a little rec dump
I'm taking a moment from writing a paper to throw some recs at you which I've been saving up. And it's not even only J2 AUs, who'd have thought! :)
Merlin RPS
The Colour of Cartoon Sunshine by junkshop_disco. Bradley/Colin (non-AU), NC-17, ~35,000 words. This story flows so perfectly, has such wonderfully detailed storytelling and such shining interaction, dynamics and characterisation that every other fic of the merlinbb_rpf that I've started so far pales so much in comparison to it. If you even remotely consider reading Merlin RPS, read this one. It won't disappoint. I confess I am in LOVE!
Merlin
What Looks Like Crazy by hermette. Arthur/Merlin (modern AU), NC-17, ~17,500 words. This deals with a Merlin who is HIV+. I have a weakness for stories that deal with difficult subject matter. I didn't exactly go in expecting this to be good, but it turned out to be fantastic. The author makes it clear that being HIV+ is not everything that defines Merlin, and she stays well clear of slip-sliding into melodram. The way the emotional development here forms a coherent whole is simply wonderful.
J2 AU (more BB stories)
A Handful of Rain by riyku. NC-17, ~33,000. This story, like the one above, takes up a difficult subject matter: drug addiction. Jensen is the addict, Jared is a social worker who takes it upon himself to help Jensen get clean in a halfway home. This story highlights the difficulties of getting clean without glossing anything over. There's a lot of insecurity and imperfection that give this a very realistic feel, but also a whole lot of gorgeous writing.
be kind, unwind by nohwrah. R, ~50,000 words. This has great pacing and flow, very believable dynamics and progression of events. This is a feel-good fic of the highest order, if you have enough of my heavy recs - which I sometimes do too :)
I Am It by standing_fic. NC-17, ~30,600 words. This puts together two wonderful things: J2 being dancers for Michael Jackson's "This Is It" show. It has a very episodic structure, but comes so well together that it makes the part of me that's all in favour of a bit more experimental story-writing squee. (There's a reason I'm developing a thing for this author's writing.) It has everything else I need too: great characterization and dynamics, coherent story arch, wonderful prose. Go and read!
Merlin RPS
The Colour of Cartoon Sunshine by junkshop_disco. Bradley/Colin (non-AU), NC-17, ~35,000 words. This story flows so perfectly, has such wonderfully detailed storytelling and such shining interaction, dynamics and characterisation that every other fic of the merlinbb_rpf that I've started so far pales so much in comparison to it. If you even remotely consider reading Merlin RPS, read this one. It won't disappoint. I confess I am in LOVE!
Merlin
What Looks Like Crazy by hermette. Arthur/Merlin (modern AU), NC-17, ~17,500 words. This deals with a Merlin who is HIV+. I have a weakness for stories that deal with difficult subject matter. I didn't exactly go in expecting this to be good, but it turned out to be fantastic. The author makes it clear that being HIV+ is not everything that defines Merlin, and she stays well clear of slip-sliding into melodram. The way the emotional development here forms a coherent whole is simply wonderful.
J2 AU (more BB stories)
A Handful of Rain by riyku. NC-17, ~33,000. This story, like the one above, takes up a difficult subject matter: drug addiction. Jensen is the addict, Jared is a social worker who takes it upon himself to help Jensen get clean in a halfway home. This story highlights the difficulties of getting clean without glossing anything over. There's a lot of insecurity and imperfection that give this a very realistic feel, but also a whole lot of gorgeous writing.
be kind, unwind by nohwrah. R, ~50,000 words. This has great pacing and flow, very believable dynamics and progression of events. This is a feel-good fic of the highest order, if you have enough of my heavy recs - which I sometimes do too :)
I Am It by standing_fic. NC-17, ~30,600 words. This puts together two wonderful things: J2 being dancers for Michael Jackson's "This Is It" show. It has a very episodic structure, but comes so well together that it makes the part of me that's all in favour of a bit more experimental story-writing squee. (There's a reason I'm developing a thing for this author's writing.) It has everything else I need too: great characterization and dynamics, coherent story arch, wonderful prose. Go and read!