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tomomichiNotes/Babbling: Augh. I cannot write any more recs tonight. My brain'll revolt. (I should have been spreading them out over the last few days but... PAH.) Anyway. I'm poking at Saiyuki again. And... *baffles at self* ....WTF? Homura? Seriously? I pick Homura as my newest shiny fascination? ....there's something wrong with me, isn't there? (AUGH. GODDAMMIT. *angrily smacks hand down on the table repeatedly* I was even willing to bend my Sanzo rules a little to find decent interaction between Homura and Konzen/Sanzo, but would this fandom give it to me? OF COURSE NOT. Why do I do this to myself? WHY? *huffs!* >EEEEEEEE)
I know I bitch about this a lot, but I've been in such a Saiyuki mood lately and I keep thinking there's all this well-written fic out there, there's got to be something that'll eventually hit the right buttons for me and it is really lovely writing, but the characterizations just... I don't know how to explain it, beyond that even in some of the best written stuff out there, the Sanzo characterization leaves me with a queasy feeling in my stomach and... a lot of the little details are there, especially the anger and lack of anything resembling patience, but... something still feels off and I'm starting to wonder if it's me. (God protect my soul when I try to find decent Konzen fic. >__< But I feel better after ranting and, really, that's the purpose of it. >D) *flops over* Whyyyyyyy couldn't I have stayed a Hakkai fangirl? It would have been so much easier.... @_______@ Yeah, yeah, okay, bitching over, here's, like, way more recs than I should have saved up at one time.
Series:
Hanazakari no Kimitachi e - 2 Fanfics
Princess Tutu - 1 Fanfic
Full Metal Alchemist - 4 Fanfics
Love Mode - 6 Fanfics
Saiyuki - 1 Fanfic
Gravitation - 2 Fanfics
Prince of Tennis - 2 Fanfics
Gundam Wing - 1 Fanfic
- Hanazakari no Kimitachi e - The World is an Apple by tin - You know, I still think that 95% of Sano/Mizuki fic is unnecessary because it's such a complete story on its own and, yet... then tin'll have written this perfect little story that's just so incredibly perfect and one of those stories that could have just been another chapter, right down to the charming details with the wrapping paper and how I could just picture Sano and Mizuki's fight, how they're such... three-dimensional characters in her hands, the way they can fight and it was beautifully in character and yet, the entire time, there was a sense of... softness and elegance to it, like an elegantly drawn shoujo manga has. tin writes fic for characters that shouldn't need it and makes me realize just how grateful I am to her for it. <3 (Sano/Mizuki.)
- Princess Tutu - Entertaining the Old Man by usomitai - This was... well, surreal, in that sort of way that every time Drosselmeyer was on the screen was surreal and this fic oh so beautifully captured that sense of that character. It's hard to explain without giving away the entire story, but this is one of those that captured the feel of Princess Tutu for me, yet didn't feel repetitive of the series or unnecessary. Drosselmeyer's voice as he was watching Mute dance was spot-on, the feelings he has for his characters, the sense of a story within a story, Mute's very nature as a character in this story... it all wove into a perfect little story. (No real warnings/pairings.)
- Full Metal Alchemist - Snow by Harukami - Ahhh, I swear, Haru's the only one who can get me to read FMA fic in my funk lately and, really, I'm glad I did, because who could resist Roy and Ed having a snowball fight? >D The descriptions of which were lovely and almost, almost made me miss winter because I could feel the crispness of the snow, could hear the sounds it makes when you're stepping across freshly fallen snow, and that's what I took away from this story the most. Well, that and the fun snowball fight between Roy and Ed with lovely little mentions of character insights about Roy (the kind of place he grew up, the types of elements he usually associates with, etc.) that never felt cheesey or cliche to me. Lovely fic. ♥ (Roy/Ed.)
- Love Mode - Circles by Yasmin M. - This story starts of with this paragraph: Aoe Kiichi folds a perfect blue lotus: the Buddhist symbol of wisdom and knowledge attained, of victory of the spirit over the senses. His fingers move with surgical grace, pressing neat folds and points into the origami paper. That's the beautiful, graceful, elegant tone of this story as it focuses on Aoe Kiichi--with a series like Love Mode, I often times expect silliness or wackiness with the fanfic because that's what I'm used to the focus being on. But this story is much more... sharp and bittersweet (and yet not depressing) and just so beautifully complexly Kiichi. This is the character who will, one minute, steal Reiji's credit card and boyfriend to go on a shopping spree and the next minute he'll be staring off into the distance with an unreadable look while Haruomi stands next to him. Beautifully written. (Kiichi/Haruomi, implied Reiji/Naoya.)
