elynross's panegyrium

6:50pm: Dead Zone
Three of these were previously listed in my mass Yuletide recs.

Eye Contact, by aka_arduinna
(Johnny/Walt drabble)
A drabble that never fails to give me a jolt.

Everything he loved came from Johnny. Everything he feared.

Serendipity,  by aka_arduinna
(gen)
A lovely story that captures so many things about the Johnny-Sarah-Walt dynamic so well, and it's really funny. It's Walt's birthday, and Johnny has to find him a gift.

An image of Walt instantly formed in his mind's eye, relaxed and comfortable, looking straight ahead with eyes that never missed anything. Affection surged through him, as always overlaid with a hint of wonder. Walt had stepped into Johnny’s life and made it his own, winning wife and child and white picket fence, leaving Johnny to wake up from his coma alone, with a bum leg and an empty house. But they’d reached past that, and somehow, Walt had become one of his closest friends.

Blowback, by cesperanza
(Johnny/Walt)
Johnny/Walt fiction is such a delicate proposition for me, because I feel that you have to either take account of Sarah, or make it plausible to me why anything could happen between Johnny and Walt that didn't take account of Sarah, and I'm not fond of threesomes, and... in this piece, circumstances and conditions mean things happen so damn fast, and whatever happens with Sarah is outside the scope of the story, and what's between Walt and Johnny in this story is just so damn intense it blows me away.

When Walt glanced up, he saw that Johnny was with him again, lucid and watching him with those otherworldly eyes. Walt kept his expression deliberately neutral: he felt, as he often felt, that Johnny was studying him, searching his face for something, some cue. He was still holding Johnny's hand in his, but he didn't pull back or jerk away: Walt Bannerman knew better than most what an admission of guilt looked like.

Do What You Have to Do, by dsudis
(gen short)
A sharp, brilliant examination of Walt and Bruce and what they'd both do for Johnny, what they're capable of. Walt just kills me in this story.

Bruce looked down at his hands, then out toward the night desk again, then squarely at Walt. "Have you ever killed anybody?"

Walt blinked, pushed his notebook back off to the side, and let go of his pen. He wasn't going to want to write any of this down. "Yeah, I have," he said, holding Bruce's gaze and keeping his tone level and matter-of-fact even as he mentally listed the possibilities for where this was going: had Bruce killed somebody? Did he intend to kill somebody? And, because it was inevitable, how did John fit into this?

Sympathy for the Devil, by dsudis
(Johnny/Bruce)
What I love about this is not just the relationship between Johnny and Bruce, but how Dira paints the struggle in Johnny's head, his struggle over Stinson, over what he sees and is trying to change.

"Your dad was a preacher," John said finally, without raising his head.

"Yeah," Bruce said slowly, wondering where this was going. John had never had much more use for his daddy's religion than Bruce had.

"Did anybody ever ask him--if the devil repented, could he be saved?"

Dugout, by lomedet
(Walt/male short)
Lomedet clearly had some of the same ideas I had in watching "No Questions Asked," about Walt and his boyhood friendships, and Walt's sexual past.

It had always been the three of them: Jeremy, Frankie, and Walt. They discovered everything together, ever since the day Jeremy had picked first Walt and then Frankie to be on his lunchtime kickball team back in first grade. So, it wasn’t surprising that they should discover this together, too.

The Definition of Stupid, by tangeriner
(Johnny/Walt)
Another story that deals with the Sarah problem in a way I can work with, and it also does an interesting job with playing with how things Johnny changes change the outcomes of his visions.

The problem was the fact they were both inherently stupid. Sarah liked to blame their respective penises for the problem, but Johnny thought it went deeper than that. See, together, they attracted trouble. The type of trouble most people couldn't handle, so the fact they could, and with minimal bloodshed, was pretty impressive, if you asked him.

Though it was probably penis-related, too. Johnny was man enough to admit it.

Compass Point, by treewishes
(Johnny/Walt)
If you were someone who knew Johnny Smith, and you had a secret that concerned him, you might be nervous about spending much time with him, too. One of the fantastic things about DZ is the flexibility and useability of Johnny's visions.

Johnny reached to keep it from going onto the floor at the same time he did, and

Their fingers brushed.

Johnny sat back hard. Walt left the cup and tea and spilled sugar where it was, but he couldn't bring himself to move. He swallowed. Johnny must have seen. It must have been sitting up at the top of his mind somewhere, in that place where Johnny could see. Walt waited.

3:15pm: Yuletide 2006 recs
Rather than sorting these by fandom, I posted recs in my personal LJ each day as I finished reading for the day. Each set is a mixture of fandoms and different source types, ie, literary, TV, movies, comics, etc.

All links take you to the relevant entries in my own LJ.

First Day of Yuletide recs

Second Day of Yuletide recs

Third Day of Yuletide recs

Fourth Day of Yuletide recs

Fifth Day of Yuletide recs

Sixth Day of Yuletide recs

Seventh Day of Yuletide recs

Eighth Day of Yuletide recs

Ninth Day of Yuletide recs

11:29pm: Sherlock Holmes
Doppelganger, october_9_1890
(Sherlock Holmes, Holmes/Watson)
This is such a difficult pairing to do well, I think, and this author does it very well. She takes the tropes of a disapproving partner and the substitionary lover and uses them in ways that I found fresh and convincing, and utterly lovely.

