I'm almost embarrassed to post some of these, they're so old, but good fic never expires, yeah?

( 17 recs--gen, het, slash, MCU, Inception, Bond, SPN, TFA )

...and the rest of the stuff I've loved over the years is on topaz119

So, I abandoned all hope of getting caught up on SPN, and just watched Ep#200 anyway.

( still 2 days late, but you didn't really expect me to watch live, did you? )

So, of course I had to come share here. ♥ ♥ ♥

I see by a quick skim of my flist that it is SPN's birthday and people are posting about their entry into fandom. I went back and looked, and on Marc 31, 2006, I posted this:

uncle. uncle. uncle.

Ok, fuck it. I give.

There's only so much I can take, and a flist that includes callsigns whimpering "jared padalecki half-naked in a towel. JARED padalecki half-naked in a towel. jared PADALECKI half-naked in a towel. jared padalecki HALF-naked in a towel. jared padalecki half-NAKED NAKED NAKED in a towel. jared padalecki half-naked in a motherfucking towel." followed by liz_w's "Speaking of WB shows, Jared Padelecki was MOSTLY NAKED on my TV last night" and unholyglee's open letter to Jared's hip bones, and I'm ONLY HUMAN.

Ok, A, send the tapes/downloads/whatever. This is me, caving.

What? I never said I wasn't shallow...

The flist leapt into action and I had burned episodes in my mailbox in a week and I managed to watch the entire season in time to see the S1 finale live. The first fic (J2 counts, right?) followed soon after, a PWP co-written with without_me and then a second one, which ended up being a crossover with Angel also enabled by and co-written with without_me. Then we dragged withdiamonds into the madness and 4 Big Bangs (and 40-ish other stories) later, here we are, and whatever else, the rush of actually writing a Big Bang-length fic on my own is still one of the coolest things out there.

From perusing the flist/circle, I gather that it is once again time for the Top Ten On AO3 meme, with optional kudo listing.

( Top 10 by hits )

( Top 10 by kudos )

So, drawing conclusions... I don't know? (You're shocked, I'm sure.) There's a mix of het, slash, and gen-ish romance in there, as well as a mix of fandoms. There are a couple of "big" pairings (McDanno, J2, Wincest) but the rest are a pretty varied set, so I'm guessing people are good with my love of picking out an odd couple and going for it (she says as she gets back to the Bruce/Clint that's languishing in g-docs...)

I should be writing holiday cards, but sorting out this list was *much* more pleasant. Again, I hope I managed to comment/kudo everyone, but if I missed, or if I was logged out on AO3 when I kudo'd, thank you! I had a great time with your story.

This first batch is from my first go-round with Iron Man, so they're all a couple of years old...but I re-read all of them recently and had much fun with them again.

Grease-Stained, by nekare, Iron Man movie-verse, Tony/Pepper, PG-13, ~4600 words === This is as close to how it might work in canon as you can get, I think. Tony's head is kinda scary, but that's not really news. A little angst, but good banter and surprisingly sweet.

Wish You Were Here, by splash_the_cat, Iron Man movie-verse, Tony/Pepper, PG-13, ~1560 words === In which there is flirting by blackberry, shoe orgies, and the sexual applications of sea urchins. No, really, it makes perfect sense. :D

"The Kids Aren't All Right" by Christine Everhart (vanityfair.com), by samdonne, Iron Man movie-verse, gen, PG-13, ~11,500 words === The Vanity Fair article that should have been written after the press conference at the end of the first Iron Man movie, complete with layout and photos.Even if you're just reading Tony/Steve these days, this is a pretty solid backstory for Tony Stark, and I don't think it's been jossed much by any of the other movies. I remembered that I loved this, but I'd forgotten how totally awesome it truly is.

A Small and 100% Innocent Token of Gratitude, by svilleficrecs, Iron Man movie-verse, Tony/Pepper, NC-17, ~7,500 words === Pepper does wear kick-ass shoes, but you know sometimes her feet have to be killing her. Tony takes care of it, which leads to not-unexpected (and certainly not out-of-character) complications.

The Value of Secrets, by mayatawi, Iron Man movie-verse, Tony/Jarvis (no, really), NC-17, ~5000 words === Note that this is Jarvis the AI, not Jarvis the actual person from the Noir run of the comic-verse. Note also that this is most definitely NC-17, as Jarvis the AI also runs the suit. I ♥ fandom.


More recently...

Mr. July, by jibrailis, Avengers movie-verse, Steve/Tony, R, ~10,100 words === Steve. Posing (for charity!) in nothing but the shield. Things get totally out of hand after that, and Tony seriously hates his life. :D

Specialist, by gqgqqt, Avengers movie-verse, gen, PG-13, ~5000 words === Nice alternate backstory for Hawkeye, with an awesome Coulson.

