bossymarmalade: three beatles in a strawberry field (ringo is on his way)
I was all radio silence before my December Hindi exam because I thought it might help me study -- I WAS WRONG. Oh well, since this is a year-long class I have two more exams to make up for my utter failure on this one, yay? Anyhow, I don't want to talk about that.

I want to talk about Yuletart! If you like fanart and haven't been following this comm, you should pop on over! Here, I'll link you to some of the ones I've liked so far, most recent first:

. darkness for all, and for all a good fright | legend - that title is not there to make style. It is for real a warning about how scary (also, how scary-GOOD) this art is.

. the piemaker's perfect picnic | pushing daisies - never watched the show, but the charm and whimsy in this picture is off the scale without being annoyingly precious.

. europe | monster blood tattoo - again, don't know the fandom, but this is a lovely little portrait with enough detail and layering to make it more complex than the standard.

. companions | merlin - genderswapping ahoy, and the characterization and strength of the drawings is smack-dab perfect.

. ice cream war | middleman - seriously, the thing about yuletart is that you don't even need to know the fandoms. I've never seen Middleman, but the emotional heft and fun of this piece comes through nonetheless!

. three card spread | devil may cry, supernatural, battlestar galactica - inventive and cleverly done.

. calm before the storm | macbeth - some people think manga is simplistic and childish, but I disagree -- especially when it's in the hands of somebody who knows what they're doing. Her eyes are so disturbing.

. sad sally | nightmare before christmas - something about the watercolours and the framing really makes this one work.

. happy interplanetary holidays | star trek reboot - most excellent and kooky holiday card, brimming with mirth and character stuff!

. talismans and burning of the witch | the fall, merlin - amazing stuff. Art for "The Fall" should naturally be surreal and disturbingly beautiful -- and this is -- but it's seeing that aesthetic applied to Morgana that really gets me.

. solving charlie's problems | lost/my chemical romance - too adorable! I only know half of the characters, but it's loopy and funny and colourful!

. carry on | merlin - i can actually imagine Merlin wearing this quite easily, hee!

. the strategist | suikoden III - lovely, clean, and crisp.

. holiday whale wishes from the high seas | the marvelous misadventures of flapjack - this is just too goddamn cute.

And because I can't rec it enough, a fun old-fashioned family x-mas | futurama - because Hermes yelling at Zoidberg when he's trying to feed himself is never not hilarious!
bossymarmalade: alex summers & logan meltdown (stop the world)
So the Remix Redux 09 stories are up! And whatever astoundingly awesome person was assigned me decided to take two of my older stories -- vaguely embarrassing in that way that older stories are -- and create something entirely INCREDIBLE and smart and hilarious and heart-wrenching from them!!

. 15 entries from the pillow book of alex summers [the bullet point remix]

I adored Alex Summers beyond all reason when I was in X-Fandom, and really, I still do; this fic hits on just about every single element of why, with the additional bonus of a blindingly fantastic Logan and references to the sweet, sexy events of the Meltdown limited series* studded throughout. I love it so much. Go read it!!


*note: these events are markedly more sweet and sexy in the minds of x-fic writers
bossymarmalade: sulu looking all noble and shit (my face too)
I am just heading out for the day, but first I wanted to link to two very short Sulu stories that I liked a lot:

. fencing by [personal profile] delfinnium - yes, his skill is 'fencing' ... or at least, that's what they call it

. shore leave by [livejournal.com profile] iambickilometer - when i come home to you san francisco

They're both thoughtful and lovely, and I like things like this which address a character's background without making it A Very Special Episode.

Also, because I am me, I can't help but think of the Futurama episode that gave me the keywords for most of my Trek icons:

Takei: I find that offensive. Just because I'm of Japanese ancestry you assume I know karate. Have I ever led you to believe I've studied karate?
Shatner: Well, no, but you never talk about yourself.
Takei: (sad) Maybe if you showed a little interest.

n'awwwww! I am interested in you, Sulu. VERY INTERESTED.
bossymarmalade: cleopatra & marc antony  (kohl on your eyes and lips and heart)
I realized I never finished reading the Yuletide stories! Here, have more recs.