I did not answer, I was too distracted simply looking at him. I could not help but apply his methods. He was wearing a dressing gown, not one of his, and his shirt had no collar. His breathing was even, but heavy with emotion. I watched the pale skin of his throat and traced the arc of the sternomastiod muscles from behind his ear to the pit of his neck with my eyes, watching them appear and recede with the clenching of his jaw. I was really observing him, looking at every fibre of cloth and skin and muscle. It suddenly struck me how he did this each and every moment. How strangely he saw the world. Did he look at my face like I was looking at him now?


Her additional stories are in her LJ memories here.

11:42pm: Angel Sanctuary
The Language of Angels, Melymbrosia (coffeeandink)
(Angel Sanctuary)
I know nothing of this fandom, but this is a short, gorgeous piece that makes me want to know more. The format is very interesting, and there's so much more story implied by what Mely has written. Stories of creation, of angels and Lucifer, of the one trapped in Eden.

Come with me, Lucifer begs, over and over, flee this place, and she arches her back and gasps and sometimes she saysNo  and sometimes she doesn't answer at all, which means the same thing. She won't go, and she won't tell him what keeps her here, and even when he's inside her body and watching a red flush blotch the ivory perfection of her throat, he's no closer to holding her than he was on that first day when she overturned him and held his own sword to his neck.

Men will call him serpent later, but she's the only thing he ever crawled for.

12:10pm: Casablanca
Nom de Coeur, by Dorinda.
(Casablanca, Rick/Louis)
This looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship -- but beginnings are only seeds, and it's a long way to Brazzaville.

I want to encourage anyone who enjoyed Casablanca (and even if you didn't, although it's probably best if you've at least seen it) to read this.

It takes off from precisely where the movie ends, and it's the most remarkable, plausible, glorious continuation I could have ever imagined. The voices are perfect, the mood is companionable, and slightly desperate, as befits the time, place, and circumstances, and the development of the relationship is incredibly well-paced and subtle. I particularly love the little touches, how Sam reacts when he realizes Rick is leaving, watching Rick as he sees Louis with those he thinks of as his ilk, the great visuality of the journey they take. Seriously, I cannot possibly recommend this highly enough. When I went to edit it, there was almost nothing I could see that needed changing, and at the end I was so gleeful that if she'd been in the room with me I would have danced her around going "eeeeeeeeeeee!!!!" I may have done it, anyway.

I keep trying to come up with less general ways to explain why I liked this so very much, but my brain is failing me. It's just inhabiting my brain, and I keep thinking of bits of it at odd moments, and either smiling, or catching my breath, or some other thing that makes me look like a girl in junior high with a really bad crush. And it's just about the most perfect title I've ever seen. I was coming up with suggestions, and she came back with this one, and I told her that if she used anything else, I'd have to kill her. Layers of meaning, and French, and eeeeeee!!! Louis! Rick! Monsieur Richards!!!!

"Guiscard was eager to help us get to Polignac. But...perhaps a little too much so."

Rick frowned. "You think he was on to something?"

"No, no." Louis hesitated again. "He would have arranged our transportation himself. He'd been meaning to make a tour of some of the border posts, he said."

"So he wanted to come along."

"And he and I would have had time to catch up. Plenty of time." He let out a long breath. "He'd heard, so he said, of a new post going begging, up along the northern coast, not too far from Oran."

Rick grinned up at the ceiling. "Louis, you slay me. You're like a bachelor on the run from a bunch of matchmakers."

"Some men are just not meant for matrimony."

"Maybe. But I don't get it. You and Vichy bureaucracy, it's a match made in heaven. You can't tell me you didn't even consider it."

The silence went on this time until Rick was sure he'd had the last word. But again Louis proved him wrong, speaking hesitantly. "I should have."

Rick thought about the prospect of crossing into the Tibesti alone, really didn't like it, squelched that train of thought, and answered. "There's still time."

1:23am: Joan of Arcadia
Things Are Changing, by Gale (iphignia939)
(Joan of Arcadia, Grace/Luke)
I adore Grace, and I was enchanted when she showed signs that she wasn't entirely immune to the smart, snarky adorableness that is Luke Girardi. This story does a great job of capturing both the snark and crankiness of Grace, as well as the underlying tart sweetness. The voices just sound spot-on to me, and I can really buy the idea of Grace getting a little bent out of shape that it's all just a little too easy...

(“I’m not getting you anything for Valentine’s Day,” she announces one day, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Good,” he says, not looking up from his trig homework, “because it’s five months away. Also, it’s a complete load of crap, since Hallmark and the candy companies have co-opted both Catholocism and Greek mythology to get you to buy two little kissing bears, which is just insane. Besides, the bears aren’t even all that cute.”)

He’s nice and smart and funny in a quiet way she’s not used to, and he doesn’t pressure her for sex, and it’s all driving her nuts because this isn’t supposed to be this goddamneasy. There’s supposed to be more fighting. There’s supposed to be yelling and screaming, like that night on the sidewalk, until something – happens. Grace isn’t sure what, not even in her own head, but that’s the way it’s supposed to be. It’s not supposed to be this – this quiet surrendering, like watching snowflakes and knowing that a blizzard’s coming day after tomorrow.

