Slashy Nominations 26: Animalia

[thefourthvine]

I love animals. In fact, I have a dog staring at me, trying to persuade me to give her peanut butter, as I write this. But animals in fan fiction are risky business. I can handle character death (see previous entry), but I can't handle animals in trouble at all. So you won't be seeing death, sadness, abandonment, or irresponsible ownership (with the exception of some seriously inappropriate feeding patterns, and I can understand that - see also peanut butter, dog and) in these stories. I can't make any promises about glurge, though; my sugar-sensor array goes on the blink when animals are in close proximity to sweetness.

Best FF That Asks You to Believe Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, and You'll Want to, Too: About a Dog, by Speranza. Due South, Benton Fraser/Ray Kowalski. I realize that it looks like I'm breaking my "no animals were harmed in the making of this story" promise with the very first nominee, but Diefenbaker isn't dead. Keep that firmly in mind as you read this. And it's worth reading, too, because it's funny and touching and Speranza just really gets Dief. And, well, this is one of those that I'll spoil if I give too much plot summary, but let's just say that it's nice to see how Fraser copes with suddenly having a six-foot-two Canadian with no concept of personal space sleeping in his bed.

Best FF That Puts an Entirely Different Spin on the Whole Frog Prince Thing: The Familiar, by Resonant. Harry Potter, Harry/Snape. If you're not a Harry/Snape fan, please read this anyway; I'm totally not into that pairing, and I adored this one, even if the beginning is fairly rocky. Resonant does a kick-ass job of getting these two together. For one thing, she actually remembered that they hate each other. This story just shouldn't work, but oh how it does. I even love what Resonant did with Sirius in his cameo here; he's not Sirius-as-I-see-him, but he makes good sense. Resonant isn't afraid of the implications of this pairing.

Best FF Using the Familiar Formula Babbling + Sleep-Deprivation + Wistful Melancholy + Sandwiches = True Love Forever: What We Talk About When We Talk About Wolves, by Penelope Whistle. (Sorry, no link for her.) Due South, Kowalski/Fraser. I refuse to apologize for nominating two DS stories in the same set, because Diefenbaker's a major canon character, after all. Plus, he's a half-wolf, and I like him*, and I like stories about him, and there are some truly excellent stories about him out there, and - right, sorry, I'm babbling. Starting over. This is just a really wonderful story, folks, involving wolves in fact, wolves in cars, and wolves in metaphors. Read it. And then read it again, and think about the various ways you can use "the evidence being that I haven't eaten you yet" in your daily conversation. Your life will be the richer for it, I promise you.

Best FF That Has - Yes! - Magneto Being, Well, Rather Sweet, Yet Still in Character: Foundlings, by the ubiquitous (at least in this blog) C. Elisa. X-Men movies, and this is either gen or Magneto/Xavier. This is another story that so totally should not work, yet it does. Plus it's short and sweet and has an excellent moral at the end; consider it a modern-day fable that just happens to involve mutants and cats. (Actually, now that I think about it, traditional fables also seem to have far more than their share of mutants and cats.) And, hey, you can't convince me you don't want to see Magneto with kittens.

* Although I do wish I knew how to pronounce his name. Dee-fen-bock-er? Dee-fen-bake-er? Die-fen-whatever? True-dough? It's beyond me. As an American, I'm doing exceptionally well to recognize the name of a Canadian Prime Minister; they'd probably take my passport away if I knew how to say it, too.

Comments

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

I love you, switchknife. I just felt I had to get that out in the open.

I have already bookmarked "Down, You Lie Down Too" (there's no way in hell that I could resist that title) and of course the sequel "Bruise," which in some ways I think is even better. (Actually, Resonant is on my list of "authors whose individual stories I shouldn't even bother bookmarking, since I love them all," but I just can't bring myself not to grab such fantastic stories.)

But Tradescant is new to me, and I'm grateful to you for bringing her to my attention.

You must visit often, bearing recs. They make the perfect hostess gift for any occasion!

[switchknife.livejournal.com]

YES. 'Bruise' just builds that ache to a wonderful breaking point, doesn't it? I shattered so quietly all over the floor. There really shouldn't be authors like Resonant out there--not during work-days! I kept moving in broken little degrees throughout the day after that. *wipes eyes*

Damn you for reminding me. Yes. Tell me, do, of any sweet-hurting things you've found. We can be fic-crazy masochists together.

