Hello there,

Some fool has left the keys in the crack_van ignition, and so I have painted it gold and am pretending it is a Capri. And joy-riding through 70s and 80s Britain. Climb in with me for a month in the world of The Professionals.

I have a dozen stories I want to draw attention to over the next month, but wildly intermittent net access, so we'll see how many of them we can get to. They are of all lengths and from a variety of sources. You'll find a lot of them on the Proslib CD. And here's the first.

Fandom: THE PROFESSIONALS
Pairing: Bodie/Doyle
Length: 7kb, c1000 words
Author on LJ: Author not on LJ
Why this must be read: Because it's lovely.

Ginny's stories are generally found in zines. None is on the web. But two of her stories are on the Proslib CD. This is the shorter. It's incredibly brief - just over a thousand words - but it's beautifully done. It is a conversation on obbo, and Doyle is hoping to learn more about Bodie.

( Want to know how...? )

Midnight Truths is available on the Proslib CD or in the multimedia zine Alter Egos 2.

Fandom: DUE SOUTH
Pairing: None
Length: 39,315 words
Author on LJ: bghost
Author Website: Author's Index on AO3
Why this must be read:

This is a new story, posted last month by an author who has only recently started posting due South fic. It's set after "Flashback" and the author's intention is to give Fraser and Vecchio a better last story than that episode. I became gripped by the unfolding plot. I was delighted by the loyalty and friendship of Vecchio, by the stubbornness of Fraser in continuing his path even as he began to recognise an almost fatal pattern of behaviour, fascinated by the mythos the author explored, charmed by the cast of minor characters, from a delightful appearance by Turnbull to [spoilers redacted].

Lair of the White Wolf

Fandom: STAR WARS
Characters: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Satine Kryze, Qui-Gon Jinn
Length: ~120k words
Author on LJ: I don't think she has one.
Author Website: FFN Profile
Why this must be read:

ruth baulding displays a sure talent for everything fanfic-wise, but in particular, she has the ability to delineate characters that you really care about throughout the course of her stories. In this saga, a youthful Satine Kryze shines as she works as hard as any Jedi to know herself and her place in her tumultuous Mandalorian culture. You will find her a person to admire and understand. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon feature as prominently as you'd think in this tale filled with action, an outstanding plot as Satine comes into her own with the Jedi's help, and the tendrils of adulthood's pain work their way into the three of them. Yet they prevail. I can recommend all of ruth's body of work unequivocally.

Beyond The Last Illusion

On Distant Shores

Before The Throne

Hi everyone! I'm back reccing for Harry Potter this month. I've got some gems to pass along, so I hope everyone gives them a chance :)

Fandom: HARRY POTTER
Pairing: Gen
Length: 2400
Author on LJ: trinsy_fics
Author's Website: See above
Why this must be read: This short fic is all about how Remus copes with the various events in his life after the tragedy at Godric's Hollow. And who better to help him than the ghost of James? Many fics deal with the friendship of all the Marauders or Remus/Sirius and James/Sirius and this is a beautiful piece than explores the connection between Remus and James. A wonderful and sad ending to boot.

Heroes for Ghosts

Hello and welcome to the Anime/Manga van this month with some lovely Gundam Wing fics. With only a sprinkling of recs off and on in the years between, this van hasn't been driven for a full month since 2008 so it's about time for some fun GW! I'm mainly a yaoi (that's slash for you non-animers) girl with a mundo focus on Duo. Expect a bunch of him as he'll be the focus for most of my recs. There'll be a few gen recs sneaking in, but the yaoi train is full steam ahead! I've also got a mix of old and new stories with GW being such an old fandom and me being in it for over a decade. So without further ado, let's get the GW recs flowing!

Fandom: GUNDAM WING
Pairing: Heero/Duo, background Trowa/Quatre, Trowa/Duo, and Wufei/OFC
Length: epic length with 15 chapters
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: Author's page on Gundam Wing Diaries
Warnings: blood/gore
Why this must be read:

Author's Summary:The earth sphere has moved on into an age of peace, but Duo is fighting battles of his own. He has reluctantly joined the Preventers, and is surprised to see Heero sign up as well. With an assassin on the loose and an increase in suspicious activity, he’s beginning to realize the fine line between genius and insanity, and how easily it can be erased.

To start this Gundam Wing van trip, let's pull out a recently discovered gem. I actually just got done reading this today on my lunch hour and just had to sit a few minutes afterward digesting it. It's extremely plot dense with twists, turns, and a few flips for good measure. There's a deep undercover operation, a chase for an assassin who's after a friend, Preventer missions that aren't going as planned, betrayal, ghosts from a past both tragic and bloody, Mafia hits ...... And that's just the tip to this iceberg of a story!

To add to all that, there's some fantastic characterization going on here. With emotional examination on the consequences of war on one's mind and friendships, Impish takes us on an emotional journey that is both haunting and heart-wrenching. All this is done with character voices that ring true and relationships built realistically, with all the ups and downs a relationship involving a Gundam Pilot (long less 2!) would entail. This is a wonderful story I'm glad I found, and it's a real pleasure to get this van rolling with it.

The Darkest Reflection

Fandom: MERLIN
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur (with Merlin/Others and Arthur/Others)
Length: 11,933 words
Author on LJ: lolafeist
Author Website: Fics on AO3

Why this must be read: I love this fic because it is both hilarious, sexy, and a tad angsty. It's a modern day AU set at college. The author really sums it up best.

Author's Summary: Being fuckbuddies goes well for an entire semester. Until it doesn't.

Like It's 1999

Fandom: INCEPTION
Pairing: Arthur/Eames, Dom/Mal
Length: 69,588
Author on LJ: rageprufrock
Author Website: rageprufrock on Dreamwidth
Why this must be read:


Presque Vu:

Or, "on the tip of the tongue." Arthur meets Mal first. He inherits Dom, after. Everything else is on him.

Rageprufrock mentions in her author’s note that Arthur’s line to Ariadne about Mal was the seed for this story, and it shows. This is probably the most gorgeous rendering of her character you will find, and the contrast between Arthur’s Mal and Cobb’s shade is heartbreaking.

However, this is Arthur’s story, his love story in particular. And his evolution from architecture student to the point man we know and love is detailed lovingly. Eames is also excellent; Pru has balanced his two sides, con man and lover, perfectly.

(One of my favorite points is the recurring idea that Arthur would be absolutely terrifying in prison.)

Presque Vu

Presque Vu: Codas



A small disclaimer: I will be exploring the darker side of Inception, Yet, to keep this month from becoming too depressing, there will be a sprinkling of lighter fic interspersed.