1:10pm: Everwood
Errata, by Punk Maneuverability and Tiffany Rawlins
(Everwood, Colin/Ephram)
Ephram is longing and Colin is so close he can almost taste it. Punk&Tiffany capture the dynamic that Colin&Ephram had for me, where Colin could be closer to Ephram than anyone else, because Ephram was the only one who didn't expect Colin to be someone else, and Colin only expected Ephram to be himself -- right up until Colin thought maybe Ephram knew him too well. There are just so many moments in this story that were just right, and I'm kind of in love with it right now. There's the strangeness and often abrupt harshness of Ephram's relationship with his father, and seeing Andy through Ephram's eyes is pretty amazing here, as I see both how Ephram sees Andy, and how Andy may actually be if you aren't his teenage son. There's the endearing, funny caretaker mode he has with Delia, Amy's tentative pushiness with Colin and her jealousy of Colin seeking out Ephram, and the inside of Ephram's head is just how I imagine it. And it goes along just as it has to, though maybe not just as I might want.

"They are my pretzels," Ephram says, leaning.

"I like them," Colin says, dropping a couple in his mouth. He's wearing a long-sleeved t-shirt, but it's warm in the house and he's got his left sleeve pushed up to his elbow. He's got more moles on his forearms, hiding beneath the dark hair there like a connect-the-dot game.

Ephram never paid this much attention to another guy before, but he can't remember knowing anyone with as many moles as Colin.

There's a tapping at the window and Ephram shifts away from Colin and looks up, feeling way too guilty under the circumstances, unless his sympathetic nervous system knows something he doesn't. His dad is standing there holding something in one hand and miming a two-act play with the other.

"My...seagull ate your parachute," Ephram translates. "I will now return to slaughtering the gutters. Watch the skies."

His dad waves.

1:10pm: X-Files
The Wabash, Far Away, by Punk Maneuverability
(XF, Skinner/Mulderish)</smaller>
I wandered over to runpunkrun's page thinking I might read some of her SV, even though I haven't read any SV in months, but I was distracted by the thought of XF, which was my second major fandom after ST. Apparently reading about a drunken Skinner thinking about Mulder was exactly what I wanted, and this hit my unrequited yearning button full on.

Mulder slid open the glass door and slipped outside. Skinner found himself staring at his silhouette. The moonlight traced the outline of his shoulders like a knife.

Too many beers. Skinner needed to get back to DC where Lincoln's stern visage and solemn hands could talk him out of this. But he was in Indiana, and the rhythm of Deepsky had invaded his bones. He couldn't help but watch Fox Mulder.

Skinner got up from the couch. The room wobbled, and he blamed it on DJ Zen. The sliding glass door opened smoothly. Mulder twisted around with an expectant look but turned bland again when he saw it was only Skinner.

10:06am: Harry Potter
A Choriambic Progression, by Mairead Triste & Aristide
(HP, Harry/Snape)
Note: available at Ink Stained Fingers; you must request the site ID and password.

Sometimes I reach a point in a fandom where I just need one. more. story. The Story. The one that satisfies all the inarticulate yearnings I have for a particular pairing, that takes its time and develops things slowly, that carries me along with it, rather than assuming I'm already there, accepting this pairing as plausible and just waiting for the story to catch up. This is that story for me, for Harry/Snape. Forced to work together, then to rely on each other due to some unexpected effects of Harry's growing power, at no point does Snape seem less outwardly unpleasant and snarky than is his wont, and never does either character get overly sentimental or maudlin. Even in retrospect I couldn't point to a single point at which I believed that this Harry could fall for this Snape; rather, over the course of the complex, plotty story, through Harry's PoV and eyes it simply happens, and it's just as delightful and maddening and alarming for the reader as it is for Harry. In retrospect, it makes perfect sense. If you're a Snape fan, I can't imagine you'd be anything but delighted by this rich characterization, and as a Harry fan, I was equally pleased. Harry is sixteen, growing up, realizing what a burden others place on him, trying to decide what he thinks and wants for himself. At the same time, he's clearly still not terribly emotionally mature, still prone to rush in without thinking when he sees a need (or wants something), and increasingly alarmed by his growing attraction to a man he really doesn't like very much, if at all.

The other characters who appear at any length are equally spot-on for me (Dumbledore, Lupin), but the story revolves almost entirely about Harry and Snape in relative isolation, for plausible reasons. I missed Ron and Hermione, but their absence is accounted for in the story. Only occasionally did I feel that the story was too limited in this way. Overall, it's an extremely well-written, rich, and absorbing story.

Snape had moved over to the table, and was rolling up his sleeve with rapid, impatient movements. He had also started muttering again, but Harry didn't catch any of it until, "...and I suppose I should simply be grateful that it's you doing it, and not Longbottom--Merlin forbid--and all because of this charming situation where I don't dare set foot outside this bloody house without being torn to bits by my adoring public--"

"If it's any consolation," Harry said brightly, "I still despise you."

Snape's head jerked up, and his eyes narrowed. "You can't imagine what a relief that is to me."

12:20pm: The Authority
Love in a big weird life, by basingstoke
(The Authority, Apollo/Midnighter)
Very short snippit that gave me a lovely warm feeling with just a touch of sorrow and pain -- very appropriate, all things considered. The Big Gay Superhero Love of these two is just about the most romantic relationship going.

"Then you really *don't* have proper names," Angie says. "I thought you were just being stubborn."

"He's Apollo. I'm the Midnighter. Those are proper names." The Midnighter has big brown eyes like all of Angie's family. He's white, though, she can see enough to be sure of *that*--and crazy, which none of her family is.

And in love, which a lot of her family is. He bends back over Apollo and smoothes his hair without touching his bruised face.

11:29am: Yuletide recs
Transferring these for posterity! I read almost all of the stories from the 2003 Yuletide Obscure Fandom Secret Santa Project, and did many, many recommendations.

