recs and links

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Every curse can be broken.

Neal gives Peter and Elizabeth a Christmas gift. Amusing banter ensues. Gets the voices exactly right.

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

His mother gets her ideas from books and magazine stories and sometimes, she says, from people she has met. "That's what a story is," she tells Tommy. "It's organizing what you know about the world into something that makes sense in nine panels. You want the reader to recognize what he sees. Even if the plot is supernatural horror or a romance comic or something, the people should still look familiar." Occasionally, there are boys in her scripts that look or act the way he does, and this is comforting to Tommy and somewhat flattering. / Tom Mayflower was born in the inaugural issue of Midget Radio Comics in 1939, already a man, ready to take up the golden key and the fight against evil. Tommy doesn't mind sharing, but he wants to have come first. The real human ought to come have come first. Captures the odd loneliness of the subway and the city during holidays, and Sam's twin desires for safety and adventure. Lovely and evocative.

Really nice look at the relationship between Castle and Alexis, which is my favorite part of the show.

“You can’t flip burgers forever, Calvin,” Dad always says, usually from behind the cover of a newspaper. / Actually, it turns out Calvin can’t flip burgers for more than two hours, but he didn’t tell his parents he lost the job. There’d be questions he just isn’t prepared to answer. Like, “but why did you put the hose there?” and “how many times?” Perfect snippet of Calvin after school, trying to figure out what he wants to do. The last line is especially perfect.

The gods had heaped Alexander with blessings, skill and wit and wisdom unmatched by ordinary men, perhaps unknown since Achilles himself, and yet he needed Hephaistion to temper him, to be the water to cool his glowing metal, to remind him that his noble mind still burned within a mortal's body that required such petty things as food and rest and love. Lovely. I love how focused Hephaistion is on Alexander, on knowing what he needs and how to give it to him, and how Alexander acknowledges that and needs it, and gives Hephaistion what he needs in return. ♥ ♥ ♥

In his never-ending time spent watching the world because the world is better than cable, the Devil has seen many different strategies for coping with his presence. God likes to pretend that he is the one in charge, because he is bossy and also kind of a douchebag. T-Rex acts like that sometimes, too, but he's more fun because he always loses arguments in the end (unlike God, who can just change whatever they are arguing about so that he wins because he is a douchebag and also cheats). A lot of people deal by being really, really afraid, and others fall down in abject worship. Jesus just challenged him to Guitar Hero and took his loss gracefully, because unlike his father, Jesus does not cheat, and is actually a really cool guy. He hangs out with the Devil to annoy his dad. T-Rex's friends pretend the Devil isn't there, which is the most annoying way of all. THIS IS AWESOME! READ IT NOW!

Another good look at John and Jane working on their relationship after the movie.

Ged laughs again, and turns to meet Vetch's gaze. I have missed you, my friend. Your humour is like quicksilver to me. / Poisonous? / Nay, Ged says. Bright. Good. A ballast in the storm. The light of a new place found in an old. / You see much in mud and quicksilver, Sparrowhawk. Quiet, beautifully written, captures the feel and sound of the books perfectly. Ged visits Vetch after the events of The Farthest Shore.

Wonderful story made up of the letters Mike and Liz and Tracy and Dexter send each other during the war.

Lovely glimpse of Irene before she becomes Attolia.

"Some people are improved by misfortune." The queen stepped forward and lightly touched his black hair where it curled over his ear. / Eugenides turned his head so that her hand was on his cheek. "I'm not. I sulk," he said with a distinct lack of shame. Lovely, in character look at Gen and Irene on their wedding night.

“I would’ve asked for grape.” The other detective says when they’re alone. Dukie shrugs; he’s lost interest in the topic. The fat one left a while ago. / “You know why?” / “No.” / “Cause nobody likes it. Not really. Means there’s always gonna be some left.” / This makes sense and Dukie wonders why he didn’t think of it first. Going last, waiting until everyone else is finished always makes things easier. Still, nobody likes grape. Bunk and Lester question Dukie. Story's the same as it ever was. Note-perfect, and therefore, heartbreaking.

I like this a lot - it captures both Thessaly's anger at being toyed with as well as her badassery, and Daniel's curiosity about Morpheus and the way he tries to satisfy it without thinking of how his trespass will be received.

"So, what's the big emergency?" / "Never mind that now, Dubbie. We have bigger fish to fry. Or should I say smaller fish? Of course, they're not actually fish at all. That would be weird." / "I think we've already bypassed 'weird' and well on our way into the land of confusion." Hee! Adorable little casefile with some good Middle-banter.

"This just frosts my flakes," he said. "Misappropriation of materials, mysterious men from Walla Walla, and cloak-wearing aliens do not provide a logical progression." / "Logic?" Wendy asked. "Hate to ask you this, Mr. Spock, but when has logic ever had anything to do with this job?" / "This is as serious as a sockful of scorpions, Dubbie, and if it's got something to do with the calendar change, we're covered in bites." Wendy and the Middleman tackle a case with a mysterious mirrorball on New Year's Eve. Reads just like an episode. *hearts*

Aw, Dug.

Awesome and hilarious Middleman/Murder She Wrote crossover. Of course Jessica Fletcher knows about the Middleman. And of course he's a fan of hers. *hearts*

“Saint Nicholas is our patron saint,” Parker says, again, more insistent this time. “No,” he says, and then – fainter – “How, why, what, oh my god?”, trailing off into nonsensical protest. Parker often has that effect on him. “Think about it,” she says, swinging her legs from where she’s perched on the kitchen counter. “I don’t know, Hardison,” Eliot says, smiling lazily. “Girl kind of has a point. I mean, breaking into houses while people sleep? Stealing their milk and cookies?” He tssks loudly, and there is no way Eliot should be able to look like that and sound like someone’s grandmother in the same second. *sniffle* Wonderful story in which the team steals Christmas for some kids.

Nice look at Tim spinning his wheels while Lyla's off at college.

Really lovely look at Red settling into life in Mexico with Andy. The voice is spot-on - I could totally hear Morgan Freeman narrating as I read.

Sam and Dean and homemade cookies on Christmas. *heart* Boys!

he's Spaceman Spiff, a splendid specimen of spirit and spunk and he spirals spectacularly between spewing spumes of sulfurous steam that smash the saurian ship into smithereens! A perfect amalgamation of Calvin's fantasy lives. Brilliant!

Hilarious and clever look at what goes on inside of Calvin's head, plus a rollicking Spaceman Spiff adventure!

Over a couple of days during spring break, Hobbes helps him build an Unweirdifier 5000. They sit in the treehouse and fire it up, the stockpot helmet blocking out the autumn light. When Calvin emerges, he feels like a baby again - but with his body too big for his head instead of the other way around. There isn't as much burping up either. Calvin, growing up. Utterly fantastic. *hearts*

With Susie's back to them, Hobbes made happy gestures and mouthed marry this girl. Adorable look at Calvin when he's all grown up and trying to find a job. Susie and Hobbes help.