. comfort and joy [little women]: a pretty (but non-treacly) glimpse at Beth, sharing a rare private moment with Laurie. I always found Beth to be more of a living moral than a real girl, so it's lovely to read this and see another side of her. Unrelatedly, Lori and I often feel like the only people who NEVER wanted Jo & Laurie to get together.

. his hologram lover! [red dwarf]: I have not read a lot of explicit slash in this fandom. Okay, I haven't read ANY. It's one of those fandoms where I just don't want that. But oh man, if Lister and Rimmer ever *did* decide that being in a relationship was better than sitting around hoping for sexually appealing, possibly non-psychotic life forms to show up and bonk them silly? This would be exactly it.

. tiger beaten [arrested development]: this is one part bandslash, one part alternate reality, and totally fun; I really enjoyed the way that everything happened so matter-of-factly even if it was completely insane. Hee!

. men's trousers down [are you being served?]: I watched so much of this show when I was a wee thing, and this loopy, silly, delightful story brought all of that back gloriously. But what colour is Mrs. Slocombe's wig in this episode?!?!

. miles fortunae [rome]: um, I want to marry this Titus Pullo. Scratch that: I want to marry this story. Oh my yes.
bossymarmalade: sparkly kirkpatrick & timberlake (every couple i've ever loved)
I decided to give another comb through the SeSa stories, because I read them in the midst of holiday rush and a lingering headcold and skipped stuff that I might have ordinarily liked. So here's more recs, all of a sudden!

. ripples: being with Chris, I've always suspected, would involve a lot of literal and emotional mopping-up; Lance is the one following him around with the bucket, here, and it's exasperated and intimate and strangely entrancing. I loved it.

. B-A-N-A-N-A-S: the middle part is awesome; I wish there had been more of it! There's something profoundly entertaining about JC threatening to "bitch smack" the others, ahahah!

. jail house rock: ahahahaha straight-up porn story! It's been too long since somebody wrote a totally unabashed porn star AU, and having them arguing about where to set it is the cherry on top. Imagining their crappy porn acting (JC the junkie! BWHWAHAHAHAHAH) keeps it just off-kilter enough to be fun!

. sweet like coffee: just as it says in the title. I like Chris and Nick as baristas, and although I thought the two customers they keep trying to yenta for were completely different people than they turned out to be, the story is charming enough that I didn't mind at all by that point and was still happy with the ending.
bossymarmalade: elsie from gosford park (blase blase blase)
I am at work BY MYSELF. wtf?!?!

. white noise [la confidential]: one of the many great things about Yuletide is that I can always find stories in this fandom that don't shut Lynn out or make her the obstacle to Bud & Ed's twu wuv. In fact, in this story, she's an active part of it, and it's glorious.

. cartography [a little princess]: words cannot even describe how gratifying and heartbreaking and beautiful I found this story, except to say that the moment I hit the part that read "there may be places where laughing boys play cricket under sunlit skies" I burst into desperately homesick tears. And it's not even *about* the West Indies! Lord.

. five deals the robot devil almost made [futurama]: clearly this batch of recs is about stories that make me all weepy and smooshy, because there's something about Fry and his simple, unbearably sweet nature in the midst of all the silliness and Slurm and electric slime that get me every time. Plus, you can practically *hear* the Robot Devil delivering these lines. hee!

. timbit regionalism [bon cop, bad cop]: ahahaahh okay so this one made me sappy in a different, more patriotic way. Such fantastic Canadiana packed into every square inch! It makes me wanna run out and get a double-double and cruller timbits right friggin' NOW.

. echo location [the cell]: I never really floated the idea of fic for this before, although it's one of my favourite movies; this takes us to Catherine's work after the whole Stargher mess, and just like the film it's lovely and primordially unsettling at the same time.

. friends and family [bedrooms and hallways]: this was a silly-sweet movie, and this story taps into that lightly comedic and entirely charming tone seamlessly. Plus, what would fic in this fandom be without at least a vague reference to Rome?

. sometimes on the rarest nights [gosford park]: epistolatory stories can be dicey, but this one is utterly stellar; I liked Ivor and Mabel well enough in the movie but wasn't rabid about them, and this story manages to imbue them with such an astonishing amount of life and depth that it's really extraordinary.
bossymarmalade: gene kelly and fred astaire duet for ziegfeld (what a glorious feeling)
Hope you're all having a good time and lolling about and eating a lot! God knows that's what I'm doing.

