[ HxH, Gravi, Death Note, X-Men/Bourne Iden, MeruPuri, Bleach, DBZ ]
Notes/Babbling: *insert witty comments here*
Series:
Hunter x Hunter - 1 Fanfic
Gravitation - 4 Fanfics
Death Note - 1 Fanfic
X-Men Movieverse/The Bourne Identity - 1 Fanfic
Maruhen Prince - 1 Fanfic
Bleach - 1 Fanfic
Dragonball Z - 1 Fanfic
- Hunter x Hunter - Rules Lawyer by Harukami - I ♥ that Harukami is getting into Hunter x Hunter fanfic, because the fandom needs more authors like her and because she's really good at it and this story is one of the reasons why--it's one of those concepts (Hunter x Hunter meets tabletop RPG) that takes a strong hand to pull of and she's got that. Halfway through this fic I started giggling--and the ending is great--even when I don't really know that much about the meta of role-playing games. You don't need to, it comes through just fine. "I'm NOT a rules lawyer," Kurapica's player snapped. He wheeled to stare at Leorio's player, conspicuously silent. "Tell them I'm not a rules lawyer!" XD XD XD *loves* (A little bit Leorio/Kurapika, but faint.)
- Gravitation - Strange Hope by Celeste - Ooh, I really liked this fic! The first stories I read by Celeste were really good, I adored them a lot, but she's been getting better and better as time goes on, I think, and this fic shows why. There's a certain subtlty to what Eiri's doing that's not readily apparent at first, but becomes clear towards the end of the fic, yet I just got it, I didn't need to be hit over the head with it. It's one of those stories that tugs at my heart for Eiri, who is so screwed up and makes himself so miserable sometimes, but that he's not doomed, because Shuuichi is having a positive effect on him, making him start to slowly thaw out a little around the edges. The prose is lovely, the narration wonderful, and I really like the image of Eiri in the park watching the sunset and what it says about him. Lovely little character piece. <3 (Yuki/Shuuichi.)
- Gravitation - Playing House by Hawk Clowd - [ chapter 06 - chapter 07 - chapter 08 - chapter 09 ] - This is an update to rec the last four chapters of this story because I just recently read them and because it's my journal/site and I can rec something as many times as I want! ^_~ It really shocks me how this story went from adorable little vaguely crack-ish idea to something that was touching, sweet, and insightful. These three kids were brilliantly written--they were likable, but they weren't perfect or overly precocious. I did wonder a little at their ages (or how old Eiri was if he could have kids this old, since he's only 23 in the series, blah, blah, blah), but they were surprisingly grounded characters, they weren't extreme, they werne't perfect, they were still children and Eiri's interaction with Miho in chapter eight was so much more than I would have expected. The way the story built to the situation with her, the way it didn't come out of nowhere (there were hints in previous chapters), the way it wasn't perfect, the way it was raw and aching, but still somehow sweet and just... *flails* good lord, Eiri with kids. Eiri having to put up with them for a weekend, still being Eiri about it, but it wasn't the kind of fic that made me sick because Eiri can be such a fucked up bastard sometimes. It wasn't always happy, but it was good. And I love, love, loved the ending, it was the perfect note for a Gravi fic to end on and... okay, yeah, this rec kind of sucks, but I had to get it out of my system anyway. I adored this fic, so much more than I thought I would, it's really well-characterized and tells a good story, and was actually pretty moving. I have lost all coherence. (Some Yuki/Shuuichi, but it's not quite the point of the story.)
- Gravitation - The Coat by Hawk Clowd - Aww, more Yuki/Shuuichi cuteness that was both adorable and I couldn't completely predict it. I love fic that leaves me with a happy, fluffy feeling, but that I couldn't tell exactly what was going to happen and when, but that still had Yuki being cranky and Shuuichi still being... well, Shuuichi. Plus, the thought of Shuuichi in Yuki's coat makes me sparkle and the ending line of this one is really good. *happy* (Yuki/Shuuichi.)
- Gravitation - Little Conversations by Hawk Clowd - *shimmers* Uesugi brothers interaction! Tatsuha has trouble with his homework and calls Eiri to help him with it and it is FUN. Because they're such brothers, they irritate each other, but they also are still family and it's just grin-inducing to watch Tatsuha be frustrated as hell at his big brother. (He was cooking while he tried to help Tatsuha with the math homework! Tatsuha fumed. It wasn't fair. Why was Eiri the smart one? Had he garnered up a shit load of good karma in a former life or something?) It was perfectly characterized, it sparkled, and the ending was fucking perfect. I crack up just thinking about it. But, then, I'm a sucker for those little touches like that. <3<3<3 (No warnings/pairings.)
