[ Avatar, Bleach, FFXII, Glee, GundamW, GL, House, Kabuto, LOST, REBORN! , SM, White Collar ]
SHARING TIME:
I am not sure how I feel about the Return of Alice trailer, aka the Alice2 trailer. The atmosphere looks right, but the claymation-style look of it just... isn't nearly as cool as the original was. Alice herself looks almost sloppily done and it's hard to get excited about something that should look amazing, considering how far graphics have come in the last decade.
Seriously, remember how awesome the original game was?
AND ONTO THE RECS:
Avatar: The Last Airbender - 1 Fanfic
Final Fantasy XII - 2 Fanfics
Glee - 3 Fanfics
Gundam Wing - 1 Fanfic
Gurren Lagann - 1 Fanfic
House - 1 Fanfic
Kamen Rider Kabuto - 1 Fanfic
LOST - 1 Fanfic
Sailor Moon - 1 Fanfic
White Collar - 6 Fanfics
White Collar/Leverage - 1 Fanfics
Katekyou Hitman REBORN! - 1 Doujinshi
Bleach - 2 Fanart
Katekyou Hitman REBORN! - 2 Fanart
2009 GOAL: 859 (+ 390)/1700
Avatar: The Last Airbender: Odd Man Out by Smart Alex - I was reading for other fandoms when I stumbled over a favorite that led me to this fic and... well. I haven't been so charmed by an Avatar fic like this in awhile, it's just so... cute and silly and fun. The author really nails Sokka's narrative voice, as he watches all the couples around him and misses Suki and then... notices that someone isn't in a relationship either. Also, Sokka's offhand observations on the couples around him are kind of seriously hilarious. This was delightful. (Background Sokka/Suki, Aang/Katara, Zuko/Mai. It's only half the point.)
Final Fantasy XII: Impatience by fluidstatic - I have a strong fondness for fics that take on the whole concept of status effects and what they're like for the characters in-universe. This fic deals with Fran getting Berserked and what it's like from her point of view, the way the bloodlust roars through her veins and the things she hears and sees and smells. I really liked the language of this piece, it had that sort of old-world elegant that FFXII and Fran's character had, but also there was an intensity to it, the drive she felt to tear things apart. The way Balthier's scent and his presence calmed her down in some ways (and not so much in other ways) was also worked in rather nicely--the Berserked sex scene was kind of seriously nice. I really, really enjoyed this one. (Balthier/Fran, a little NSFW.)
Final Fantasy XII: Matched by Shanaqui - More Balthier/Fran playfulness with a strong Fan narrative voice. It's a simple fic and concept--Balthier and Fran have a sparring match with rapiers to test their skills against each other--but the execution is lovely. The author's voice for the characters and the world around them is solid and there's this sense of... playfulness even as they're both very formidable people, there's a light tone even as Fran is as serious as ever. It was a nice piece that fit the characters well, I thought, and gave me a continued fix for them. (If you like Balthier/Fran, you should like this.)
Glee: Thought What I Felt Was Simple by vnilla - Okay. Seriously. I am not going to be satisfied until Rachel actually sings this song on the show; my life will not be complete until it happens. I love this fic just for the music choice, but I also love it for the perfect summation of Rachel's conflict on her feelings for Finn versus her feelings for Puck: On second thought, being in love with two boys is exactly like a musical. And, like in musicals, she has to make a choice. I really like how determined Rachel is in this fic, too, it's such a great take on her. I loved this. ♥ (Puck/Rachel.)
Glee: First Gear by vnilla - I don't want to meet the person who doesn't love Kurt. Or the idea of Kurt just learning to drive while his dad tries to teach him. Or who doesn't find this short fic completely charming. Because it really was and had a couple of really great lines in it. ....crap, now I want more Kurt fic, sigh. (No warnings/pairings.)
Glee: Professionally Speaking by vnilla - You know what else I want more of in Glee fandom? Sue fic. And more of Sue and Emma interacting, because that's kind of seriously delightful here. I love just how well Sue's total crazy comes across here and how you can just see Emma's deer in the headlights look, it's... well, it's kind of darling and I loved this a lot. (No warnings/pairings.)
