The end of the month is nigh, and I'm thinking of all those stories I still haven't told you about! A reccer's job is never done. Today, a look at the Arthur, Ariadne, and Eames dynamic--not necessarily threesomes, but the three characters working together.

Fandom: INCEPTION
Pairing: Gen - Arthur/Eames if you squint hard
Length: ~ 33,387 words
Author on LJ: joosetta
Author Website: Fic Tag on LJ; Fic on AO3
Why this must be read: What if you knew a secret that you didn't know you knew? Buried somewhere in Eames' subconscious is a piece of information that someone desperately wants to find. So naturally they poison him, trap him in "the warren of his own limbo" (as the author says!), and essentially blackmail his team into trying to extract the information from him.

Except extracting from extractors is messy stuff, so Arthur and Ariadne go into Eames' coma "dream" to help him figure out what information the blackmailer wants. I love the way the three characters work together in Eames' mind: Eames fully aware that his life is on the line and his memories are on display; Arthur, worried for his friend, but his familiarity with Eames helps them anticipate challenges in the dream; and Ariadne, still new enough to not be bound by rules the others follow instinctively and a fresh set of eyes free from the strictures of history and experience.

The three characters truly complement each other in this story. There's a bit of teasing, genuine concern, and a mystery to solve. The plot is complex and intriguing, the rest of the characters are present and vital to the resolution, and I for one loved the construction of the dream/limbo with memories leading to memories, and Arthur and Ariadne being trusted to sort through them to save Eames' life.

There aren't a huge number of long, plotty, essentially gen stories in this fandom--I wish there were more like this!--but this is certainly one of my very favourites.

( 'What does a five euro Monte Carlo casino chip make you think of?' )

On LJ: Uncertainty - Masterpost

It doesn't matter how old or new or (how popular) a story is, authors love feedback!

This story is actually part of an ongoing series, but honestly, I read it by itself before I realized it was part of something larger and I thought it worked well as a stand alone.

Fandom: INCEPTION
Pairing: Gen - het and slash undertones in equal quantity, but nothing realized or explicit
Length: ~ 27,660 words
Author on LJ: chn_breathmint
Author Website: Fic on AO3; Master Fic List on LJ profile page or at Fic Masterlist
Why this must be read: The story summary calls it the "Arthur and Eames Executive Protection Hour," and that's a fairly accurate description. Someone wants the members of the Inception team dead, so Arthur and Eames come to Paris to teach Ariadne how to look after herself. (Cue the training montage and music!)

There's something about being protected (and trained) by hot, competent guys that's very, very satisfying. But it's not only the protectiveness. Arthur and Eames believe Ariadne can take care of herself with training, so they're willing to teach her what they know. It's clear in the story that the two men have known each other a long time, and their relationship is close and companionable, even as they snark at one another. But they also both care for Ariadne and their wanting to help her isn't condescending or patronizing--it's genuine, which is lovely to see.

Even lovelier is how they all deal with being in a small space together in Ariadne's Paris apartment, working physically on training, and dealing with high emotions and sexual tension. No threesomes here (although the series does eventually promise that), but there's still a subtle thread of want floating between the characters, making their interactions that much more fraught.

If you like the dynamic here, you'll probably want to read the before and after parts of the series, but this story is fairly self-contained. You might miss a few subtle references to the previous story, but nothing essential.

( 'I know you're upset, love,' [Eames] said, 'but we're not going to let anything happen to you.' )

On LJ: The French Drop

On AO3: The French Drop

It doesn't matter how old or new or (how popular) a story is, authors love feedback!

Fandom: THE SOCIAL NETWORK
Pairing: Mark/Eduardo
Length: 4,700 words
Author on LJ: black_eyedgirl
Author Website: At AO3
Why this must be read:

I think the summary tells you all you really need to know: Mark tries to use his powers for good (or at least for Eduardo's benefit). Eduardo notices him trying. Future-fic.

But, I'll say more anyway! The boys get stuck in an elevator post-depositions. A classic reconciliation fic and a lovely read.

"Were you always this evil or is it a new development?" Eduardo taps his fingers on his knees. "Because I would have thought I'd notice, but then I missed a lot back then, so I guess your becoming a super-villain might have passed me by."