- Death Note - Bitter by Vikki - You know, I've always liked Vikki's work, I've always thought she was very talented. But, as time goes on, she has grown into an awesome writer and it's stories like this that show just how strong she's gotten. This is an absolutely brilliant Death Note fic, the kind that fully does the series and its twisty double meanings and creepy atmospheres justice, just by having Raito and L discussing Valentine's Day chocolate. The dynamic between these two characters is as brilliant as it needed to be, the tone of the story light-hearted on the surface, but this incredibly deep and dark undertone to it and the last line of this story is also just awesome. Just... wow. (No real warnings/pairings.)
- X-Men Movieverse/The Bourne Identity - untitled? by Vagabond Sal - So, Harukami mentioned this fic to me and I happened to read the first few lines and was immediately sucked into the story because of the really good, solid writing. I've often said that I'm not much of a fan of crossovers and that still holds true, but it's stories like this one that sort of make me reconsider that, because it's a really good melding of the two worlds, the crossover feels seamless and is genuinely excellent writing. Logan's characterization is fantastic, the chase and the fight very well-done (it captures the feel of both movies, really had a sense of an action scene--I mean, I could just see the buildings and streets around them) and the premise really effing cool. I'm terribly impressed by this fic. (No warnings/pairings.)
- Maruhen Prince - So One Prince Said to the Other Prince... by Vikki - MERUPURI FIC. AND IT'S REI/JEILE. WORDS DO NOT DESCRIBE MY FLAILING GLEE. No, really! See, Merupuri has been making the rounds lately 'cause of Meg and god knows we're all her bitches, so we read and squee over the retarded shoujo crack and then Vikki goes and writes this fic that's so wonderfully just like the series that I'm left running into walls because my brain cannot do anything other than emit high-pitched squealing directly to my ear. Because Aram was just so Aram in his bratty princeness, Airi was still dorkily herself, REI WAS LOVE, and Jeile was the most retarded thing evar and it was so perfect. Because she got the dynamics between the characters down so perfectly, even in such a short fic--you can tell how much Aram and Rei are fond of each other, how much Airi and Aram love each other, how retarded the relationship between the brothers is, how much of a spaz Jeile is around Airi, even the batshit relationship between Rei and Jeile THAT I SWEAR SENSEI INTENDED. It hits that same style of retarded shoujo the series was, but it's also still SUBTLE and it's FUNNY and I hug it close and will never, ever let it go. MeruPuri fic! That works and is brilliant! YOU HAVE TO READ. ♥ (Some Rei/Jeile, but blink and you'll miss it.)
- Bleach - Differences by Triste - This is a story that I really want to do a good rec for, not just the usual flailing and squee'ing, because Triste wrote something here that I had no idea how badly I wanted it until it was written and I was orbiting the earth after having read it. It doesn't just balance these two pairings that I adore so much (Ichigo/Orihime and Ishida/Ichigo), it blends them together with a deftness and grace that I don't know I could have said was possible before reading this. She captures what makes each pairing so lovely and perfect to me, the more gentle, loving, almost sweet Ichigo/Orihime, the harder, slightly more abrasive Ishida/Ichigo, so very like each seperate pairing, but then bringing them together beautifully.
For all that Triste labels this PWP, it's terribly insightful, it is these characters, it couldn't be three random people from any manga out there. The sex is absolutely gorgeous, both of them--lovely hetsex is a rare enough thing, much less beautiful Ichigo/Orihime hetsex--and they're not the same, they're not identical any more than Orihime and Ishida are identical characters, yet everything makes so much sense to me here. I thought Orihime was so in character here I could have cried; she was so loving and sweet-natured and just... bright and shining (without being anywhere near as cliche as I make her sound here) to Ishida's harder edges and need to be acknowledged by Ichigo... they way they both looked at Ichigo, the way he looked at them both, the way they want to protect him, the way he wants to protect them... all of it set my fangirl heart aflutter. Not to mention the ending is lovely and so perfect, too. I just... this fic sates me in a way I cannot begin to truly explain with any sort of coherency or elegance it should have. (Ichigo/Orihime, Ishida/Ichigo, NC-17.)