Gundam Wing: In Possession by Hades' Phoenix - What I really liked about this fic is exactly what it set out to do--to not be one of those fics where Duo is a helpless waif who can't defend for himself. Instead it focuses on how rough around the edges he is and how much he is a dangerous sort of person to know in his own right and how much of a devil-may-care attitude he has. But I also liked the way he felt about Heero, the dynamic of understanding they had, even when you couldn't really pinpoint how they understood each other, that was just the magic of their relationship. I also liked the treatment of Duo's ex-boyfriend in this fic (even if it bordered on the cliche semi-abusive ex-boyfriend trope) just because it was used as a showcase for how Duo handled such a situation. I even liked the semi-open quality of the ending here. (Heero/Duo.)
Gurren Lagann: like ghost stories in reverse by darkenedsakura - There used to be three of us, you know. Both with him and with her. There had always been three. That was then. This is a lovely story about Simon and Yoko, both before and after everything that happened, and also about Nia and Kamina and... everything that's complicated between them all. It's hard to describe this fic or why it really worked for me (I've had a fondness for the idea of post-series Simon/Yoko, but I could never quite make it work in my head, but then this fic came along and this was what I was thinking of) aside from how I felt it did justice to everything. The people they miss, all the painful things they've gone through, everything that does and doesn't haunt them, everything that's between them and isn't between them. I even like the way it's told, with the scenes all out of order, yet it makes the impact of them greater. Lovely fic and I'm glad I'm not the only one who's interested in these two. (Simon/Yoko, Simon/Nia, Kamina/Yoko.)
House: In Over My Head (She's On Your Mind) by leiascully - I'm always torn about whether or not I want House/Cuddy in the series itself, because I enjoy the pairing, but I have problems with it. And I have trouble with them in fic as well, trying to reconcile what I believe they're capable of with what I really want. So, when I read a fic with a summary like House knew she wasn't real. that's about another hallucination he has of Cuddy, I was instantly curious. And this is a really great look at his character and his relationship with her inside his own head and some really good dialogue and some very nice sex. All things I was looking for. (House/Cuddy, R-rated.)
Kamen Rider Kabuto: untitled by Circe - [Note: There are actually several short ficlets strewn throughout the comments, but I'm just going to rec everything together since they're all kind of a set. Or mostly a set. Also, spoiler warnings!] The main ficlet in the body of the post is a really amazing piece, it so perfectly captures the fucked up dynamic of Yaguruma and Kageyama, right down to the hell of a punch of the final bits. But then. But then Circe shows me she loves me even more and writes Yaguruma/Kageyama in my LOVELESS universe and it's both hilarious (asd;flkjaslkj the bell omg) and hot and perfect. And then she writes Kagami and Tendou and Christmas and Kagami bringing all this non-perfection into Tendou's previously perfect life and it's spot on because, yes. That's what Kagami does. Circe has a great gift for all of these characters and each of these ficlets are the kind that I want to gush endlessly about (to the point that the rec would be longer than the fic, that's how much I want to talk about them, but must hold myself back) and I'm so glad she's in this fandom. ♥ (Yaguruma/Kageyama in some, Kagami/Tendou in some.)
Katekyou Hitman REBORN!: No Strings by asael - So, I guess it's 6918 week for me as well this week, because I was really in the mood to read fic for them and then this one helpfully came along and it's a solid little piece about Mukuro and Hibari's relationship as they work for the Vongola at some point in the future. Mostly, it's a Hibari POV fic where it's surprisingly workable to have Mukuro around and the relationship isn't any more complicated than Hibari needs. Which is a lot of how I see them, too. (Mukuro/Hibari.)
LOST: Gonna Try (With a Little Help From My Friends) by valhalla37 - Ever since I caught up on LOST, one of my new favorite characters has been Miles, both for the intriguing possibilities he brings, but also because he has such a great character voice. I love how deadpan he is, I love how much he walls himself off from really caring, yet he's not as successful at it as he'd like to think. This fic has a really beautiful tone to it, the language is lovely, and it's all about Miles and Dan and the ghost of Charlotte. The author has a fantastic voice for Miles, the kind that makes me wish I had tons and tons of fic to read about him just like this. (Some background implied Dan/Charlotte, but it's not the point.)
