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CHICAGO'S
MOST WANTED by Speranza
(dS, NC17) The author's note sums this up best:
Before you read the story,
I'd like you to ask yourself: "So, if it ends up being
a little bit like
The Usual Suspects meets The
Fugitive meets The Sound of Music -- well, is that
really a *bad* thing?"
This is Due South as a smart, fast and
very funny caper movie. Fraser is sent undercover to a jail to
wheedle information from a dangerous robber. Unfortunately, after
a blow to the head, he forgets his original mission, breaks out
and starts his own unique take on a life of crime. Although the
situation may sound a little hackneyed the execution is wonderful,
with sparkling dialogue and playful characterisation.
Even if you never read dS, even if you
never read slash, read this. You won't regret it
BEATS A CRUEL
DECEMBER by Brighid
(BtVS, NC17) Years after the events of The Gift,
the new slayer and her vampire companion remain haunted by Buffy.
A vignette as dark and bittersweet as fine chocolate
SPLINTER byYahtzee
& Rheanna
(Angel) This is fabulous: an AU in its truest sense.
Splinter is a tense, very angsty story that
still retains the series' snappy sense of humor, contains some
glorious character moments ... and features Pylean attack cheese.
(Don't ask, just go read)
INCOMPLETE THOUGHT
by JHJ Armstrong
(XF) A gorgeous vignette about the toll that dealing
with the darker aspects of humanity exacts on even the strongest
people. It's all about the characterization here...
COLLAPSE by
august
(WW) CJ, Toby and the camaraderie and loneliness of
the primaries trail during Bartlet's first run. This plays with
time to give perspective on CJ's initial involvement with the
campaign, but it's sharp throughout.
THE DOCTORS BARTLET
by Ryo Sen
(WW) Political expediency and accommodating the networks
can take one too many compromises. A lightish vignette with a
serious message. Jo and Ryo's Exit
Strategy and For
the Good of the Party universes have also been updated
THROUGH PERVERSITY
by Joann Humby
(XF) This fantastic story grabs hold of season eight,
takes it apart and puts it together again so it makes sense.
This is Mulder's story, as he goes on the run with his child,
and it's chilling, intelligent, creepy and plays off some of
the more uncomfortable, intriguing questions raised by XF during
its glory years. The Scully characterization in particular is
great, although it takes a while to fall into place
SECRET WORLD / CITY OF LIGHT by Bonetree
(XF, NC17) This is a huge casefile, tracing what happens
when Scully is sent on an undercover assignment to infiltrate
a rogue Irish Republican unit - and what happens when that
assignment goes more wrong than she could ever have imagined.
This tackles difficult subjects – including one that squicks many people (including me) – and I would recommend reading
the author's notes thoroughly before beginning.
However, this is one hell of a ride, features
interesting 3D original characters and has some truly mesmeric
passages. (Also, it is defiantly AU. Huzzah etc)
COMING BACK FROM THE WAR by Sabine
(WW) Bonnie's
POV as the Bartlet team get themselves on a war footing. The
POV provides an unusual angle on the regulars and this story
has much of the spiky, kinetic energy of the best West Wing episodes.
BETTER ANGELS
by Laura Shapiro
(WW) Steadfast friendship in Leo's time of weakness.
This packs a fair punch considering how short it is
NO QUARTER GIVEN:
ABSTINENCE / GREED
by Mish
(XF, NC17) Post-Never Again stories which present
the characters in a less-than-flattering but fairly honest light
(I love Never Again but if the episode made you want to
vomit on Morgan & Wong's cornflakes for crimes against characterization,
you may like to skip this) Mulder's confusion and harshness ring
particularly true. An angsty ride
MOST PEOPLE by
k
(WW) Is it shameful to say that this is the kind of
J/D that I love? Probably. This is a delightfully dystopian first-time
story in which Josh is... well, just read it. You'll know what
I mean
TRANSCENDENCE
by CGB
(WW) Or perhaps this is my favorite after all. Donna
goes out on a date with the perfect man; why is she not happy?
This is a wry and warm look at Donna and her relationship with
Josh
WHAT HAPPENS IN
THE FIELD by Branwell
(XF) A powerful and multi-layered look at Skinner,
haunted by his past, trapped by circumstance and trying to do
the right thing. I loved this rich, unsentimental look at some
of the events of Existence
MALEVOLENCE by CindyET
(XF) A sequel to Grotesque in which Mulder
pursues a supernatural murderer with the same signature as the
killer in that episode. The story has much the same relationship
to the episode as Kitsunegari does to Pusher, with
some good Scully autopsy scenes and a smidgen of finely honed
Muldertorture
LACERATED SKY
by Jennifer-Oksana
(Angel) A fabulous fractured narrative that takes
the reader into Fred's mind. Imaginative use of language reflects
her disturbed thought patterns.
