January 10th, 2014 
08:42 am Kindling by italktomyself (M)
Fandom: SUITS
Pairing: Mike/Rachel
Length: 1404
Author on LJ: not that I know of
Author Website: Fanfiction.net profile

Why this must be read: This is an episode tag for the season two finale, where Mike and Rachel have hate sex in the file room. What I like about this fic is it's very gritty and graphic. It's enough for me to forgive the minor SPAG errors in this fic.



As their breathing and post-coital kisses slowed, Mike pulled out of Rachel and suddenly exclaimed, "Oh shit, I came inside you." Their eyes met in a state of mild panic, and it all came back to her. The hurt of her rejection from Harvard, of Louis confirming she wasn't good enough, advising her not to pursue the letter of complaint with Mike.

When Louis mentioned him, she died a little inside. So Mike knew too. Katrina's words flooded back: "They may sleep with the paralegals, but they end up with the lawyers." Tears threatened their way into her eyes, and she quickly nodded and thanked Louis for telling her before making a quick escape. Rather than crumble into a state of despair yet again, she channeled her energy into anger. At Louis, for building up her hopes and crushing them. And at Mike. For not just signing the letter. For avoiding her. For once again, demonstrating the chasm between his Harvard Law degree and her nothing.



Kindling
crack_van: (Default)
09:17 am The Arrival and the Departure by tree (Gen)
Fandom: THE X-FILES
Pairing: Fox Mulder/Dana Scully
Length: 1587
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] tree
Author Website: AO3 | Gossamer

Why this must be read:

For my gift for [livejournal.com profile] xf_santa, I just received a podfic of this terrific story. I had read it a long time ago, and while I hadn't exactly forgotten it (tree is one of my favorite writers), hearing [livejournal.com profile] idella's sensitive recording for the first time, and rereading it was a revelation.

"The Arrival and the Departure" is a post-ep for FTF, but unlike any I've read. She gives us a modern retelling of "Sleeping Beauty," a "fever-dream fairytale," of Scully while she is suffering from the alien virus. The story begins in the hallway, and takes us all the way to Antarctica where she is rescued from her captivity in the alien ship by Fox Mulder. Written in 2006, it was a stunning debut story from a remarkable writer.


Read The Arrival and the Departure.

My apologies for my recent absence. There were reasons. I will make it up to you in these closing days, I promise.
crack_van: (Default)
09:21 am The Skin Beneath the Skin by jibrailis (Teen)
Fandom: Fairy Tales: The Little Mermaid (Disney)
Pairing/Characters: Ariel/Eric; canon characters, OCs
Length: 2K words
Author Website: at AO3

Why this must be read: It's about being happy with your life but unhappy with the cost.

Ariel makes a choice that forces her into life-long exile from everything she knows. She never falls out of love with Eric and eventually gets used to the strangeness of living on land. But being love-struck prevented her from seeing all that she would lose for so many years, since her choice was irrevocable. Or was it? Enjoy.

The Skin Beneath the Skin

If you like this, take a moment to tell the author. Feedback is precious and appreciated!
crack_van: (Default)
09:26 am Sleeping Charming by Starbrow (Gen)
Fandom: Fairy Tales: Sleeping Beauty (Disney)
Pairing/Characters: Aurin/Phillipa, canon characters
Length: 4K words
Author Website: at AO3

Why this must be read: It not only deals with the problematic issues of consent in canon, but is gender reversed as well, providing a delightful heroine.

This story starts at the christening of Prince Aurin, just after Merriweather bestows her gift that mitigates Maleficent's curse. Four-year-old Princess Phillipa, very observant and sensible for her four years of age, already knows she is betrothed to Aurin. She takes the moment of disarray caused by the situation to slip next to the baby and whisper her own gift: a vow to be a good queen, to look after him and his kingdom and keep them all safe.

Sixteen years later, she is put to the test when things go awry in an unusual way. Enjoy.

Sleeping Charming

If you like this, take a moment to tell the author. Feedback is precious and appreciated!
crack_van: (Default)
11:07 am talk not to me of blasphemy, by Cinaed (E)
Fandom: RÓMEÓ ÉS JÚLIA
Pairing: Benvolio/Mercutio
Length: 2071 words
Author on LJ | Tumblr: [livejournal.com profile] cinaed | cinaed
Author Website: fic on AO3
Why this must be read:

Romeo, Benvolio, and Mercutio cross-dress as nuns to sneak into a convent so Romeo can get laid, but what are Benvolio and Mercutio to do while they're waiting?

It can't all be doom and gloom forever, even in post-apocalyptic Verona. It's a little bit of a puzzle to me that there isn't more Benvolio/Mercutio or trio hijinks, given how flirty some of the actors get, but this story definitely fills some of those needs and manages to be not completely depressing! There's also some great insight into the characters and their relationships, humor, and a hot blowjob—a little bit of everything.

