(mostly) comfortfic recs
I keep making resolutions to post and comment more, and then I, uh, don’t follow through. I love you guys, I really do, but I am the worst at not lurking; it is such an ingrained habit. /o\
…HOWEVER. I come bearing recs! :D
(It is an established fact that there is a linear relationship between my stress level and the number of words of fanfiction I read, roughly represented by an equation with a distressingly high constant of proportionality. Why do I choose to live a life so devoid of logic? ;___;)
get up up on the dance floor, by _seven_crows (Young Avengers, Billy/Teddy, PG, 3700 words) "Man, I love public schools," says Kate. "If people danced like this at one of my school's dances, the nuns would put a Bible between them and tell them to make way for Jesus." PROM, ugh. Purely theoretically, this should not make me so wretchedly happy, because I always found real life prom kind of dumb; but this is adorable. It is unapologetic schmoop, and I have reread it a frankly embarrassing number of times.
1 + 1 = Window, by threeguesses (The Devil Wears Prada, Andy/Miranda, unrated, 5600 words) Caroline was born first. One of my absolute favorite TDWP fics. I am, to begin with, a sucker for outsider POV fic, and this one is from Cassidy and Caroline’s (Miranda’s twin daughters’) viewpoint. The voice is incredibly, authentically kidlike-it doesn’t sound too young or too old, and captures the startling perceptiveness and hilarity, the charming whimsy, and the sadness, the impotence of being a kid. Highly recommended!
Gifts, by [anonymous] (Harry Potter, McGonagall/Snape, Dumbledore, Sprout, R, 8100 words) For the ownficfest. On the day of Snape's return to Hogwarts as Headmaster, he settles some old scores and makes some offerings. This is *brilliant.* It’s sharp and heartbreaking, and the set-up works so well-first we see things from Sprout’s bewildered POV, then move to Snape’s, then to McGonagall’s-and slowly we recognize what’s going on. The characterization is great all round, what with Sprout’s well-meaning naivete; Dumbledore’s benevolent dictator act; Snape’s secret, warped nobility; McGonagall’s incisiveness, and her dedication to her students. Really awesome.
The Grandfather Clock, by floweringjudas (Harry Potter, James Jr/Percy, James Jr/?, Percy/?, PG-13, 24000 words) James Jr wants a summer job, his Mum suggests he help out Uncle Perce. This turns out to be simultaneously the best and worst idea ever, for all parties concerned. I bet so many people won’t try this because of the non-mystery pairing-besides being rather bizarre, it is also technically incestuous. But that makes me very sad, because I love this story to tiny pieces, and am actually (shock!) flailingly inarticulate over it. I will quote snegurochka_lee, who is one of my favourite HP rec’ers, and from whom I shamelessly stole co-opted this rec: “There is no raunchy Percy/James incest, but nor is it entirely innocent. The story is much more for general audiences than you might think, actually. This is a family story at heart, about divorce angst, childrearing troubles, teen coming-out issues, and general family acceptance things. But it's not all drama and angst. It's at once funny, poignant, anguished and heartwarming. It features a quietly stunning Percy portrayal, a wonderful teenage James, and fantastic cameos by other Weasleys, especially by Ginny and by Percy's daughter, Lucy. The unrevealed pairings aren't a mindfuck or a squick or anything, either, but the story is indeed more enjoyable if you don't know about them going in."
The Feel of It, by mindabbles (Harry Potter, James Jr/Teddy, NC-17, 5900 words) In his fantasies Teddy always tumbles him forcefully onto the soft, cool surface of the sofa, biting at his neck and grinding his hard cock between James' spread legs. Another rec from snegurochka_lee! Nominally this is a PWP (it IS posted at daily_deviant, after all), and it certainly deserves the distinction of *omg really hot porn,* but is also not-so-secretly sweet, and features a lovely glimpse of other next-gen characters. and, um, on a less coherent note (ahaha, less coherence shouldn’t be possible, but look at me! I rock the anti-cogency): otpppppp. ♥
Reparations, by saras_girl (or here at lj; here in a downloadable PDF file) (Harry Potter, Harry/Draco, R, ~100,000 words) Harry is about to discover that the steepest learning curve comes after Healer training, and that second chances can be found in unexpected places. Healer!Harry! Accurate depiction of chemical dependency treatment and in-patient facilities! Mystery/romance, slow buildup, UST, very respectable characterizations, and a seriously lovely story overall.