Yuletide Recs I

Yuletide Recs II

Yuletide Recs III

Yuletide Recs IV

Yuletide Recs V

Yuletide Recs VI

Yuletide Recs VII

Yuletide Recs VIII


Recommendations from other people for Yuletide stories can be found here.

11:22am: Nothing Ever Changes, by brancher
(Batman, Batman/Jim Gordon)
Brancher manages to maintain the mystery and darkness of Batman, while hinting at his vulnerability, covered by the absolute steel will that won't let him falter, won't let him tremble. Jim's compassion is beautiful, and I love the trope that each man is really the only one the Other has. Where Batman can't bend, Jim can.

I kissed him only once, through the cowl.

11:15am: Firefly
Every Mother's Son, by mz_bstone
(Firefly, Jayne&Simon, gen)
A short, interesting piece that explores both men's roots. Sharp, bittersweet, and savory.

But the thing was, Jayne had found that once you learned something you couldn't unlearn it.

Made a boy suspicious of learning.

11:11am: Pratchett
Catfight
(Discword/Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents)
Yeah, I know Maurice is part of Discworld, but. *g* A short, clever piece. And Greebo! There should be more Greebo.

The black tom was highly annoyed to find himself suddenly grabbed in human hands and held aloft by a triumphant, grey-haired, one-eyed, naked man covered in old scars. The man hissed and took the black tom by the legs, ready to pull him apart.

2:24pm: Harry Potter
Learning Curve, by Nomad
(HP, Snape gen)
Potter has seen into Snape's past, and afterwards, Snape considers how this changes things, how he should react, and what Potter needs. This is quite a short piece, but brilliant in terms of characterization and plausibility, in my book. This is no Snape to be sentimentalized or romanticized or sympathized with, but a principled and calculating man, with his own inexplicable and perhaps irrational motives. This is Snape at his snapiest, in my book.

He wonders how much Potter saw, and how much he will make of it. Denial is a powerful force - but unfortunately, the boy has not sufficient cowardice to hide in it. He'll remember what he saw, and the only hope is to cloud the circumstances surrounding it.

5:20pm: Flirtational Theory, by Shrift
(SN, C/D)
By way of disclaimer, I did a spot of impromptu canon checking when shrift posted an excerpt of this in her LJ, but I apparently missed the debut of the finished story, and what a delightful Friday afternoon surprise. The quick and clever and funny are all there, along with enough info for a game of "Spot the canon references!" Set just after the series finale, the characters felt just right to me, Danny alternately serious and vulnerable, and snarky and funny, Casey both clueless and goofy, smart and quick on the uptake, once he knows what's what. A charming romance. And I'm in love with this line: Casey wished Danny would open his eyes, because it felt like he was having this conversation blindfolded.


Casey caught the bottle when Danny slid it across the counter. "Guys don't talk, Danny."

"I talk."

"That's because you're a woman," Casey said.

Danny laughed and sat down on the other bar stool, his sharp knee bumping against Casey's. "You really don't want to do this."

"I really don't."

Danny pursed his lips. "Then you don't have to."

Casey's spine straightened in surprise. "I don't?"

"No." Danny shook his head and took a sip of beer, then ducked his head and said quietly, "But sometimes I need to know how things stand, Casey, and I really can't do that unless you talk to me."

5:15pm: Thing, by Cimorene and Wax Jism
(HP, Sirius/Remus)
Simply put, it's a story of what happens when Sirius shows up on Remus' doorstep, still hunted, but it's also the story of what happened when they were at school, and neither of those really gives a sense of a story that is rich and textured and was like something palpable in my hand. Alternating past and present, both chronologically and in tense (tensewise?), as well as Remus' and Sirius' PoVs, it's in some ways two stories in one, and in some ways both more and less. It's a story that's in no hurry, that takes pleasure in the falling snow, and the sip of chocolate, as much as the more dramatic happenings. I have one small query about scratches by werewolf, but this story made me almost entirely content.

Number 41 is Remus' door. It's painted blue, and the bushes outside are shaggy and unkempt.

It's the old cosmic joke again, Sirius thinks. His spine tingles. Missing James is like being caught on a fish hook and slowly reeled out of his mind. Missing Remus is a numb spot somewhere deep down, blankness hiding something worse.

"No more of that," he mutters and shakes his head sharply. "Sentimental old sod."

Lustre, by Julad and Calico
(HP, H/D)
Towards the end of his time at Hogwarts, Draco is just fine with what his future holds in store, adores the gift his father has sent, tries to figure out the related puzzle, and attempts to ignore Harry Potter. Entirely in Draco's PoV, the story struggles with his growing confusion and frustration as his future begins to assume a more concrete form. It's a Draco I can believe in and even like, painting him in a way I found both intriguing and sympathetic, while not minimizing the nastiness of which he is capable. All along, Draco's outward ego and pride, much as we see them in the books, are colored by what's going on inside him in a way so as to both explain his behaviors and undermine the typical outside measure of them. Beyond that, it's not really a story of the pairing, as such, but a story of Draco, and it spends most of its time exploring the world of the Slytherins and what it means to be a Malfoy.

Since agreeing to take the position Lucius has found for him at the Ministry, he's come to realise that the future he imagined and the future he faces bear no resemblance to one another. He's fine with that, he really is, but he still sometimes has to pause and make the small mental adjustments required by his recently altered fate. Clearly, he has to adjust to the idea that soon he won't be at school with Potter anymore, that he'll never push him down on the grass and do what he really wants to him.