Sailor Moon: Balance by Starrika - Oh, this was a really sweet little Usagi and Mamoru piece that deals with Usagi's worry about whether or not Mamoru loves her or Serenity, once they have their memories back. It's cute and I love how adorable they are together and how much Mamoru clealy loves her and loves Serenity because she's part of Usagi's whole. It's fluffy, but that's exactly what I wanted from this pairing and this fic, it works adorably well here. (Mamoru/Usagi.)
White Collar: Charmed, I'm Sure by KitsJay - ....oh, I can't help it. I watched the first couple episodes of this show and just so badly wanted fic for these two that I had to start seeking it out. And this is one of the first ones I found, which is a really cute piece about just how gosh-darn charming Neal is and how it kind of drives Peter a little crazy. It's just. Cute, fun, and, yes, charming all the way around. (Peter/Neal implied/pre-slash.)
White Collar: Fashion Sense by kira_bouviea - One thing I did really enjoy and hope the show picks up on more in the future is that I think Elizabeth and Neal totally get along like a house on fire and I already pine for more of their interaction. This piece was a really great blend of focusing on that, how much that really kind of bothers Peter because it can't mean anything good, and yet has just enough dash of Peter/Neal to keep my shipper heart going. This was really just delightful. (Implied Peter/Neal, very pre-slash.)
White Collar: The Challenge and the Chase by the-con-cept - I think, after this fic, I have firmly fallen into this fandom. It's so much of what I want where I am right now (well, I keep thinking to myself, man, do I want porn right now, but the truth is that I think I want the flirting and light makeouts first, to really settle into the relationship/series first), where it's about Neal not wanting Peter to forget him and the whimsical, charming, obnoxious way he goes about it. The author has a really great voice for Peter here and I adore her Neal and the way she writes their dynamic, the way it's mostly platonic but flirting with something more (even when there's a kiss, it's played with just the right tone!) and it works for me, right down to the mentions of Elizabeth and Peter's reactions to all of Neal's actions. I ♥ this fic so bad already. (Peter/Neal.)
White Collar/Leverage: Accessories by halcyon-shift - I was a little wary of this crossover (I shouldn't be, crossovers have been amazing these last few years of fandom) but I had to give it a try. And, oh, lord, Neal and Hardison talking over his tracking anklet and then there is a conversation about Battlestar Galactica that is so perfect I can't even describe it and just. She does amazing justice to both Neal and Hardison in this fic and it's so easy to see and then there's actual moments of real emotion in there and just. Perfection. ♥ (No warnings/pairings.)
White Collar: Playing Cards by halcyon-shift - The line about the birthday cards was such an intriguing one and I think this might just be my favorite fic that plays on it now. The Elizabeth narrative voice was lovely, it felt so very much like her and the language of this piece is smooth and perfect, it matches the tone of the series so well. But it's the little touches, the different birthday cards that felt right for this universe, showing how creative and smart Neal is without showing off too much. They just are. And I love both Elizabeth and Peter's reactions to the cards, it felt spot-on, too. Just. Love again. ♥ (Some background Peter/Elizabeth, it's not the point.)
White Collar: Letters from Maximum Security (Drawing Strength) by sausuge - Again, that comment about the birthday cards is just too tempting to resist. And this was a different take from what I'd seen before, but an interesting one that I really enjoyed for Neal's side of things. With this fandom--at least, at the stage I'm currently at--the sense of slowly realizing attraction to Peter, the one-sided nature of it during those years in prison, that's kind of perfect for me right now and this fic was just so darn cute about it! Lovely. (One-sided Peter/Neal implied.)
