Fandom: SUITS
Pairing: Harvey/Mike
Length: 12,882 words
Author on LJ: wldnst
Author Website: AO3 profile
( Why this must be read )

76th & Lexington

Fandom: SHERLOCK BBC
Pairing: John Watson/Sherlock Holmes
Length: 2278 words
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: AO3
Why this must be read:

"The Mourning Woman" is a beautifully written story about Molly Hooper - from how she became a pathologist to her tentative attempt to help John after the Reichenbach Fall - wistful, yet chirpy (especially in the podfic version).

The companion piece, "The Bachelor Stripped Bare by His Shadow, Even," tells John's story - a study in grief told with sweet melancholy and hope. Either story can stand alone but they complement each other.

Extra points for the Duchamp reference.

There is a lovely podfic of "The Mourning Woman" by croissantkatie.

( Try a sample... )

The Mourning Woman
The Mourning Woman (podfic)
The Bachelor Stripped Bare By His Shadow, Even

This weekend's rec is another long story and an AU for a change. It's part of a verse created by Darkprism based around a fictional city called Monoshizukanohi and, if you like your Naruto (amongst several other fandoms) dark and kinky, I can heartily recommend all the stories in the 'verse.

Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: Main pairing Inuzuka Kiba/Gaara, though there are several others in the background.
Genre: M/M slash, drama, romance, kink.
Length: Long, probably about 80,000.
Author on LJ: demented_dee
Warnings: Dark fiction. Bloodplay, drug use, angst, violence, abuse, gangs, D/s, bondage, impact play.
Author Websites: y!Gallery (Note: You must have a y!Gallery account to view this page.)
Author's Summary: The streets of Monoshizukanohi are not kind to youth, and Gaara is no exception. After running away from an abusive home, Gaara struggles to find meaning in life through violence, drugs, and anything he can manage to survive. Join Gaara and a wide cast of characters as they go from the streets to the top of the social strata. It's rags to riches, despair to hope, loneliness to love, and everything in between.
Why this must be read: Gaara is not easy to write in canon, let alone in an AU setting. How do you take a character who is essentially a mass murderer possessed by a demon and make him in any way sympathetic? Darkprism manages it exceedingly well, and without backing down from the essentially twisted core that is all Gaara. This story is a hell of a ride that passes through some very dark places, yet the journey is full of lyrical imagery, passion and struggle. Please take the warnings seriously, this is not for the faint of heart, though it is well worth the trip.


Rhythm and Bruise by Darkprism. The link takes you to the story index and information page.

Fandom: THE SENTINEL
Pairing: none
Length: 31K and 40K words
Author on LJ:
Author Website: Tate at the Idol Pursuits site

Why this must be read: Because it’s probably a more logical conclusion to SenToo Part One, albeit one that wouldn’t have fit the time slot or the action/adventure dynamics of the show. It’s what I refer to as a “left-turn AU”: a story that starts in canon but breaks away and goes down a different path.

In “Watermark”, Jim still raises Blair from the dead, but Blair is in a coma for six weeks and comes out a changed man. In point of fact, no one remains unaffected in this angsty “epilogue” that has a large dose of H/C and skirts the edges of TS smarm**. Well, perhaps more than skirts the edges; YMMV.

“Wellspring” picks up immediately after and is told from Jim’s POV. There’s an interesting case story and another big dose of smarm. Enjoy.

**For anyone unfamiliar with the term as it applies to the fandom, it’s strong male friendship expressed through physical and/or emotional affection.

Watermark by Tate (PG-13)
Wellspring (PG-13 sequel)

--magician’s mantra: make an author’s day. Send feedback if you liked their story!