5:21pm: The glory of the hummingbird, by L.C.
(HP, slash)
There was a time when Sirius, Remus, James, and Peter were at school, and there were girls and kisses and Peter, who never quite kept pace with the others. A Peter PoV story, and he's just a little lost and out of step. Again, there's a story untold lying under the words to be read, and a reveal at the end that's both sweet and sad.

There's a heavy dark hole in the center of himself where all the missing clues sit and wait and weigh him down. If he could divert a river through that place, he might end up wet and cold and lucid.

4:56pm: Theme and Variation, by L.C.
(HP, H/D)
Summary: wherein there are three letters and some nursery rhymes This is a short, dark, haunting view of an adult Draco, and manages in a few short paragraphs to capture a fascinating and rich possibility of character. I can't quite find the words to say why I think this is quite possibly perfect, and certainly brilliant, in its economy of words and yet depth and richness of story, all the things that are told under the flow of words.

To gut a man, whisper certain Latin words, precisely conjugated, and stand several feet away. The abdomen opens with a sound like ripping thread--a sound that can only be heard if one has silenced the victim beforehand. Once the wound is there, gravity will finish the job. One must remember to stand back, though. Blood is quick, and if one were to get dirty--well, why even bother with magic?

6:15pm: The Care and Feeding of Hobbits, by Baylor
(LotR, gen)
Subtitled "Ruminations on the Little People by Boromir, Man of Gondor." I found this through celli's mention, and possibly everyone interested has already read it. *g* Boromir's observations of the habits of hobbits in ten charming lessons. I'm particularly fond of the portrayal of the relationships between the hobbits, and the obvious fondness of the rest of the Nine for their smallest members.

But Pippin is looking up at Gandalf with sincere green eyes and an earnest, open face.

"But you wouldn't ever tire of the Tooks, would you, Gandalf?" he asks anxiously. "I mean, really, you just chose Bilbo because you knew he was a Took deep down, right?"

12:05pm: Daughters of Abraham, by Melymbrosia
(WW, Ellie vignette)
aerye pointed me to this, and for that I'm grateful. A look at and through Ellie Bartlet. Short, moody, it uses present tense and language and mood to great effect, placing me in Ellie's head not only literally, but emotionally, as I feel some of her fear and anxiety, but also the cotton wool she's wrapped her feelings in.

5:08pm: What Dreams May Come, by MrsHamill
(PM, Qui-Gon/Obi-Wan)
Every ten years, a Jedi goes to the planet Hadricus to share his dreams. Still in pain from the loss of Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan Kenobi is chosen, in spite of his resistance, and he learns that dreams and reality are not as distinguishable as he thought. While I would have liked a different ending, something in this story speaks to me. It's a very interesting idea, and I think the depiction of the dreaming (or not?) state is very well done. And it has the loveliest line: If you dreamed you had a lover, would his love for you be real?

3:39pm: Incurable, by LC
(WW, Jed&Leo)
Stealing only from the best, I saw that torch has graciously offered to host this and rec'd it, and I've been waiting to do so myself. It's very short, very sharp, and very tender, in all senses of the word. A jumble of hope and pain and helplessness and strength.

3:38pm: Babylon 5
All Love is Unrequited, by iamsab
(B5, Lennier/Marcus)
Another story about wanting, and needing, and helplessness. I like this story because it respects and values the canonical relationships, or desires, of both men, while also making itself plausible. Written in Lennier's voice, I can see Marcus through him, and I like the idea that for a short time, they found comfort in each other.

3:38pm: Harry Potter
The Familiar, by resonant8.
(HP, Harry/Snape)
Another seconding of torch's recommendation, since she reminded me of this. It's sweet and funny and charming, and while the Harry in the story isn't the Harry I know from the books, he's quite nice as a Harry changed by circumstance, and Snape is just as unpleasant and nasty as one could wish. The subtlety of this story delights me.

2:20pm: Recommendations flambé; or, two birthdays and another (part the third)
Two Reasons, by flambeau
(SW, Han/Luke)
As with Pale Green, I think that torch has written a story that is more plausible than many written for the pairing, one that takes account of the complexities of the tangled relationships of Han, Leia, and Luke.

2:18pm: Recommendations flambé; or, two birthdays and another (part the second)
Going Forth by Day, by flambeau
(HL, Duncan/Methos. Ish.)
Methos isn't dead. In time-honored tradition, Methos doesn't step in, and doesn't try and protect Duncan. Also, I think this is the only time torch wrote HL with both Duncan and Methos in it. *g* It's written in an interesting style, very effective for the story.

Death is invisible and timeless. There is no in-between, nothing elapsed from life to life. One moment you're there, the next moment you're there. In pain, and pissed as hell, usually.

2:15pm: Recommendations flambé; or, two birthdays and another (part the first)
Pale Green, by flambeau
(HP, Harry/Snape)
Torch, being terribly perverse, took what seemed to be an implausibly unwriteable scenario originally presented as a challeng (Harry tells Snape he's a sexy bitch, and he wants him to take him to his secret love nest and show him his magic wand) and turned it into a sexy, disturbing little story. Then gave it to me for my birthday! So, I'm biased, but I think you'll like it.

Harry bit his lip. He tried to keep perfectly still as Snape's fingers moved across his shoulder, but when the first fingertip touched his bare neck, he shuddered. "I really think I should go now," he said, and his voice was quiet and sort of shaky.