When The Lights Go On Again, by seanchai and elspethdixon, Avengers comic-verse, R, Steve/Tony, loooong === Aliens invade. Things do not go well. But! There is Steve/Tony pining and H/C and a younger, more vulnerable Hawkeye. I think that if you haven't read in the comic-verse, you might want to have the Marvel wiki open in another tab at first, just to help keep the other characters sorted out, because you'll care about them, too. If you have read in the comic-verse, you'll love that everyone has an arc. I read all 21 parts of this on my phone, which tells you how invested in this I was. Characters die and are hurt terribly and struggle to make a difference and the title is very apt but there is a happy ending.

Talking Trash and Wasting Time, by victoria_p, Avengers movie-verse, Darcy/Clint (Hawkeye), PG-13, ~7600 words === I think this is my favorite Darcy/Clint yet, probably because of the terrific group interactions, and the extra-awesome Pepper.

These Three Things Remain, by siria, Avengers movie-verse, Steve/Tony, Adult === Life in the twenty-first century is odd, but at least a few things haven't changed. My heart, you guys. ::clutches::

(Un)Covered, by rageprufrock, NCIS, DiNozzo/Gibbs, explicit, ~27,100 words === Okay, I'm probably the last person in ten fandoms to read this but just in case you haven't, here, have a genderswapped Antonia and Jethro. They're awesome. (And I'd never seen the episode this takes off on but then I lost my remote and ended up watching several NCIS marathons on USA and it was one of the first episodes I saw after reading this. I think it's a sign.)

A Muggle-Born Marriage, by Musyc, Harry Potter, Hermione/Draco, Adult, ~50,000 words === A Regency fusion where Miss Hermione Granger, struggling to pay off her father's debts, accepts the position of tutor to the son of Mr. Draco Malfoy. Matters progress in a most delightful fashion. :D

The Other Side of the Mystery Spot, by epicycles, Supernatural, Dean/Tessa, PG-13, ~4800 words === Somebody had to be there every time Dean died, and he and Tessa already have history. Very fun and bantery and in-character, but with a full awareness of the really crappy shit that's going on and the worse stuff that's about to go down.

Fight the Rising Odds, by bertee, CWrps AU, Jared/Jensen, NC-17, ~29,500 words === The entire Greek pantheon--and their skeevy children--keep hitting on Jensen, so what chance does Jared stand? Silly question, right? This one is so much fun, you guys.

The Idle Job, by kelleigh, CWrps AU, Jared/Jensen, Explicit, ~50,300 words ===Yes, I'm still working my way through the SPN/J2 Big Bangs; I'm slow, but you already knew that. This one is gritty and somewhat harsh, but not hopeless. Jensen is a Texas Ranger in a not-quite post-apoc US, investigating a case in a small town where Jared is the local doctor. Sparks fly, but it's not just that the sex is hotter than hell (which it is) -- it was more that I got invested in Jensen's character and wanted him to find someplace for himself.

I'm working my way through the SPN/J2 Big Bangs. These are in no particular order and there are dozens more to get to, but these are some of the ones I read while driving endlessly through the southern US this summer. Most of them are available in single-file d/l's for e-readers. (Actually, I think all of them are, but I won't swear to it...)

Like the Luggage of Some Departed Traveler, by britomart_is, art by marciaelena, Supernatural, Sam/Jess/Dean, NC-17, ~54,000 words === Big Bang AU from Season 1, where the Croatoan virus is only the first of the disasters that strike. Told in turn by Sam, Dean, and Jess. Post-apoc and how, but with canon events woven into the narrative. I loved Jess and the relationship she forges with both Sam and Dean individually and together. The art is gorgeous.

Seek To Know More, by chiiyo86, art by mishaganminion, CWrps, Jared/Jensen, NC-17, ~36,200 words === Big Bang AU where both the Js have abilities/talents – not quite to X-Men scale, but along those lines. Nice world-building, nice plot, nice relationship-building, hot sex--all in all, a fun read.

Aiming To Shoot You Down, by mistyzero, art by pretty_patties, CWrps AU, Jensen/Jared, NC-17, ~31,300 words === Jared is a beat cop shot in a drug bust, Jensen is one of the nurses who takes care of him. This is nice and non-angsty--the major conflict comes from them working different shifts (which, if you've ever tried to do that, you'll understand that it's way harder than it looks) but sometimes angst-free is just exactly what you want to read. The art (which is incorporated into the story) is very nice, but NSFW, in some cases quite spectacularly so.

The Jungle Book, by beadslut and jenna_thorne, art by smut_slut, CWRps AU, NC-17, ~41,500 words === Jensen is smart, Jared is badass, Jeff is just plain bad (think the character he played in The Losers, but without a moral compass.) Add in some industrial espionage, a plane crash in the jungle, lots of bullets flying and turn everyone loose. I clicked the link with every intention of downloading this and putting it on my e-reader, but I got sucked in so fast and hard I ended up reading the whole thing on my phone.