- Saiyuki - The Apostasy by tin - part 00/01 - part 02 - part 03 - Ahhh, Saiyuki genfic keeps me sane, at least in that particular fandom. And what I like so much about tin's writing is that she knows how to write a plot and this one certainly has my interest piqued--one of the things that stands out most for me, even after having read all the available parts a few days ago, is that she didn't skimp on the little investigation scenes that were needed for the actual plot and worked in all these little details of the world the fic is set in. (I dunno, just... little things like the religious artifacts in Gojyo's scene, the various touches of Sanzo's trek to the temple on the outskirts of the town, the details about the town, etc.) Even the minor/background characters had nicely realized personalities, I certainly felt that they were all working with their own motivations and reasons. Plus, the prologue? With the young boy and the old man? Makes me terribly curious about where the story is going and was really effectively kinda creepy and it's all got tin's usual sharp eye for characterization and lovely writing. Just... a nice, solid Saiyuki fic to make me not want to completely give up on the fandom. ^_~ (No warnings/pairings.)
- Full Metal Alchemist - Waltz by Meg - Well, Haru and Meg, that is. Who can get me to read FMA fic. And this was one of those stories that I stumbled over without expecting to see it and it was short and it was just... a perfect little pick-me-up, something that even my short attention span could handle and was just fun! Meg's dialogue seems to always just sparkle with how crisp, clean, and in character it is and she makes a concept like "Roy teaches Ed how to dance", that, by all rights, should SUCK SO MUCH, and makes it GOOD. If Roy has to suffer, so does Ed. indeed. ♥ (I dunno, some light Roy/Ed if you're so inclined.)
- Gravitation - A Big To-Do by Hawk Clowd - I'll never get tired of Gravitation fic that's about those little moments that are just classic Shuuichi (and Yuki) moments, that just make me laugh and... oh, dear god, I loved the relationship between Yuki and Shuuichi here, just... god, I want to quote half the fic, because Yuki's lines are priceless. Teasing Shuuichi about his hair falling out ("Look, what are you worried about? That your fans won't love you anymore? Fuck, if your lyrics didn't scare them away, I don't know how your lack of hair could do it.") and being mean, but in that way that's FUN because it's not really serious and Shuuichi shouldn't be getting so worked up even if he IS cute while he does it. The balance struck between cruel and sappy is juuuuust right and then you add in genuinely CLEVER dialogue and an ending that has me sporfling with laughter even just THINKING about it, and you've got a fic that makes me break out multiple ♥. XD (Yuki/Shuuichi.)
- Gravitation - Slow Drag by Hawk Clowd - And then this fic proceeded to rip my heart out and dragged it across the room before drop-kicking it into the corner. The title is an appropriate one--this a slow fic, aching stroll through several moments of Eiri's life, dealing with New York's aftermath and the pain and confusion and trying to sort all of that out. Everything from Tohma's not-quite-intrusive presence to Mika's lack of understanding to Eiri's fugue-like states to the differences in languages and how they sound to the raw, painful ache underneath everything, the story hurt to read, but in the way that was really amazingly done. It's not the kind of story that's going to leave you in tears, because it's ultimately a story about moving forward, but it makes me hurt just thinking about the aching, pained spell that this series wove over me as I was reading. Which is the other thing that I loved--there was a certain atmosphere to this, something that I can't put into words, but... reminds me so much of the feel of, well, a long, slow drag. The title is perfect for that, too. (Some light Yuki/Shuuichi.)
- Full Metal Alchemist - Mechanical Urges by Harukami - ....I swear, I'm not usually a person who'll read just any random pairing, even if I know the author'll do a good job with it, because I tend to be OTP girl, but... there's something about Haru's writing with these characters that draws me in, even when I should be going, "....WTF!!" at the pairing. I mean... Havoc and Winry. And yet... and yet. There's a certain style to the writing that just... it feels like them and it makes this bizarre sort of sense here, the characterizations are spot-on and you'd think, well, if they're in character, HOW THE HELL COULD THE PAIRING HAPPEN and I don't KNOW how she does it, but... dammit, it worked for me. It helps that Havoc's such... a nice guy, trying SO DAMNED HARD not to lust after a pretty sixteen year old, but then she's DOING things with her hands and the car and... yeah. Crack fic, but I really liked it. XD (Havoc/Winry.)
- Full Metal Alchemist - Moral Dilemma by Harukami - Ahahahaha, oh, Havoc, I adore you, I really do. Haru's really been doing a fantastic Havoc lately, hitting that laid-back sort of personality, but still with hints of a lot more personality that than juuuuuust right lately, so it's nice to see him getting a bit more spotlight. Plus, the image of Ed catching Winry and Havoc making out and Havoc FEARING FOR HIS LIFE is beautiful and there's ANOTHER reason I really want to rec this story, but it's a surprised about 3/4ths of the way through and it makes the ending OMG THE FUNNIEST THING I READ THAT DAY and OMG SO PERFECT but saying it would ruin the surprise so you're just going to have to trust me that it was great and that everyone should totally read this fic after reading Mechanical Urges. I STILL laugh so much at the end and, like with Mechanical Urges, it's just... I can SEE and HEAR the characters, that's how well Haru writes their dialogue and body language and the like. ....shut up, I know that was a bad rec. XP (Havoc/Winry.)
