Five More Fics I Really Enjoyed in 2013

[shapinglight]

Again, couldn't think of an overrarching theme except the above.

It doesn't look like anyone else is going to rec these, so I am.

The Act of Losing, by brutti_ma_buoni, Spike/Buffy, PG. Warnings for major character death. I had to miss this out from my previous post of sb_fag_ends ficlets by this author, but as I said before, I could have chosen any of her work for the comm, because they're all wonderful. This one is just too good to miss. Very, very sad, though.

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Five More Fics by Clockwork_hart1

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I've already rec'd Lucy's Buffy & Tara friendship fic "Talk to Me"; This year she vowed to be Anya, a "vengeance demon" for oft-neglected women of the 'verse and their relationships to each other and she's kept that promise in a big way by creating marvelous must-read stories. These are just a sample: one shippy, the rest gen-friendship, all female-centric.


"Putting the Check in Checkpoint" (Buffy, Anya, Ensemble, S5 episodic of "Checkpoint") - For snickfic's lady-love fest prompt: "Buffy and Anya. A moment when they understood each other perfectly." This fic is my headcanon now -  the way it should have been. It feels like a true "deleted scene" from that episode in every way. Perfection. I can't imagine anyone improving on this.


"Holding on to Forever" (Buffy, mentions of Dawn, midS5, post-The Body) - written for lynzie914's prompt for a Buffy fic: "My friends assure me my heart will heal, but they also believe that CPR works like on TV. (Six broken ribs and a cracked sternum. Good as new.)" at kwritten's lady-love fest. An achingly lovely portrait of Buffy's struggles to function in the face of overwhelming loss.

"A Lesson in Understanding" (Joyce, Giles, early S3, episodic of "Anne") - Inspired by a prompt from velvetwhip. Another "it should and COULD have been this way" that gives Joyce Summers her due, and the series only occasionally offered us: the humanly-flawed but very real complexity, love and quiet strength inherited by both her daugthers. Summers blood, indeed.

"Corruption's Only A Sin When it Doesn't Get Finished" (NC-17, Cordelia/Lilah, AtS) - Something on the lighter side for the Fifth Annual Femslash Kink Meme on Dreamwidth. I don't read NC-17 fics, I'm not into sex scenes, I haven't watched AtS (what happens to Cordy? *sniffle* I just can't) ergo this fic isn't anything I'm into...except when it's this sexy, funny and just plain damn delightful?  I can be seduced.

"Through Dirt" (Kennedy, S7 post-Get it Done; character death) - Another fic that "fills in the holes" inspired by a prompt, this one from dragonyphoenix, who felt that Chloe's suicide was brushed off far too easily on the show. Lucy takes the tantalizing hints of a greater complexity to Kennedy's character that are hinted at on the series, but never really developed, and burrows deep beneath the surface in this character study. Haunting from start to finish.

Five More Fics by Clockwork_hart1 - PART 2

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Because I couldn't leave well enough alone and Lucy wrote way too many good things to leave off for just one post. The superlatives remain the same. More shippiness here than the last post. In no particular order.

"Lover, I Think We're Falling" (NC-17, Buffy/Angel(us), AU of Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered, warnings for non-con) For the IWRY Marathon 2013 Very good, very, very dark, it reminds me if anything of snowpuppies's "Innocence (the if you love me remix)" .

"Shadows and Light" (Gen; Tara, Glory, episodic of "Tough Love") A look inside what Tara's thoughts, including her fears and the temptation to make it all "go away", during one of the most horrifying scenes in the entire series. Has a special place in my heart because Tara's heroism and sacrifice while she was tortured to protect Dawn is almost entirely taken for granted by fandom because she's a "good person".

"Wearing the Pants" (PG-13, Jenny/Giles, S2) Inspired by a prompt on <lj user=dragonyphonix>'s journal: "Jenny & Giles + pants". So much fun. Reminds me why I adored that pairing with a scene I wish we had seen, and could well have; once again, it reads like a scene that landed on the cutting room floor, thanks to crackling humor and spot-on character voices.

"Cut up Angels" (PG, Buffy, Faith, implied B/F, AtS S2 post-Sanctuary) - Another entry for kwritten's lady-love fest, this time in response to a prompt from ever_neutral: "Buffy/Faith: I don't like you human. You remind me of things I hate in me." Can be read as gen or shippy. Buffy visits Faith in prison. The thick glass that separates them is nothing to the barriers they've throw up between one another even as they crack and break.

"Just Another Small Fracture" (R, Willow/Spike, S3, AU of Lovers' Walk) In response to a request from snogged; Spike kidnaps Willow and things go...a bit differently. Simultaneously compassionate and disturbing, as it should be.

Five Fabulous Fics Written By velvetwhip in 2013.

[snogged.livejournal.com]

velvetwhip is a talented writer, a supportive fandom cheerleader, and a force to be reckoned with. (I mean that with 110% sincerity. She rocks!) This year, velvetwhip once again showed her talent and quality and I want to showcase five of my favorite works. She wrote plenty more besides, of course, and you should all put this woman on your to-read-now lists!

1) Discomforting - Willow/Spike (FRAO). In this story, Willow and Spike struggle to live life without Buffy. velvetwhip captures the angst, the internal struggles of both characters. She is able to make this pairing seem believable, and judging from the comments, she was able to entrance readers who normally don't read Spike/Willow pairings. She also writes what could be one of the steamiest sex scenes ever. Yum!

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Five Bleak Angst/Dark Fics

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How could I let the year go by with celebrating some stories that brought the pain in all the best ways? I couldn't, so here are some beautifully bleak tales to wrap the shiniest silver lining in foggy clouds:

1) Word Association (Buffy/Angel) by librarian2003: The summary of this reads "Be careful what you wish for" and I hesitate to offer more detail than that for fear of spoiling this tragic ride. Just know that it was written by Jo and that should be enough to get you clicking that link immediately. It's a masterpiece of pain and indifferent cruelty.

( Click the cut if you dare )