Hearthstone, by mollyamory, art by lamapan, CWrps AU, Adult, ~43,000 words === This one... It's sweet without being cloying; it has a happy ending without it being sappy; and I don't know... it just made me very happy. (PDF & AO3 links at the masterpost for your e-reading convenience.)

We Will Organize Our Children, by withdiamonds, art by alchemise, Supernatural, gen, R, ~43,000 words === So. This could be canon. It's Mary, John, and their family, everything that the show sketches, about making a life after you make a deal with a demon, even when you don't know the deal's been made. It's most from John's POV (and I've never read a more stellar John characterization; he's dead-on perfect on the page in all his utterly fucked-up glory) but it's not just about John. It's Dean and Sam and Mary and... the show. Yeah. Canon. (Disclosure: I beta'd this, but honest to God, the only thing I said was, "um, MORE? PLZ!")


I'm probably the last person in the world to have fallen in love with these, but it's not like you guys don't know I'm perpetually behind in my reading...

strive seek find yield, by waldorph, Star Trek (2009), Kirk/Spock, NC-17, 68,200 words === You know how sometimes you're in the car for 7 hours straight and you're reading anything and everything just to keep from murdering your beloved spouse and/or your beautiful children before you get to the part of the trip where you've already spent your money (and it's non-refundable so you can't just bail), and then fandom gives something that's so good you totally forget that the NBA draft has been on satellite radio for the last three hours and smile happily at the people who found it so interesting? No? Okay, so if you're ever in that spot, this is absolutely what you want to be reading. Trek Reboot meets Young Victoria and who knew that would work so astonishingly well?

Not In This Land Alone, by torakowalski, Merlin, Arthur/Merlin, R-ish, 36,400 words === I finished this and thought, well, that was fun. Modern-day AU where Arthur has just inherited the throne and Merlin is working at the palace and they find themselves dodging assassination attempts while they're falling in love.

Holy crap, has it ever been A Week. And now I get to pack up and truck on over to my parents' for the long weekend here in the US. But first I have to write a scary-big check to the nice men who are making my attic (more) rodent-proof and then go get BabyBoy and run-see if we can find soccer cleats before soccer practice tonight and then come home and feed the mob.

These have been piling up for a while, so (in no particular order) recs:

Thunderbird Wine, by beadslut and jennathorne, art by muffymorrigan, CWrps AU, NC-17, 48,000 words === You may have seen comments about this one, especially those flailing about Jared in tights. If, like me, you're okay with but not hyperventilating at the thought, let me add that it's a ton of fun, it's hot, I loved almost every character, and the rock-and-roll world-building is done well enough that I could feel my feet sticking to the floor of the places they were playing in. A+++++, will definitely read again.

Primary Care, by anonymous, Supernatural, gen, PG-13ish, ~20,000 words === A little angst, a little H/C, a nice dose of humor, and an oddball case file -- Sam takes care of Dean and Castiel in a post-5.22 world. This one made me really happy in many ways.

Hearts Brighter Than Starry Skies, by loolookitty, Supernatural, Sam/Dean, NC-17, ~20,000 words === Pre-series Sam/Dean right on the edge of underage so check the warnings if this is an issue for you. Also, it edges into an AU with the resolution, but a believable one given the events of the story. Otherwise, it's Boys vs. The World, Nature Edition as John sends them on a wilderness survival trek and features one of my most beloved fanon/canon tropes: Sammy is aces with knives.

By All Means, Rome, by deirdre_c, CWrps AU, JA/JP, NC-17, 28,000 words === An adaptation of the movie Roman Holiday (and yes, Jensen makes a splendid stand-in for Audrey Hepburn) that is directly responsible for those tabs in my browser that have flight information and reviews for tiny hotels in Rome.

Hail Mary, by rhythmsextion, CWrps AU, JA/JP, NC-17, 117,000 words === The sequel to Next Man Up, her 2009 BB, this one does end the story started there and ends it well. I'm conversant enough in (American) football to enjoy and appreciate the amount of work she put into the world-building but I think her characters are compelling enough that even if you don't know much, you'll still enjoy it.

Nerds of the Earth, Take Note, by emeraldwoman, Leverage/Iron Man crossover, gen, PG-13, ~8000 words === SHIELD needs a hacker and I can't tell you how loud I cackled at the thought of Alec Hardison meeting Tony Stark but it was really really loud and might have scared the dog. General spoilers for IM2.

Black Swans, by omphalos and Wolfling, Supernatural, Sam/Gabriel, Dean/Castiel, NC-17, 66,000 words === As a Sam/Gabriel girl, I'm honor-bound to pass this one along.