crack_van | Still Life, with Pumpkins, by Petronia (G)

Fandom: GETBACKERS
Pairing: None
Author on LJ:

petronia
Author's Website: Petronia / Yume
Why this must be read:

This is a sweet little slice-of-life fic; Ban and Ginji spend one foggy Halloween resting after a job and carving pumpkins. Various other characters drop by with various motives. Ginji is very, very cute in this one, which is exactly how it should be; the characterization in general is absolutely stunning. And the fic as a whole is very well-done, with just enough happening to keep the reader interested, but just little enough not to break the mood.

This fic is actually a good place to start even if you don't know the series; you can follow it without necessarily knowing who these people are and still start to gain affection for them and an understanding of their situation.

"What?" Ban turned around and barely contained a double take. Two jack-o'-lanterns sat side by side on the counter directly beside him: one cheerfully smiling from half-moon eyes and a gap-tooth mouth, the other... somewhat flattened, with button-shaped eyes and a spiky zig-zag top. The effect was one of counterintuitive cuteness. He blinked at it, cigarette dangling from his lips.

"They're... very nice," he managed finally.

"They're portraits!" Natsumi said, returning from the kitchen with a bagful of candles and a book of matches. "I did Ginji-san, and Ginji-san did me. See?"

"Don't they look like us, Ban-chan?" Ginji added.

"Very much so," Ban said, because it was indubitable, and Ginji smiled like a light coming on.

Still-Life, With Pumpkins