A Woman True and Fair by The S (PG)

[slr2moons.livejournal.com]

Fandom Category: Howl's Moving Castle (book)
Pairing: Sophie Hatter/Howell Jenkins
Fic Title: A Woman True and Fair
Author: The S
Link: www.fanfiction.net/s/2500604/1/
Rating/Warning(s): PG, abandoned WIP
Genre: Drama, Romance
WIP?: Yes, 26 chapters, 115,329 words
Setting: begins in chapter 4 of the book
Special Rec: 2/28

Why This Must Be Read: This fic gives us amazing insight into the book as seen by Howl, including missing scenes that we can only imagine from canon. The author's insider knowledge of Welsh gives new depth to Howl's POV--it's really fascinating! Be sure to read her notes! Also I found it helpful to review each chapter from the book before reading the relevant chapter of the fic. The author does a little too much telling and not enough showing in regards to canon, and it can get a little tiring trying to remember what happened in the book. The fic is worth the effort, though!

Yes, it is abandoned (last updated October '07 as of this post), but it is definitely worth a read for all HMC fans. The Welsh info alone is amazing, and the added depth to Howl and Sophie's developing relationship is wonderful. ^^

4 Leverage fics, Parker/Hardison and Parker/Eliot

[celtic-flicka.livejournal.com]

The last admin post included a request for Parker/anyone Leverage fics, so here are some of my favorites:

Fandom Category: Leverage
Pairing: Parker/Hardison
Fic Title: Beginning at the End
Author: ladylioness
Rating/Warning(s): G
Genre: fluff
WIP?: Complete

Why This Must Be Read: This is a short piece about a potential future for Parker and Hardison. It's a sweet little story that will leave a smile on the face of any Parker/Hardison shipper.

***

Fandom Category: Leverage
Pairing: Parker/Eliot
Fic Title: Breathe
Author: tommyhanson
Rating/Warning(s): G/PG
Genre: angst
WIP?: Complete

Why This Must Be Read: This could be read as a friendship fic rather than a romantic relationship, but it's all in your perspective. It's a beautifully written insight into Eliot, and why he and Parker probably have the most in common than any other members of the team.

***

( Click here for more! )

one natasha romanoff/clint barton-esque rec

[sunny-serenity.livejournal.com]

Fandom Category: The Avengers (2012)
Pairing: Natalia Romanova/Clint Barton
Fic Title: Ashes (series)
Author: sugarfey
Link: ashes (series)
Rating/Warning(s): t/violence/shades of past violations
Genre: character development/angst/drama
WIP?: no.

Why This Must Be Read: Though this is more a character study and the evolution of Natalia Romanova to Natasha Romanoff in successive stories, Clint features significantly. Threads of comic canon have been woven nicely with MCU canon/outline/speculation, really, since we have no origin movie for either of them. It gave me flappy fangirl hands and a tidal wave of feelings because though it's never said, these two chose each other as family.

"Essential" by FayJay (R)

[blithers.livejournal.com]

Fandom Category: Firefly
Pairing: Inara Serra/Malcolm Reynolds
Fic Title: Essential
Author: FayJay
Link: http://archiveofourown.org/works/4716
Rating/Warning(s): R
Genre: Angst
WIP?: no

Why This Must Be Read: This is a gorgeously written short scene, capturing Inara's thoughts after sleeping with Mal for the first time, and it's lush and clear-eyed and terribly sexy. I love Mal and Inara, but their relationship is so mired in angst (and much of the fanfiction written about them reflects that) that I love this story in particular for having the barest sheen of hope over top while still being perfectly characterized and achingly true to their complicated relationship.

We Have Not Touched the Stars, by zombieboyband [R]

[ozqueen]

Fandom Category: The Hunger Games
Pairing: Katniss Everdeen/Peeta Mellark
Fic Title: We Have Not Touched the Stars
Author: zombieboyband
Link: AO3 | LJ
Rating/Warning(s): R - torture, sex, intentionally triggering a character, ptsd
Genre: Character development/angst/drama
WIP?: No; 11803 words

Why This Must Be Read:

"Sometimes I miss the shackles," Peeta says.

Peeta trusts Katniss enough to break him and put him back together, so that's what he asks for. Rough and tender, hard and sweet: love is complicated.

Okay, so I admit that when I read the line in Mockingjay about the shackles bringing Peeta back to himself, I immediately thought, "There has to be fic based on that line alone." And there is, and it's amazing.

It's by no means a light read, and if violence and sex aren't your thing you really need to stay away, but oh my gosh, this just works. Peeta and Katniss are both written flawlessly - Katniss especially - and it's so hard for them. I love this fic so much. I went looking for something like this and found better results than I had dared to hope for.