Recs: Discovering that old feeling
(I do think I could benefit from that thing google does to prevent drunken/ill-thought of e-mails on my dw/lj, but for now, just be glad I passed out in exhaustion before I could post sleepy ramblings with attempt at rhyme about how much I love the following fic. Seriously--I only think I'm more profound when I'm sleep deprived and excited)
You know how sometimes your floating on the edges of a pairing or fandom--sure, you read fic because it's a thing you do but nothing has really grabbed you yet to make you viscerally feel the pairing or fic part of fandom. It's no part of wrongdoing with the fic you've read because it's all generally been good but none have hit you yet in that spot that make going through the rest of the fandom feel worth it. The fics that are essential in setting your standard?
Last night I found some.
Merlin--
In Want of a Wife by syllic, pg-13, merlin/arthur, arthur/ofc, wip
Summary: Merlin finds out about Arthur's upcoming nuptials.
So I've been lurking around Merlin fandom for a while and I've read some fic here or there, and it has all been good. Filtering through delicious networks can do that for you. I haven't read that much fic for it yet, but so far this is my favorite. The author has strong showing for both Merlin and Arthur--both come across as themselves, faults and all. The story is told in Merlin's pov and the author really has skill in conveying Merlin's train of thought and pulling me along with his emotions. Seriously, I was flipping out right along with him at one point and when he was disappointed, I was disappointed. The story had me fully engaged. Arthur comes across as not so much as mysterious here but as possessing hidden parts and everything works.
This story is a wip but it's supposed to be completely posted later this weekend, so you could wait and read it in one go and not be like me, flopping down on the bed in exhaustion but still wanting to read more.
Excerpt:
Merlin has always resented this side of Arthur, which speaks about court dealings in such a detached and lofty way, with a tone that suggests that Merlin will never be able to understand. The worst part of it is-Merlin doesn’t. He’s not really sure he ever wishes to, either; then again, over time Arthur has indicated that he might not ever want Merlin to. Sometimes Merlin thinks that’s what makes Arthur so inscrutable at times like this, what makes him say, I’m ever so sure Merlin has no idea what you mean, Lady Sebille, his voice dismissive but his body turned imperceptibly into a shield between Merlin and the worst of court savagery.
Star Trek:AOS
Like the Stars, Like Your Destiny by anodyna, R, spock/uhura
Summary: Nyota Uhura has always been drawn to things that resist her understanding. Finding out she's lived her entire life in an alternate reality is a mystery she's not sure she can solve. Sleeplessness and self-examination ensue.
I think we already know how much I adored Star Trek; and I've been reading some of the fandom since the beginning, mostly Kirk/Spock and some other interesting AUs. And I did go 'Get it!' when I realized Spock and Uhura were a couple, even if I was slow on picking up the context clues. (Really guys, I totally thought the first kiss was a friendly intense moment; obviously I have read too much fanfic!).
This is the first fic I've read that featured Uhura as the main character and really fleshed out the Spock/Uhura relationship. Uhura is so awesome in this. I love they dynamic between her and her family and her and Gaila and her and Spock. I love seeing Spock through her eyes and how he maintains an otherness while they are still building intimacy. Reading this fic, I went 'of course Spock and Uhura get together, how else can it be in this story?'
Excerpts:
In Anouk Ashmai: Her Journey Begins, when Anouk left her parents to go join Starfleet, her father hugged her tearfully. "Anouk," he said, "I could not have parted with you for anything less than the whole universe."
When Nyota Uhura boards the transport that will take her to Starfleet Academy, her mother says, "Nyota, I hope you know what you're doing. Remember you can always work in your aunt's clinic if you change your mind."
Nyota watches out the window as the transport pulls away and her mother and aunt grow smaller and smaller on the platform. "I could not have parted with you for anything less than the whole universe," she whispers to their tiny figures. She turns around in her seat and draws a deep, calming breath. Then she says it again, in Kiswahili this time. Then in Arabic, French, Mandarin, Urdu, two dialects of Romulan (one much better than the other but she'll practice), and Andorian so terrible that an Andorian sitting on the other side of the transport looks over and crinkles his antenna in disapproval.