Black Coffee on a Lonely Night, by [the most obvious anonymous author ever] (Harry Potter, Harry/Draco, NC-17, ~21,600 words) For ownficfest. Draco owns a café in the city. Harry's an MP who comes in every morning, newspapers in one hand, BlackBerry in the other, and orders a triple espresso macchiato. Usually I am apathetic toward non-magical AUs; they don't interest me very much. But I do so appreciate fics with bisexuality, with a Draco and/or Harry who genuinely loves or loved his wife. Also, the image of Harry as a lib dem politician (lollll) whose suit is always impeccable but whose hair is a perennial disaster is pretty much adorable.
Theft of Assets and Destruction of Property, by helenish (Harry Potter, Draco/Neville, NC-17, ~23,000 words) Surely it is a mistake to allow a single youthful indiscretion to cloud an already promising career. I was so excited to see new helenish HP longfic! This is an AU, very strongly hurt/comfort-and-pining/misunderstandings flavored, and probably not everyone’s cup-but I think the absurdity of it is part of its charm, and I have no problem with indulgence in my fic. Anyway, I affectionately dubbed this the “Draco is a woobified house-elf” fic; it has stoic pining, stoic baking, and a marriage of convenience.
Homecoming, by novembersnow (Harry Potter, Harry/Draco, NC-17, ~27000 words) Harry thinks spending two weeks as a guest lecturer at Hogwarts will offer the perfect chance to get away from his troubles. Then he meets his assigned faculty guide: Potions Master Draco Malfoy. When this was posted at hd_worldcup it was rec'd all over the place (and with good reason, apparently!), and I have been meaning to read it for the longest time. It's sad that a fic where Ginny is NOT a shrew is such a relief to me, but this story depicts one of the more realistic, amicable Harry/Ginny break-ups I've read. I hate it when it's glossed over -- like just because the author is so glad to have the Ginny-the-obstacle out of the way, Harry must be too, and okay, okay, I am very lol sensitive about this, it is true, but the Ginny hate is so pervasive in HP fandom that it makes me kind of sick. Anyway! This was a wonderful post-epilogue fic. Draco and Harry have both grown up, but not too much, and the story has exactly the right amounts of sweet and snark.
So Wise We Grow, by captanddeastar (Star Trek XI, Kirk/Spock, R, ~81,000 words) “Commander Spock, we have located your son,” the Vulcan lady on the screen says, which would be great, except Jim can tell by the look on Spock’s face that he’s never heard of this kid before in his life. “If it is expedient, the child will be sent to join you on the Enterprise within the week.” I thought I was burned out on ST fic, so I opened this figuring I’d get through a part or two and get bored. Instead I was almost late for class, and neglected to eat lunch. This is a smooth, warm, lovely fic, highly readable. Ne’er does the angst overwhelm (and I think the things warned for are well-handled and not gratuitous), but the story is not fluffy, either-it’s a good blend of genres. I’d love more ensemble-ish type stuff in this ‘verse, too, because I love the way Deastar writes the crew.
A Boat That Can Love the Rocks or the Shore, by pearl_o (bandslash, Frank/Gerard/Mikey, PG-13, 1900 words) Frank knows a test when he hears one, but he still gets the answer wrong. Frank is not a French fry! This is so happy-making, and so TRUE. (and not actually all that Waycesty, for that matter. I’d call it “Frank/Gerard, Frank/Mikey, Gerard/Mikey in a genish way.” I wish there were notation to indicate a relationship characterized by severe codependence minus sexytimes! It would be very useful in MCR fic headers, I think.)