Fandom: BIG TIME RUSH
Pairing: James/Logan
Length: ~9,500
Author on LJ: shisou_eimin
Author Website: shishi_fic
Why this must be read: I am a total sucker for any fic where characters are secretly pining for each other and try to hide their feelings when they get thrown together. This fic plays with that trope quite a bit while remaining PWP -- James and Logan want each other, they agree to screw around for totally platonic, non-emotional reasons, and through the course of fantastically hot sex come to terms with what it is they really want. Yum.

( exceprt )

Sharing Thought Bubbles

Fandom: KUROSHITSUJI
Pairing: none
Length: 1172 words
Author on LJ: othercat
Author Website: OtherCat at AO3
Why this must be read:

In the early days of their contract, Sebastian finds that he needs to teach Ciel to live inside his body as well as his mind; in the process, he may learn something about his own motives.

This story is about a relationship, but it's also about Sebastian as an artist, something canon tells us is a central element of Sebastian's nature, but that's rarely explored (or explored so directly) in fic. Here we see his mind at work, selecting flavor or color, texture or scent to set before Ciel with the analytic intelligence of an artist selecting pigment and medium. Sebastian thinks he's teaching Ciel to live in his body; in fact, he's teaching him that his senses as a precision instrument, that the riot of sensory detail they provide him are a tool with which to understand the world.

Aspects of this story have been mildly Jossed by the most recent installments of the manga, but the contradictions are trivial and easily explained away. And they're dwarfed by the ways in which this backstory feels utterly right, for both the Ciel we meet in canon and for his teacher.

Since it can be hard to access AO3 just at the moment, I'm giving you two links for "Sensorium," one to AO3 and one to ff.net. That way you won't have to miss it just because the archive's giving you a 502 error -- and really, you don't want to miss this one.

Sensorium (at ff.net)
Sensorium (at AO3)

Fandom: INCEPTION
Pairing: Arthur/Ariadne/Eames
Length: ~ 23,636 words
Author on LJ: fahye (formerly "mercurial_wit")
Author Website: Fic on AO3; Fic Masterlist; fahye_fic
Why this must be read: It's beautiful and ethereal, and above all, it's atmospheric. Ariadne has designed levels for the team based on how she views their personalities. The descriptions of these personal levels are brilliant, but more than that they're startlingly insightful; Ariadne manages to see into who her colleagues are, but she also unfailingly turns the same light of introspection on herself.

Naturally, it's Arthur who is most reluctant to look into those dark personal spaces, but with Ariadne and Eames beside him, wanting him just as he is, he eventually comes to accept his feelings and theirs. And yet, there's so much more to this story than that. It's complex and beautifully layered without spelling things out. It's thought-provoking. Would you imagine Eames as a masked Carnevale or a fun-house hall of mirrors? Is Arthur really a staid Victorian manor house, or is that only the beginning?

I think of this story like a dance. The characters weave in and out around one another, equals with different strengths. They're all detail-oriented: Ariadne with her eye for detailed design, Eames with his instinct for the human condition, and Arthur with his precision and unerring focus. This is a story you'll immerse yourself in, and then want to do it all over again just to see what you missed the first time.

( 'Actually, do you know what this whole place reminds me of?' Eames says, gesturing around the room with a whirl of his hand. 'Arthur. Look at it. It's the Victorian Country Home version of expensive ties and silver suitcases and never getting anything stuck in your teeth.' )

On LJ: The Manor House

It doesn't matter how old or new or (how popular) a story is, authors love feedback!

Fandom: THE SOCIAL NETWORK
Pairing: Mark/Eduardo
Length: 18,500 words
Author on LJ: justbreathe80
Author Website: At AO3
Why this must be read:

A new one! Some of my recs have been older (as old as a fandom just over a year old can be) because as the first crack_van TSN reccer I have had free range, but this one is just a week old, part of the tsnsecretsanta exchange, and I really enjoyed it, so I've snuck in an extra rec. Shhhh.

An AU where Eduardo is a quarterback at boarding school and gets some, ahem, tuition in CS from Mark.

Lovely characterization with an appealling, and still in character Eduardo and Mark, nicely done.

“Mark,” Eduardo says, dropping his voice even lower and leaning close, close enough to feel how tense Mark is. “This is a huge game for me. It would mean a lot to me if you would grace us with your presence.”

Mark doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t say anything for long enough that Eduardo is sure that he’s made a huge misstep, said something that tears apart this fragile friendship they’ve been building. But then Mark turns back, and they’re probably too close now, but Eduardo does not even care, especially when Mark says, groaning, “Okay. I’ll go. I’ll hate it, but I’ll go.”