Snowflake Challenge Day 6: Fics that Surprised Me
Day 6
In your own space, rec at least 3 fanworks you thought you wouldn't like (because they weren't your fandom or they pushed against your boundaries or you thought you just wouldn't be interested) and that you ended up loving.
1. The Choice Not to Choose by sandrine Robin Hood, Guy/Robin/Marian, PG-13
My 'shipping preferences in the RH fandom run heavily to Guy/Marian or Guy/Meg. My slash pairing of choice is Allan/Will, with a preference for Allan/Will/Djaq. I usually cannot stand Guy/Robin, and when I first saw this fic, I couldn't even wrap my head around the idea of Guy/Robin/Marian. Everything in my RH-loving soul was revolted. But for some reason, I clicked on it anyway. Probably to see just how terrible I'd think it was. But... it wasn't terrible. It was good. Guy and Robin both love Marian, she loves both of them, and though this is a one-shot, I thought the development of their uneasy arrangement worked very well. And I even bought the Guy/Robin side of the triangle, which is a monumental feat in itself.
2. I post this with sheepish apologies to potboy, who has the dubious honor of starting me down the road to wildly shipping two PotC pairings that I don't think she ships much herself. (Though I offer by way of appeasement the fact that she's also partially responsible for my shipping Gillington instead of scratching my head at the idea of James and that snarky Lieutenant of his.)
First, a long time ago, I read her PotC fic Negotiations (sorry, the only link I have is on ff.net). This story, while it isn't exactly slashy, skirts the edges of Jack/Norrington very finely, and is the fic that made me admit that the people who thought that Jack and the Commodore would be great together weren't completely sun-addled. It's a fantastic story whether you're a Sparrington shipper or not. Jack and James' voices are wonderful, with the smart, crackly banter I've come to love in well written fics about the two of them.
3. And finally, the fic that pushed me along to (very very quietly) shipping Gillette/Elizabeth like crazy. potboy's Surprise. (PotC, Adult concepts) This fic, right off the bat, does something I am usually not terribly fond of... marrying James and Liz to each other for reasons of convenience while one of them continues on with another person. I usually like my Norribeth sweet or tragic. Not unfaithful. But this was an author I'd been reading since the first day I entered the fandom, and it promised me the utterly unique-to-me experience of reading Andrew/Liz, so I kept going. Nothing terribly adult actually happens in the story, but it is amazing. I love the way the two of them interact, their brutal honesty, the way that even though have different methods, they both disregard authority, the way they both care for James in their own way... By the end of it, I was ready to read more fics set in this universe, and I've jumped at the chance to read this rare pairing every time I've gotten one since.
In your own space, rec at least 3 fanworks you thought you wouldn't like (because they weren't your fandom or they pushed against your boundaries or you thought you just wouldn't be interested) and that you ended up loving.
1. The Choice Not to Choose by sandrine Robin Hood, Guy/Robin/Marian, PG-13
My 'shipping preferences in the RH fandom run heavily to Guy/Marian or Guy/Meg. My slash pairing of choice is Allan/Will, with a preference for Allan/Will/Djaq. I usually cannot stand Guy/Robin, and when I first saw this fic, I couldn't even wrap my head around the idea of Guy/Robin/Marian. Everything in my RH-loving soul was revolted. But for some reason, I clicked on it anyway. Probably to see just how terrible I'd think it was. But... it wasn't terrible. It was good. Guy and Robin both love Marian, she loves both of them, and though this is a one-shot, I thought the development of their uneasy arrangement worked very well. And I even bought the Guy/Robin side of the triangle, which is a monumental feat in itself.
2. I post this with sheepish apologies to potboy, who has the dubious honor of starting me down the road to wildly shipping two PotC pairings that I don't think she ships much herself. (Though I offer by way of appeasement the fact that she's also partially responsible for my shipping Gillington instead of scratching my head at the idea of James and that snarky Lieutenant of his.)
First, a long time ago, I read her PotC fic Negotiations (sorry, the only link I have is on ff.net). This story, while it isn't exactly slashy, skirts the edges of Jack/Norrington very finely, and is the fic that made me admit that the people who thought that Jack and the Commodore would be great together weren't completely sun-addled. It's a fantastic story whether you're a Sparrington shipper or not. Jack and James' voices are wonderful, with the smart, crackly banter I've come to love in well written fics about the two of them.
3. And finally, the fic that pushed me along to (very very quietly) shipping Gillette/Elizabeth like crazy. potboy's Surprise. (PotC, Adult concepts) This fic, right off the bat, does something I am usually not terribly fond of... marrying James and Liz to each other for reasons of convenience while one of them continues on with another person. I usually like my Norribeth sweet or tragic. Not unfaithful. But this was an author I'd been reading since the first day I entered the fandom, and it promised me the utterly unique-to-me experience of reading Andrew/Liz, so I kept going. Nothing terribly adult actually happens in the story, but it is amazing. I love the way the two of them interact, their brutal honesty, the way that even though have different methods, they both disregard authority, the way they both care for James in their own way... By the end of it, I was ready to read more fics set in this universe, and I've jumped at the chance to read this rare pairing every time I've gotten one since.