She already knows she'll never change her mind.
You know how sometimes your floating on the edges of a pairing or fandom--sure, you read fic because it's a thing you do but nothing has really grabbed you yet to make you viscerally feel the pairing or fic part of fandom. It's no part of wrongdoing with the fic you've read because it's all generally been good but none have hit you yet in that spot that make going through the rest of the fandom feel worth it. The fics that are essential in setting your standard?
Last night I found some.
Merlin--
In Want of a Wife by syllic, pg-13, merlin/arthur, arthur/ofc, wip
Summary: Merlin finds out about Arthur's upcoming nuptials.
So I've been lurking around Merlin fandom for a while and I've read some fic here or there, and it has all been good. Filtering through delicious networks can do that for you. I haven't read that much fic for it yet, but so far this is my favorite. The author has strong showing for both Merlin and Arthur--both come across as themselves, faults and all. The story is told in Merlin's pov and the author really has skill in conveying Merlin's train of thought and pulling me along with his emotions. Seriously, I was flipping out right along with him at one point and when he was disappointed, I was disappointed. The story had me fully engaged. Arthur comes across as not so much as mysterious here but as possessing hidden parts and everything works.
This story is a wip but it's supposed to be completely posted later this weekend, so you could wait and read it in one go and not be like me, flopping down on the bed in exhaustion but still wanting to read more.
Excerpt:
Merlin has always resented this side of Arthur, which speaks about court dealings in such a detached and lofty way, with a tone that suggests that Merlin will never be able to understand. The worst part of it is-Merlin doesn’t. He’s not really sure he ever wishes to, either; then again, over time Arthur has indicated that he might not ever want Merlin to. Sometimes Merlin thinks that’s what makes Arthur so inscrutable at times like this, what makes him say, I’m ever so sure Merlin has no idea what you mean, Lady Sebille, his voice dismissive but his body turned imperceptibly into a shield between Merlin and the worst of court savagery.
Star Trek:AOS
Like the Stars, Like Your Destiny by anodyna, R, spock/uhura
Summary: Nyota Uhura has always been drawn to things that resist her understanding. Finding out she's lived her entire life in an alternate reality is a mystery she's not sure she can solve. Sleeplessness and self-examination ensue.
I think we already know how much I adored Star Trek; and I've been reading some of the fandom since the beginning, mostly Kirk/Spock and some other interesting AUs. And I did go 'Get it!' when I realized Spock and Uhura were a couple, even if I was slow on picking up the context clues. (Really guys, I totally thought the first kiss was a friendly intense moment; obviously I have read too much fanfic!).
This is the first fic I've read that featured Uhura as the main character and really fleshed out the Spock/Uhura relationship. Uhura is so awesome in this. I love they dynamic between her and her family and her and Gaila and her and Spock. I love seeing Spock through her eyes and how he maintains an otherness while they are still building intimacy. Reading this fic, I went 'of course Spock and Uhura get together, how else can it be in this story?'
Excerpts:
In Anouk Ashmai: Her Journey Begins, when Anouk left her parents to go join Starfleet, her father hugged her tearfully. "Anouk," he said, "I could not have parted with you for anything less than the whole universe."
When Nyota Uhura boards the transport that will take her to Starfleet Academy, her mother says, "Nyota, I hope you know what you're doing. Remember you can always work in your aunt's clinic if you change your mind."
Nyota watches out the window as the transport pulls away and her mother and aunt grow smaller and smaller on the platform. "I could not have parted with you for anything less than the whole universe," she whispers to their tiny figures. She turns around in her seat and draws a deep, calming breath. Then she says it again, in Kiswahili this time. Then in Arabic, French, Mandarin, Urdu, two dialects of Romulan (one much better than the other but she'll practice), and Andorian so terrible that an Andorian sitting on the other side of the transport looks over and crinkles his antenna in disapproval.
She already knows she'll never change her mind.