…HOWEVER. I come bearing recs! :D
(It is an established fact that there is a linear relationship between my stress level and the number of words of fanfiction I read, roughly represented by an equation with a distressingly high constant of proportionality. Why do I choose to live a life so devoid of logic? ;___;)
get up up on the dance floor, by _seven_crows (Young Avengers, Billy/Teddy, PG, 3700 words) "Man, I love public schools," says Kate. "If people danced like this at one of my school's dances, the nuns would put a Bible between them and tell them to make way for Jesus." PROM, ugh. Purely theoretically, this should not make me so wretchedly happy, because I always found real life prom kind of dumb; but this is adorable. It is unapologetic schmoop, and I have reread it a frankly embarrassing number of times.
1 + 1 = Window, by threeguesses (The Devil Wears Prada, Andy/Miranda, unrated, 5600 words) Caroline was born first. One of my absolute favorite TDWP fics. I am, to begin with, a sucker for outsider POV fic, and this one is from Cassidy and Caroline’s (Miranda’s twin daughters’) viewpoint. The voice is incredibly, authentically kidlike-it doesn’t sound too young or too old, and captures the startling perceptiveness and hilarity, the charming whimsy, and the sadness, the impotence of being a kid. Highly recommended!
Gifts, by [anonymous] (Harry Potter, McGonagall/Snape, Dumbledore, Sprout, R, 8100 words) For the ownficfest. On the day of Snape's return to Hogwarts as Headmaster, he settles some old scores and makes some offerings. This is *brilliant.* It’s sharp and heartbreaking, and the set-up works so well-first we see things from Sprout’s bewildered POV, then move to Snape’s, then to McGonagall’s-and slowly we recognize what’s going on. The characterization is great all round, what with Sprout’s well-meaning naivete; Dumbledore’s benevolent dictator act; Snape’s secret, warped nobility; McGonagall’s incisiveness, and her dedication to her students. Really awesome.
The Grandfather Clock, by floweringjudas (Harry Potter, James Jr/Percy, James Jr/?, Percy/?, PG-13, 24000 words) James Jr wants a summer job, his Mum suggests he help out Uncle Perce. This turns out to be simultaneously the best and worst idea ever, for all parties concerned. I bet so many people won’t try this because of the non-mystery pairing-besides being rather bizarre, it is also technically incestuous. But that makes me very sad, because I love this story to tiny pieces, and am actually (shock!) flailingly inarticulate over it. I will quote snegurochka_lee, who is one of my favourite HP rec’ers, and from whom I shamelessly stole co-opted this rec: “There is no raunchy Percy/James incest, but nor is it entirely innocent. The story is much more for general audiences than you might think, actually. This is a family story at heart, about divorce angst, childrearing troubles, teen coming-out issues, and general family acceptance things. But it's not all drama and angst. It's at once funny, poignant, anguished and heartwarming. It features a quietly stunning Percy portrayal, a wonderful teenage James, and fantastic cameos by other Weasleys, especially by Ginny and by Percy's daughter, Lucy. The unrevealed pairings aren't a mindfuck or a squick or anything, either, but the story is indeed more enjoyable if you don't know about them going in."
The Feel of It, by mindabbles (Harry Potter, James Jr/Teddy, NC-17, 5900 words) In his fantasies Teddy always tumbles him forcefully onto the soft, cool surface of the sofa, biting at his neck and grinding his hard cock between James' spread legs. Another rec from snegurochka_lee! Nominally this is a PWP (it IS posted at daily_deviant, after all), and it certainly deserves the distinction of *omg really hot porn,* but is also not-so-secretly sweet, and features a lovely glimpse of other next-gen characters. and, um, on a less coherent note (ahaha, less coherence shouldn’t be possible, but look at me! I rock the anti-cogency): otpppppp. ♥
Reparations, by saras_girl (or here at lj; here in a downloadable PDF file) (Harry Potter, Harry/Draco, R, ~100,000 words) Harry is about to discover that the steepest learning curve comes after Healer training, and that second chances can be found in unexpected places. Healer!Harry! Accurate depiction of chemical dependency treatment and in-patient facilities! Mystery/romance, slow buildup, UST, very respectable characterizations, and a seriously lovely story overall.