- Dragonball Z - Vejiitasei Ascendant: The Young Prince by Jeanne - I originally wanted to rec all three of the books together, but decided against it tonight because I've been reading for awhile and they're each long suckers. Not that I'm complaining because this is the kind of story that truly deserves to be this long, because the author is so talented, but I wanted something to show for all the reading I've been doing lately. And this story has been taking up the lion's share of what I've been reading lately because it's one of those stories that I cannot put down once I've started it, each time I try, I end up reading "just one more chapter before bed, that's it" and half an hour later, I'm still reading.
I've heard of this story before, but it was only available on Aestheticism and it wasn't until sometime last year that it was put back up on Geocities and I figured, what the hell, I'm starved for good DBZ fic, I'll give it a shot. Right from the beginning, I knew this story was going to be what I was looking for--the characters have their edge back, that certain quality that's missing or watered down in so many fics that are obviously based on the dub. Personal preference, all that.
And this fic captured me right from the beginning, when Vejiita had that sharp brilliance that makes him so scary, because he is the most powerful known Saiyajin and smart. But it's also that the author carefully develops her alternate universe here, how things could have gone, if tweaked just a little bit differently and then things start to snowball from there. One of my favorite things about the early chapters, when a young prince Vejiita runs off planet to go participate in a tournament of Freeza's, the characterization of Freeza is just... even though he's only in it for a moment, there's a sense of power there, but not an evil, laughing megalomaniac, you get the sense of a brilliant, dangerous person who really could rule an empire. I loved that. He wasn't cruel or malicious, but he scared the crap out of me anyway. And then! Oh and then. Through a twist of circumstances, Zarbon becomes a trainer for Vejiita (who has long since passed the power level of any other Saiyajin that could train him) and the relationship there is fabulous. Zarbon is brilliantly characterized, he's still a very dangerous fighter, he still has his flaws, but he becomes an interesting character, someone genuinely worth reading about.
When he's training Vejiita, beginning to guide him onto a path that WON'T get the entire Saiyajin planet blown up because of Vejiita's lack of control of his own immense power, a relationship dynamic starts to develop between the two and I believed it. I 100% believed this fic, that these were the characters I've been looking to read about. And, god, the writing is gorgeous, there's beautiful detail woven into the fic, so that you get a sense for the entire background world, but it doesn't detract from the story, instead it lets you focus on the characters and get pulled into their story. I'm halfway through The Chikyuu Contaminant as I write this and I think I could probably safely say that this may wind up being my favorite DBZ fic storyline. *shimmers with love* (No warnings/pairings.)
Series:
Hunter x Hunter - 1 Fanfic
Gravitation - 4 Fanfics
Death Note - 1 Fanfic
X-Men Movieverse/The Bourne Identity - 1 Fanfic
Maruhen Prince - 1 Fanfic
Bleach - 1 Fanfic
Dragonball Z - 1 Fanfic
- Hunter x Hunter - Rules Lawyer by Harukami - I ♥ that Harukami is getting into Hunter x Hunter fanfic, because the fandom needs more authors like her and because she's really good at it and this story is one of the reasons why--it's one of those concepts (Hunter x Hunter meets tabletop RPG) that takes a strong hand to pull of and she's got that. Halfway through this fic I started giggling--and the ending is great--even when I don't really know that much about the meta of role-playing games. You don't need to, it comes through just fine. "I'm NOT a rules lawyer," Kurapica's player snapped. He wheeled to stare at Leorio's player, conspicuously silent. "Tell them I'm not a rules lawyer!" XD XD XD *loves* (A little bit Leorio/Kurapika, but faint.)
- Gravitation - Strange Hope by Celeste - Ooh, I really liked this fic! The first stories I read by Celeste were really good, I adored them a lot, but she's been getting better and better as time goes on, I think, and this fic shows why. There's a certain subtlty to what Eiri's doing that's not readily apparent at first, but becomes clear towards the end of the fic, yet I just got it, I didn't need to be hit over the head with it. It's one of those stories that tugs at my heart for Eiri, who is so screwed up and makes himself so miserable sometimes, but that he's not doomed, because Shuuichi is having a positive effect on him, making him start to slowly thaw out a little around the edges. The prose is lovely, the narration wonderful, and I really like the image of Eiri in the park watching the sunset and what it says about him. Lovely little character piece. <3 (Yuki/Shuuichi.)
