Fandom: TRANSFORMERS
TF Continuity: G1
Pairing: Starscream/Thundercracker/Skywarp
Length: 12,433 words
Author on LJ: sanjuno
Author website: Nine Rings of Vos Masterlist
Why this must be read:

Summary: The Seekers of Vos have a plan--and it's taken millions of years to get to the point.

I may have mentioned before that this fandom tends to produce serial standalones that build to a large epic. This is one of them. This courtship fic is from early in the Oppression Arc of the absolutely incredible Nine Rings of Vos.

( tl;dr? )

(in which Starscream is being courted)

Vidder: Isagel
Musical artist: "Creep" by Stone Temple Pilots
Pairing: None
Vidder on LJ: isagel
Vidder's website: vids tag
Why this vid kicks ass: I would never in a million years have thought I'd love a songvid about amputees. But OMG, Isagel brings it, and I totally do. I really can't do justice to this vid in words, just believe me that it's worth it and click on the link. Go on. Shoo.

Half the Man
Warning: Violence and frontal nudity (fuller warning given on splash page)

Fandom: Alias Smith and Jones
Pairing: Hannibal Heyes / Kid Curry
Length: 1960 words
Author on LJ: devilshole 
Author Website: unknown

Why this must be read: I adore this piece set immediately following "The McCreedy Bust" as the boys leave town without the $20,000 they'd won from the devious landowner. Heyes is stewing in guilt and Kid is trying to get him to snap out of it when they reach the next town. This is another fine character piece with dialog you can hear when you're reading it. I just love this story to bits, especially the ending. Fills me with warm and fuzzies.

Busted

Fandom: TRANSFORMERS
TF Continuity: 2007 Movie
Pairing: none
Length: 3,282 words
Author on LJ: none
Author website: on FF.net
Why this must be read:

Here's a unique look at the strengths and weaknesses of the Transformers, from Perceptor's scientific point of view. Told in four vignettes, every word is a jewel, and you come away with a new perspective on humanity. I love the insights from the Ironhide portion, and the final Sam section and last line cap the lesson perfectly.

The Rules of Size

Fandom: HOUSE
Pairing: House/Wilson
Length: 14,800 words
Author on LJ: daasgrrl
Author Website: Author's LJ Memories
Why this must be read:

After Amber's death, House lets Wilson go. Now he has to find him again. Here's a fifth-season AU looking at what might have happened, had Wilson actually left House after "Not Cancer." A wonderful story of two men tentatively trying to build a new friendship out of the ashes of the old.

( Excerpt: )

On Boats

Hi, guys.

So I just moved to the Netherlands and our apartment doesn't have an oven. My husband did the househunting, and when I showed up on the day of the move and realized there was no oven, he was really embarrassed to have missed that, but I wouldn't have thought to check either. I did some poking around online and it doesn't seem to be that bizarre here for there to be no oven.

ANYWAY. To the point of my post! I will be (once we can find the money) purchasing a countertop oven of sorts (not that I know how it'll fit), but in the meantime, I can only cook on the stovetop. I didn't see a stove or hob tag, so I thought I'd come to you for ideas.

In the past 3 weeks, I've cooked a LOT of chili (regular and white bean) and a LOT of soup (lentil, pumpkin, tortilla), and I've been falling back on good ol' stir fry as well, but I'm having trouble thinking up fun and exciting recipes that don't require an oven. Searching recipe sites is kind of a pain because I have to go into most recipes and read to make sure there is no oven required. And the return rate is too poor to justify doing it.

Do you guys have any ideas for me to finally leave soups and stir-fries behind? Or at least to not have to resort to them every single night?

Thanks!

I wrote all of the entries in my journal a very long time ago, can anyone possibly look at them and let me know if I should start writing again?

Fandom: FOREVER KNIGHT
Pairing: Nick/Natalie, Tracy/Vachon
Length: 24,634 words
Author on LJ: n/a
Author Website: Fiction by Erika Wilson

Why this must be read: It's a rare thing to see Forever Knight given an AU spin, so I will pimp out this particular AU fic till I'm blue in the face. It's Forever Knight meets film noir! I was struck by its originality and cleverness. Pretty much everyone makes an appearance, so there's something here for all FK fans. If there was ever a fic that I would have loved to seen the cast do, it would be this one.

( Excerpt )


The Maltese Raven by Erika Wilson

It has been an absolute bear of a month, and I am super delayed with posting, but here's hoping I can rec something you'll like! First up, though, the fandom overview.