- Prince of Tennis - Tree in Spring by Aki - HOW DID I NOT SEE THAT AKI HAD WRITTEN BANE/DAVIDE FIC BEFORE? I pine for Bane/Davide fic and I can never seem to find it and then she wrote fic with BAD PUNS and a really sparkling Davide POV and got all these little details, like the playground or Oji's presence and I LOVE HER KENTAROU LIKE SO MUCH. Seriously. I wanted to hug him and giggle like mad every time he said anything, which makes me KNOW she got him right because that's the exact reaction I have to him every time I saw him on the screen. And major ♥ for the Bane/Davide partnership. (Some Bane/Davide.)
- Prince of Tennis - Seven Days by Aki - This is one of those stories that sort of... scratches an itch that I sort of thought I was going to have to live with. Good and subtle and clever/sharp Rokkaku fic. With gorgeous writing, bad puns, and says so much more than it flat-out states. Bane is away for a week and Davide gets sick and it's just... there's this subtle atmosphere of being off your game, of being out of the usual rhthym, and yet Aki never has to SAY that, not really, you just FEEL it. I have such love for stories where you can FEEL the atmosphere of the piece but it's never plainly stated. And if I thought the last one had lovely Rokkaku details, this one is even better--all the little touches in Davide's day to day life, the details of the Rokkaku team (OMG, Itsuki made me laugh SO MUCH. XD XD XD), they all just felt so... whatever you want to call the opposite of 'lacking'. Everything about this story felt like a ROKKAKU FIC and there were just so many lines I'd love to quote and I'm aware that this rec sucks, but I'm still basking in the glow of Rokkaku fic that was just what I wanted. Well, except for the lack of Bane/Davide smut, but I can't ask EVERYTHING of Aki. XD Oh! And? The scene at the end between Bane-chan and Davide? I have so much love for Aki. ♥ (Some light Bane/Davide.)
- Love Mode - Eclair by Meg - Okay, see. It's Meg's fault yet again. At least this time I'd already read the manga (or what's available of it in scanslations), so rereading it only took up one night and I actually am glad for it because I ADORE this series and even rereading it makes me sparkle like mad crazy and THEN SHE WROTE TAKAZUMI FIC. I have mad, mad love for Takamiya. And Izumi. Especially TakaZumi that involves suggestive things with pastries. Because Takamiya WOULD SO DO THAT. Her dialogue is just fantastic with these characters and one of those things that could easily have slid right in between the pages of the series itself and I can just SEE the whole entire thing unfolding in my head like manga pages. Much, much love. (Takamiya/Izumi.)
- Love Mode - And Get On With My Day by astraplain - So, after Meg's fic, I had to go on a Love Mode spree again and this was one of the first fics I'd found and I'm glad I found it first, because it's... I wouldn't say it's quite angsty, but it does deal with Takamiya's feelings about what happened the very first time he and Izumi had sex, how he processed what he'd done and how he lives with it. It was done in such a way that it was respectful to what had happened, didn't treat the subject lightly, but also dealt with it in a way that I felt both the Love Mode series and the Takamiya character would. It beautifully used the depth Takamiya has, but also kept him very much anchored to the sunny, cheerful personality we see from him all the time. Beautiful, beautiful fic. (Takamiya/Izumi.)
- Love Mode - Sticky by astraplain - And still more pitch-perfect TakaZumi fic! *twirls and sparkles* I have such love for those two and astraplain writes them just SO DAMNED WELL, all the way from Izumi wanting to take care of Takamiya when he's sick, still being IZUMI, to the friendship between Aoe and Takamiya (that doesn't have to be focused on to be felt) to the slowly budding friendship between Izumi and Naoya to how Izumi really does love Takamiya and wants to be a part of the relationship, but is still IZUMI. I know I say this a lot, but it's still true here--this is one of those stories that captures everything about Love Mode so wonderfully that I can just picture it in my head and if I didn't pour over this series so much, I may have confused it for, "Okay, now did that happen in the series or did I read it in a fic somewhere...?" ♥ (Takamiya/Izumi.)