White Collar: Lucky Man by Zelda - It's difficult to describe how badly I want to wriggle around in glee after having read this because it came along at the perfect time for me and is exactly what I wanted in my view of the characters. It's a conversation between Elizabeth and Neal about both their relationships with Peter and the whole fic just... walks this really fine line with the two dynamics. (Peter/Elizabeth and Peter/Neal, that is.) What it also does is brings me to a perfect place where I don't have to feel quite so guilty about shipping Peter/Neal when I like Elizabeth so much, then does so with wit and grace. The dialogue and descriptions are spot on for these characters, there's such a charming, beautiful air about the two of them and this Neal is quite possibly one of my favorites ever. The author captures his whimsical, almost puppy-like nature without pushing it too hard, it's just the right amount. as;dlkfjaslkj christ I think this fic might have made me a little giddy, shut up, I know this rec is terrible. (Peter/Elizabeth mentioned, implied future Peter/Neal.)
Katekyou Hitman REBORN! Doujinshi (raw) - 赤い絲 - [Note: This post is locked, but the comm should be freely joinable.] I have this thing about Mukuro/Hibari doujinshi, especially because it's so rare, despite that 6918 isn't that rare of a pairing in the entirety of fandom. The art of this kind of reminds me of an early-era Valiant, where the art is a lot rougher and more sketch-like, but similar nonetheless. The doujin also has 6918 porn and the occasional really cool looking panel and there's certainly a lot of detail crammed into these pages. It was a nice treat today when I was in the mood for this pairing. (Mukuro/Hibari, NSFW.)
- Bleach - [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - Do you know what I'm kind of developing a taste for, after looking at so many fanart sites? The idea of Aizen/Orihime. (In fanart, at least.) There is something about this artist's oekaki art that just... it's not always on the ball for me, but when it is, there's something about it that really draws my attention and makes me think its really hot. It's a little spindley at times, but the artist makes that style work for her, almost in a semi-stylized-esque sort of way. Plus, hey, multi-shipping with Orihime! I am totally down with that! Though, it's more than just that. There's a lot of art here and with several different pairings (a couple of Aizen/Momo images! an Urahara/Yourichi image! Byakuya and Yachiru! Renji and Rukia naked as he puts a blanket over her!) and all of it is just really kinda cool. That kind of site jazzes me back up for a fandom. (Mostly Ulquiorra/Orihime and Gin/Matsumoto, but some Grimmjow/Orihime and Aizen/Orihime. Some other het pairings mixed in occasionally. Some gen if you step carefully.)
- Bleach - [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - You know what I'm a sucker for? Bright colors and cool battle/action poster-style images, which this artist seems to really love doing. It took me awhile to get off the fence with this site, took a little longer for me to really warm up to it, but I kind of really was charmed by the way the artist draws Renji and Zabimaru. Which, thankfully, crops up pretty often! I love how much you can tell Renji and Zabimaru depend on each other, love all the different poses they're put into. But I also really like any time the artist draws Ichigo, he gets some cool concepts as well. Overall... I admit that I hesitated at first, but the site wound up charming me in the end. That's all I ask for. (No real warnings/pairings.)
- Katekyou Hitman REBORN! - [ English Fanart Post ] - rukawagf linked a post by this artist and I started poking around because her Hibari was hot as hell and looked amazing and she totally nailed Amano's style and then... I found this. And it's the Mukuro/Hibari dynamic that I love! I love Hibari being a violent little motherfucker and Mukuro being a sly, teasing bastard. And I love that this is all about Mukuro trying to weasel certain things out of Hibari and then it having a hilarious ending. ...and, yes, I know this rec is total crap, so just go look at the beautiful art. (Mukuro/Hibari.)
- Katekyou Hitman REBORN! - [ English Fanart Post ] - [Note: This is a loose sequel to the previous post, but I don't think you really need to read it to understand this one.] I actually stumbled over this one first when browsing through the artist's journal and pretty much instantly fell in love. Her Mukuro and Hibari are gorgeous and highly reminiscent of the original manga, but also the aura of them is fantastic. Mukuro is a graceful sort of dangerous and Hibari is just pure lethal danger and there's Hibari/Chrome fanservice and then there's hilarity at Mukuro's expense and it's just. Everything fan-doodles should be! *__* STOP MAKING ME LIKE THEM SO MUCH OMG. (Mukuro/Hibari, a little Hibari/Chrome, sort of.)