Everyone--and I mean everyone--knows a little bit about the Transformers. They're giant alien robots that transform into cars, planes, weapons, animal forms or other functional machines. They started out as a line of toys in the late 1970s-early 1980s, and to help market it, a cartoon series was created by Hasbro. Nearly 30 years later, the robot toys have spawned a lot of animated series, movies, comic books, videogames, and ever more toy lines.

The fandom is unique in that multiple continuities are pretty much accepted as canon somewhere in the Transformers multiverse. You will see several codes (G1/G2, DW, IDW, BW, SG, etc), which I will identify when they come up.

I do not claim in depth knowledge of the fandom, but ( have a little basic info behind the cut. )

There was a foolproof recipe in a Queer Eye for the Straight Guy self-help book (don't ask, don't tell) for this easily veganized brownie dessert. It was shiny-topped brownie cake floating on top of warm, mocha pudding, the kind where you sprinkle a sugar mix on top of the batter and then pour coffee over it all before baking. No eggs, no mess. Except on one's face after eating.

That book is in storage thousands of miles away, but if anyone can post a similar recipe I'd be much obliged.

Fandom: EUREKA
Pairing: That would be telling
Length: One-shot
Author on LJ: jeff_morris
Author Website: www.jeffreysmorris.com
Why this must be read: AHAHAHAHA! This cross between meta and fic explains *everything* about this fandom!

A Ten Second Eureka Tale (scroll down to the second story)

Vidder: such heights
Musical artist: "Slow Lynch" by Sebastien Tellier
Pairing: Various
Vidder on LJ: such_heights
Vidder's website: Fanworks Masterlist
Why this vid kicks ass: Another recent trend in vidding has been multi-fandom vids which explore a particular theme, often related to kink bingo cards. Today's rec is such_heights's gorgeous essay on hands. It will make you yearn to reach out and touch someone.

Many Hands

Fandom: PRIMEVAL
Pairing: Gen
Length: 5800
Author on LJ: reggietate
Author Website: None
Why this must be read:

The complex relationship between Nick and Stephen is one that will keep the fangirls gainfully employed for years! In A Walk in the Permian, reggietate adds an ill Nick to the mix as two stubborn and pig-headed men finally realise that they might just need to talk . . . As always with this writer, their interaction is totally believable.

A Walk in the Permian

Fandom: THE AVENGERS
Pairing: Steed/Emma if you squint
Length: 20,277 words
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: her FF.net profile
Why this must be read:

The blatant X-Files influence is used to excellent effect. This story perfectly captures the style of the atmospheric, sci-fi Season 4 episodes (which are among the series' best), and the plot is perfectly crazy with hints of darkness beneath the surface, making for a highly entertaining read. The ending in particular is absolutely brilliant. Steed and Emma are amazingly well-written; their banter flows perfectly throughout this seven-part epic, not a single line out of place. This story is part of a lengthy series, but it can be read without prior knowledge of the other stories, and in any case it deserves to be read, first or last. BitShifter seems to have begun writing Avengers fics in 2005 and become insanely prolific since, and I am crossing my fingers that she sticks around, because I've been lurking about for years, and it's been a long time since the fandom has been blessed with any regular writers half this good. My figurative hat is permanently off to her.

( Excerpt )

The Zed Files

Fandom: AMERICAN IDOL SEASON 8
Pairing: Adam Lambert/Kris Allen
Length: 4,500 words
Author on LJ: wearemany
Author Website: Delicious Tag
Why this must be read: Because the author packs a punch into a relatively short fic. And the interplay between Kris and Adam feels so spot-on.

"What's your favorite thing to do on tour?" a reporter calls out.

Adam's distracted, staring at his hands as he picks at his nails.

"People watch," Kris answers, and the corner of Adam's mouth rises in a smile.

That Guy

Today's theme was "more". A perfect theme for both of us, I think, seeing as purplemer3 was Boxing Day shopping and I was spending the day with my family. See what I mean...

Mer's entry:



Well, there's always more!

Anna's entry:



I wish this photo wasn't so blurry, but what can you do?  No really-- what can you do? 

Today's family gathering.  Clockwise, starting with the blue chair:  Blue Chair, niece Sam, niece Emily, nephew David, nephew Vic, nephew Brett, nephew James, niece-in-lieu Mimi, brother-in-law Rollin, dad Roland, sister Kathy, mom Janet, aunt Margaret.

Why yes, there are a lot of them.