- Love Mode - Flight by astraplain - OMG, serious, serious love for the Izumi and Naoya friendship, which was just SPOT ON and really kinda touching in its own way. They're so... different in a lot of ways and yet their interaction and parallels here make such perfect sense and the snapping and snarking between Aoe and Izumi continues to be so PERFECT (Aoe and Izumi not liking each other AT ALL amuses me every time I read the series <3) and Izumi's characterization is wonderful, right down to how much he's matured in the past few years but is still Izumi. I also adore this fic because it's one of those most "complete" stories, in the sense that it's not just a single character/pairing moment, there's actually a bit of a plot going on (with Izumi missing Takamiya and preparing to fly out to be with him while in Europe) and it's all just... ...Jesus, I am rapidly losing the ability to write a coherent rec, so I'll just end this with GO READ NOW OMG GOOD WRITING GOOD DIALOGUE GOOD CHARACTERIZATIONS SPARKLED THE ENTIRE TIME LOVE THIS FIC SO MUCH. There. If that doesn't do the job, I don't know what will. ^_~ (Some Takamiya/Izumi and Reiji/Naoya.)
- Love Mode - Sweet by astraplain - *happy, happy sigh* TakaZumi~~ Sometimes I think TakaZumi is probably my favorite Love Mode pairing, I just adore the dynamics of it SO MUCH and when it's presented in such a gorgeous fic like this... how can I not be utterly in love? Izumi wanting to make a nice dinner to surprise Takamiya and cheating with take-out food, Takamiya being just so... Takamiya, and all that's said about their relationship without it having to be said at all, wrapped up in lovely writing and sparkling dialogue. I just... god, I was a wibbling pile of GOO by the time the story was over, just like I am with the series proper. I love these characters so much. <3 (Takamiya/Izumi.)
- Hanazakari no Kimitachi e - cheaper by the dozen by Cathy - This fic hurt me to read. It's beautifully written, but it leaves this... dull sort of ache in my chest, this longing for something better for both Akiha and Sensei and... well, yes, that's the reaction I'm supposed to have after the story. ^_~ (JUST ONE, SOMEONE NEEDS TO WRITE ABOUT AKIHA KISSING SENSEI SENSELESS UNTIL HE FORGETS THAT HE SUPPOSEDLY DOESN'T LIKE AKIHA! >E) The writing and all the little touches (and the focus on things like Umeda's hands or the use of Akiha's photography) and the whole entire feel to the piece are lovely, in that heartbreaking sort of way. I'M GOING TO RUN AWAY AND CRY NOW. ;___; (^_~) (Akiha/Umeda, some references to Umeda/Ryouichi.)
- Gundam Wing - Trial and Error by Maldoror - I steal this rec from Chrissie, since she posted an intriguing rec for it and I figured, hell, I'll try to read it sometime. I gave the first chapter a shot this afternoon and to my pleasant surprise, I was sucked write into the writing right from the get-go. The basic concept is that Heero is attempting to play matchmaker for his friends and doesn't quite get the whole complex human emotion thing, which sounds like it could have been a recipe for disaster, but the author has enough skill that she strides that so very fine line between being unrealistic and parody-isy and yet I could believe that Heero wouldn't quite put the pieces together. But the really beautiful thing? Even as you completely got what was going on, how people felt and why they were spraying their tea all over themselves as Heero tried to question them or maneuver them together, you could believe that Heero wouldn't get it. His thought process was insightful to the readers, but it didn't feel forced, instead it was very natural and smooth. I bought it. There are some instances of fanon-ish elements and there is a bit of the typical romantic machinations type of fic, but I tend to be really oversensitive to that, so if it was barely pinging on my radar, it'll probably not register at all with most others. (Though, I was faintly disappointed with the resolution of the OC's part of the storyline. It felt... too easy, I guess.) Also? Much, much with the funny. After chapter three, I was literally having to pull my sleeve over my face so I wouldn't giggle so loudly that I'd attract attention and then have to explain. So... I guess, it was a fic with really sharp and clever writing, very smooth and readable and the dialogue sparkled, some very solid characterizations, especially with Heero, and humor that had me in stitches... that's all I could ask for from most fic. XD (Primarely HeeroxDuo, but some other pairings, telling you which would be spoiling you.)
I know I bitch about this a lot, but I've been in such a Saiyuki mood lately and I keep thinking there's all this well-written fic out there, there's got to be something that'll eventually hit the right buttons for me and it is really lovely writing, but the characterizations just... I don't know how to explain it, beyond that even in some of the best written stuff out there, the Sanzo characterization leaves me with a queasy feeling in my stomach and... a lot of the little details are there, especially the anger and lack of anything resembling patience, but... something still feels off and I'm starting to wonder if it's me. (God protect my soul when I try to find decent Konzen fic. >__< But I feel better after ranting and, really, that's the purpose of it. >D) *flops over* Whyyyyyyy couldn't I have stayed a Hakkai fangirl? It would have been so much easier.... @_______@ Yeah, yeah, okay, bitching over, here's, like, way more recs than I should have saved up at one time.