I am not sure how I feel about the Return of Alice trailer, aka the Alice2 trailer. The atmosphere looks right, but the claymation-style look of it just... isn't nearly as cool as the original was. Alice herself looks almost sloppily done and it's hard to get excited about something that should look amazing, considering how far graphics have come in the last decade.
Seriously, remember how awesome the original game was?
AND ONTO THE RECS:
Avatar: The Last Airbender - 1 Fanfic
Final Fantasy XII - 2 Fanfics
Glee - 3 Fanfics
Gundam Wing - 1 Fanfic
Gurren Lagann - 1 Fanfic
House - 1 Fanfic
Kamen Rider Kabuto - 1 Fanfic
LOST - 1 Fanfic
Sailor Moon - 1 Fanfic
White Collar - 6 Fanfics
White Collar/Leverage - 1 Fanfics
Katekyou Hitman REBORN! - 1 Doujinshi
Bleach - 2 Fanart
Katekyou Hitman REBORN! - 2 Fanart
2009 GOAL: 859 (+ 390)/1700
Avatar: The Last Airbender: Odd Man Out by Smart Alex - I was reading for other fandoms when I stumbled over a favorite that led me to this fic and... well. I haven't been so charmed by an Avatar fic like this in awhile, it's just so... cute and silly and fun. The author really nails Sokka's narrative voice, as he watches all the couples around him and misses Suki and then... notices that someone isn't in a relationship either. Also, Sokka's offhand observations on the couples around him are kind of seriously hilarious. This was delightful. (Background Sokka/Suki, Aang/Katara, Zuko/Mai. It's only half the point.)
Final Fantasy XII: Impatience by fluidstatic - I have a strong fondness for fics that take on the whole concept of status effects and what they're like for the characters in-universe. This fic deals with Fran getting Berserked and what it's like from her point of view, the way the bloodlust roars through her veins and the things she hears and sees and smells. I really liked the language of this piece, it had that sort of old-world elegant that FFXII and Fran's character had, but also there was an intensity to it, the drive she felt to tear things apart. The way Balthier's scent and his presence calmed her down in some ways (and not so much in other ways) was also worked in rather nicely--the Berserked sex scene was kind of seriously nice. I really, really enjoyed this one. (Balthier/Fran, a little NSFW.)
Final Fantasy XII: Matched by Shanaqui - More Balthier/Fran playfulness with a strong Fan narrative voice. It's a simple fic and concept--Balthier and Fran have a sparring match with rapiers to test their skills against each other--but the execution is lovely. The author's voice for the characters and the world around them is solid and there's this sense of... playfulness even as they're both very formidable people, there's a light tone even as Fran is as serious as ever. It was a nice piece that fit the characters well, I thought, and gave me a continued fix for them. (If you like Balthier/Fran, you should like this.)
Glee: Thought What I Felt Was Simple by vnilla - Okay. Seriously. I am not going to be satisfied until Rachel actually sings this song on the show; my life will not be complete until it happens. I love this fic just for the music choice, but I also love it for the perfect summation of Rachel's conflict on her feelings for Finn versus her feelings for Puck: On second thought, being in love with two boys is exactly like a musical. And, like in musicals, she has to make a choice. I really like how determined Rachel is in this fic, too, it's such a great take on her. I loved this. ♥ (Puck/Rachel.)
Glee: First Gear by vnilla - I don't want to meet the person who doesn't love Kurt. Or the idea of Kurt just learning to drive while his dad tries to teach him. Or who doesn't find this short fic completely charming. Because it really was and had a couple of really great lines in it. ....crap, now I want more Kurt fic, sigh. (No warnings/pairings.)
Glee: Professionally Speaking by vnilla - You know what else I want more of in Glee fandom? Sue fic. And more of Sue and Emma interacting, because that's kind of seriously delightful here. I love just how well Sue's total crazy comes across here and how you can just see Emma's deer in the headlights look, it's... well, it's kind of darling and I loved this a lot. (No warnings/pairings.)