. and baby makes two [arrested development]: it's michael bluth's birthday, which naturally means all sorts of insane shenanigans with the family. Because what would an Arrested Development story be without the love/loathe Bluth relationships?

. pieces of time [sandman]: sometimes I feel like people write stories with Delirium because they think she's adorable and they can just work with that. This story avoids that pitfall and presents a Delirium who's just as heartless and whimsical as she should be.

. assisted murder; or, death by holiday [murdoch mysteries]: a nice little oddball mystery, with the perfect character notes for each of them and a satisfyingly sweet ending!

. five places in my life [across the universe]: a quick whirl through Max's mind, all the things that could have been with Jude and maybe weren't, to the tune of you-know-who.

. veni vidi veni [dexter]: this is a story about Vince Masuka, and if that title alone doesn't instantly tell you that this is pitch-perfect dirty-funny smart Vince, then I can't help you.

. the tower [merlin]: a projection of the future (although it's hard to tell where exactly the hell this series is going); but this is a skillful blend of traditional legend and show canon that's stirring and sad and lovely.

. dying breed [titus andronicus]: Demetrius and his brother Chiron can see what's happening here among the Romans, and they know more than they let on -- certainly enough to bide their time. A chewy little mouthful of a story.
bossymarmalade: bart simpson hopes for a prize in the cereal box (you gotta be lucky *sometime*)
Thank you to [livejournal.com profile] cunningplan and [livejournal.com profile] faith_girl222 for their lovely virtual gifts!! And now, time for Yuletide recs, beginning with the two wonderful stories written for me:

. moments remembered [murdoch mysteries]: a dual-pov look at the relationship between Doctor Ogden and Detective Murdoch, beginning with their meeting and progressing through the years. It's ordered and thoughtful and smart, much like the show, and a lovely look at the two characters.

. all heart, all thumbs [murdoch mysteries]: and this is the other side of the show, the one that's genteelly humorous and rompy and entirely lovable!

. the wait on the battlements [hamlet]: a brief lull in the storm for Horatio and Hamlet; I like the tense-yet-devoted feeling between them here. Also, I have had an inordinate sense of empathy for Horatio ever since I had to play him in high school drama class, which made it extra awesome. ahahah!

. merlin, arthur, and sir damas [merlin]: well, the title says it all! This is a great, toothsome little story; profoundly less silly than the show, but with all the character deliciousness that makes it so appealing.

. sleep/no sleep [brick]: yay, a story about Brain! Written in the rapid-fire but scattershot style of the movie, it's stuffy and sharp and the strangled, half-articulated urgency of it is just perfect.

. the last word [merlin]: this is the first slash story I've read for this fandom, and I couldn't have asked for a better one; it combines the helpless affection between Merlin and Arthur in the show with the deep and profound epicness of traditional Arthurian legend, and does so flawlessly.

. the enemy of my enemy [deadwood]: there's nothing more savoury than hitching a ride along with Al Swearengen along the course of one of his days, especially when it involves fencing with Cy Tolliver and baiting Seth Bullock.

. life in the subjunctive [dead poets society]: five things that maybe/could have/never happened to the Society. The grace note of the last one is especially lovely.
bossymarmalade: chris and jc and justin on a soundcheck (minuet and trio)
SeSa recs, part two!

. right after this commercial break: it's American Idol! And it's timbertrick! And yes I am totally in an OTP wallow kind of place this SeSa, why do you ask?

. prove them wrong: a reunion story! And one that deals with the patching-together process without tumbling straight into band-utopia, which I appreciate. Plus, there is some really nice, thoughtful character work on Lance and Nick, which is something I *more* than appreciate.

. the dating game: exactly as it sounds, and heaps of fun! I love low-key little funny stories like this, where there's one wacky theme done *well* and a crunkload of great dialogue and character stuff.

. unrequited: seriously, y'all, there is no fandom that can do for a cliche what popslash can do. Here we have JC cursed by a fan to suffer the same unrequited love that she feels for him, and instead of being lame it's a fantastic story about all sorts of different overlapping anxieties and shifts in friendship and love under weird circumstances.