"Perhaps you should." Snape's voice sounded different, too, and his dark eyes didn't fully meet Harry's. The fire crackled. Harry wasn't sure he could feel the rest of his body, just that small, bare part of his throat where Snape's fingertip moved in short, soft strokes. "If you think you've learned your lesson."

5:50pm: Sedimentary, by lexcorp_hope
(Clark/Lex)
A brilliant SV vignette spinning off a challenge made by serrico, based on the poetry of Elizabeth Smart. It's sharp, smart, and complex, and I adore both the Clark she portrays, and the Lex Clark sees. Poor boys! Love is never easy.


Regency Fuck by Jen
(HtLJ, Iphicles/Ares AU)
Billed as an Iphicles Regency AU, you don't need to be familiar with the Hercules show, nor with the particular characters, to enjoy this gay take on some standard Regency romance themes. I find the title unfortunate, and something like "The Earl's Emancipation" or "The Devilish Duke" might have been more enticing, but the story itself is a wild romp, the tale of the seduction of a proper, responsible man by a wicked rake. If you are a big fan of the Hercules character himself, there may be some troublesome elements in this, but I read it as essentially original fiction and enjoyed it.

ETA: I am a doofus, and a bear of no brain at all. As I've been reminded, the title is a play on Georgette Heyer's "Regency Buck," which, though still at odds with the story mood and style for me, at least makes sense. *g* I should have given the author more credit, and I apologize for not doing so!

9:37pm: Men at Odds
Sea Change, by Yahtzee
(AtS, Angel/Lindsey)
I've missed Lindsey, and I've wanted to read one really good Angel/Lindsey story, one that was plausible, took its time, and didn't make me try to believe too much. This one fit the bill perfectly. Set after Lindsey leaves LA and after Angel learns of Buffy's death, the two men end up on the same slow boat to China, and Lindsey sets out to get something he always wanted.

What You Can Get, by Speedo
(OaT, Vic/Mac)
It's a classic slash setup, with a twist. Vic's undercover in a gay bar, Mac's on stakeout, and the Director's up to her regular tricks. I thought that she captured Mac's energy and humor very well, and I like how Mac and Vic play against each other as the story unfolds. I've not seen all the eps yet, but this story captured the feel of the show that I've seen so far.

9:34pm: Smallville: Girl Power
How to be a Great Journalist, by pearl_o
(Chloe/Lana)
Chloe's pulling an all-nighter, and Lana shows up bearing gifts. Surprising and sweet, and I just like that Chloe gets a little happiness.

Tumbleweed, by hesychasm
(Chloe/Lois)
Chloe meets Lois Lane while they're both Daily Planet interns. I was surprised how much I liked this story, since I'm not usually a femmeslasher. But her Chloe rings true, and her Lois is hard-edged and vibrant, and I like the way they interact a lot. I also like the idea that Chloe ends up with a little secret of her own...

Outside In, by seperis
(Chloe, Clark/Lex)
Two boys, a couch, and an unseen visitor. This is really more a Clark/Lex fic than strictly a Chloe one, but it's sweet, hot, and Chloe's reactions are woven into what she sees and hears, and she brings us with her.

Shopping, by zahra
(Chloe)
Chloe and her mother shop for clothes, and Chloe thinks about Clark, and finding the perfect outfit. Short, simple, this piece just captured a very vivid image of Chloe for me, and has some great lines.

Tangent, by kathe
(Clark/Chloe)
Post-Hug, Chloe thinks about Clark, runs a race with him, and it ends on a sweet note. There's a sequel to this, Electric Bugaloo, part of this same file, but I think it lessens the impact of the first part. It's a nice Chloe voice, sharp, quirky, and yearning.

Almost Dawn, by sanj
(Martha)
Martha waits up all night for Clark to get home. She knows where he's been. I love Martha, and this has all the reasons why: she's sharp, smart, protective, and she knows how to talk to her son. Justine should write more Martha!

9:33pm: Canines and Snarks
A Spirit of Brotherhood, by flambeau
(Harry Potter)
Dumbledore asks Snape to participate in a spellcasting with Remus Lupin, and an unexpected third complicates things. Torch's style is spare, almost all showing, rather than telling, and the result is elegant, understated, and delightful. Complex emotional undertones are woven throughout, and the characters are all endearing and aggravating and wonderful.

9:29pm: Brave New Worlds
One of the fascinating things about SV is that the Superman mythos gives this sense of already knowing, at least in some sense, how things will play out. Authors deal with this differently. Some play with the tragic, doomed aspect, and some work to find ways to turn it into a happy ending.

Prophet of Eden, by destina
(Clark/Lex)
This is a very complex and extremely well-written story about Lex Luthor and his struggle to decide whether he'll be ruled by destiny, or choose to make his own future. Great characterization, strong plot, and wonderfully written exchanges between Lex and Jonathan, and Lex and Clark. One of the few stories that has ever made me wish it was mine!

Past Grief, by thete1
I Was a Kryptonian's Sex Slave, by thete1
(Clark/Lex)
When tragedy strikes, Lex is there for Clark, and soon becomes everything he needs. Past Grief is a story of good intentions, warped reasoning, and the transforming power of love -- but not in the way you'd think. It's the kind of story that I treasure, because it hurts me so much, even as it makes me love it. It's a fascinating twist on the expected Superman future, and while I'm not sure I buy what happens as plausible, given Clark's character, I was right there for the duration. And it fills my basic need: as long as I can believe they desperately love each other...

Don't Judge IWaKSS by the title! It's not a humor piece -- quite the contrary. When Lex goes too far, Superman goes further -- and they're quickly caught up in a twisted sexual game that shows how deep the pain -- and maybe the love -- run.