Gundam Wing: In Possession by Hades' Phoenix - What I really liked about this fic is exactly what it set out to do--to not be one of those fics where Duo is a helpless waif who can't defend for himself. Instead it focuses on how rough around the edges he is and how much he is a dangerous sort of person to know in his own right and how much of a devil-may-care attitude he has. But I also liked the way he felt about Heero, the dynamic of understanding they had, even when you couldn't really pinpoint how they understood each other, that was just the magic of their relationship. I also liked the treatment of Duo's ex-boyfriend in this fic (even if it bordered on the cliche semi-abusive ex-boyfriend trope) just because it was used as a showcase for how Duo handled such a situation. I even liked the semi-open quality of the ending here. (Heero/Duo.)
Gurren Lagann: like ghost stories in reverse by darkenedsakura - There used to be three of us, you know. Both with him and with her. There had always been three. That was then. This is a lovely story about Simon and Yoko, both before and after everything that happened, and also about Nia and Kamina and... everything that's complicated between them all. It's hard to describe this fic or why it really worked for me (I've had a fondness for the idea of post-series Simon/Yoko, but I could never quite make it work in my head, but then this fic came along and this was what I was thinking of) aside from how I felt it did justice to everything. The people they miss, all the painful things they've gone through, everything that does and doesn't haunt them, everything that's between them and isn't between them. I even like the way it's told, with the scenes all out of order, yet it makes the impact of them greater. Lovely fic and I'm glad I'm not the only one who's interested in these two. (Simon/Yoko, Simon/Nia, Kamina/Yoko.)
House: In Over My Head (She's On Your Mind) by leiascully - I'm always torn about whether or not I want House/Cuddy in the series itself, because I enjoy the pairing, but I have problems with it. And I have trouble with them in fic as well, trying to reconcile what I believe they're capable of with what I really want. So, when I read a fic with a summary like House knew she wasn't real. that's about another hallucination he has of Cuddy, I was instantly curious. And this is a really great look at his character and his relationship with her inside his own head and some really good dialogue and some very nice sex. All things I was looking for. (House/Cuddy, R-rated.)
Kamen Rider Kabuto: untitled by Circe - [Note: There are actually several short ficlets strewn throughout the comments, but I'm just going to rec everything together since they're all kind of a set. Or mostly a set. Also, spoiler warnings!] The main ficlet in the body of the post is a really amazing piece, it so perfectly captures the fucked up dynamic of Yaguruma and Kageyama, right down to the hell of a punch of the final bits. But then. But then Circe shows me she loves me even more and writes Yaguruma/Kageyama in my LOVELESS universe and it's both hilarious (asd;flkjaslkj the bell omg) and hot and perfect. And then she writes Kagami and Tendou and Christmas and Kagami bringing all this non-perfection into Tendou's previously perfect life and it's spot on because, yes. That's what Kagami does. Circe has a great gift for all of these characters and each of these ficlets are the kind that I want to gush endlessly about (to the point that the rec would be longer than the fic, that's how much I want to talk about them, but must hold myself back) and I'm so glad she's in this fandom. ♥ (Yaguruma/Kageyama in some, Kagami/Tendou in some.)
Katekyou Hitman REBORN!: No Strings by asael - So, I guess it's 6918 week for me as well this week, because I was really in the mood to read fic for them and then this one helpfully came along and it's a solid little piece about Mukuro and Hibari's relationship as they work for the Vongola at some point in the future. Mostly, it's a Hibari POV fic where it's surprisingly workable to have Mukuro around and the relationship isn't any more complicated than Hibari needs. Which is a lot of how I see them, too. (Mukuro/Hibari.)
LOST: Gonna Try (With a Little Help From My Friends) by valhalla37 - Ever since I caught up on LOST, one of my new favorite characters has been Miles, both for the intriguing possibilities he brings, but also because he has such a great character voice. I love how deadpan he is, I love how much he walls himself off from really caring, yet he's not as successful at it as he'd like to think. This fic has a really beautiful tone to it, the language is lovely, and it's all about Miles and Dan and the ghost of Charlotte. The author has a fantastic voice for Miles, the kind that makes me wish I had tons and tons of fic to read about him just like this. (Some background implied Dan/Charlotte, but it's not the point.)
