RECS POST. AT LONG LAST. !!!
» BIG LOVE.
Psalm 119:27-29 by
viciouswishes
multiple pairings.
They call him the good prophet. He makes sure that his flock is cared for, provided for. No one goes hungry or without shelter. Sure, once in a while, he has to turn a blind eye; but it's for the good of the people, for the good of the compound. He might drive around in his Hummers, but he's no Roman Grant.
viciouswishes takes a step into the (probable) future, and places Bill Henrickson in the role of the Juniper Creek prophet. The family falls apart and falls together in all the ways you expect, and then some. By turns heartbreaking and endearing, this fic follows the various threads to their conclusions. What I liked most about this fic was how natural the turns felt, and the closing section which is poignant and disarming, the way the show itself can be.
» BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER.Five Things Jack Never Expected by
odestructogirlo [apocalyptothon]
Jack O'Toole (episode: The Zeppo).
The thing is, of course, that you don’t have to intentionally start the apocalypse. You do a few little things, the other guy ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time, and apocalypse, always the mistress of opportunity, steps in.
This fic is hilarious whilst maintaining the pathos the show so often displayed. Written from the perspective of one of the minor characters from
The Zeppo, this outsider's perspective is wry, witty and sometimes even touching. A fun read.
» DOCTOR WHO.The TARDIS and the Slow Path by
Roz McClure [twicetoldfandom]
gen. Martha. au.
That was when Martha realized the TARDIS had a sense of humor: later. When she was going over the timeline in her head for the memoir she would write someday, and figured out who else was taking the slow path in 1869. Ha. Until then, she'd just thought the TARDIS was jealous.
I'm always glad to find Martha fanfiction, even more so when it deals with the TARDIS. I love how this fic is both linear and non-linear, just like the series, and I like the slightly disaffected tone. Martha's comments of the
sigh - what now? variety are a treat to read, and the whole fic is light and thoroughly enjoyable.
» FIREFLY.And Walked the Night Alone by
elohvee [apocalyptothon]
gen. Jayne. River. post-Serenity.
Things were supposed to be better. They fought a war for this, right? Not Jayne, 'cause he ain't the sort, but Mal. Mal and Zoe and all those other people, and it don't make sense, because they were always right before, in the end.
Confession: I've read a fair few Jayne-and-River-survive fics, and I love nearly all of them. The irony of Jayne being left to care for River is almost too much, but it also brings the best out in him. This haunting apoca-fic leaves Jayne lonely; I was drawn to how quiet and eerie it is.
» GREY'S ANATOMY.Ring The Bells That Still Can Ring by
cherryice [apocalyptothon]
ensemble. Izzie/Denny.
It begins on a Wednesday. The morning dawns like any other: grey clouds low overhead, cool air heavy with the threat of rain. Light slanting through the plate glass window of Seattle Grace is muted, soft. The sound of quick footsteps, the beep of monitors, the hiss of lowered voices fills the halls.
Zombies in Seattle Grace, and whilst it sounds like it should be funny, it's not. Izzie - typically,
Izzie - decides to hide Denny to stop him from being killed. Re-killed. Whatever. But it's really more of an ensemble piece, the main cast trying to hold on, make sense of things in the context they have. The writing loosens a bit towards the end, but I still thought it was a good piece for what it was, and the majority of the characterisations are spot on.
Clinging in the Wreckage (&
part 2) by
toestastegood [apocalyptothon]
gen. Bailey. Derek.
Just stomach pains, but by the time the surgical team got inside, half of her internal organs had been black and rotten. A rancid smell had invaded the theatre, a scent that not even the masks covering their mouths could defend them from. Despite their best efforts, the girl had died as little more than a medical mystery.
OH MAN. I love this, the first part especially. A horrible, horrible virus comes to Seattle Grace and Miranda eventually has to say enough is enough, and leave the interns to themselves. A wonderful character piece detailing Bailey's position, and whilst the second part (same fic, Derek's perspective) is weaker, it's still a good fic. The situation is horrific and somewhat hopeless in the truest sense, but Bailey does what she has to do - sticks to what she knows.
» HAIKUATHON RECS.Missing by
oxoniensis [haikuathon]
gen. Ziva. running.
Sounds Like by
stateofsoul [haikuathon]
Tami/Eric. baby.
Both of these are beautiful. The first is one stanza, and is so
Ziva that even on multiple re-reads it lives up to its flash-promise. The second is from a fandom I don't even know, but the rhythm and repetition is infectious, and the obvious affection in the voices is warming.
» LAW & ORDER/LAW & ORDER: SVU.A Balmy Morning in Hell by
caitn [apocalyptothon]
gen. Briscoe. Munch.
Detective Lennie Briscoe winced as another explosion reverberated from outside. "It sounds like all hell is breaking loose out there."
