Title: Miss Trinket and a Mr Abernathy
Fandom: The Hunger Games
Pairing: Effie/Haymitch
Genres: AU, Romance, Hurt/Comfort, Drama
Length: Epic (80,610 words)
Warnings: Torture, minor character deaths

Author on LJ: N/A
Author Website: TheDodoBird @ FF.net

Author's Summary:
"You have to start somewhere..." Beginning with Effie Trinket's first year as escort, a story of how Effie and Haymitch became unlikely friends and more.

Review:
A lovely long fic for an unfortunately rare pair, this is about realistic as you can get when it comes to a romance involving Haymitch, and depicting a rebellious Effie. With an Effie that has a touch more empathy than the canon version, the author has created a radically different character arc. After her appointment as an escort she begins to see the reality of the Capitol, and her transition from happy citizen to rebel is believable in that it is so personal. Effie doesn't have grand ideas for the emancipation of all at first. She just wants to see her charges live for once, and it is this attitude that brings her and Haymitch closer together, beginning her transformation into a fully fledged rebel.

Haymitch is thankfully in character throughout. At no point does Effie 'fix' him, or really try to. With his past, being a functioning alcoholic is pretty good going, and both the author and Effie herself acknowledge this. Haymitch is still the pessimistic drunkard we know. His love for Effie does soften him and is evident in both his words and actions - but they're both still themselves, and that is the best part of this fic.

Miss Trinket and a Mr Abernathy

Title: Do I Dare Disturb The Universe
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Pairing: John Sheppard/Rodney McKay
Genres: Romance, Angst, Time Travel, Established Relationship, Canon
Length: Epic (57,484 words)
Warnings: Temporary character death

Author on LJ: N/A
Author Website: vaguely_concerned @ AO3

Author's Summary:
When Faith Lumsbred disobeys the decree of Queen Harmony and goes into the forbidden part of the woods, she expects to discover something cool, or at least something suitably unsettling. Finding instead an ageing astrophysicist and his cat she decides to get to the bottom of the things. How did McKay end up here? Why has the queen gone to such lengths to keep him hidden? And what exactly has he been doing out here all by himself?


Review:
Do not let the presence of an OC keep you from reading this fic. She's a likable character who feels very real, and I love the relationship between her and Rodney. As Faith discovers bits and pieces of Rodney's past, the story of what drove Rodney to Harmony's planet unfolds, and it's tragic but interesting. In typical Rodney fashion, he's determined to fix things, but it's taken him many years. Harmony is a grown, mature woman in this fic, but with hints of the mischieviousness of her youth - I could picture her growing up to be just like this. I love Rodney's persistence, the way he never forgets or deviates from his goal. I ache for him and all that he's lost, but I enjoy the way Faith bursts into his life. The plot is interesting and well-written, the characters feel real and themselves, and despite the angst the fic has it's funny moments that lighten the mood. It's really just an enjoyable read!

Do I Dare Disturb The Universe?