Sailor Moon: Balance by Starrika - Oh, this was a really sweet little Usagi and Mamoru piece that deals with Usagi's worry about whether or not Mamoru loves her or Serenity, once they have their memories back. It's cute and I love how adorable they are together and how much Mamoru clealy loves her and loves Serenity because she's part of Usagi's whole. It's fluffy, but that's exactly what I wanted from this pairing and this fic, it works adorably well here. (Mamoru/Usagi.)
White Collar: Charmed, I'm Sure by KitsJay - ....oh, I can't help it. I watched the first couple episodes of this show and just so badly wanted fic for these two that I had to start seeking it out. And this is one of the first ones I found, which is a really cute piece about just how gosh-darn charming Neal is and how it kind of drives Peter a little crazy. It's just. Cute, fun, and, yes, charming all the way around. (Peter/Neal implied/pre-slash.)
White Collar: Fashion Sense by kira_bouviea - One thing I did really enjoy and hope the show picks up on more in the future is that I think Elizabeth and Neal totally get along like a house on fire and I already pine for more of their interaction. This piece was a really great blend of focusing on that, how much that really kind of bothers Peter because it can't mean anything good, and yet has just enough dash of Peter/Neal to keep my shipper heart going. This was really just delightful. (Implied Peter/Neal, very pre-slash.)
White Collar: The Challenge and the Chase by the-con-cept - I think, after this fic, I have firmly fallen into this fandom. It's so much of what I want where I am right now (well, I keep thinking to myself, man, do I want porn right now, but the truth is that I think I want the flirting and light makeouts first, to really settle into the relationship/series first), where it's about Neal not wanting Peter to forget him and the whimsical, charming, obnoxious way he goes about it. The author has a really great voice for Peter here and I adore her Neal and the way she writes their dynamic, the way it's mostly platonic but flirting with something more (even when there's a kiss, it's played with just the right tone!) and it works for me, right down to the mentions of Elizabeth and Peter's reactions to all of Neal's actions. I ♥ this fic so bad already. (Peter/Neal.)
White Collar/Leverage: Accessories by halcyon-shift - I was a little wary of this crossover (I shouldn't be, crossovers have been amazing these last few years of fandom) but I had to give it a try. And, oh, lord, Neal and Hardison talking over his tracking anklet and then there is a conversation about Battlestar Galactica that is so perfect I can't even describe it and just. She does amazing justice to both Neal and Hardison in this fic and it's so easy to see and then there's actual moments of real emotion in there and just. Perfection. ♥ (No warnings/pairings.)
White Collar: Playing Cards by halcyon-shift - The line about the birthday cards was such an intriguing one and I think this might just be my favorite fic that plays on it now. The Elizabeth narrative voice was lovely, it felt so very much like her and the language of this piece is smooth and perfect, it matches the tone of the series so well. But it's the little touches, the different birthday cards that felt right for this universe, showing how creative and smart Neal is without showing off too much. They just are. And I love both Elizabeth and Peter's reactions to the cards, it felt spot-on, too. Just. Love again. ♥ (Some background Peter/Elizabeth, it's not the point.)
White Collar: Letters from Maximum Security (Drawing Strength) by sausuge - Again, that comment about the birthday cards is just too tempting to resist. And this was a different take from what I'd seen before, but an interesting one that I really enjoyed for Neal's side of things. With this fandom--at least, at the stage I'm currently at--the sense of slowly realizing attraction to Peter, the one-sided nature of it during those years in prison, that's kind of perfect for me right now and this fic was just so darn cute about it! Lovely. (One-sided Peter/Neal implied.)