Callaesthetics, by liviapenn
Demarcation, by liviapenn
(Clark/Lex)
Read Callaesthetics first, and then Demarcation to get you over it. Callaesthetics just blew me away with its subtlety, the way in which I, as a reader, read things through Lex of which he apparently remains unaware. It's more comics-oriented than some folks like, but I started with the assumption that it *is* our SV Lex and Clark, and read it with that lense in place. Again, in my reading, this fits my basic need of letting me believe they still desperately love each other, although I don't know if that'll work for everyone.
Demarcation was intentionally written to be happy futurefic, and it so nicely succeeds. I adore Liv's Clark, here, still young enough to be uncertain, but clearly a man, as well. I like seeing the structure of his life and his interactions with people, and the emotional depth of the character in thinking about the different parts of his life. My only qualm about the story is in the characterization of Lex, which feels a bit too giddy, and not nearly snarky enough. It's not really his story, though, and we don't know what his life has been like since Smallville. And the end. The end made me cry, and I adore it. But Clark would go see his parents more, dammit.

9:26pm: Noah's recommendations -- Smallville
Like a lamb

Ice, by merryish
(Clark/Lex)
Two of the things I appreciate most about Merry Lynne's writing are the quiet, snarky sense of humor and the understated tone that allows for the quiet power of a perfect moment within a story. Her guys like each other, tease each other -- really *care* about each other. Ice has Clark to the rescue, again, in a situation that gives them time to talk, to laugh, to discover themselves and each other in new ways. Low-angst, but deep feeling, and a complex mix of emotions that is very real and very satisfying.

Twenty-one, by liviapenn
(Clark/Lex)
A post-Jitters story gives us hetboy Lex as he's clued in by smart, determined Clark. Sweet, tender, sexy as all get out -- and Livia and I seem to share a few favorite things like Lex's voice and skin, and Clark's hands... She walks a fine line with Lex, maintaining a strong self-awareness while making it plausible that he's only ever gone for women -- and you know there are probably people out there who think it's ridiculous that I'd find that implausible? There's also a lovely opening scene with Lex watching Clark out with Pete and Chloe that I just love.

A little bit of teeth

Identical, by lanning
(Clark/Lex)
There's not really a lot I have to say about this except that it's an exquisite short story with a sharp, brilliant twist, and the perfect last line. Oh, and I love her Clark, strong, smart, determined. That's my guy.

Invulnerable, by Loch Ness
(Clark/Lex)
(access information available by email from lochness@texas.net)
Five years ago, Lex went to prison, and now Clark is waiting when he gets out. It's a story about one man offering and another man choosing, and what happens when you don't think there's really any choice left. The author's take on the characters is vivid and unique, and the dynamic between them is both painful and exquisite. She also does a good job interweaving the story of the past into the present, through present-tense flashbacks. Wonderfully intricate and complex.

9:24pm: With wings and fangs -- Angel the series
The Quality of Mercy, by Yahtzee
(gen overall, Angel/Riley in ch. 6.5)
Yahtzee mentioned doing an Angel/Riley side story for this (which is chapter 6.5), and that is what originally lured me (and repaid me nicely). The story stands without that chapter, though, and it's a lovely exploration of all the AtS characters during the time that Angel Investigations was debating whether or not to take Angel back. Wonderful writing, good relationship stuff, an interpretation of canon that just works for me. The Angel/Riley angle sold me because far from ignoring Buffy, she's front and center in spirit, and it still works. And I love Gunn's grandmother!

Inside, by Gyrus
(gen, Faith)
Faith is in prison, and Wolfram & Hart want to take care of unfinished business. A good story, and I think Gyrus does a great job capturing the voice of a Faith who is vulnerable and trying so hard to figure things out. I particularly like the way she captures the mood and tone of the dream sequences from the show.

9:23pm: King of the forest -- Lord of the Rings
Burrow, by 3jane
(Merry/Pippin)
A short, sweet series of vignettes, inexplicit, that capture the charm and whimsy of the hobbits themselves for me.

Meddling, by Gearbox
(LotR, Arwen/Aragorn, Legolas)
A short short piece in which Legolas sees what he shouldn't, does what he must, and protects a friend.

9:22pm: Shacked Up
101 Ways to End Up in a Canadian Shack
This spontaneous project has occasioned discussion here and there, but mostly, for me, it produced some excellent reading from a wide variety of authors. The word limit forced conscientious authors to weigh the value of each one, and the stories range from the ridiculous to the sublime, sometimes within the same Shack. Totally worth the time spent, even if I do say so myself, as a participant. Read the story behind the story to get the context, then read the Shacks! Note: while just paging straight through can be a delightful trip, some of the shacks involve RPF, and several are for obscure fandoms. Bouncing back and forth from Index to Shacks will let you know what to expect in the way of fandoms.

9:20pm: Let's hear it for Fellowship
They Say of the Elves, by Brancher
(Gimli/Legolas)
Legolas promised to travel the dwarven caves, and Gimli, to explore the forest of Fangorn. While they travel, Gimli contemplates what they say about elves, and ponders his own heart. Non-explicit and sweet, sweet, with a yearning quality that pleased me greatly. Thanks to Dorinda for pointing this out.

9:11pm: Look! Up in the air!
Better, by astolat
(Clark/Lex)
A post-Jitters story, this story does a great job of shifting the power back and forth between an innocent, vulnerable Clark and a knowing Lex, to a protective Clark and a vulnerable Lex. Small lovely moments, a delicious sexual tension, and an ending that is sweet, but perhaps a bit brittle -- a start of something new and fragile, rather than an ending at all.