Oh, some fine things (since I know not how familiar you are with HP):

'Salience (http://www.aooa95.dsl.pipex.com/salience.html)' by Holographis, Harry/Draco

'Happiness Involving a Tea-House (http://www.livejournal.com/users/nopejr/34537.html)' by Nope, Harry/Draco

'Four Letter Words (http://www.livejournal.com/users/weatherby/33643.html)' by Breed, Harry/Draco, NC-17

'Le Oiseaux (http://glassesreflect.net/hd/lesoiseaux.html)' by Trin

'Waterworld (http://joyce.jteers.net/rhoddlet/waterworld.html)' by Rhoddlet, Harry/Draco, Harry/Ron

This is my first installment of H/D recs for you. :) I'll drop by with more later! (You seem to favor Severus/Harry at times, as do I--well, all the time--but I thought I'd let you know of some of my other favorite stories as well.)

Thank YOU for all the wonderful reccing you do!

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

You know what? I have just created a special Slashy: the Switchknife Award. In the future, it will go to fics that get me to consider pairings I previously thought abhorrent. Named, of course, for the fiend in human form who rec'd Harry/Draco stories to me. Because I have been patiently reading these over the last few days, and while I am still intensely dubious about the pairing, I must reluctantly admit that some of these stories were, well - persuasive. Dammit.

(Previously nominated stories that would've won a Switchknife if there had been one at that time: Wax Jism's "Overture," Kass's "Clay," Gloria Mundi's "Leverage," Helen's "Close Enough," and...hmmm. I notice a lot of these are HP stories. How appropriate.)

So, got any other pairings you'd like me to learn to contemplate with equanimity?

[switchknife.livejournal.com]

You know what? I have just created a special Slashy: the Switchknife Award.

LOL! *g* Haha, yes, very funny. :D :D :D

You liked Helen's 'Close Enough'! *squees* And Kass's 'Clay'! OMG. All right. Interesting pairings, you said? I don't even consider those pairings odd! *g*

I don't know how you feel about femslash, but I've seen you rec it occasionally. So. Here's some of my favorite HP femslash featuring Hermione:

'Sundress (http://joyce.jteers.net/rhoddlet/sundress.html)' by Rhoddlet, Hermione/Ginny, Hermione/Ron
'Hate (http://girlsdormitory.slashcity.net/efiction/viewstory.php?sid=199)' by Paranoid Kitten, Dolores/Hermione, NC-17
'eyes big love crumbs (http://www.livejournal.com/users/isilya/132781.html)' by Isilya, Hermione/Hermione
'Curiouser and Curiouser (http://www.livejournal.com/users/blythely/37998.html)' by Blythely, Alice/Hermione (This is a crossover with Alice in Wonderland)
'We All Fall Down (http://ashes.exitseraphim.org/writing/weallfalldown.html)' by Bec
'Left Handed (http://ivy.veela-inc.net/fanfiction/stories/lefthanded.html)' by Ivy Blossom, Pansy/Hermione, NC-17 (Username: 'veela', Password: 'over18')
'Replacement (http://www.dymphna.net/fanfic/replacement.html)' by Kate Bolin, Hermione/Ginny, Harry/Hermione, Hermione/Harry/Ginny

And favorite femslash stories not featuring Hermione:

'History Fell In the Heart Broke Open (http://www.livejournal.com/users/alibi_factory/658.html#cutid1)' by Sife Laver, Dolores/Thatcher (Yes, that's Dolores Umbridge and Margaret Thatcher, OMG, but trust me...)
'Comme La Pluie (http://www.livejournal.com/users/pogrebin/27765.html)' by Pogrebin, Fleur/Gabrielle, NC-17, INCEST, SNUFF, etc.
'I Must Not Tell Lies (http://girlsdormitory.slashcity.net/efiction/viewstory.php?sid=220)' by Melannen, Dolores/Ginny, Ginny/Luna, NC-17, BDSM, BLOODPLAY, RAPE, UNDERAGED, etc.
'Dissipate (http://www.livejournal.com/users/pogrebin/26088.html#cutid1)' by Pogrebin, Padma/Parvati, INCEST
'How It Feels to Face a Dragon (http://www.livejournal.com/users/bowdlerized/11647.html)' by Bow, Fleur/Cho, Cedric/Cho
'Years (http://orphne.popullus.net/writings/hp/years.shtml)' by Orphne, Minerva/Sibyll, NC-17
'Dressing Coffins (http://girlsdormitory.slashcity.net/efiction/viewstory.php?sid=218)' by Lilith Morgana, Minerva/Lily, NC-17
'Our Lady of Pain (http://www.livejournal.com/users/pogrebin/15160.html)' by Pogrebin, Dolores/Minerva
'Oral History (http://www.livejournal.com/users/acadine/397.html)' by Acadine, Padma/Cho
'Toujours Pur (http://www.livejournal.com/users/pogrebin/11340.html#cutid1)' by Pogrebin, Bellatrix/Narcissa, INCEST
'Sweet (http://www.thedarkarts.org/restrictedsection/fic.php?fic=tda:/authors/cedar/sweet.html)' by Cedar, Narcissa/Lily
'Only (http://ashes.exitseraphim.org/writing/only.html)' by Bec, Padma/Parvati, INCEST