White Collar: Lucky Man by Zelda - It's difficult to describe how badly I want to wriggle around in glee after having read this because it came along at the perfect time for me and is exactly what I wanted in my view of the characters. It's a conversation between Elizabeth and Neal about both their relationships with Peter and the whole fic just... walks this really fine line with the two dynamics. (Peter/Elizabeth and Peter/Neal, that is.) What it also does is brings me to a perfect place where I don't have to feel quite so guilty about shipping Peter/Neal when I like Elizabeth so much, then does so with wit and grace. The dialogue and descriptions are spot on for these characters, there's such a charming, beautiful air about the two of them and this Neal is quite possibly one of my favorites ever. The author captures his whimsical, almost puppy-like nature without pushing it too hard, it's just the right amount. as;dlkfjaslkj christ I think this fic might have made me a little giddy, shut up, I know this rec is terrible. (Peter/Elizabeth mentioned, implied future Peter/Neal.)
Katekyou Hitman REBORN! Doujinshi (raw) - 赤い絲 - [Note: This post is locked, but the comm should be freely joinable.] I have this thing about Mukuro/Hibari doujinshi, especially because it's so rare, despite that 6918 isn't that rare of a pairing in the entirety of fandom. The art of this kind of reminds me of an early-era Valiant, where the art is a lot rougher and more sketch-like, but similar nonetheless. The doujin also has 6918 porn and the occasional really cool looking panel and there's certainly a lot of detail crammed into these pages. It was a nice treat today when I was in the mood for this pairing. (Mukuro/Hibari, NSFW.)
- Bleach - [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - Do you know what I'm kind of developing a taste for, after looking at so many fanart sites? The idea of Aizen/Orihime. (In fanart, at least.) There is something about this artist's oekaki art that just... it's not always on the ball for me, but when it is, there's something about it that really draws my attention and makes me think its really hot. It's a little spindley at times, but the artist makes that style work for her, almost in a semi-stylized-esque sort of way. Plus, hey, multi-shipping with Orihime! I am totally down with that! Though, it's more than just that. There's a lot of art here and with several different pairings (a couple of Aizen/Momo images! an Urahara/Yourichi image! Byakuya and Yachiru! Renji and Rukia naked as he puts a blanket over her!) and all of it is just really kinda cool. That kind of site jazzes me back up for a fandom. (Mostly Ulquiorra/Orihime and Gin/Matsumoto, but some Grimmjow/Orihime and Aizen/Orihime. Some other het pairings mixed in occasionally. Some gen if you step carefully.)
- Bleach - [ Japanese Fanart Site ] - You know what I'm a sucker for? Bright colors and cool battle/action poster-style images, which this artist seems to really love doing. It took me awhile to get off the fence with this site, took a little longer for me to really warm up to it, but I kind of really was charmed by the way the artist draws Renji and Zabimaru. Which, thankfully, crops up pretty often! I love how much you can tell Renji and Zabimaru depend on each other, love all the different poses they're put into. But I also really like any time the artist draws Ichigo, he gets some cool concepts as well. Overall... I admit that I hesitated at first, but the site wound up charming me in the end. That's all I ask for. (No real warnings/pairings.)
- Katekyou Hitman REBORN! - [ English Fanart Post ] - rukawagf linked a post by this artist and I started poking around because her Hibari was hot as hell and looked amazing and she totally nailed Amano's style and then... I found this. And it's the Mukuro/Hibari dynamic that I love! I love Hibari being a violent little motherfucker and Mukuro being a sly, teasing bastard. And I love that this is all about Mukuro trying to weasel certain things out of Hibari and then it having a hilarious ending. ...and, yes, I know this rec is total crap, so just go look at the beautiful art. (Mukuro/Hibari.)
- Katekyou Hitman REBORN! - [ English Fanart Post ] - [Note: This is a loose sequel to the previous post, but I don't think you really need to read it to understand this one.] I actually stumbled over this one first when browsing through the artist's journal and pretty much instantly fell in love. Her Mukuro and Hibari are gorgeous and highly reminiscent of the original manga, but also the aura of them is fantastic. Mukuro is a graceful sort of dangerous and Hibari is just pure lethal danger and there's Hibari/Chrome fanservice and then there's hilarity at Mukuro's expense and it's just. Everything fan-doodles should be! *__* STOP MAKING ME LIKE THEM SO MUCH OMG. (Mukuro/Hibari, a little Hibari/Chrome, sort of.)