Length: 1,700 words
Author on LJ: purna
Author's website: None of which I'm aware.

Why this story must be read: Timothy Callahan is a gentleman in every sense of the word. He prefers to employ brains as opposed to brawn, and his ability to reason with the unreasonable is why he's Sen. Glassman's right-hand man. But even Timothy has his limits. This story was written for a "picfic" challenge on nick_n_nora. The picture that inspired the story is at the end of the piece.

( An excerpt )


Insignis

Fandom: SHERLOCK HOLMES (BBC)
Pairing: John Watson/Sherlock Holmes/Greg Lestrade
Length: 3800 words
Author on LJ: et_cetera55
Author Website: None that I found
Why this must be read::

To be honest, because it's hot like a burning thing. And I love tricky!Sherlock, so there you go.

Caught in the Act

Fandom: TRON
Pairing: Quorra/Sam
Length: ~30K words in 8 parts
Author on LJ: seriousfic
Author Website: http://fuckyeahmelancholy.tumblr.com/
Warnings: Fluff, angst
Why this must be read:

IMHO, most modern “romantic comedies” are neither funny, nor convincing love stories. This fic, however, is both. The author writes Quorra as a quirky naif and Sam as a smartass with issues, and manages to do so in a way that doesn’t make me want to claw my eyes out. In fact, I was charmed from the beginning, when Sam takes Quorra to her first fair:

( This was ridiculous. He had won in gladiatorial combat with a light disc, why was he having this much trouble knocking over a bunch of cans with a ball? )

It’s a treat watching these two crazy kids flirt; learn about each other; deal with paparazzi, online commentators (“What does he see in this basic bitch? Does she even know how to color-coordinate? She looks like she's auditioning to play the first female Doctor Who”) and real person slash (“Why would anyone think Alan and I are having sex? Is it because I tweeted I'd go gay for Nathan Fillion? That's it, isn't it? It's not my fault, he's an amazing actor, and he seems like a very tender lover”); fall out; reconcile; go on the best date ever; and fend off assassins.

Seriously, Hollywood, take notes.

“Dear Wired Magazine, I Never Thought This Would Happen to Me But...” (link to first chapter)

Fandom: RPF: THE X-FILES
Pairing: David Duchovny/Gillian Anderson
Length: short short story
Author on LJ: elapses
Author Website: I'm still looking. halfbysea
Why this must be read: Remember that scene in Fight the Future? The almost-kiss? Of course you do. This is about that scene and what happened (and didn't happen) later.

There's a practiced art to not kissing, and that's their spring, 1997. Hallways, soundstages, outside trailers, their dedication to choreography is practically maudlin. It's all in the timing, though, and pretty soon their unkisses are down to a beat, their hands never falter on each other's faces, always missing by inches.

They don't miss fifteen times, but that's not when it happens.


History of a Kiss

This is my last rec for the month (and what a perfect story to end with). I hope you've enjoyed the ride as much as I have.



Screencap courtesy of http://fuckyeahdavidgillian.tumblr.com/

Fandom: MAN FROM UNCLE
Pairing: none-ish
Length: 2875 words
Author on LJ: loneraven
Author Website: Raven at AO3
Why this must be read:

There's something about malfunctioning Thrush machines and time travel... in Slow Dance Illya runs into another one, and he's thrown (or does he jump?) into the time stream.

This is lovely writing, the fluid nature of time, as Illya drifts back and forth along his own timeline, echoed by the fluid prose; our awareness heightened by a constant sense that there are mysteries the words just touch on. We're on the trip with Illya, both inside and outside events; we're waiting along with Napoleon, all hope and cryptic clues; and we feel the thread that ties them together, strong and true. Slow Dance is a mood piece; an unusual and satisfying read.

Napoleon takes the envelope, wonderingly. It's large, probably the largest available standard size, and "Napoleon Solo" is written in the corner in bland, even letters, disguising someone's handwriting.

Illya says, "Why would a letter to you be hidden in Mr. Waverly's desk?"

Napoleon slits it open with a fingernail and another, smaller envelope drops out, and a piece of paper flutters to the floor. "Do not open until necessary," he reads.

Illya reaches down for the paper and holds it up for them both to see.

On July 8th, 1965, Illya Kuryakin will disappear.

Slow Dance

Because AO3 seems to be having problems today, you can also find Slow Dance here.

All right, this will be my last post driving the van for Star Trek. I had a great time, earthquakes and hurricanes notwithstanding, and I hope you guys have enjoyed the stories I highlighted.