Black Coffee on a Lonely Night, by [the most obvious anonymous author ever] (Harry Potter, Harry/Draco, NC-17, ~21,600 words) For ownficfest. Draco owns a café in the city. Harry's an MP who comes in every morning, newspapers in one hand, BlackBerry in the other, and orders a triple espresso macchiato. Usually I am apathetic toward non-magical AUs; they don't interest me very much. But I do so appreciate fics with bisexuality, with a Draco and/or Harry who genuinely loves or loved his wife. Also, the image of Harry as a lib dem politician (lollll) whose suit is always impeccable but whose hair is a perennial disaster is pretty much adorable.
Theft of Assets and Destruction of Property, by helenish (Harry Potter, Draco/Neville, NC-17, ~23,000 words) Surely it is a mistake to allow a single youthful indiscretion to cloud an already promising career. I was so excited to see new helenish HP longfic! This is an AU, very strongly hurt/comfort-and-pining/misunderstandings flavored, and probably not everyone’s cup-but I think the absurdity of it is part of its charm, and I have no problem with indulgence in my fic. Anyway, I affectionately dubbed this the “Draco is a woobified house-elf” fic; it has stoic pining, stoic baking, and a marriage of convenience.
Homecoming, by novembersnow (Harry Potter, Harry/Draco, NC-17, ~27000 words) Harry thinks spending two weeks as a guest lecturer at Hogwarts will offer the perfect chance to get away from his troubles. Then he meets his assigned faculty guide: Potions Master Draco Malfoy. When this was posted at hd_worldcup it was rec'd all over the place (and with good reason, apparently!), and I have been meaning to read it for the longest time. It's sad that a fic where Ginny is NOT a shrew is such a relief to me, but this story depicts one of the more realistic, amicable Harry/Ginny break-ups I've read. I hate it when it's glossed over -- like just because the author is so glad to have the Ginny-the-obstacle out of the way, Harry must be too, and okay, okay, I am very lol sensitive about this, it is true, but the Ginny hate is so pervasive in HP fandom that it makes me kind of sick. Anyway! This was a wonderful post-epilogue fic. Draco and Harry have both grown up, but not too much, and the story has exactly the right amounts of sweet and snark.
So Wise We Grow, by captanddeastar (Star Trek XI, Kirk/Spock, R, ~81,000 words) “Commander Spock, we have located your son,” the Vulcan lady on the screen says, which would be great, except Jim can tell by the look on Spock’s face that he’s never heard of this kid before in his life. “If it is expedient, the child will be sent to join you on the Enterprise within the week.” I thought I was burned out on ST fic, so I opened this figuring I’d get through a part or two and get bored. Instead I was almost late for class, and neglected to eat lunch. This is a smooth, warm, lovely fic, highly readable. Ne’er does the angst overwhelm (and I think the things warned for are well-handled and not gratuitous), but the story is not fluffy, either-it’s a good blend of genres. I’d love more ensemble-ish type stuff in this ‘verse, too, because I love the way Deastar writes the crew.
A Boat That Can Love the Rocks or the Shore, by pearl_o (bandslash, Frank/Gerard/Mikey, PG-13, 1900 words) Frank knows a test when he hears one, but he still gets the answer wrong. Frank is not a French fry! This is so happy-making, and so TRUE. (and not actually all that Waycesty, for that matter. I’d call it “Frank/Gerard, Frank/Mikey, Gerard/Mikey in a genish way.” I wish there were notation to indicate a relationship characterized by severe codependence minus sexytimes! It would be very useful in MCR fic headers, I think.)