Bleach recs
I had lunch with the lovely ninja_tech and floppycorpse last weekend, and we got to talking about Bleach and my adventures with trying to find fic in a new fandom that suit my taste. Surely, I'm not the first person to bemoan that other fandoms don't have as prolific or talented writers as HP, and it's not lost on me that half of these writers also write HP. Anyway, ninja_tech asked me for some recs, so here they are: (minor spoilers within)
~ 20 Things That Happened Before Kurosaki Ichigo Was Made A Gotei-13 Captain (And Some Stuff From Afterwards) by snarky_kat. [Gen, PG]
Summary (mine): Ichigo gets hit by a car and dies. This is what happens after he wakes up in Soul Society.
My notes: Short but satisfying fic, and I'm completely in love with the idea of Ichigo becoming a captain in the Gotei-13.
~ The Monkey and the Moon by imadra_blue. [Byakuya/Renji, PG]
Summary: "Let me tell you about the difference between you and me. It's like the story of the monkey trying to capture the moon." - Byakuya Kuchiki to Renji Abarai, Bleach Chapter 142.
My notes: Beautifully written, moving fic that takes place after the Winter War. My only complaint is that it ended.
~ Alms by sublimeparadigm. [Byakuya/Renji, NC-17]
Summary: Renji learns that when one gives, the other must take.
My notes: Byakuya/Renji is the closest I have to an OTP in Bleach. Renji and Byakuya need each other. That is all.
~ At Home on the Tundra by sublimeparadigm. [Ichigo/Uryruu, PG-13]
Summary: Ichigo, Ishida, and the building of a place called home.
My notes: I knew I was going to enjoy this fic when it opened with Ichigo and Ishida getting stoned on a broken-down couch. A touching, emotionally satisfying read. I felt like I was watching a real relationship develop, with all its peaks and valleys. There is a two-part sequel Mountains Out of Mudpies which veered a little to close to schmultz for my taste. YMMV, of course.
Restless by moshesque [Ichigo/Renji, R]
Summary: Ichigo considered throwing a pillow at his head, but that would only wake him up, and that would only lead to arguing, which would most likely lead to fighting. [PWP]
My notes: Let's see... the bickering, the awkward feelings of anxiety, the pushing and shoving, the frenzied tumble to the floor... It almost reads like a Harry/Draco fic, which is probably why I liked it. (BTW, I discovered that mosh removed her HP fics from livejournal, so you'll have to go to her website Remnants if you want to read them again.)
~ A Cure Worse Than The Desease by nehalenia. [Ryuuken/Uryuu; Ichigo/Uryuu, NC-17, warnings] (locked; must be a member of bleach_yaoi to read)
Summary: After a Hollow injures Uryuu, Ryuuken is determined to heal him; whether Uryuu wants him to or not. As usual, Ryuuken’s bedside manner leaves a lot to be desired.
My notes: Kinky liek whoa. Why is Quincest so appealing? If this is wrong I don't want to be right. Nice characterization of Ishida, and somehow amongst all the depravity there is a cameo by Ichigo being as adorably protective as always. Read the warnings.
~ Ash Chrysanthemum by nehalenia. [Gen, Gin Ichimaru, Rangiku Matsumoto]
Summary: Rangiku has a visitor to her cell in Hueco Mundo. Warning for implication of character death. Dystopic AU (Aizen won.)
My notes: Gin is my favorite villain in Bleach, and I'm convinced he is going to betray Aizen at some point. That's neither here or there, I suppose, but one of the things I find interesting about him is his past friendship with Matsumoto. Short fic with some beautiful imagery.
Now I talk about Bleach and ask for recs. Bleach is a great adventure story with an appealing hero and a huge supporting cast of characters. Wonderful art too. But what I find so appealing about the canon, and what has continued to resonate with me, are bonds between the characters. I want to read more fic!! I'll take recs. They don't have to be porny.
And now to get back to HP. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that hp_springsmut started posting today. (Is it March already?) Springsmut has always been one of my favorite fests to follow. Yay, for rare pairs.
~ 20 Things That Happened Before Kurosaki Ichigo Was Made A Gotei-13 Captain (And Some Stuff From Afterwards) by snarky_kat. [Gen, PG]
Summary (mine): Ichigo gets hit by a car and dies. This is what happens after he wakes up in Soul Society.
My notes: Short but satisfying fic, and I'm completely in love with the idea of Ichigo becoming a captain in the Gotei-13.
~ The Monkey and the Moon by imadra_blue. [Byakuya/Renji, PG]
Summary: "Let me tell you about the difference between you and me. It's like the story of the monkey trying to capture the moon." - Byakuya Kuchiki to Renji Abarai, Bleach Chapter 142.
My notes: Beautifully written, moving fic that takes place after the Winter War. My only complaint is that it ended.
~ Alms by sublimeparadigm. [Byakuya/Renji, NC-17]
Summary: Renji learns that when one gives, the other must take.
My notes: Byakuya/Renji is the closest I have to an OTP in Bleach. Renji and Byakuya need each other. That is all.
~ At Home on the Tundra by sublimeparadigm. [Ichigo/Uryruu, PG-13]
Summary: Ichigo, Ishida, and the building of a place called home.
My notes: I knew I was going to enjoy this fic when it opened with Ichigo and Ishida getting stoned on a broken-down couch. A touching, emotionally satisfying read. I felt like I was watching a real relationship develop, with all its peaks and valleys. There is a two-part sequel Mountains Out of Mudpies which veered a little to close to schmultz for my taste. YMMV, of course.
Restless by moshesque [Ichigo/Renji, R]
Summary: Ichigo considered throwing a pillow at his head, but that would only wake him up, and that would only lead to arguing, which would most likely lead to fighting. [PWP]
My notes: Let's see... the bickering, the awkward feelings of anxiety, the pushing and shoving, the frenzied tumble to the floor... It almost reads like a Harry/Draco fic, which is probably why I liked it. (BTW, I discovered that mosh removed her HP fics from livejournal, so you'll have to go to her website Remnants if you want to read them again.)
~ A Cure Worse Than The Desease by nehalenia. [Ryuuken/Uryuu; Ichigo/Uryuu, NC-17, warnings] (locked; must be a member of bleach_yaoi to read)
Summary: After a Hollow injures Uryuu, Ryuuken is determined to heal him; whether Uryuu wants him to or not. As usual, Ryuuken’s bedside manner leaves a lot to be desired.
My notes: Kinky liek whoa. Why is Quincest so appealing? If this is wrong I don't want to be right. Nice characterization of Ishida, and somehow amongst all the depravity there is a cameo by Ichigo being as adorably protective as always. Read the warnings.
~ Ash Chrysanthemum by nehalenia. [Gen, Gin Ichimaru, Rangiku Matsumoto]
Summary: Rangiku has a visitor to her cell in Hueco Mundo. Warning for implication of character death. Dystopic AU (Aizen won.)
My notes: Gin is my favorite villain in Bleach, and I'm convinced he is going to betray Aizen at some point. That's neither here or there, I suppose, but one of the things I find interesting about him is his past friendship with Matsumoto. Short fic with some beautiful imagery.
Now I talk about Bleach and ask for recs. Bleach is a great adventure story with an appealing hero and a huge supporting cast of characters. Wonderful art too. But what I find so appealing about the canon, and what has continued to resonate with me, are bonds between the characters. I want to read more fic!! I'll take recs. They don't have to be porny.
And now to get back to HP. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that hp_springsmut started posting today. (Is it March already?) Springsmut has always been one of my favorite fests to follow. Yay, for rare pairs.