Fandom: STAR TREK: REBOOT
Pairing: Kirk/Spock Prime, Kirk/Spock, implied Kirk Prime/Spock Prime
Length: 11k
Author on LJ: Unknown
Author Website: At AO3
Why this must be read:

For my final rec, I have a story that never fails to make me appreciate what Reboot has done for the Star Trek universe. It hasn't just rejuvenated the fandom -- it's started the cycle all over again, in ways that are new but don't reject the old.

In this story, for Spock Prime's last pon farr, he decides that since the universe has decided to give him the priceless gift of reuniting him with (a) Jim Kirk, he can at least ask Jim to grant him a final favor.

This fic deals with end of life issues, and it is sad -- but it's also very uplifting. Spock Prime is at the end of his journey, but Kirk and Spock are at the beginnings of theirs, and Spock Prime can find comfort in that. The love never dies, even when people do.

( Excerpt )

Endless Circle

Fandom: LIFE ON MARS
Pairing: Sam/Gene
Length: 2,800 aprox
Author:nepthys_uk
Masterfic list: Here
Why this is a must read:

This fic is a must read due to the banter. This fic has the most incharacter, hilarious and amazing banter I have read in a long time. When you read it, make sure you are in an area where it is acceptable to chuckle outloud to yourself. Everything is in character while still having a comical way of telling the story due to the formating which allows the focus of the fic to be on dialogue. This inturn allows you to focus on the bond between the two men without being distracted by superflous details leaving you with a fic that is made out of the pure essence of the Sam and Gene relationship that kept us turning on our tvs everyweek for the next episode. It is full of spot on comedic timing and the plot moves at an enjoyable pace despite not much physically happening, the movement and pace is in the relationship and direction of conversation.

A word to describe this fic is 'snarky'. Two words to describe it are 'pure win'.

Fandom: HARRY POTTER
Pairing: Griselda Marchbanks/Bathilda Bagshot, implied background Albus Dumbledore/Gellert Grindelwald
Length: 17,000
Author on LJ: tetleythesecond
Author Website: tetley's mistresslist of fics
Why this must be read:
This story astonished me when I first read it. Then I read it again, and it astonished me a second time. It's moving and chilling, brilliantly conceived and rounded with historically persuasive descriptions and portraits so fleshed out, so recognizable and distinct, so brimming with ideals and betrayal, wit and tragic hindsight, that it's like reading a novel in miniature. The narrative moves back and forth between the past and present, between the beginnings of a relationship and the end of a life, from the first stirrings of evil and inevitable war to the moment before the curtain falls, decades later, on Voldemort's ruthless crusade. The heart of the story involves a relationship withered on the vine, a casualty of extreme measures and broken faiths, although Tetley isn't the least sentimental and allows Griselda, the still-lucid once-lover, to acknowledge that she and Bathilda might have failed anyway, even if Bathilda's wild nephew Gellert and his friend Dumbledore hadn't violated the bonds of blood and honor.

The story starts in canon's present time, and it deals with Bathilda's senility and frailty with almost unbearable tenderness. But Griselda, her 'Dearest,' is drawn back in memory to the nineteenth century, to a ladies' educational meeting and her first encounter with a somewhat untidy intellectual historian. Tetley's evocation of the period is superb, and the excitement of new ideas, the emphasis on principles, the shared dream of a girls' vocational school, drives home the fact that the Muggle and wizarding worlds were equally condescending and restrictive where women and witches were concerned. Alas, sometimes principles are not enough; sometimes reality imposes demoralizing choices and corrupts even those made of sterner stuff. Sometimes, in protecting those we love, we leave ourselves forever estranged.

There's so much about this fic to admire and more to love (it's hard not to crush instantly on Eleanor Bones, for example). The inventiveness of the offhand details creates a marvelous richness, as does the increasingly shadowed atmosphere and the range of voices, the little nods to canon. One aspect that inspires my love is the way the once-ennobling belief in education and self-betterment permeates the fic. Yes, the sorrow of bitter wisdom, of defeated idealism, haunts Griselda, the conscience-stricken survivor from that hopeful time; yet the passion for good works and higher thought still burns brightly. Over it all hangs the reader's knowledge of Bathilda's eventual fate, which occurs outside the story's scope yet adds a touch of horror, pity, and a sense that history comes for us all.

In sum, I love this fic to pieces; it resides permanently on my desert-island list.

( A longish excerpt )

The Ladies of Godric's Hollow