- Gravitation - Playing House by Hawk Clowd - [ chapter 06 - chapter 07 - chapter 08 - chapter 09 ] - This is an update to rec the last four chapters of this story because I just recently read them and because it's my journal/site and I can rec something as many times as I want! ^_~ It really shocks me how this story went from adorable little vaguely crack-ish idea to something that was touching, sweet, and insightful. These three kids were brilliantly written--they were likable, but they weren't perfect or overly precocious. I did wonder a little at their ages (or how old Eiri was if he could have kids this old, since he's only 23 in the series, blah, blah, blah), but they were surprisingly grounded characters, they weren't extreme, they werne't perfect, they were still children and Eiri's interaction with Miho in chapter eight was so much more than I would have expected. The way the story built to the situation with her, the way it didn't come out of nowhere (there were hints in previous chapters), the way it wasn't perfect, the way it was raw and aching, but still somehow sweet and just... *flails* good lord, Eiri with kids. Eiri having to put up with them for a weekend, still being Eiri about it, but it wasn't the kind of fic that made me sick because Eiri can be such a fucked up bastard sometimes. It wasn't always happy, but it was good. And I love, love, loved the ending, it was the perfect note for a Gravi fic to end on and... okay, yeah, this rec kind of sucks, but I had to get it out of my system anyway. I adored this fic, so much more than I thought I would, it's really well-characterized and tells a good story, and was actually pretty moving. I have lost all coherence. (Some Yuki/Shuuichi, but it's not quite the point of the story.)
- Gravitation - The Coat by Hawk Clowd - Aww, more Yuki/Shuuichi cuteness that was both adorable and I couldn't completely predict it. I love fic that leaves me with a happy, fluffy feeling, but that I couldn't tell exactly what was going to happen and when, but that still had Yuki being cranky and Shuuichi still being... well, Shuuichi. Plus, the thought of Shuuichi in Yuki's coat makes me sparkle and the ending line of this one is really good. *happy* (Yuki/Shuuichi.)
- Gravitation - Little Conversations by Hawk Clowd - *shimmers* Uesugi brothers interaction! Tatsuha has trouble with his homework and calls Eiri to help him with it and it is FUN. Because they're such brothers, they irritate each other, but they also are still family and it's just grin-inducing to watch Tatsuha be frustrated as hell at his big brother. (He was cooking while he tried to help Tatsuha with the math homework! Tatsuha fumed. It wasn't fair. Why was Eiri the smart one? Had he garnered up a shit load of good karma in a former life or something?) It was perfectly characterized, it sparkled, and the ending was fucking perfect. I crack up just thinking about it. But, then, I'm a sucker for those little touches like that. <3<3<3 (No warnings/pairings.)
- Death Note - Bitter by Vikki - You know, I've always liked Vikki's work, I've always thought she was very talented. But, as time goes on, she has grown into an awesome writer and it's stories like this that show just how strong she's gotten. This is an absolutely brilliant Death Note fic, the kind that fully does the series and its twisty double meanings and creepy atmospheres justice, just by having Raito and L discussing Valentine's Day chocolate. The dynamic between these two characters is as brilliant as it needed to be, the tone of the story light-hearted on the surface, but this incredibly deep and dark undertone to it and the last line of this story is also just awesome. Just... wow. (No real warnings/pairings.)
- X-Men Movieverse/The Bourne Identity - untitled? by Vagabond Sal - So, Harukami mentioned this fic to me and I happened to read the first few lines and was immediately sucked into the story because of the really good, solid writing. I've often said that I'm not much of a fan of crossovers and that still holds true, but it's stories like this one that sort of make me reconsider that, because it's a really good melding of the two worlds, the crossover feels seamless and is genuinely excellent writing. Logan's characterization is fantastic, the chase and the fight very well-done (it captures the feel of both movies, really had a sense of an action scene--I mean, I could just see the buildings and streets around them) and the premise really effing cool. I'm terribly impressed by this fic. (No warnings/pairings.)
- Maruhen Prince - So One Prince Said to the Other Prince... by Vikki - MERUPURI FIC. AND IT'S REI/JEILE. WORDS DO NOT DESCRIBE MY FLAILING GLEE. No, really! See, Merupuri has been making the rounds lately 'cause of Meg and god knows we're all her bitches, so we read and squee over the retarded shoujo crack and then Vikki goes and writes this fic that's so wonderfully just like the series that I'm left running into walls because my brain cannot do anything other than emit high-pitched squealing directly to my ear. Because Aram was just so Aram in his bratty princeness, Airi was still dorkily herself, REI WAS LOVE, and Jeile was the most retarded thing evar and it was so perfect. Because she got the dynamics between the characters down so perfectly, even in such a short fic--you can tell how much Aram and Rei are fond of each other, how much Airi and Aram love each other, how retarded the relationship between the brothers is, how much of a spaz Jeile is around Airi, even the batshit relationship between Rei and Jeile THAT I SWEAR SENSEI INTENDED. It hits that same style of retarded shoujo the series was, but it's also still SUBTLE and it's FUNNY and I hug it close and will never, ever let it go. MeruPuri fic! That works and is brilliant! YOU HAVE TO READ. ♥ (Some Rei/Jeile, but blink and you'll miss it.)