Also, this was not posted in its entirety
at the time of updating, but the Buffy/Angel crossover Strange
Bedfellows is shaping up to be a superb story with a
great Wesley narration
CRYBABY by
Penelopody
(XF) Set in a near-future but independent of S8, Crybaby
features very, very spare, dark prose in which the real tale
lurks in what is not said. A bruising headkick of a story, in
the best possible way.
REAL by
Brighid
(dS, NC17) A very short, angsty slash vignette. RayK
and Fraser face a long, dark night together
ALONG
CAME A SPIDER by Elizabeth
(BtVS) A post-Gift story which never forgets
just what Spike is and is all the more chilling and compelling
for it. Here's one great line among many:
"He once
gave a girl's spine to Dru. The human back is easy to open, and
a spine is easy to remove. Dru didn't realize that the bones
would break."
COLLATERAL by
Marguerite
(WW) Months after the shooting at Rosslyn and Josh
is about to hit breaking point. Good job someone is watching.
A perceptive look at how the characters might react.
AL DENTE by
Spookey247
(XF) Domestic bliss was never going to happen, really
was it? This takes the kind of scenario I've seen done sappy
and trite and fashions it into something interesting, funny and
affecting
SIRENS by
Pares and Laura Shapiro
(WW) Post-The Crackpots and These Women, Josh,
at his infuriating self-absorbed worst/best during a sleepless
night. Good banter and smart lines.
UN-AMERICAN by
Laura Jacquez Valentine
(dS, NC17) The summary reads: "Gun toting artists,
Tony's hatred of pineapple, and a guy named Jesus drive Ray up
a wall and Fraser flat on his back." A quirkily explicit
slash fic with picaresque charm and a gruff RayK I liked very
much.
DULLES
by Abra Elliott
(XF) A pre-TINH vignette that navigates time and picks its moments
beautifully. There's affection, love and a terrible sense of
foreboding that works well
LONE STAR by
Alanna
(XF) In mid-90s post-Waco Texas, John Doggett
is struggling to reconcile the demands of family and career when
he meets a bright doctoral student who is going to figure strongly
in his future. An involving extended character study of both
Reyes and Doggett.
MANY LOVES by
Jessica Walker
(BtVS, NC17) A stroll through canon, reflecting the
weird and wonderful dynamics between the vampires the show focuses
on. Explicit, violent, slashy and strange but worthwhile. This
is the rather magnificent summary:
A not-so-brief history of William the
Bloody, including a hundred and twenty years, two girlfriends,
three doomed obsessions, four continents, nine haircolors, four
parties, three torture scenes, two blowjobs, twelve consecutive
shots of whiskey, forty-three thousand eight hundred packs of
cigarettes, and a car theft.
TWO ROOMS AT THE END OF THE WORLD by Luna (Violet)
(WW) CJ
and Toby have a booze-fuelled encounter in a hotel. The pleasure
of this story lies in its pitch-perfect banter and the underlying
edge of weariness that lends it depth
A HANDFUL OF
LIFE by David Hearne
(XF) A
chilling post-ep for The Red and the Black from Marita's
POV
WATER ON GLASS
by Susanne Barringer
(XF, NC17) A simple, elegantly written old-school
MSR without a hint of S8, in which our heroes unwind after a
day of snarkery and backbiting by making it up to each other.
(And I think we all know that that's a euphemism.)
STOPPING THE RAIN
by Diane
(Angel) The high price of mortality. This is a great
angle on Angel's shansu, but beware, the angst is definitely
one louder
CHILDREN OF LIGHT
by bugs
(XF) A pre-DeadAlive look at John Doggett's
difficult relationship with Scully as she discovers what has
happened to Mulder. I like the way that Bugs sketches the awkwardness
of their interaction and Doggett's sheer incomprehension. There
are also neat tie-ins to Closure and Three Words
DETONATIONS
FROM THE MINOR LEAGUES by
Laurelin Vernét
(WW) A sideways look at one of The West Wing's bit
players, the VP John Hoynes. This turns the tables on the Bartlet
White House in the way that only an outsider could. It's a great
read precisely because there's little affection in it
HARD LUCK STORY
by Mish
(XF, NC17) Another old-school season seven-set MSR
about the difficulties of riding one's luck. I liked this because
it had such an affectionate view of the characters and a sly
sense of humor
FISH NOR FOWL
by Marguerite
(WW) Post-Portland Trip, Josh has some fence-mending
to do. A snappy short story about finding your way back to friendship.
CAFE AU LAIT
by Jenna Tooms
(XF) Scully comes to a realization about her new partner.
What I liked about this was that it felt plausible. The Doggett
characterization was gentle but never underplayed his strength
LOW TIDE by Emma Brightman
(XF) Beautiful, unusual post-ep for DeadAlive
with a fine, edgy Mulder characterization
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