Let It Snow, by debchan
(Clark/Lex)
A car, two beautiful boys, a snowstorm, some snarking, and hot sex. It's a nice, simple story, with a sweet smooth transition from humorous practicalities to sexual heat. And that moment, when Lex takes Clark's hand -- And then when he says that -- And that -- Hummina. Sometimes you just want a Lex with no underage issues.

Beautiful Garbage Vignettes, by mz_bstone
(Clark/Lex)
Drive You Home, Nobody Wins, Planets Crashing to Dust, So Like A Rose, And Under Stars
An unrelated series of short vignettes, none explicit, widely varying in tone, but not quality. What strikes me most is how Brighid encapsulates so many overarching themes so subtly and in such brevity, how many "aha!" moments she gave me. Drive You Home is tempted Lex and wonderful, not putting up with bullshit Clark, who turns Lex upside down. Nobody wins is Clark with a new secret, a new want, and a surfeit of lies. Planets Crashing is 2nd person Lex, a powerful bit about doing the right thing, the good thing -- and suffering for it. Rose is a future story, about the spilling of lies and the forging of bonds, and perhaps the redemption of a man. Stars is Clark's dreams, and stars, unnamed longing and the seeking of comfort. Overall, I wanted to rearrange a few commas, fix a missing word or so, but these are strong and tasty morsels.

Reveal, by latxcvi
(Clark/Lex)
Kind of, but not quite, a voyeur story. Lionel's PoV, written just after the pilot and Hothead. Yes, he does see things, but... LaT manages to make what he sees erotic, but it's not titillating because we see it through Lionel's eyes, if that makes sense. What we get is the impact what he sees has on him, in how he sees his son -- and himself. A very interesting early perspective on the man who's had so much influence in Lex's life, one that plausibly paints him as a father both proud and calculating, not beyond caring, and never beyond thinking of the future.

Boxed, and Skinned, by thamiris
(Clark/Lex)
Two complex and indescribably hot first time stories. One of the things I really appreciate about Boxed is that we get a Clark who is struggling not just with strange new desires and feelings, but with the whole revelation of his own origin -- and the two get tangled up in highly erotic fashion. Woven through episodes , and it's as much about Clark and his strange life, Clark trying to find something to hold on to, as it is about Clark and Lex specifically. Dreamy, even surreal, in feel, it develops slow and thick, tension rising, with a few well-done twists that keep that tension high. Involves bondage. Skinned is Lex's turn, and it's more concrete than Boxed, like a new (and erotic) Smallville episode, involving a meteor-infected man, Lex's curiosity about Clark, and the awkwardness of making things work when you know they shouldn't. It's also about hunger and need and rawness, and being turned inside out and not knowing which way is up. Lovely vulnerable, needy Lex and strong, aggressive, hot for it Clark. And sometimes desperate, denying Lex and vulnerable, needy Clark. I have this thing about shifts in erotic power; I love it when Lex tries to throw Clark off-balance, and Clark returns the favor. And the ending...the end is sheer beauty.

The Butterfly Effect, by spike21
(Clark/Lex)
One of the interesting tensions in Smallville fandom is that if you go by the standard Superman legends, we all know that this relationship is doomed, right? For some fans, this is a source of delicious tension, for others, a source of despair and dreams of change. Wonderful stories are being written for all involved, and this one is a complex and fascinating exploration of how far Lex's curiosity will drive him, and how hard Clark will work to figure things out and save him. Spinning out of Hourglass, it's a subtle study of the tensions inside and between both boys, but it also includes a wonderful depiction of Jonathan Kent as he struggles with his protective nature and innate sense of fairness.

9:10pm: And Now For Something Completely Different
For each of these next three recs, my initial reaction was: I don't think so. I didn't expect to enjoy them, but they came recommended, so I tried them -- and I'm glad I did. Based on literary works, although each also now has a filmed version, part of the charm of each is the author's ability to capture, at least in part, the charm and mood of the original.

Absurdly Simple, by Irene Adler
(Sherlock Holmes/Dr.Watson)
This piece demonstrates what fanfiction can be at its best, when it captures the characters so well that you feel like you're reading a missing piece of the original. Charming and sweet -- and with footnotes! Quite Victorian in feel, it might be harder going for those not familiar with or enamored of the style.

A Diamond Between Wood and Stone, by Pythoness
(LotR, Legolas/Gimli)
This quite won my heart, after my initial resistance (trust the torch!) Gimli's bashfulness and Legolas's serious grace and playful sweetness both enchant me. It doesn't so much capture Tolkien's tone as it does gloss it, in a manner both delightful and disturbing, and the distinctions drawn between elf and dwarf are finely done. The only slash you may ever read where a writer refers to "the root of his wand" -- and it works.

A Most Disquieting Tea, Almost, At Times, The Fool, Like A Glass and Corresponding, by Telanu
(HP, Harry/Snape)
Too few HP authors capture the whimsy of the books or spend time developing a relationship -- for me, this series does both. It's unfinished at four stories, but each story is complete in itself, and she's taking her time. She manages to nicely interweave the stories with canon so far, giving us a Snape who is plausible and yearning -- and still not very nice. For those bothered by underage, you might want to give this a miss, although Harry is fifteen before he even has a glimmer, and so far the series hasn't gone beyond PG-13. Thanks to Bone for the pointer.