- Bleach - Differences by Triste - This is a story that I really want to do a good rec for, not just the usual flailing and squee'ing, because Triste wrote something here that I had no idea how badly I wanted it until it was written and I was orbiting the earth after having read it. It doesn't just balance these two pairings that I adore so much (Ichigo/Orihime and Ishida/Ichigo), it blends them together with a deftness and grace that I don't know I could have said was possible before reading this. She captures what makes each pairing so lovely and perfect to me, the more gentle, loving, almost sweet Ichigo/Orihime, the harder, slightly more abrasive Ishida/Ichigo, so very like each seperate pairing, but then bringing them together beautifully.
For all that Triste labels this PWP, it's terribly insightful, it is these characters, it couldn't be three random people from any manga out there. The sex is absolutely gorgeous, both of them--lovely hetsex is a rare enough thing, much less beautiful Ichigo/Orihime hetsex--and they're not the same, they're not identical any more than Orihime and Ishida are identical characters, yet everything makes so much sense to me here. I thought Orihime was so in character here I could have cried; she was so loving and sweet-natured and just... bright and shining (without being anywhere near as cliche as I make her sound here) to Ishida's harder edges and need to be acknowledged by Ichigo... they way they both looked at Ichigo, the way he looked at them both, the way they want to protect him, the way he wants to protect them... all of it set my fangirl heart aflutter. Not to mention the ending is lovely and so perfect, too. I just... this fic sates me in a way I cannot begin to truly explain with any sort of coherency or elegance it should have. (Ichigo/Orihime, Ishida/Ichigo, NC-17.)
- Dragonball Z - Vejiitasei Ascendant: The Young Prince by Jeanne - I originally wanted to rec all three of the books together, but decided against it tonight because I've been reading for awhile and they're each long suckers. Not that I'm complaining because this is the kind of story that truly deserves to be this long, because the author is so talented, but I wanted something to show for all the reading I've been doing lately. And this story has been taking up the lion's share of what I've been reading lately because it's one of those stories that I cannot put down once I've started it, each time I try, I end up reading "just one more chapter before bed, that's it" and half an hour later, I'm still reading.
I've heard of this story before, but it was only available on Aestheticism and it wasn't until sometime last year that it was put back up on Geocities and I figured, what the hell, I'm starved for good DBZ fic, I'll give it a shot. Right from the beginning, I knew this story was going to be what I was looking for--the characters have their edge back, that certain quality that's missing or watered down in so many fics that are obviously based on the dub. Personal preference, all that.
And this fic captured me right from the beginning, when Vejiita had that sharp brilliance that makes him so scary, because he is the most powerful known Saiyajin and smart. But it's also that the author carefully develops her alternate universe here, how things could have gone, if tweaked just a little bit differently and then things start to snowball from there. One of my favorite things about the early chapters, when a young prince Vejiita runs off planet to go participate in a tournament of Freeza's, the characterization of Freeza is just... even though he's only in it for a moment, there's a sense of power there, but not an evil, laughing megalomaniac, you get the sense of a brilliant, dangerous person who really could rule an empire. I loved that. He wasn't cruel or malicious, but he scared the crap out of me anyway. And then! Oh and then. Through a twist of circumstances, Zarbon becomes a trainer for Vejiita (who has long since passed the power level of any other Saiyajin that could train him) and the relationship there is fabulous. Zarbon is brilliantly characterized, he's still a very dangerous fighter, he still has his flaws, but he becomes an interesting character, someone genuinely worth reading about.
When he's training Vejiita, beginning to guide him onto a path that WON'T get the entire Saiyajin planet blown up because of Vejiita's lack of control of his own immense power, a relationship dynamic starts to develop between the two and I believed it. I 100% believed this fic, that these were the characters I've been looking to read about. And, god, the writing is gorgeous, there's beautiful detail woven into the fic, so that you get a sense for the entire background world, but it doesn't detract from the story, instead it lets you focus on the characters and get pulled into their story. I'm halfway through The Chikyuu Contaminant as I write this and I think I could probably safely say that this may wind up being my favorite DBZ fic storyline. *shimmers with love* (No warnings/pairings.)