Well, that's some femslash that should keep you busy for a while! It often worries me that we have such a shortage of femslash in the HP fandom, which is why I've done my best to promote it, and even set up a 'Femslash Challenge' on pornish_pixies. (Which yielded things like this (http://www.livejournal.com/community/pornish_pixies/95683.html). GUH.)

Hope you don't mind! If you'd prefer slash recs, I can always return with loads of bounty in that category, too. ;)

I'm very happy that you're willing to consider non-mainstream pairings. It annoys me that so much good work goes unnoticed simply because the authors want to explore more unusual pairings. But then again, maybe I'm biased, because unusual pairings are about all I write...

Let me know anytime you want recs catering to a specific situation and/or character. I'll be more than happy to help.

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

Ooo. Thanks. I can see what I'll be reading in the near future.

Special situations? My wishlist abounds (I have nine million categories patiently awaiting a second or third or fourth story so they can make a noms set), but here's one I can hardly picture happening in the HP world: long-time fic. In other words, a look in on a pairing after they've been together for years. And here's one I know must have happened in the HP world, but damned if I can find any good stories that fit: amnesia (surely there's some with Ron and amnesia, right?).

And when I say "strange pairings," I mean pairings I'm uncomfortable with. Which, in the HP universe, was initially anything involving any of the characters who are kids in booktime. That's, yes, most of them. I'm relaxing - age-up stories (like "Close Enough") were a great way to ease into this fandom - but I still find myself seriously recoiling from things like under-16 Harry/Snape.

And my problem with H/D is a simple one. I've never seen the movies; my knowledge of the canon comes entirely from the books. And fanon-Draco is so different from book-Draco he's like a whole new character. When Draco is in character, it's tough to get them interacting convincingly, let alone into bed. The ones you rec'd had good reasons - like "Les Oiseaux" - or believable results - like "Waterworld" (which is, incidentally, one of the most perfect examples of fictional triangulation I've seen recently). So I am reluctantly persuaded that H/D can work. Even that it can be a good thing. Sigh.

[switchknife.livejournal.com]

Ah, I'm quite the opposite, you see, in the sense that my squick-level is practically zero--no, it IS zero--and I quite enjoy reading of, er, underaged characters.

I agree with you about H/D--and no, I hadn't seen the movies either when I got into this fandom, so at first my reaction to fanon!Draco was 'WTF? But he's a snivelling, conniving, stupid little bastard!' Haha. Erm. So you see, I can understand where you're coming from, and maybe that's why I've been able to dig up some stories that you like.

But here's one story I forgot to rec to you--absolutely brilliant and disconcerting and aarrghscary: 'Your Every Wish (http://www.thedarkarts.org/restrictedsection/fic.php?fic=tda:/authors/maya/YEW.html)' by Maya. Harry/Draco, but so frigging twisted. I love it. It also gave me nightmares.

Now, as for stories in which a couple have been in an established relationship for at least a year (I presume that's what you meant?):

'Who Wrote the Book (http://sekaiseifuku.net/whowrote.txt)' by Canis M., Sirius/Remus

Lyrical porn: 'Care and Feeding (http://sekaiseifuku.net/careandfeeding.txt)' by Canis M., Sirius/Remus

Gah, just read the stuff here (http://aeristerra.com/switchknife/sr.htm). Most of what I list in the Sirius/Remus category features established relationships...

'Pale Shadow (http://www.livejournal.com/users/wikdsushi/179369.html#cutid1)' by Sushi, Severus/Harry. (Warning: sex featuring old men...!)

'A Solitary Pleasure (http://www.livejournal.com/users/luthien67/233002.html?#cutid1)', and part two (http://www.livejournal.com/users/luthien67/233443.html?#cutid1), by Luthien, Severus/Harry.

'Sometimes (http://www.livejournal.com/users/sloanesomething/8602.html)' by Sloane, Severus/Harry

'The Last Good Year (http://snapledore.slashcity.net/bee/fic/delphilastyear.html)' by Delphi, Albus/Severus (TRUST Delphi with this pairing, believe me!)