Series:
Hanazakari no Kimitachi e - 2 Fanfics
Princess Tutu - 1 Fanfic
Full Metal Alchemist - 4 Fanfics
Love Mode - 6 Fanfics
Saiyuki - 1 Fanfic
Gravitation - 2 Fanfics
Prince of Tennis - 2 Fanfics
Gundam Wing - 1 Fanfic
- Hanazakari no Kimitachi e - The World is an Apple by tin - You know, I still think that 95% of Sano/Mizuki fic is unnecessary because it's such a complete story on its own and, yet... then tin'll have written this perfect little story that's just so incredibly perfect and one of those stories that could have just been another chapter, right down to the charming details with the wrapping paper and how I could just picture Sano and Mizuki's fight, how they're such... three-dimensional characters in her hands, the way they can fight and it was beautifully in character and yet, the entire time, there was a sense of... softness and elegance to it, like an elegantly drawn shoujo manga has. tin writes fic for characters that shouldn't need it and makes me realize just how grateful I am to her for it. <3 (Sano/Mizuki.)
- Princess Tutu - Entertaining the Old Man by usomitai - This was... well, surreal, in that sort of way that every time Drosselmeyer was on the screen was surreal and this fic oh so beautifully captured that sense of that character. It's hard to explain without giving away the entire story, but this is one of those that captured the feel of Princess Tutu for me, yet didn't feel repetitive of the series or unnecessary. Drosselmeyer's voice as he was watching Mute dance was spot-on, the feelings he has for his characters, the sense of a story within a story, Mute's very nature as a character in this story... it all wove into a perfect little story. (No real warnings/pairings.)
- Full Metal Alchemist - Snow by Harukami - Ahhh, I swear, Haru's the only one who can get me to read FMA fic in my funk lately and, really, I'm glad I did, because who could resist Roy and Ed having a snowball fight? >D The descriptions of which were lovely and almost, almost made me miss winter because I could feel the crispness of the snow, could hear the sounds it makes when you're stepping across freshly fallen snow, and that's what I took away from this story the most. Well, that and the fun snowball fight between Roy and Ed with lovely little mentions of character insights about Roy (the kind of place he grew up, the types of elements he usually associates with, etc.) that never felt cheesey or cliche to me. Lovely fic. ♥ (Roy/Ed.)
- Love Mode - Circles by Yasmin M. - This story starts of with this paragraph: Aoe Kiichi folds a perfect blue lotus: the Buddhist symbol of wisdom and knowledge attained, of victory of the spirit over the senses. His fingers move with surgical grace, pressing neat folds and points into the origami paper. That's the beautiful, graceful, elegant tone of this story as it focuses on Aoe Kiichi--with a series like Love Mode, I often times expect silliness or wackiness with the fanfic because that's what I'm used to the focus being on. But this story is much more... sharp and bittersweet (and yet not depressing) and just so beautifully complexly Kiichi. This is the character who will, one minute, steal Reiji's credit card and boyfriend to go on a shopping spree and the next minute he'll be staring off into the distance with an unreadable look while Haruomi stands next to him. Beautifully written. (Kiichi/Haruomi, implied Reiji/Naoya.)
- Saiyuki - The Apostasy by tin - part 00/01 - part 02 - part 03 - Ahhh, Saiyuki genfic keeps me sane, at least in that particular fandom. And what I like so much about tin's writing is that she knows how to write a plot and this one certainly has my interest piqued--one of the things that stands out most for me, even after having read all the available parts a few days ago, is that she didn't skimp on the little investigation scenes that were needed for the actual plot and worked in all these little details of the world the fic is set in. (I dunno, just... little things like the religious artifacts in Gojyo's scene, the various touches of Sanzo's trek to the temple on the outskirts of the town, the details about the town, etc.) Even the minor/background characters had nicely realized personalities, I certainly felt that they were all working with their own motivations and reasons. Plus, the prologue? With the young boy and the old man? Makes me terribly curious about where the story is going and was really effectively kinda creepy and it's all got tin's usual sharp eye for characterization and lovely writing. Just... a nice, solid Saiyuki fic to make me not want to completely give up on the fandom. ^_~ (No warnings/pairings.)
- Full Metal Alchemist - Waltz by Meg - Well, Haru and Meg, that is. Who can get me to read FMA fic. And this was one of those stories that I stumbled over without expecting to see it and it was short and it was just... a perfect little pick-me-up, something that even my short attention span could handle and was just fun! Meg's dialogue seems to always just sparkle with how crisp, clean, and in character it is and she makes a concept like "Roy teaches Ed how to dance", that, by all rights, should SUCK SO MUCH, and makes it GOOD. If Roy has to suffer, so does Ed. indeed. ♥ (I dunno, some light Roy/Ed if you're so inclined.)