And to wrap up these recs and ease into Yuletide, I also point you toward [livejournal.com profile] chootoy's Murdoch Mysteries story, a victorian christmas. It's an adorable story, and it's prettily formatted, which makes it even nicer!!
bossymarmalade: chris kirkpatrick & justin timberlake conversing (like cartography in a way)
[livejournal.com profile] cathybites sent me a virtual birthday gift -- a broken gingerbread man which I'm sure she chose because its flappy head (so full of lies) looks like a Canadian's! Yaaaaay, thank you, honey!

And now, time for the first of my annual SeSa recs!!

. god must have spent a little more time on you: yes, it's *that* title. But never has such a crappy song been put to such good use! This story is a wonderful romp in a gentle, funny, heartwarming-but-not-slushy romcom where the boys are angels. Oh yes indeed!

. lust, love, and everything in between: MINE MINE ALL MINE!! homg, this story includes BOTH of my asked-for pairings, is totally hot, is totally funny, and is totally awesome!! It seriously feels like a birthday gift as well as a SeSa, and I am delighted that it was written all for me. Whoo-hoo!!

. pizza is overrated: for some reason I feel the title of this story does not do its brilliance justice. It's pitch-perfect squeemaking timbertrick, but all you need to know about its greatness is summed up by one of the best fucking JC-to-Chris lines ever: "You talk balls," JC said serenely. AWESOME.

. it's not easy being green: KEVIN/JUSTIN WHUT. After such a dearth of this pairing for so long, this year it's all coming up Milhouse!! Plus, environmentalism, earnestness, and the sweet soft eco-friendly opening notes of a romance that make me long for a continuation, which is really rare for me. But I would totally pester whoever wrote this for more.

Now to make rugelach and jam cookies. I LOVE THE HOLIDAYS Y'ALL
bossymarmalade: lisa simpson gets going (cautiously gung-ho!)
Three things:

. if you've ever seen the movie Mysterious Skin -- or presumably if you've read the book -- you know that it's pretty harrowing and definitely disturbing. However, [livejournal.com profile] zarahemla has managed to write a story post-movie that (although necessarily still disturbing) offers both a sad, realistic look at Neil and a sense of hope. I have to confess, I would never have been brave enough to write a fic like this for the characters, because I wanted to believe that they'd totally be BFF and heal up nicely and everything would be all right.

a moment, elaborate and weak

But anyway, read the story! As I said, there's something very delicate and vulnerable going on here in terms of hope and moving on, so it's not like it's unrelentingly depressing. Just very deftly-written.

. the second thing is, I saw a half-hour program last night about a Trini-Canadian group called Kobo Town. I started watching it simply for the pleasure of hearing Trinidadian accents again, listening to them describe in that beloved sing-song patter how they got together and what their musical influences were.

Then the lead guy, Drew Gonsalves, sang a bit of their song "Blood and Fire". And then the next thing I knew I was paying eight dollars and downloading their album.

When I get home tonight I'll be uploading it for you guys to hear, but if you're curious meanwhile you can hear the songs off their album "Independence" at the website. If you know anything about calypso and roots reggae -- the classic fundamental stuff, not the dancehall and jump-up songs -- you can hear it in their music, a nice solid foundation for the rock & pop sensibilities they possess as Canadians and post-colonial subjects. It's good shit.

. go sign up for femslash 08! And request crazy wildcard fandoms!!
bossymarmalade: lisa simpson is determined (yet another cause to champion)
You guys. Go vote in the LJ-User Representative Advisory Board Election, particularly if you are interested in lj as a place for your fannish community. And because the current frontrunner is a non-fandom man who enjoys spamming with pictures of bukkake teenage girls, among other misogynistic and NSFW things. He and his supporters also think it's amusing to use flashing icons that can trigger epileptic fits. Hysterical indeed.

I voted for [livejournal.com profile] legomymalfoy, [livejournal.com profile] rm, and [livejournal.com profile] vichan, because based on a)having heard of them around fandom, b)reading their platforms, and c)seeing what their fannish involvement has been, they seem like good candidates. If you're lazy but well-meaning, go vote for them based on my word; if you're slightly more proactive, check out Jane's excellent Election Roundup post for pertinent links and choose your own candidates.

Now! In more fun news, I got my final mark back from last term and it was an A+. BOO-YAH, ME. I simultaneously spent a large amount of time nursing an unfortunate friend with a gastrointestinal infection. BOO-URNS, POSSIBLE ROTAVIRUS.