Excerpt )

talk not to me of blasphemy

If you enjoy this story, please take a moment to tell the author. Tiny fandom writers always appreciate encouragement!
crack_van: (Default)
12:00 pm The Next Level by estella_c (Gen)
Fandom: THE X-FILES
Pairing/Characters: Fox Mulder/Dana Scully, the Lone Gunmen, and an OCat named Jasper.
Length: vignette
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] estella_c
Author Website: n/a
Why this must be read:

Written for [livejournal.com profile] xf_santa 2013, "The Next Level" is a post-ep for "The Truth." It's told from Frohike's POV, but all of the Gunmen get their turn, and Mulder and Scully make an appearance too. I love this little story. She nails Frohike's voice, but all of the Gunmen are excellent. The only place I can find this writer's work (so far) is at the community where she has a second story posted. If [livejournal.com profile] estella_c has another account somewhere, I'll edit the entry later and add it.

This story is funny and poignant and a perfect coda for the Lonegunmen. Every sentence crackles with wit.

What a fandom. Twenty years after the pilot was aired and people are still writing gems like this.

Read The Next Level. NOW.
crack_van: (Default)
05:02 pm never meant to start a war by [livejournal.com profile] jedibuttercup (PG-13)
Fandom: STAR WARS
Pairing: Obidala. Pre-threesome Anakin/Padmé/Obi-Wan, or my favorite, bottom to top, Padmé/Anakin/Obi-Wan
Length: 2000 words
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] jedibuttercup
Author Website: Masterlist
Why this must be read:

Fandom is a remarkable thing: from 'zine days to now, the amount of actual things to do in fandom blossomed from writing stories and corresponding with other fans via snailmail to today's happy, all-encompassing internet sites, gaming, roleplaying, cosplaying, attending cons, the upcoming Star Wars in Disneyland's Tomorrowland remodel, etc. etc. etc. So this story, written via my prompt from the ever-gleeful Darths and Droids webcomic by one of the most prolific, wide-ranging fandom authors around, shows how mindbending fics can be. The POV must have been quite the challenge to write, as Padmé's handmaiden must deal with the fallout of her employer's highjinks and high spirits. But deal she does in this lighthearted tale, its genesis showing fandom's facets: webcomic to prompt to author's posting in an LJ comm. Enjoy! Happy Friday!

never meant to start a war
crack_van: (Default)
08:17 pm Finding a New Happily Ever After by Eustacia Vye (Gen)
Fandom: Fairy Tales: Cinderella
Pairing/Characters: Cinderella/Prince; Cinderella, Stepsisters, Fairy Godmother, Stepmother, OCs
Length: 4K words
Author Website: at AO3

Why this must be read: It's a nice character study of the younger of the stepsisters, Vivienne.

She was young enough when her mother married Cinderella's father that she called him "Papa" and felt affection for him and sadness when he died. Although she was never mean and vindictive towards her stepsister, as her mother and sister were, she is consumed with guilt for not doing more to help Cinderella.

Now that Ellanora (Cinderella) is princess and her mother is in prison, Vivienne's life is worse as she's forced to live with her nasty sister. But there might be a little magic left to help her. Enjoy.

Finding a New Happily Ever After

If you like this, take a moment to tell the author. Feedback is precious and appreciated!
crack_van: (Default)
08:18 pm Sixty Degrees of Separation by denynothing1 (Gen)
Fandom: THE X-FILES
Pairing: Fox Mulder/Dana Scully
Length: 12,700
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] denynothing1
Author Website: AO3
Why this must be read:

I've been looking everywhere for this story, which is funny considering it's famous enough that I'm pretty sure someone must have recced here already. Or should have. The author as it turns out wrote under a different name back in the day, changed it at Gossamer, then changed it again--as one does--on LiveJournal. Fortunately, she archived it at AO3, where I ran into it accidentally looking for something else entirely.

Oh yes. I am supposed to be telling you why you should read this. It's a funny, character-driven fic set between Triangle and Dreamland. Mulder and Scully deal with the fallout from his bedside confession of love. He's caught between two realities and two women: the woman from his fantasy world in 1939 and his partner, Dana Scully. Her character voices are perfect wherever Mulder's imagination takes him.

Read Sixty Degrees of Separation.
crack_van: (Default)
10:47 pm rise from your burning fiat by dangerbears (PG-13)
Fandom: ONE DIRECTION
Pairing: Louis/Zayn
Length: ~9,400 words
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] dangerbears
Author on AO3: dangerbears
Why this must be read:

A story about childhood best friends growing apart and then reconnecting as their high school graduation approaches. Very sweet and relatable.

louis and zayn have always been best friends and they always will be, no matter how much time they let pass.
crack_van: (Default)
This page was loaded Jun 5th 2025, 8:27 pm GMT.