- Gravitation - A Big To-Do by Hawk Clowd - I'll never get tired of Gravitation fic that's about those little moments that are just classic Shuuichi (and Yuki) moments, that just make me laugh and... oh, dear god, I loved the relationship between Yuki and Shuuichi here, just... god, I want to quote half the fic, because Yuki's lines are priceless. Teasing Shuuichi about his hair falling out ("Look, what are you worried about? That your fans won't love you anymore? Fuck, if your lyrics didn't scare them away, I don't know how your lack of hair could do it.") and being mean, but in that way that's FUN because it's not really serious and Shuuichi shouldn't be getting so worked up even if he IS cute while he does it. The balance struck between cruel and sappy is juuuuust right and then you add in genuinely CLEVER dialogue and an ending that has me sporfling with laughter even just THINKING about it, and you've got a fic that makes me break out multiple ♥. XD (Yuki/Shuuichi.)
- Gravitation - Slow Drag by Hawk Clowd - And then this fic proceeded to rip my heart out and dragged it across the room before drop-kicking it into the corner. The title is an appropriate one--this a slow fic, aching stroll through several moments of Eiri's life, dealing with New York's aftermath and the pain and confusion and trying to sort all of that out. Everything from Tohma's not-quite-intrusive presence to Mika's lack of understanding to Eiri's fugue-like states to the differences in languages and how they sound to the raw, painful ache underneath everything, the story hurt to read, but in the way that was really amazingly done. It's not the kind of story that's going to leave you in tears, because it's ultimately a story about moving forward, but it makes me hurt just thinking about the aching, pained spell that this series wove over me as I was reading. Which is the other thing that I loved--there was a certain atmosphere to this, something that I can't put into words, but... reminds me so much of the feel of, well, a long, slow drag. The title is perfect for that, too. (Some light Yuki/Shuuichi.)
- Full Metal Alchemist - Mechanical Urges by Harukami - ....I swear, I'm not usually a person who'll read just any random pairing, even if I know the author'll do a good job with it, because I tend to be OTP girl, but... there's something about Haru's writing with these characters that draws me in, even when I should be going, "....WTF!!" at the pairing. I mean... Havoc and Winry. And yet... and yet. There's a certain style to the writing that just... it feels like them and it makes this bizarre sort of sense here, the characterizations are spot-on and you'd think, well, if they're in character, HOW THE HELL COULD THE PAIRING HAPPEN and I don't KNOW how she does it, but... dammit, it worked for me. It helps that Havoc's such... a nice guy, trying SO DAMNED HARD not to lust after a pretty sixteen year old, but then she's DOING things with her hands and the car and... yeah. Crack fic, but I really liked it. XD (Havoc/Winry.)
- Full Metal Alchemist - Moral Dilemma by Harukami - Ahahahaha, oh, Havoc, I adore you, I really do. Haru's really been doing a fantastic Havoc lately, hitting that laid-back sort of personality, but still with hints of a lot more personality that than juuuuuust right lately, so it's nice to see him getting a bit more spotlight. Plus, the image of Ed catching Winry and Havoc making out and Havoc FEARING FOR HIS LIFE is beautiful and there's ANOTHER reason I really want to rec this story, but it's a surprised about 3/4ths of the way through and it makes the ending OMG THE FUNNIEST THING I READ THAT DAY and OMG SO PERFECT but saying it would ruin the surprise so you're just going to have to trust me that it was great and that everyone should totally read this fic after reading Mechanical Urges. I STILL laugh so much at the end and, like with Mechanical Urges, it's just... I can SEE and HEAR the characters, that's how well Haru writes their dialogue and body language and the like. ....shut up, I know that was a bad rec. XP (Havoc/Winry.)
- Prince of Tennis - Tree in Spring by Aki - HOW DID I NOT SEE THAT AKI HAD WRITTEN BANE/DAVIDE FIC BEFORE? I pine for Bane/Davide fic and I can never seem to find it and then she wrote fic with BAD PUNS and a really sparkling Davide POV and got all these little details, like the playground or Oji's presence and I LOVE HER KENTAROU LIKE SO MUCH. Seriously. I wanted to hug him and giggle like mad every time he said anything, which makes me KNOW she got him right because that's the exact reaction I have to him every time I saw him on the screen. And major ♥ for the Bane/Davide partnership. (Some Bane/Davide.)
- Prince of Tennis - Seven Days by Aki - This is one of those stories that sort of... scratches an itch that I sort of thought I was going to have to live with. Good and subtle and clever/sharp Rokkaku fic. With gorgeous writing, bad puns, and says so much more than it flat-out states. Bane is away for a week and Davide gets sick and it's just... there's this subtle atmosphere of being off your game, of being out of the usual rhthym, and yet Aki never has to SAY that, not really, you just FEEL it. I have such love for stories where you can FEEL the atmosphere of the piece but it's never plainly stated. And if I thought the last one had lovely Rokkaku details, this one is even better--all the little touches in Davide's day to day life, the details of the Rokkaku team (OMG, Itsuki made me laugh SO MUCH. XD XD XD), they all just felt so... whatever you want to call the opposite of 'lacking'. Everything about this story felt like a ROKKAKU FIC and there were just so many lines I'd love to quote and I'm aware that this rec sucks, but I'm still basking in the glow of Rokkaku fic that was just what I wanted. Well, except for the lack of Bane/Davide smut, but I can't ask EVERYTHING of Aki. XD Oh! And? The scene at the end between Bane-chan and Davide? I have so much love for Aki. ♥ (Some light Bane/Davide.)