But I did manage to read some very good fic:

. these foolish things by [livejournal.com profile] randomling: inara/justin. YES INDEED. I gave her a few measly prompts a while back and she has responded with a story that's delicately nuanced, artfully written, and absolutely worth the read.

. decline and fall by [livejournal.com profile] subduction" agrippa/octavian. I was scouting for Rome fic and came across this and just about died in absolute bliss, because it's scorching and chilling at the same time and I am just astounded at how much backstory and character detail she manages to convey in such precise phrasing. Plus, Agrippa TOTALLY DOES look like a hobbit.
bossymarmalade: cleopatra & marc antony  (kohl on your eyes and lips and heart)
. snow white and rose red [what katy did]: as full of flowery, sweet-natured superlatives as the books, but with a sadder secret that lends a complicated depth.

. lady sings the blues so well [brick]: post-movie wrap-up, except not because things keep ticking along in the most unusual (and yet, completely believable) manner. The hardboiled tone of the movie comes through wonderfully, too.

. rubicon [rome]: Lucius Vorenus in Egypt, resigned to what fate has damned him to but not entirely without the warmth of his memories. Melancholy, but only in the most excellent and evocative context of the series itself.

. a dish best served cold [gosford park]: oh, *yum*. Slinky, sparky, and sexy encounters among some of my favourites of the below-stairs set: George, Robert, Mary, Henry. Totally and unabashedly hot.

. a fucking conversation about whatever [little miss sunshine]: a nice little motel-room conversation between Dwayne and Frank, figuring things out.

. all your cares beguile [the stand]: Nick and Larry late one evening, and, y'know, I would never have considered. But that's the point of well-written fic, innit? *g*
bossymarmalade: bruce wayne prowls the streets (and we can stop our whoring)
I went to Queen Elizabeth Park this afternoon with the family and sat under the magnolia and sakura and ate cheese paste sandwiches. If you've never had these ... well, actually, I don't know if anybody but West Indians eat cheese paste. You grate up some cheese really fine, add softened butter, add mustard, add garlic and peppersauce; mix it all up into a spreadable paste, and there you go. It's one of the most fantastic things in the world.

But onto the ongoing recs:

. telling tales [smoke signals]: Absolutely sweet, maple-sugar-sweet and as utterly charming as the movie (I haven't read the book). Thomas moves along and Victor stays behind, and there's a girl with braids who's wonderful, and frybread in Vincent's mother's kitchen. Delightful!

. i'll fit everything i need in my double-wide [drop dead gorgeous]: Annette considering what's out there in the great big world, and whether it's worth it when Loretta's right here in Mount Rose. I love these two, and I love the way this story's written, the strength between the girls when everything else turns out to be dirtier and sadder than they expected.

. everything looks perfect from far away [ocean's eleven]: Right in the lull between twelve and thirteen, Danny and Rusty trying to convince themselves that they're going to settle down. Sleek and lazy at the same time, a little bit desperate; sounds just like the movies but moreso.

. apocryphal [the mahabharata]: I was always more of a Ramayana girl, but this story of Duryodhana, enemy of the heroic Pandavas, is written so beautifully it makes the breath catch. Angry, sorrowful, and proud even in death and defeat; there's something about this that captures the particular cadence and tone of Hindu mythology so perfectly.

. lucky [dragonlance]: SHUT UP I TOTALLY LOVE DRAGONLANCE. Plus in the opening reel they fight a gelatinous cube! Who doesn't love that kind of action? Anyhow, it's a nice little story about Tanis & Raistlin, who are in some distress and yet the fic is still kind of funny. I like when people are able to do that.

. the fine art of falling apart [batman: the animated series]: I cannot stress enough how much I am NOT into the idea of Bruce/Barbara. But the Batfamily is nothing if not messy, and if it were going to happen, it would sure as hell look like this. Whip-clean writing through and through.
bossymarmalade: fry gives you a thumbs-up (fry-approved!)
Seriously, I am still determined to wade through the entirety of Yuletide. So expect these for the next few days. *g*

. after you've gone [la confidential]: Last year I also recced a Bud/Lynn post-movie fic, and this one is just as excellent, full of half-articulated desires and fears and an understated exploration of how hard it is to heal.