"This country's been going to hell for years, my friend," John Munch announced. He wound up for a lengthy rant. "It's been going on long before the conservative right-wing power mongrels--"
This was written for me! I would have been pleased for any of my prompts to have been chosen, but
caitn took the one I thought no-one would touch with a pole and produced a brilliant dialogue-fuelled ficlet. They're being attacked, sure, but the old-timers are babysitting. I'm filled with glee over it.
» STARGATE: ATLANTIS.Single Step by
blufamingo [femgenficathon]
gen. Teyla.
Teyla believes, for the first two months, that every day is the day they will return. It is not the first time they have gone back to Earth, and every time they have come back to Atlantis, to Pegasus. She is sure this time will be no different.
Hands down one of the best Teyla fics I've ever read, discussing her attachment to the Atlantis crew and her estrangement from her people. It's what I call a "silent" fic, where the dialogue doesn't impinge on your interaction with Teyla's story. There's hope in the long run, but also sadness and Teyla's strength. The long haul is the harder battle, and re-aquaintance is harder than first contact. This fic epitomises all those things that I love about Teyla, her quiet, her good sense and her patience which is often taken for granted. A lovely, lovely fic, and one that I strongly encourage you to read.
Watched by
inlovewithnight [twicetoldfandom]
gen. Ronon. Sheppard.
When he was on the run, Ronon had known he was being tracked all the time, but that isn't the same as being watched. Feeling eyes on the back of your neck. Knowing every step you take, every turn of your head, every motion of your hands is being broken down to be used against you by whatever bastards are holding you prisoner.
Ronon and Sheppard have been imprisoned, and they're both unspooling, though in different directions. But really, this is a fic about Ronon and his history, the skills that make him an asset to the Atlantis team. It probes notions of confinement and, like the previous rec, estrangement. Things he cannot say. There are moments when you think he's being taken for a ride, and moments when you feel for him intensely. But you cannot connect to Ronon Dex. And that's entirely the point.
A Method for Introducing Heuristics by
general_jinjur [apocalyptothon]
Mckay, McKay/Sheppard; slight crossover with
Heroes.
Rodney doesn't realize he's seeing her for the first time when he sees her for the first time. He takes her for Esposito, for all that she's taller, and her hair is pulled into a smooth twist where Esposito is all curls. She has a different look to her, too - a readiness, like she's assessing potential threats, constructing strategy at the unlikeliest times. Steel in her shoulders and spine. It's an oddly military look. That's not quite the way to put it - not oddly military, but military in an odd way. Like Sheppard, never acting like a soldier until it suits him, but always a soldier nonetheless. In any case, the first time he sees her, she's up to her elbows in one of the access panels in corridor 27. Rodney's mind leaps from puzzlement to dark-haired mechanical engineer to full-blown tirade against unauthorized tinkering in well under a second. He figures it's to his credit that he doesn't so much as flinch when she turns to face him and isn't who he expected.
OKAY, I KNOW.
(TRUST ME,
wliberation, I KNOW.) But, seriously, this is genfic! It's like... okay, it's like taking for granted that McKay and Sheppard are a couple and just assuming you know that, so get past the shippy and onto the plot(-y). Really, this is a Rodney fic, and the way his brain works as the city begins to collapse from the inside. It's about Trojan Horses and the end of the world. The rhythm here is so strong, and the ideas so potent, you get carried away. What I love about this is the hum of activity, of things going wrong too quickly to be remedied, until the end where there's a sudden halt, a deceleration. Also,
general_jinjur has the most acute turn of phrase. I'm content to read just about anything she's written because the writing is completely worth it.
edit: Authorial intention versus reader response! Which is to say that I read the fic counter to what the author intended (see comments!) BUT. It's still a great fic, so however you read it, you should at least, you know. Read it.
» STARGATE: SG-1.
Like a Slinky Down a Stairwell (She'll Be in Her Bunk) by
viciouswishes [sg_femslash, Carter round]
Sam/Vala.
Vala's discovered the Spice Girls, and Sam blames Daniel. She doesn't know why she blames Daniel, who likes Vivaldi and Mozart, but she does. He's supposed to be the one keeping Vala under control.
Hilarious ficlet. Pop-culture references, Vala, sexual repression, femslash and just an overall tone of lightness and gaiety that was lovely to read. So much fun.
» THE WEST WING.The Great Zombie Invasion of 2001 by
netgirl_y2k [apocalyptothon]
ensemble. Josh/Donna.
"There are zombies in Ireland."
I think what I love the most about all the
West Wing fics to come out of the
apocalyptothon is that they all start with Donna because she, naturally, is the most likely receptacle for the tidbits of information to trickle through.
netgirl_y2k's fic is short, but very funny, with lots of one-liners, all of which made me giggle. Zombies, and the Bartlet administration at its most ridiculous.
--
I am not a fan of the blockquote style I've got going on, but I can't make the code do what I want it to do. Basically, I want to gmail-i-fy it so that the text indents with a bar to the left. Any help? Dear
twincy, I have stolen from your code. Please forgive the impromptu theft? love, M x