- Love Mode - Eclair by Meg - Okay, see. It's Meg's fault yet again. At least this time I'd already read the manga (or what's available of it in scanslations), so rereading it only took up one night and I actually am glad for it because I ADORE this series and even rereading it makes me sparkle like mad crazy and THEN SHE WROTE TAKAZUMI FIC. I have mad, mad love for Takamiya. And Izumi. Especially TakaZumi that involves suggestive things with pastries. Because Takamiya WOULD SO DO THAT. Her dialogue is just fantastic with these characters and one of those things that could easily have slid right in between the pages of the series itself and I can just SEE the whole entire thing unfolding in my head like manga pages. Much, much love. (Takamiya/Izumi.)
- Love Mode - And Get On With My Day by astraplain - So, after Meg's fic, I had to go on a Love Mode spree again and this was one of the first fics I'd found and I'm glad I found it first, because it's... I wouldn't say it's quite angsty, but it does deal with Takamiya's feelings about what happened the very first time he and Izumi had sex, how he processed what he'd done and how he lives with it. It was done in such a way that it was respectful to what had happened, didn't treat the subject lightly, but also dealt with it in a way that I felt both the Love Mode series and the Takamiya character would. It beautifully used the depth Takamiya has, but also kept him very much anchored to the sunny, cheerful personality we see from him all the time. Beautiful, beautiful fic. (Takamiya/Izumi.)
- Love Mode - Sticky by astraplain - And still more pitch-perfect TakaZumi fic! *twirls and sparkles* I have such love for those two and astraplain writes them just SO DAMNED WELL, all the way from Izumi wanting to take care of Takamiya when he's sick, still being IZUMI, to the friendship between Aoe and Takamiya (that doesn't have to be focused on to be felt) to the slowly budding friendship between Izumi and Naoya to how Izumi really does love Takamiya and wants to be a part of the relationship, but is still IZUMI. I know I say this a lot, but it's still true here--this is one of those stories that captures everything about Love Mode so wonderfully that I can just picture it in my head and if I didn't pour over this series so much, I may have confused it for, "Okay, now did that happen in the series or did I read it in a fic somewhere...?" ♥ (Takamiya/Izumi.)
- Love Mode - Flight by astraplain - OMG, serious, serious love for the Izumi and Naoya friendship, which was just SPOT ON and really kinda touching in its own way. They're so... different in a lot of ways and yet their interaction and parallels here make such perfect sense and the snapping and snarking between Aoe and Izumi continues to be so PERFECT (Aoe and Izumi not liking each other AT ALL amuses me every time I read the series <3) and Izumi's characterization is wonderful, right down to how much he's matured in the past few years but is still Izumi. I also adore this fic because it's one of those most "complete" stories, in the sense that it's not just a single character/pairing moment, there's actually a bit of a plot going on (with Izumi missing Takamiya and preparing to fly out to be with him while in Europe) and it's all just... ...Jesus, I am rapidly losing the ability to write a coherent rec, so I'll just end this with GO READ NOW OMG GOOD WRITING GOOD DIALOGUE GOOD CHARACTERIZATIONS SPARKLED THE ENTIRE TIME LOVE THIS FIC SO MUCH. There. If that doesn't do the job, I don't know what will. ^_~ (Some Takamiya/Izumi and Reiji/Naoya.)
- Love Mode - Sweet by astraplain - *happy, happy sigh* TakaZumi~~ Sometimes I think TakaZumi is probably my favorite Love Mode pairing, I just adore the dynamics of it SO MUCH and when it's presented in such a gorgeous fic like this... how can I not be utterly in love? Izumi wanting to make a nice dinner to surprise Takamiya and cheating with take-out food, Takamiya being just so... Takamiya, and all that's said about their relationship without it having to be said at all, wrapped up in lovely writing and sparkling dialogue. I just... god, I was a wibbling pile of GOO by the time the story was over, just like I am with the series proper. I love these characters so much. <3 (Takamiya/Izumi.)