. pine trees and pigsties [emily of new moon]: Oh, wow. The books were always a little darker, more supernatural and adult than Anne of Green Gables, and this story taps straight into that black-blood vein to uncover the boys' realities. It's beautifully done.

. one two many [empire records]: This story is about Berko and Gina. Why the hell would anybody be interested in a story about Berko and Gina? Read this one and find out. It's that good.

. before the end of all things [hamlet]: Hamlet is my favourite Shakespeare play. In this version Hamlet moons around with copies of Derrida in his pocket; Ophelia drinks non-fat lattes and quotes Naomi Wolf. There is a thin line between clever and pretentious, and this one turns up its pretty nose at that line with a laugh.

. five very important life lessons [blades of glory]: awwwww. I don't think I'd be much into hardcore bonking for this fandom, which makes this gentle, fondly mocking story with spot-on character voices an absolute gem. Jimmy tries to adjust to life in the real world!

. one thing leads to another [sky high]: YES YES HOMG YES. I never wanted Will and Layla to get together! So this is the perfect story for me, because instead Layla throws herself into her activism and hangs around at the Paper Lantern, earnestly talking to Warren Peace. Oh *bless*.
bossymarmalade: blue eye with lashes of red flower petals (and think of england)
I finally have time to read fic and stuff again, which means that I just tore through the fics submitted for [livejournal.com profile] turps33's Awesome April challenge. Here is a short list of recs; please keep in mind my usual taste in fic (smart, heavy on the threemanbus, characterization) and enjoy!

. all i am is holding breath by [livejournal.com profile] vaudevilles: Chris is a thin-heeled bounty hunter in Capone's Chicago. JC is a bail-jumping nightclub singer. Things go downhill (or uphill, depending on how you look at it) for Chris very, very quickly.

. circumferences by [livejournal.com profile] _ducks: Lance's mom doesn't like Justin. You can imagine how well Justin takes this, since naturally anything can be fixed if you just have The Right Plan.

. decision by [livejournal.com profile] lesasoja: Lance figures out he's gay way back in Germany; doing something about it is a different story, and his bandmates don't/can't help. Maybe another band can, though.

. no exit by [livejournal.com profile] withdiamonds: Justin has trouble keeping time, and tries to use Chris and Lance in that respect. But they make poor calendars and Justin's sense of perspective goes a bit off.

mmmm, popslash.
bossymarmalade: brian kinney in pinstripes (brian don't play that)
Yes, I'm still reading Yuletide and corralling recs. At this rate, it will take until Christmas to finish reccing and then reply to my *own* feedback! DAMN SCHOOL.

. big guy [deadwood]: a look at Dan Dority, and just like the show in that it has heart but isn't sentimental or soggy. Very nicely done.

. reverse evolution [deadwood]: and now a look at Alma Garrett, laudanum addict and full of tightly-bound hunger. I felt like I could hardly keep afloat reading this, man.

. little petals, tangled stems [little men]: Daisy and Demi, and all the ways that twins stay twinned. Grown-up and sophisticated without being callous or cold.

. smoke and mirrors [ocean's 11]: a ring-a-ding-dinger of a story, Danny and Rusty and so much food and sexily smart dialogue and oooh, it's just everything I love about the franchise. Perfect!

. women are wicked when they're unwanted [dexter]: what if the Ice Truck Killer had been somebody else? This clever, twisted little story takes that premise and runs it right up your spine until you're wracked with shudders and shivers.

. lina lamont's big revenge [singin' in the rain]: such good fic in this fandom! This one's in the form of a gossip column, and I especially like it because it just eviscerates the whole idea of constructed celebrity personality in a funny and wry way.

. boy wonder [ocean's 11]: poor Linus, always playing catch-up while paired with the big boys. Also, Zahra is completely right: the trifecta goes Danny=Batman, Linus=Robin and Rusty=Nightwing. Fo' sho'.
bossymarmalade: the normal love of a boy for his momma (i forget things)
I am working slowly but surely through the Yuletide archive. You know, next year I think I'll space out my MtYG reading as well, because I'm starting to think that there were a lot of stories I would've liked if I wasn't rushed and doing other holiday stuff in-between reading them. Hmmm. At any rate! Now that both reveals have gone up, I can do that writing meme. But in the meantime:

. the world is crumbling around us! [macdonald hall]: What would the holidays be without a little Bruno & Boots? Nothing, that's what! Here's a Five Things story that skips along with all the sass of the books.