'So Woe Shall Go Past (http://snapledore.slashcity.net/bee/fic/delphiwoe.html)' by Delphi, Albus Severus

'Disarmed (http://www.subumbra.com/plank/luthien-disarmed.html)' and 'The Key To the Kingdom (http://www.subumbra.com/plank/luthien-thekeytothekingdom.html)' by Luthien, Severus/Harry. I like the sequel better.

Middle-aged porn: 'Gone to Pot (http://www.livejournal.com/users/wikdsushi/32938.html?view=136362)' by Sushi, Severus/Harry

Unlikely but amusing : 'Rhapsody in Orange Trolleys (http://www.swish-n-flick.netfirms.com/stories/wizworld.htm)' and 'Bath Story (http://www.swish-n-flick.netfirms.com/stories/bath_story.htm)' (unrelated) by Cybele, Severus/Harry

Domestic squabbles: 'Drunken Domesticity (http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=1244318)' by Icarus, Snape/Harry

A trip to an amusement park (I kid you not): 'The Unhappiest Potions Master on Eart (http://diana.slashcity.com/Potter/Unhappy.htm)' by Diana

'Triptych (http://ivy.veela-inc.net/fanfiction/stories/triptych.html)' by Ivy Blossom, Harry/Draco.

'Reads (http://www.somedistantgalaxy.com/veela/reads.html)' by Nope, Harry/Draco.

'Lust Over Pendle (http://www.schnoogle.com/authorLinks/A_J_Hall/)' by A.J. Hall, Neville/Harry

'Misericorde (http://www.tittisrealm.com/thinline/fabula/misericorde.html)' by Fabula Rasa, Sirius/Severus

'Je n’en Connais Pas la Fin (http://www.obsessedmuch.net/dysfunctional/table.html)', and parts two (http://www.obsessedmuch.net/dysfunctional/lover.html) and three (http://www.obsessedmuch.net/dysfunctional/tea.html), by Zahra, Harry/Draco.

To be continued...

Continued from last comment...

[switchknife.livejournal.com]

More established-relationship stories:

'Thirteen Ways (http://www.livejournal.com/users/eponis/143844.html#cutid1)' by Sinope, Severus/Remus

'Winter Kept Us Warm (http://snapeff.ebonyx.org/home/endfest2/archive/winterkept.html)' by Delphi, Albus/Severus

'Cursed Artefacts for Sale (http://www.livejournal.com/users/icarusancalion/169434.html?#cutid1)' by Icarus, Severus/Harry

Porn: 'Room for One More (http://www.livejournal.com/users/dementordelta/23451.html)' and 'Opposites Still Attract (http://www.livejournal.com/users/dementordelta/23451.html)' (unrelated) by DementorDelta, Severus/Harry

'Seventy Times Seven (http://www.livejournal.com/community/pornish_pixies/41586.html)' by Sinope, Severus/Harry (porn, yes, but oodles of angst and an ending that'll split you down the middle)

'A Dream Within A Dream (http://www.livejournal.com/users/sharp_tongue/10103.html)' by Sharp Tongue, Severus/Harry

'Slip Sliding Away (http://www.livejournal.com/users/sine_que_non767/20569.html)' by Sine Que Non, Voldemort/Lucius (er... yes, not quite a 'couple', but they have been fucking for years...)


Some amnesia stories (or at least stories that feature some form of memory loss, natural or magically induced):

'Aphasia (http://joyce.jteers.net/rhoddlet/aphasia.html)' by Rhoddlet, Harry/Ron

'Breathe Bloom (http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=1097479)' by Calliopiea, Gilderoy/Harry, Severus/Harry

'You Don't Remember (http://jeantarin0.tripod.com/JuxuanTang01.html)' by Juxian Tang, Sirius/Severus

'Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow (http://www.livejournal.com/users/novembersnow/68276.html)' by November Snowflake

'Short Stories (http://www.livejournal.com/users/amanuensis1/42347.html)' by Amanuensis, Lucius/Harry

'Cocaine Music (http://sarcastic-muse.com/puremagnetism/authors/penelope-z/cocainemusic.htm)' by Penelope-Z (not amnesia, but...)

'Potio (http://www.angelfire.com/magic/apothecary/potio.html)' by Seeker, Severus/Gilderoy


--Ack. There ARE more memory-loss stories, but I can't remember any now... I know that not all of these will suit, but I've just randomly picked all the established-relationship and memory-loss stories I can think of. Have a look at your pleasure.

[doesnt-go-away.livejournal.com]

Hey, don't you know another link for Left Handed? Becase I'm dying to read it and this link doesn't work anymore...