- Hanazakari no Kimitachi e - cheaper by the dozen by Cathy - This fic hurt me to read. It's beautifully written, but it leaves this... dull sort of ache in my chest, this longing for something better for both Akiha and Sensei and... well, yes, that's the reaction I'm supposed to have after the story. ^_~ (JUST ONE, SOMEONE NEEDS TO WRITE ABOUT AKIHA KISSING SENSEI SENSELESS UNTIL HE FORGETS THAT HE SUPPOSEDLY DOESN'T LIKE AKIHA! >E) The writing and all the little touches (and the focus on things like Umeda's hands or the use of Akiha's photography) and the whole entire feel to the piece are lovely, in that heartbreaking sort of way. I'M GOING TO RUN AWAY AND CRY NOW. ;___; (^_~) (Akiha/Umeda, some references to Umeda/Ryouichi.)
- Gundam Wing - Trial and Error by Maldoror - I steal this rec from Chrissie, since she posted an intriguing rec for it and I figured, hell, I'll try to read it sometime. I gave the first chapter a shot this afternoon and to my pleasant surprise, I was sucked write into the writing right from the get-go. The basic concept is that Heero is attempting to play matchmaker for his friends and doesn't quite get the whole complex human emotion thing, which sounds like it could have been a recipe for disaster, but the author has enough skill that she strides that so very fine line between being unrealistic and parody-isy and yet I could believe that Heero wouldn't quite put the pieces together. But the really beautiful thing? Even as you completely got what was going on, how people felt and why they were spraying their tea all over themselves as Heero tried to question them or maneuver them together, you could believe that Heero wouldn't get it. His thought process was insightful to the readers, but it didn't feel forced, instead it was very natural and smooth. I bought it. There are some instances of fanon-ish elements and there is a bit of the typical romantic machinations type of fic, but I tend to be really oversensitive to that, so if it was barely pinging on my radar, it'll probably not register at all with most others. (Though, I was faintly disappointed with the resolution of the OC's part of the storyline. It felt... too easy, I guess.) Also? Much, much with the funny. After chapter three, I was literally having to pull my sleeve over my face so I wouldn't giggle so loudly that I'd attract attention and then have to explain. So... I guess, it was a fic with really sharp and clever writing, very smooth and readable and the dialogue sparkled, some very solid characterizations, especially with Heero, and humor that had me in stitches... that's all I could ask for from most fic. XD (Primarely HeeroxDuo, but some other pairings, telling you which would be spoiling you.)
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EYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
Date: 2004-10-04 03:23 am (UTC)I love you for looking for more Takazumi ;-; I LOVE YOU! *rushes to read those fics* T_T They better be long or Aira-chan will weep ;-;
Re: EYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
Date: 2004-10-04 03:28 am (UTC)(They're not super-long, but they're a decent length, especially for Love Mode fic. I love them soooooo much. *is dippy, but happy Love Mode fangirl tonight~!*)
Re: EYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
Date: 2004-10-04 03:40 am (UTC)I wish Shimizu had written more for them than NaoyaxReiji. *weeps* I would have loved to see more of kawaii Takamiya and Izumi together :( It would have been sweet :( So fun.. noo.. ;-;
*huggles Izumi* :(
*makes a note to self; will see other recs later. Brain currently on Love Mode mode... XD*
Re: EYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
Date: 2004-10-05 07:40 am (UTC)I suspect that Love Mode smut doesn't get written too often because... well, the mangaka writes/draws it herself, you know? It'd probably feel redundant to a lot of authors. Not that this stops me from mourning the lack of it. Especially Haruomi/Kiichi, since TakaZumi has already gotten several sex scenes in the manga itself. *WANTS MORE*
*__*
(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-04 06:40 pm (UTC)Actually, I wanted to take this opportunity to say: hi! ^_^ I´ve been enjoying your recs for the past few months. I don´t know where you find the patience, and more importantly, SANITY, to find all that you do, but I appreciate AND take advantage of it. <3
(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-05 07:38 am (UTC):O!
Date: 2004-10-05 03:32 am (UTC)*goes offline to sulk and write more (bad) fic*
Re: :O!
Date: 2004-10-05 06:11 am (UTC)I have to go for about an hour, but I'll be back later this morning, so maybe I'll run into you then? Either that or later tonight/tomorrow morning for you? *clings to ankles and fangs at* >F
Re: :O!
Date: 2004-10-05 08:47 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-06 11:38 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-07 07:05 am (UTC)^_~
(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-07 11:38 am (UTC)Does this make me Takamiya?
(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-10 09:09 am (UTC)XD
(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-08 09:16 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-10 09:12 am (UTC)....I'll be quiet noet. :x
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Date: 2004-10-08 05:39 pm (UTC)Discovered your site recently and it's fantastic! Got me reading three new fandoms already. Who needs sleep anyway.
(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-10 09:21 am (UTC)Ooh, more fic? ♥ ....I would attempt to be calm and reasonable about it, but you write an utterly fantastic Takamiya/Izumi dynamic and the world needs as much Love Mode fic as it can get. XD (Awww, I'm very glad that I could help! Besides, sleep is FOR THE WEAK. Only sissies need sleep! >F)
^_~