. hotter than hell and hellfire [rescue me]: twinned fics about Tommy Gavin and his penchant for self-destruction, one quite hot and one pretty disturbing -- the first is a sharp little slash piece, the second ... okay, I've read incest fics before, but most of what I read is so unrealistic and blown out of proportion that it never bothered me. Hellfire, while not being graphic or having anything actually *happen*, is profoundly disturbing because it *does* seem realistic. It's a compelling story, but I wanted to make the disclaimer so anybody deciding to read it isn't ambushed by the subject matter.

. your only friend [desperado]: homg, I was so delighted to find fic in this fandom! And this story, told by Steve Buscemi's character, is just the right blend of gritty-gold western, lyrical and maudlin and beautiful all at once.

. macdonald hall is fabulous [macdonald hall]: Man, it's a good year for Gordan Korman fans. This story is every bit as fast-paced, fun, loveable and awesome as its source material, with the added bonus of being pro-gay in the best of ways. hee!

. detente [hairspray]: a piece about Penny, thoughtful and soulful without losing any sweetness. Plus, I love the title; what a stroke of inspiration, and how fitting to the story!

. up and away [homicide/batman]: AHAHAHH AWESOME. Munch rightly absconds from the drek of s7 and decides to try out being police in a new city, and the one he chooses is Gotham. Funny and smart and faithful to both universes, which is a true gift.
bossymarmalade: blue eye with lashes of red flower petals (worst vending machine EVER)
Oh, my dear [livejournal.com profile] loveflyfree, I hope you had a birthday full of delicious things and wonderful times, because if it weren't for knowing that you'd always be there with a dry, perfectly concise and witty quip to take the edge off of con-irritation, I would've totally flipped my shit at Prophecy. SO MANY TIMES. You're an absolute darling and a marvellous person to share hotel rooms and drinks with; may you only ever have the best of things, and may your future be free of little red-headed girls!! *mwah*

And now, to pick up on doing Yuletide recs.

. the thorny edge of evening [dead poets society]: a lovely warm moment between Neil and Todd, amidst all the cold. Pretty and sensitive, without making either of them pitiful.

. kettlebottom [band of brothers]: hushed and tense, Speirs offering Lipton benediction in the moments between deaths.

. the sleep of the righteous [deadwood]: tightly-wound and as hot as it is tense, this one explores the prim, repressed love of Seth & Alma. Look, if you know the show, you'll understand how sexy that is. *g*

. five have an indoor adventure [the famous five]: AHAHAHHAHH OMG. I used to devour these books when I was wee, thrilling at all the scrapes and mysteries and simultaneously seething at the good ol' Enid Blyton mainstays of racism and sexism. This story has made it ALL BETTER.

. lucky star [singin' in the rain]: if you're like me and you're fascinated by the more melancholy colours lurking behind funny things, you will love this story. The inner voices are fascinating and astoundingly well-written.

. encounters [red dwarf]: Rimmer finally meets his aliens! And in true Iron Balls style, manages to cock it all up six ways to Sunday.

. blood will out [dexter]: Deb, in all her puppylike enthusiasm and falling over herself and deep-down need to be loved and approved of. I like when people can write stuff about vulnerable characters without making them pathetic!
bossymarmalade: chris kirkpatrick & justin timberlake conversing (like cartography in a way)
Second set of MtYG recs!

. noche: if you've ever wondered what a Nick & Nora Charles story in popslash would be like, you're in luck. Smart, offbeat, and with just the type of witty repartee that I like in my romantic leads!

. the reminder: it's hard to find post-group stories with Justin in them that don't paint him as The Destroyer of the Magic, but this one avoids that nicely. Sweet and quiet, with just enough tenseness to make things interesting.

. it pays to advertise: a delightfully breezy AU where the boys work in the advertising business in London, full of easy and charming characterization.

. every dot com's refreshing for a journal update: it's a testament to how well this story's written that even though I'm suspicious that it's bandommy and not quite sure that girl!Chris was entirely necessary, I just couldn't stop reading. Is it the awesome characterization? Is it the super-hot hottness of the sexy bits? I don't know, but I sure liked it!

. can't buy me love: Yay! Precious, yummy timbertrick that's cleanly written, sweet without being cloying.

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